cover image Antiques Roadkill: A Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery

Antiques Roadkill: A Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery

Barbara Allan, . . Kensington, $22 (288pp) ISBN 978-0-7582-1191-0

In this pseudonymous series debut, a run-of-the-mill cozy by the husband-and-wife team of Barbara Collins (Too Many Tomcats ) and Max Allan Collins (True Detective ), newly divorced Brandy Borne, who's on an antidepressant, returns home to Serenity, a little town on the Mississippi River, and to her slightly deranged mother, Vivian, who's also on meds. To Brandy's horror, Vivian has sold their antique furniture to an unscrupulous dealer, Clint Carson. Since the Bornes weren't the only ones this swindler has scammed, it's no surprise when Carson gets his comeuppance—run over on a road near his farmhouse. More bizarre accidents and violence follow. Humor partly redeems a plot that suffers from too many digressions and extraneous details. The authors also collaborated on the novel Bombshell (2005). (Aug.)