In the world of cozy mysteries, there is straight cozy (some Agatha Christie), bitingly funny cozy (have you ever read Richard Hull’s THE MURDER OF MY AUNT?), sweetly domestic lighthearted cozy (the innumerable cat and cooking-themed mysteries), weird-ass cozy (every other episode of MIDSOMER MURDERS) and OMG-bleach-my-eyes-I-never-want-to-read-this-again-coy-twee-cozy (which applies to the back cover blurb — and only the blurb — of the book under discussion here).

I give these distinctions because there’s cozy and there’s annoying cozy. Barbara Allan’s novel ANTIQUES WANTED falls in the former category, a mix of nice domestic cozy (Vivian Borne, the mother, and Brandy Borne, the daughter, own an antiques store) and there’s annoying cozy (many of the cat-themed mysteries and the godawful, cliché-ridden, aw-shucks-yuk-it-up back blurb of this book).

I nearly donated the book before reading it just on the weakness of that blurb. But because I had read an earlier novel in this series (ANTIQUES CHOP), I gave this one a chance and it’s a good lesson: Not all cozies are the same.

Barbara Allan is actually a pseudonym of husband-and-wife team Barbara Collins and Max Allan Collins. Together, they have written two non-series novels and a collection of short stories, and under the Trash ‘n’ Treasures series label, they have 14 (!) novels (including three e-books) of which ANTIQUES WANTED is the latest.

The series premise is that long-suffering and rational Brandy has to put up with her mother Vivian, a feisty, overbearing, disingenuous but devilishly charming mother, who is a great character in every sense of the words. Somehow, even though the world of antiques is usually rather staid, they manage to get into impossibly murderous situations regularly, tempered by some solid laugh-out-loud lines and situations.

This book opens with Vivian planning to run for Sheriff (the municipality gasps) and in an effort to fund her campaign, the two visit local assisted-living facilities to see if the inhabitants wish to donate anything for a white elephant sale. OK, kooky enough. But after visiting the aunt of the man who will ostensibly be Vivian’s election opponent, they are about to return to that woman’s room in order to give her a book when the room explodes, knocking Brandy unconscious and sadly incinerating the woman therein. OK, not so kooky, but deadly indeed.

Of course, the Bornes are sure it’s murder. And other odd things start happening at the Sunny Meadow Manor which make them think the administration isn’t always on the up-and-up. Just before the poor woman blew up, she had given Vivian a signed photograph of actor Gabby Hayes. The photo had been acquired from noted local Western memorabilia collector Judd Pickett. And it was some years ago that poor Mr. Pickett had been killed during a home invasion. Is there some connection between this item from Pickett’s collection and the death of the woman? Of course there is!

All of this is dealt with in the freeform lighthearted writing style in which the Barbara Allan team revels. The book comes complete with numerous recipes, antique shopping tips, editorial asides between the Borne characters and the book’s editor, and of course, a well-plotted mystery. Sometimes ANTIQUES WANTED may be too cute for words, but the story is a good one. If you like cozy, you’ll like this one. —Mark Rose

Get it at Amazon.