This series is near the top of my "drop everything and read the new book immediately" list. Vivian and Brandy's antics are always entertaining and this book is as wild as ever. The mother/daughter teams sets off for a city wide garage sale in Texas, seeking new inventory for their antique store. And of course they're up to their ears in trouble before they get anywhere near their destination because that's what happens to these two. The murder mystery iteself is well developed and doesn't take a backseat to the other things that are going on. It's fun and fast-paced and filled with references to previous events in the series, but it always includes multiple author's notes to let you know which book those events happened in.

You know the best thing about coming to a series late? You have a whole slew of books to binge read! Antiques Round-Up is my first foray into the series by Barbara Allan. Why did I wait until the 19th book to read this series? Honestly, as soon as I finished this one, I borrowed all the books I could from the library and have been reading them ever since. They are wonderfully funny, and completely addictive.

Brandy Borne and her kooky mother have to replenish their stock in the antiques store they own, so they head out to Texas to a humongous city-wide sale takes place. But they have plenty of adventures along the way! From their van breaking down, to spending the night in what turns out to be a historical Native American village, to being arrested, that’s just the beginning of the story!

This is a definite must-read for fans of humorous Cozy Mysteries. The characters are larger than life - scarily so. I can just imagine what their hometown looks like from the descriptions by the author.

I can’t wait to get back to reading the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for allowing me to read an advanced copy. I happily leave my honest opinion.

I love this series! Brandy and Vivian are on a buying trip to Tranquility, Texas, a town mysteriously similar to Serenity in virtually every possible way. When a pre-garage sale sale turns up a dead body, Vivian puts all shop-stocking on hold to solve the crime. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the police there don't know about Vivian's and Brandy's sleuthing prowess and they don't appreciate the help.

The setting for this book was really fun. A near-copy of Serenity but located in the state of Texas. Brandy stays at a glamping ground while Vivian stays at a hotel remodeled from an old mission. There's a Native American village (or at least there was) and a hardware store/bar where the RODEOs hang out. Vivian of course has many connections in this town she's never been to before (and revels in the relative fame she enjoys because they know only the good things and have heard little or nothing of her less flattering foibles).

There's a ton of intrigue in this book. Forged documents, illicit love affairs, gambling gone awry, and Vivian and Brandy poke their noses into all of it. Meanwhile all the things we love about the series are still present, the notes back and forth between Vivian and Brandy and Olivia, their editor, and the witty banter between mother and daughter.

Anyone who is a fan of cozy mysteries should definitely check out this series. There's so much humor and adventure and we have two such vastly different heroines there's never a dull moment.

Thank you to the authors, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Enjoy a good mystery but like to laugh? This one's for you.

This is part of a series I'm happy to pick up any time. The adventures, or frequently misadventures of Brandy Borne and her mother Vivian are always entertaining. I won't even try to summarize the plot other than to say it involves antiques, getting arrested, a casino heist, suspicious deaths (where they seem to always be the ones to find the bodies), an eventful road trip, a rent a horse, and, well, too many more to list. You'll like the two main characters, who run an antiques shop in Serenity, Iowa, where Brandy's boyfriend is with the police. Let's just say, Serenity is anything but when they're around, especially if Vivian is off her bipolar meds. They're also famous, though some would say infamous, for their books and crime solving, which makes it hard for them to remain inconspicuous. Not that Vivian could be inconspicuous if her life depended on it. I mean, she sneaked out on Brandy and rented a horse? Vivian whose only riding experience turns out to have been a pony in her youth?

Anyway, it's a fun ride. While Vivian tends to go off on various topics as they occur to her, frequently movie or television related, not to mention topics most of the younger generation isn't familiar with, Brandy at least tries to focus on the main target. In this case, it's finding antiques to resell at their store, never mind she keeps getting dragged into investigating with Vivian. It's hard not to shake your head in wonder at this duo but it's also hard not to like them. Brandy and Vivian alternate chapters for the most part, each here tending to end with a recipe and hint on adding antiques and/or collectibles to your own collection. While you may get lost in Vivian's, uh, thoughts at times, not seeing the point, even the most absurd are somehow entertaining. I did miss the regular characters and having diabetic dog Sushi around this go-round but he was left at home in the care of another long-suffering regular, Brandy's boyfriend police chief. Something tells me he wasn't surprised at the number of calls he kept getting from police departments as they travel to Texas in their RV to see what they can find at a town wide antiques yard sale as a fund raiser.,

Bottom line, there's a good mystery here and lots of laughs. Characters who'll make you laugh and, most likely, shake your head in disbelief. I wish I had Vivian's energy, not to mention her guts. Thanks #KensingtonPublishing and #NetGalley for allowing me this laugh-out loud early peek at the zany world of the Trash 'n' Treasures dynamic duo.

