Book excerpt: A special Christmas short story in “one of the funniest cozy series going” (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine). The Christmas rush is on as Brandy Borne and her quaintly quirky mother, Vivian, sniff out plum collectibles for resale, only to find the owner of a Santa's workshop worth of treasures has received some deadly tidings. It's beginning to look a lot like murder. . .but who wanted the deceased closed for the holidays—permanently? Maybe a rival antiques dealer, a Grinch who collects Christmas? Or the victim's suspiciously frosty stepchildren? Brandy and Vivian check their list of who's been naughty or nice, but it may take a Christmas miracle—and some help from Sushi, their elfin shih tzu—to tie a bow around the season's most wanted killer. Includes Brandy Borne’s tips on antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "A humorous cozy that teems with quirky characters." —Booklist "Brandy and her eccentric mother make a hilarious team of snoops." —Joan Hess "Thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships." —Romantic Times Book Reviews