Monday, May 07, 2012

Antiques Disposal -- Barbara Allan (Barbara Collins & Max Allan Collins)

Brandy Borne and her mother/grandmother, Vivian, are back. So is Sushi, Brandy's blind, incontinent dog, and also Brandy's mother (it's complicated), Peggy Sue, now living in the house with Brandy and Vivian.

Brandy and Vivian win a bid on a locked storage unit, which contains, among other things, a pencil drawing of Superman, signed Siegel and Shuster and dated 1946. There's also a cornet that belonged to Bix Beiderbecke. Somebody's eager to get hold of it, and when that someone burgles the Borne house, both Sushi and Peggy Sue are injured. Oh, and there's now a dead body in the storage unit. Once again the intrepid Borne detective team goes into action, with Vivian leading the way, as usual.

Another body turns up, and a number of story arcs are covered. It's all very funny, with lots of great dialogue. At the conclusion there's even a Nero Wolfe homage, with Vivian, who can't resist a good role, acting the part of Wolfe. The criminal is revealed, but there are a few threads still dangling. Those, along with the cliffhanger ending, assure a sequel, which is good news for us fans.

If you've been needing a break from all the noir fiction you've been reading, here's something to brighten your day.

1 comment:

Jerry House said...

It certainly brightened my day!