Antiques Con — Barbara Allan

Brandy Borne and her drama-queen mom, Vivian, take their antiques show on the road, for an off-Broadway farce mixing mirth and murder. A world away from small-town Serenity, the ditsy duo--chaperoned by their trusty shih tzu, Sushi--arrive in the Big Apple, blissfully unaware that they will soon cross paths with a rotten-to-the-core killer.

As the dynamic dames descend upon a comic-book convention--to sell a rare 1940s Superman drawing--Vivian makes a show of keeping the valuable sketch locked to her wrist in a briefcase. When an intruder breaks into their hotel suite, they naturally suspect a felonious fan, over-eager to acquire their artwork.

But this not-so-super villain proves less interested in the Man of Steel than in stealing a man's life, as Brandy and Mother stumble onto a murder victim impaled by a pen-shaped award. Suspects ranging from comic-book collectors to crime kingpins lead Brandy and Mother on a merry madcap Manhattan misadventure, taking them from convention hall to strip joint, from retirement home to precinct lock-up. Has the con been conned by a killer? If so, only Brandy, Mother and Sushi can stop this fatally foul funny-book fiend.