holy cow- Vivian is Sheriff now! She's also dragged her daughter Brandy into an investigation of bad doings and murders at an Edgar Allen Poe festival in small town Iowa. I've read a couple of the books in this long running cozy series and as always wonder at the high murder rate in the area. That said, there is humor here but there is at least one scene which should have been edited with a more modern eye. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley (or Nutgalley today) and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I went into this knowing full well it was the 13th book in a very long series, so I expected to feel a little confused. I did appreciate though that the authors went to the trouble of explaining past actions and how they impacted this story. I enjoyed the interactions between mother and daughter and their obvious similarities and differences in their characters. The Poe references were nice too.

I didn't really like the mystery though, and the explanations didn't make sense to me for so much violence. It lost a bit of the cozy feel by having so much as well, and that vibe is what draws me to cozy mystery. However, I would go back and read more of Brandy and her mother's antics, and I'm curious to see if she can stay as a Sheriff. Three stars.

Antiques Gavin' is the thirteenth book in this series, but you can read this as a standalone because it gives enough background. I think I have found a new favorite series for me, now I need to go back and read the rest of the series. Fabulous characters and a wonderful mystery.

Glad to be back with some of my favorite characters and as always was not disappointed. Another fun, laugh filled addition to the series with a great tie in with the Poe festival for me being from the Baltimore area.

Another frolicking tale of adventure involving Vivian and Brandy Borne, a mother and daughter amateur sleuthing team, currently serving as the area Sheriff and appointed deputy! As past readers know, only Vivian and Brandy know how to stumble over unexpected trouble... and bodies! In the nearby town of Antiqua, residents, shop owners and visitors are getting ready for the annual Poe Festival based on famous author Edgar Allan Poe. One of the highlights of the festival is finding an antique closing related or owned by the author at a steal of a deal. Many secrets will be uncovered and the town may be small, but filled with many shady characters. While I very much enjoyed the storyline aspect involving a Poe festival, I believe I'm having a tough time following Vivian and Brandy through their adventures as their characters may becoming a bit stale to me. I think there are aspects of their personalities that have been repeated so many times and may have been cute or funny before, but are kind of hard to buy into now. But the storyline was well thought out and I did enjoy the original aspect of the story. Thanks for letting me review early from NetGalley!

situational-humor, verbal-humor, family-dynamics, law-enforcement, puntastic, cozy-mystery

***** The tale is told alternately by Sheriff Vivian the bipolar and her put upon daughter Brandy. As a cozy it's pretty good, the sleuthing is interesting, the characters certainly are, and the puns are excruciating. Do not read this while on the subway or bus or when consuming a beverage! Do read it if you are having a bad day or coming off a rotten shift. The publisher's blurb is pretty good, but doesn't convey the laugh riot nature of the read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Antiques Ravin’ is the thirteenth book in Barbara Allan’s (a joint pseudonym of husband-and-wife mystery writers Barbara and Max Allan Collins) A Trash ’n’ Treasures Mystery series. This is the first book I’ve read in this series; however, the author provided great character background, and I easily understood their backgrounds and relationships and didn’t feel lost jumping in this far into the series. The dialog switches between the two main characters to give both their perspectives of certain events. The mystery is interesting, with a good storyline and character development, and lots of humor.

Brandy Borne has been a frequent and reluctant accomplice in her mid-seventy-year-old mother’s, Vivian Borne, mystery-solving escapades in Serenity, the sleepy little town where they live. Brandy has a Shih Tzu named Sushi, Tony Cassato, Serenity’s chief of police, is her on again/off again boyfriend, and she and her mother own Trash ’n’ Treasures. Vivian, who has solved lots of murders as an amateur sleuth, recently became Serenity County Sheriff and appointed Brandy as her unpaid deputy/driver. When Vivian is called out to the nearby town of Antiqua to investigate break-ins at five shops. Since nothing appeared to have been stolen, not even the cash in their registers, they concluded the thief must have been looking for this year’s valuable Poe prize but decided having law enforcement in town would deter further crimes during their Edgar Allan Poe Days. It seems like an easy assignment until Morella Crafton, a waitress at the coffee shop, is murdered and her body is discovered in a mausoleum at the cemetery, Myron Hatcher, the mayor and owner of Top Drawer Antiques goes missing, another body is found in a pond, and then even more crimes are added to the mix. Vivian determines the crimes are being committed by someone is mimicking the Poe literary allusions. Vivian is determined to sift through the clues and find the guilty parties, and Tony unofficially helps with the investigation.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.