Brandy and Vivian Borne first appeared in Antiques Roadkill and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Brandy and Vivian.

What is your full name?
BB: Brandy Borne.
VB: Vivian Borne.

How old are you?
BB: Thirty-three.
VB: That’s on a need to know basis, and, dear you don’t need to know. But I will admit to being as old as my tongue and slightly older than my teeth.

What is your profession?
BB: I’m a co-owner with Mother of the Trash ‘n’ Treasures antiques shop, located in an old house where each room contains what would normally be found there – i.e., livingroom furniture in the parlor, appliances and such in the kitchen, books in the library. I’m also a reluctant participant in Mother’s murder investigations.
VB: First and foremost, I’m a sleuth extraordinaire – I reject the label “amateur sleuth” as there’s nothing amateur about me! To this I would modestly add acclaimed local thespian and expert antiques dealer.

Do you have a significant other?
BB: I have a fiancé, who is in his late forties, an age difference I find comforting.
VB: Not at the moment. My last serious alliance was with a retired Army sergeant who wanted to make an honest woman of me. . .but, honestly, I don’t hup-two-three-four for anyone.

What is their name and profession?
BB: Tony Cassoto is the chief of police, and Mother’s assumption that this might give her access to information withheld from the public has been a big disappointment to her.
VB: I never kiss and tell. What happens with Vivian, stays with Vivian.

Do you have any children?
BB: A son, Jake, who is fourteen and lives with his father, my ex, in a suburb of Chicago. But Jake visits frequently, and it doesn’t please me to say he does sometimes get entangled in Mother’s sleuthing web.
VB: Well, now, this is complicated. I consider Brandy my daughter, but (since certain facts have come to light) I can now say that my much older daughter, Peggy Sue, is Brandy’s natural mother. To go into more detail would require a much longer spoiler alert.

Do you have any siblings?
BB: Until a few years ago I thought my much older sister, Peggy Sue, was my sibling. But then I found out she’s my biological mother, and that Mother, my grandmother, raised me as hers. Which explains a lot about my strained relationship with Peg.
VB: No. My parents got it right the first time, and retired undefeated.

Are your parents nearby?
BB: Since I live with Mother, that could be measured in yards and feet. The man I consider my father (Vivian’s only husband) died just before I was born. But I also recently learned my biological father is a US senator that Peggy Sue had campaigned with during her summer after high school. Yep. We may solve mysteries, but sometimes we live a soap opera. Happy ending, though – the Senator and Sis are now married.
VB: My parents reside locally, as well, if the local cemetery counts.

Who is your best friend?
BB: My BFF is Tina – short for Christina. We met in high school and went to community college together. After she was diagnosed with cancer and couldn’t have any children, I was a surrogate for Tina and her husband, Kevin. Sometimes it’s hard for me to be around the toddler, who looks just like my old photos.
VB: Why limit yourself? I have over four hundred near and dear friends as attested by my ever-expanding Christmas letter list. Granted, some I don’t recall. What is your address, dear? E-mail doesn’t count!

Do you have any pets?
BB: In the divorce settlement, I got custody of Sushi, a diabetic shih tzu, who’s smarter than either me or Mother, and sometimes plays a key role solving our cases.
VB: I consider Sushi a part of my family. But I do question that her IQ outdistances mine (but not necessarily Brandy’s).

What town do you live in?
BB: Serenity, Iowa, a picturesque hamlet on the banks of the Mississippi River. Thanks to an effort to preserve its old Victorian buildings, the downtown has become a tourist attraction for its antiques stores, bistros, and boutiques. The only problem is that there have been quite a few murders here.
VB: True. But we do have the honor of being in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of killings per capita of towns our size. Which is quite a distinction!

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
BB: Mother owns our house, a two-story white stucco, with a wide front porch. The original home, built in 1926, blew up the first year I moved back (Antiques Maul), but Mother insisted it be rebuilt using the same plan so it would share the aesthetic of the other dwellings in our neighborhood.
VB: I always say, one crooked tooth can ruin the best smile.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
BB: Anywhere away from Mother.
VB: Very droll, dear. My favorite spot is in the library, standing at an antique school-room chalkboard on wheels, which I use to compile my suspect lists.

Favorite meal and dessert?
BB: Tony’s lasagna, and an old family favorite, chocolate mint brownies. The recipes can be found in Antiques Fate and Antiques Disposal.
VB: I never met a gluten I didn’t like, or that didn’t like me.