Antiques Round-Up is the latest installment of the Trash’N’Treasures mystery series. As always, this series is laugh-out-loud funny and a joy to read. Every character in this book is quirky and interesting! Vivian and Brandy are the perfect mother-daughter duo and remind of those mother-daughter chats and debates many of us have with our family (although mine are not about murder)! The road trip was wonderful, although I missed some of the regular characters and hope they will be back in the next book. The ending was amazing and had me laughing and crying at the same time! I can’t wait to see what happens next and maybe have a little more of Sushi next time!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

Antiques Round-Up by Barbara Allan—the pseudonym of Max Allan Collins and his wife, Barbara—is the latest installment in the long-running Trash ‘n’ Treasures mystery series. In this new outing, protagonists and narrators Brandy Borne and her eccentric mother, Vivian, find themselves embroiled in yet another murder investigation—this time in Texas.

The duo travels to the quaint town of Tranquility, Texas, drawn by a town-wide yard sale where they hope to stock up on items for their antique store. But, as always in this series, treasure hunting quickly takes a back seat to sleuthing when murder enters the picture.

Antiques Round-Up is predictably enjoyable—in the best way. One of the highlights of the series is the lively and humorous banter between Brandy and Vivian, complete with occasional interruptions from the editor, all of which adds to its charm. The book strikes a satisfying balance between a genuinely suspenseful mystery—complete with some surprisingly brutal killings—and the light, cozy elements fans love. Recipes, adorable dogs, and antique shopping tips round out the experience, with each chapter ending in a helpful treasure-hunting tidbit.

When I’m in the mood for a literary palate cleanser—something memorable, clever, and just plain fun—this series never disappoints. I’m happy to report that Antiques Round-Up ranks among the best of Barbara Allan’s works. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer, this book can be enjoyed as a standalone entry into a delightfully offbeat mystery world.

I received an advanced reader’s ebook copy via NetGalley, with the suggestion that I leave an honest review, which I endeavored to do so here.

Typical Brandi and Vivian story. I really used to love this series, however, something has changed and it's just not the same anymore.
This one was okay, but I didn't laugh as much as I used to when reading the earlier books.

This is a 3 star review

Vivian is a widowed bipolar antiques dealer who (with her divorced daughter, Brandy) is rather accustomed to solving murders with the assistance of her canine, Sushi. This time they go out-of-state to replenish the stock for their store in Iowa (Trash 'n' Treasures) and wind up in more hilarious predicaments. There's also a recipe and lots of Trash 'n' Treasures Tips at the end of chapters, too.
This book is a perfect antidote to real world worries. It's a punfest with enough humor to keep laughing throughout the whole book!
I requested and received an uncorrected digital copy from Severn House via NetGalley. Pub date Oct 07, 2025
#AntiquesRoundUp by Barbara Allan #TrashNTreasuresmysteriesBk19 @severnhouseimprint
#laughoutloud #cozymystery #mentalhealth #recipes #shopping #antiques #collectibles #vintage

Welcome to another madcap cozy mystery as Vivian and Brandy Borne are on a road trip to murder and mayhem. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review (and rant, and rave and giggle) the latest in Barbara Allan's 'Antiques' series of mysteries. Read all of them, loved all of them, this one is no exception.
So, Brandy and Vivian are on a road trip to purchase stock for their antiques store in Serenity, Iowa. They've found that Tranquility, Texas is holding a city-wide sale, and they're certain that the western-themed items on offer will be just what they require. And when they arrive there, they feel right at home - Tranquility seems to be a mirror image of their hometown.
But of course, Vivian (off her bipolar meds, unbeknownst to her darling daughter) just has to stumble on not one but two suspicious deaths!
Investigations ensue. Mayhem ensues. And of course, Vivian ends up on the wrong side of another police force!
There's just too much going on that would qualify as spoilers, so I'm just going to say, if you've read the other books then you know what you're in for; if you haven't, then buckle up pardner! You're in for a ride.
Highly recommended.