Table of Contents
Praise for the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series
The Fashion Hound Murders
Ive read most of Ms. Vietss work. All of it is good, most of it excellent. This one is superb, maybe the best shes written so far. My attention was caught from the first page and stayed caught the entire book. It is a wonderful cozy read. The characters are great, as are the relationships between the characters.
Gumshoe
Elaine Viets does it again!... The Fashion Hound Murders is a hilarious story... [and] a fun-filled adventure.... Pick this book up if you are looking for a lighthearted read with great shopping tips!
The Romance Readers Connection
Murder with All the Trimmings
Viets milks much holiday humor in her novel, pulling out all the wonderfully garish stops.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Elaine Viets writes exciting amateur sleuth mysteries filled with believable characters; the recurring cast starting with Josie adds a sense of friendship that in turn embellishes the feeling of realism.
Midwest Book Review
[A] wonderful holiday read... a book to be savored by a cozy fire with a good cup of hot chocolate.
Gumshoe
Accessory to Murder
Elaine Viets knows how to orchestrate a flawless mystery with just the right blend of humor, intrigue, and hot romance. If you are looking to complete your wardrobe for the fall, you just found the most essential piece.
Fresh Fiction
The writing and plot are superb... no wasted words, scenes, or characters. Everything advances the plot, builds the characters, or keeps things moving. Its what her many fans have learned to expect.
Cozy Library
A funny, laugh-out-loud whodunit. Elaine Viets has created characters that you can identify with.... This is one book you dont want to miss.
The Romance Readers Connection
High Heels Are Murder
Laugh-out-loud comedic murder mystery guaranteed to keep you entertained for any number of hoursthe perfect read for a rainy day.... Shopping, St. Louis culinary treats, and mayhem abound, providing for a satisfying read.
Front Street Reviews
High Heels Are Murder takes Josie into the wicked world of murder, mayhem, and toe-cleavage.... Viets spans the female psyche with panache and wit.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Viets has written one of the funniest amateur sleuth mysteries to come along in ages. Her protagonist is a thoroughly likable person, a great mother, daughter, and friend.... The strength and the freshness of the tale lie in the characters.
Midwest Book Review
Dying in Style
Finally, a protagonist we can relate to.
Riverfront Times (St. Louis, MO)
Laugh-out-loud humor adds to the brisk action.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A fine, unique espionage, murder-in-the-mall thriller.
The Best Reviews
I found myself rooting for Josie.... Oh, yes, a really interesting mystery plot along the way, too.
Roundtable Reviews
A charming and sympathetic amateur sleuth.
The Romance Readers Connection
Praise for the Dead-End Job Mystery Series
Clever... [The] real satisfaction is in observing the club members at their worst.
Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
Wickedly funny.
The Miami Herald
A stubborn and intelligent heroine, a wonderful South Florida setting, and a cast of more-or-less lethal bimbos... I loved this book.
New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris
Hair-raising... Viets keeps the action popping until the cliff-hanger ending.
Publishers Weekly
Hilarious.
Kirkus Reviews
A fast-paced story and nonstop wisecracks.... Elaine Viets knows how to turn minimum wage into maximum hilarity.
Nancy Martin, author of Our Lady of Immaculate Deception
Elaine Viets reaches the right equilibrium with well-placed humor and lively plotting.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A quick summer read for fans of humorous mysteries with clever premises.
Library Journal
Helen Hawthorne is one of my all-time favorite mystery characterssmart and funny with a huge heart.
Cozy Library
Laugh-out-loud comedy with enough twists and turns to make it to the top of the mystery bestseller charts.
Florida Today
Wit, murder, and sunshine... it must be Florida. I love this new series.
Nancy Pickard, author of The Scent of Rain and Lightning
Fresh, funny, and fiendishly constructed.
Parnell Hall, author of The Puzzle Lady crossword puzzle mysteries
Elaine Viets has come up with all the ingredients for an irresistible mystery: a heroine with a sense of humor and a gift for snappy dialogue, an atmospheric South Florida backdrop... and some really nasty crimes.
Jane Heller, author of Some Nerve
Also by Elaine Viets
Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series
Dying in Style
High Heels Are Murder
Accessory to Murder
Murder with All the Trimmings
The Fashion Hound Murders
Dead-End Job Mystery Series
Shop till You Drop
Murder Between the Covers
Dying to Call You
Just Murdered
Murder Unleashed
Murder with Reservations
Clubbed to Death
Killer Cuts
Half-Price Homicide
For my friends Karen, Biff and Cookie Grace.
With thanks.
Acknowledgments
Lots of people helped me with this book. I hope Ive remembered all of you.
Special thanks to the helpful bra-fitters at the Intimacy store in Aventura, Florida, for their information and advice on lingerie. Susan Netheros Bra Talk (BelleBooks) was also useful.
Rebecca Cohen and her mother, Golda Cohen, are St. Louis women. Like Rebecca in this novel, the real Rebecca loves art, theater, drawing and wants to be a writer. She is almost five years older than Amelia.
Doris Ann Norris is not a police officer, but she is a guardian of knowledgea librarian. Thank you, Doris Ann, for letting me borrow your name.
Stuart Little is a real shih tzu. His owner, Bill Litchtenberger of Palm City, Florida, made a generous contribution to the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast fund-raiser auction to see Stuarts name in this book. Ive seen Stuarts picture. He really is eleven pounds of personality.
Failonis Restaurant, 6715 Manchester Avenue, is a St. Louis gem. Dont miss a trip there, especially if Alex Junior is singing.
Special thanks to Alan and Molly Portman, Jack Klobnak, Bob Levine, Janet Smith, Jennifer Snethen and Emma, my expert on nine-year-olds. In St. Louis, friendship is important. Sue Schlueter has been my friend since high school. Thank you, Valerie Cannata, Anne Watts and supersalesperson Carole Wantz, who could sell bus tickets at a NAS-CAR race.
Thanks to Jinny Gender for her soap opera expertise, and to Kay Gordy for her help with Alyces son, two-year-old Justin.
Special thanks to Detective R. C. White, Fort Lauderdale Police Department (retired), and to the law enforcement men and women who answered my questions on police procedure. Some police and medical sources have to remain nameless, but Im grateful for their help. Any mistakes are mine.
