Book 116, 2023

[chez_jae]

Antiques Maul by Barbara Allan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Finished reading my "extra" book last night. It was Antiques Maul by Barbara Allan, which is the second in the authors' "Trash 'n Treasures" mystery series. Story is in first-person point of view of the main character, Brandy Borne.

Recently divorced, Brandy has moved back home with her mother, Vivian. Mother is eccentric and over the top, and when she quits the local theater in a huff, Brandy is anxious to find another outlet for Mother's energy. To that end, she convinces her to rent a booth at the newly opened antiques mall in Serenity. In the meantime, Brandy's son, Jake, has come to stay with her for a week. He is fascinated by the cigar store Indian that Brandy and her Mother have for sale. When Brandy and Vivian go to the mall early one morning they find the owner dead--an apparent victim of her own dog, Brad Pit Bull. Vivian is convinced the dog is scared of his own shadow and wouldn't harm a fly, much less his owner. The local police don't seem keen to delve into the matter any further, at least not until someone kidnaps Jake. Brandy is desperate to get her son back, but she's also in Mama Bear mode, and no one is going to escape her wrath.

The story was mostly lighthearted fun. Brandy's wry observations and biting wit were hilarious, as were Mother's antics. The backstory strayed from the typical cookie cutter cozy mystery in that Brandy's marriage ended because she cheated. She's also battling mental health issues with the help of a therapist and Prozac. As for the sleuthing, there really wasn't any. Mother was asking questions, but since virtually the entire book was in Brandy's pov (save for one chapter in Vivian's pov), the reader isn't privy to that. Although things were resolved at the end, I felt a tad blindsided since no investigating had been going on to lead me to the same conclusion the authors wrote. There was also the disconcerting matter of the prologue skipping ahead in time, to when Brandy and Vivian discovered the body. It felt like a spoiler.

Favorite lines:
♦ Dogs are forgiving (unlike cats, who will pretend to forgive you then later spray your favorite Jimmy Choos with urine).
♦ It was the kind of morning where your first thought is: I think I have just enough energy to survive...
♦ I punched her in her considerable stomach--that belly could hide underneath that Fisher smock, but it couldn't run.*
♦ I said, "I did too stop." // He said, "You did not." // "Did too." // "Did not." // "Too!" // "Not!" // "Too, too, too!" // "Not, not, not!" // I let it drop. Honestly, for a kid his age, Jake could be childish sometimes.

The story was somewhat odd, but I appreciated its uniqueness in the genre. Four stars.


1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? NA--it was never explicitly stated what Brandy did (or didn't) do. The antiques seemed a sideline.
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? No
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Yes
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, she has a dog
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? No, her BFF is rather levelheaded.
6. Did the mc find the body? Yes
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Yes
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes, Vivian is a ditz
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? NA
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Kinda? Jake lives with his father.