Rinker on Collectibles

RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1592

2017 Summer Reads - Antiques and Collectibles Cozy Mysteries

The antiques and collectibles cozy mystery novel craze is over. The good news is there are survivors, albeit for how long remains a mystery.

In previous years, it often was necessary to write two “Summer Read” columns to cover the wealth of new antiques and collectibles cozy mystery titles. This summer’s column focuses on four titles with an additional mention of a Kindle series which I have not read.

There are a number of reasons for the decline of antiques and collectibles cozy mysteries. First, nothing lasts forever. The general cozy genre has moved to other specialty topics. Second, Berkley Prime Crime, a key publisher of antiques and collectibles cozy mysteries, lost interest in the category. Third, many antiques and cozy mystery authors have stopped writing or shifted their focus. Fourth, remaining authors are writing at a slower pace. The time between new titles in a series is increasing. Several additional cozy mysteries are scheduled for publication in late 2017 or early 2018, enough, I hope, for a “Winter Read” column.

The success of any cozy mystery series rests on an author’s persistence, the ability to develop a fan base, and securing a new publisher when a former publisher drops the series. Victoria Hamilton, the pseudonym for Donna Lea Simpson, is a case in point. Hamilton’s A Vintage Kitchen Mystery series is back in print because of her willingness to work with Beyond the Page Publishing, an on demand publisher.

“Leave It to Cleaver” is the sixth title in A Vintage Kitchen Mystery series. Those who have read other titles in the series or my annual “Summer Reads” columns know the central theme is an antiques or collectibles murder weapon. Thus far, Hamilton has avoided the use of kitchen cutlery, perhaps something that will be remedied in a future title.

The novels are set in the fictional towns Queensville and Wolverhampton in Michigan, just across the border from Canada, and Heartbreak Island, located in the St. Lawrence River and split in half by the border between the United States and Canada. Jaymie Leighton, a vintage cookware and cookbook collector, is the central character. She is surrounded by her family (father, mother, sister), friends (many of whom are involved in one way or another in the antiques and collectibles trade), a boyfriend (who runs a tree farm and dabbles in antiques), volunteers (the old biddy variety) at Queensville Historic Manor, and Hoppy, a three-legged pooch. Dogs with medical, mental, or physical problems are a regular feature in cozy mystery novels.

“Leave it to Cleaver” focuses primarily on the disappearance of two young women that occurred when Jaymie’s sister Rebecca was in high school and resurfaces years later during the planning of a double marriage of Rebecca and Jaymie to their respective beaux. Traditionally, cozy mystery characters do not get married nor are they on friendly terms with the local constabulary. Do these two facts mean the end of A Vintage Kitchen Mystery series? One hopes not.

Other titles in A Vintage Kitchen Mystery series are “A Deadly Grind,” “Bowled Over,” “Freezer I’ll Shoot,” “No Mallets Intended,” and “White Colander Crime.” For information, visit www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com.

Whereas most cozy antiques and collectibles mystery novels are set in small town America, Robin William’s mysteries are set in Vancouver, British Columbia, occasionally spilling across the border as far south as Portland, Oregon. Robin is the owner of Hampshire Antiques Ltd. located in Vancouver, B.C. He has self-published the four titles in his series. His latest title is “The Vancouver Victory.”

[Author’s Aside: Shortly after receiving my review copy, I received an email from Robin indicating he is closing his antiques shop and retiring. His current title focuses on the struggles of big city antiques dealers in today’s declining marketplace, a subject about which he apparently has first-hand experience.]

Frank Ball, owner of Regency Antiques, is the central character. Circumstances have forced him to use his gallery as a showcase for large size, $100,000 contemporary paintings which he has proven he can sell. The preparation, exhibition, and follow through of an “Odell” exhibit is one of two central stories. The second is the hunt for and acquisition of an antiques hoard that traveled from England to Vancouver. The rivals include an English relative, English antiques dealers, Vancouver business rivals who are tired of losing to Ball, and a picker. Death is a secondary character in William’s novels; but, there is always a dead body to add the “who did it” appeal.

Once again, there are ample support characters from a variety of sources -- the staff at Regency Antiques, the rival Grandville Street dealers, and diverse foreign nationals and international buyers. The storyline provides an honest look at how the high-end antiques and collectibles trade works. There is no honor among thieves, and little to no ethics among antiques dealers. I have encountered every one of William’s characters in my travels through the trade.

Williams’ “The Vancover Victory” is available on www.hampshireantiques.com. Other titles in the series include “The Seattle Surprise,” “The Portland Payoff,” and “The Road to Reno.”

“Antiques Frame,” is the eleventh title in A Trash ‘n’ Treasure Mystery series, written by Barbara Allan, the pseudonym for Max Allan and Barbara Collins, and published by Kensington Books. The series is set in Serenity (what a misnomer), a Mississippi River town. The book is written in the first person, either through the eyes of Brandy Borne or her mother Vivian. The dialogue is witty, charming, and often quite personal. Even the series editor’s voice is heard from time to time.

I am a big Brandy and Vivian fan and have been ever since I read “Antiques Roadkill,” the first title in the series. “Antiques Frame” takes place during and immediately after the taping of Brandy’s and Vivian’s reality television show, “Antiques Sleuths.” As usual, one of the two ends up spending time in jail. This time it is Brandy rather than Vivian. The dead body is the separated wife of the local police chief who just happens to be Brandy’s boyfriend or whatever term best describes their relationship.

An antique frame and a local auction house are central elements to the story. In addition to Brandy, murder suspects include the television show producers, a quarrelsome farmer’s wife, a husband and wife auctioneering team, and the police chief. Like all previous novels, Antiques Frame” has a Chinese fire drill quality to it. The read is a lively one. Once started, the tendency is to read any A Trash ‘n’ Treasure Mystery in one sitting.

All novels in A Trash ‘n’ Treasure Mystery series are available on Amazon.com and wwww.kensingtonbooks.com. For a full list of titles, see www.maxallancollins.com.

Lea Wait, author of the Shadows Antique Print Mysteries series, also authors the A Mainely Needlepoint Mysteries series, published by Kensington Publishing Company. “Tightening the Threads” is the fifth and latest title. Although the story focuses on antique dealer Sarah Byrne and her ancestral link to a local painter, the primary role played by antiques in this story are the needlework quotes that head up each chapter. Angie Curtis, coordinator of the Mainely Needlepoint group, remains the principal character. Antiques did play a larger part in earlier titles such as “Twisted Threads” and “Thread of Evidence.” For more information, see www.leawait.com.

I own a Kindle but do not use it. I tried it but found I prefer holding a printed book. As a result, I did not read the latest titles in the Collectors Mystery series written by J. B. Stanley (aka Ellery Adams) and Parker Riggs. A check of the Amazon.com reviews notes that while the stories are well rated, there are distracting errors every few pages, the result of poor proofreading before publishing. The series was renewed in 2015 and has added new titles each year. I keep hoping that some publisher will assemble the Kindle titles and do a printed anthology. Until then, I can do no more than pass along the reference.

Enjoy the above titles and do not forget to order earlier titles from the series you enjoy. Have a great summer.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Selected letters will be answered in this column. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Point Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You also can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker@aol.com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered.

You can listen and participate in WHATCHA GOT?, Harry’s antiques and collectibles radio call-in show, on Sunday mornings between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Eastern Time. If you cannot find it on a station in your area, WHATCHA GOT? streams live on the Internet at www.gcnlive.com.

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