Do you have any hobbies?
BB: Unfortunately, my love of antiquing has become a busman’s holiday. But I do enjoy the occasional shopping spree with Tina, followed by a split of champagne.
VB: Is investigating murders considered a hobby? Could bringing justice to our community be anything but a public service? I ask you! (Quoted from my campaign speech when I ran for sheriff.)

What is your favorite vacation spot?
BB: St. Barthelemy in the Caribbean. I first read about the enchanting island in a Destinations Magazine while in my dentist’s waiting room (which may explain why he charges so much). But I’ve only gone there in my mind. (St. Barts I mean, not the dentist, where I’ve been plenty of times.)
VB: I too, read about the enchanting locale in a magazine while in my doctor’s waiting room (BB: psychiatrist).

What music do you listen to?
BB: Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Adele, Coldplay and Foo Fighters.
VB: No one can get my hammer toes tapping like Ol’ Blue Eyes.

Do you have a favorite book?
BB: Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase.
VB: Oh, that’s a tough one. Probably Antiques Flee Market, or maybe Antiques Wanted. Antiques Ravin’ is a good one! Oh. . .you mean by someone else? Nothing comes to mind. [Editor’s Note: LOL!]

What is your idea of a really fun time?
BB: A quiet evening with Tony at his cabin, with him doing the cooking. A roaring fire will come into play.
VB: A nice juicy murder investigation.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
BB & VB: Well, that’s what we’re doing — the Trash ‘n’ Treasures books, all with Antiques in the titles!

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
BB: If there’s a word below amateur, that’s me. Reluctant comes to mind, also coerced and tricked by Mother.
VB: If there’s a word above professional, that would apply to Vivian Borne! Don’t mean to brag, of course.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
BB: I’m roused by Sushi (stuffing her under the covers once is all she’ll put up with), shower and get into some comfy clothes, head downstairs to take my Prozac, then see what Mother is up to. And that’s when my whole world usually goes to heck.
VB: As I’ve mentioned, I’m up at the crack of dawn, shower, dress, bolt down a cup of strong joe, then head out the door to my Vespa (I lost my driver’s license due to a few minor infractions, less than dozen). My first stop is the aptly named Dunn funeral home to check with the owner, regarding any deaths of recent “clients” that might seem suspicious. Next, I zip over to a local bar called Cinders – a hangout for hipsters – to meet with my informant, Nona. Well, it’s Nona’s close friend, Zelda, who is really my informant, but she can only speak through Nona, who is a “Tulpa,” a person who has an imaginary friend. In our last case, I ran into a real problem because Zelda had some information for me, but she and Nona weren’t speaking, and so what I had to do was –
(EDITED DUE TO SPACE RESTRICTION)

Antiques Fire Sale is the 14th book in the “Trash ‘n’ Treasures” cozy mystery series, released April 28, 2020.

In the latest installment, after flames consume a historic mansion full of priceless treasures, along with its occupant, the question arises: who charred the corpse? Brandy and Vivian are on the case in their fourteenth Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mystery!

That local theater diva of a certain age, Vivian Borne–a.k.a. Brandy’s mother–is sheriff of Serenity County now, but still hot on the trail of precious antiques. On a tour of the historic Wentworth Mansion, the two dedicated dealers are aglow at the treasure trove of priceless objects…never dreaming everything will turn to ashes, hours later.

A charred corpse in the ruins is identified as the mansion’s caretaker, a one-time flame of Vivian’s. But Tony Cassato–Brandy’s beau and Serenity’s Chief of Police–throws cold water on Sheriff Vivian’s suspicions of murder. Then Brandy spots a certain familiar item for sale on the internet, and Mother suspects the fire was just a smoke screen.

When their doggie detective, Sushi the Shih Tzu, sniffs out a second body in the woods, Mother and Brandy turn up the heat on a homicidal torcher. Because any killer who takes on the Borne girls is playing with fire.

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About the author
Barbara Allan is the joint pseudonym of acclaimed short story writer Barbara Collins (Too Many Tomcats) and her husband, New York Times bestselling novelist and Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition). Their previous collaborations have included one son, a short story collection, and eleven novels. They live in Iowa in a house filled with trash and treasures. Learn more about them at maxallancollins.com and at barbaraallan.com.

All comments are welcomed.