Josie Marcus plans to savor sampling the local St. Louis cuisine for a City Eats food tour. But her appetite is ruined at Tillie's Off the Hill Italian Restaurant when another customer is poisoned. Was the victim the real target-or is someone trying to ruin Tillie's reputation? It's up to Josie to find a killer who has no reservations about preparing a dish to die for...
As a young girl, Elaine Viets was taught the virtues of South St. Louis: the importance of hard work, housecleaning, and paying cash. She managed to forget almost everything she learned, which is why she turned to mystery writing.
Living in South Florida has not improved her character. But it has given her the bestselling Dead-End Job series. Like her amateur detective, Helen Hawthorne, Elaine actually works those rotten jobs. Perhaps her early training has given her a lifelong fascination with jobs. She and Helen both know working for a living can be murder.
To research her novels, Elaine has been everything from a salesclerk to a survey taker. Her first book in the series is SHOP TILL YOU DROP, a novel of sex, murder and plastic surgery. It's set at a fashionable dress shop that caters to kept women. Book two, MURDER BETWEEN THE COVERS, takes place at a bookstore. Elaine worked at a Barnes & Noble in Hollywood, Florida, for a year.
For the third, DYING TO CALL YOU, Helen works as a telemarketer. Elaine sold septic tank cleaner and did telephone surveys. She actually asked women if they shaved their armpits. In the fourth Dead-End Job mystery, JUST MURDERED, Elaine and Helen explore big-money matrimony for better or worse. Elaine did her research in Zola Keller’s posh bridal salon in Fort Lauderdale.
For the fifth novel, Elaine and Helen go to the dogs. MURDER UNLEASHED is set at a high-end dog boutique, where people spend two hundred dollars for canine cuisine, women sneak illegal pets into condos using high-priced designer purses, and the dogs at the store have bigger wardrobes than the salesclerks. MURDER UNLEASHED is Elaine's first hardcover mystery. Publishers Weekly calls it “wry social commentary.”
Although Elaine lives in Fort Lauderdale, her heart – and her viewpoint – remain in the Midwest. Like Helen Hawthorne, another transplanted St. Louisan, she observes the outrageously rich Florida culture (and lack thereof) with wide-eyed fascination.
Elaine’s second series takes her back to work in St. Louis. It features Josie Marcus, a mystery shopper and single mom. The debut novel, DYING IN STYLE, tied with Stephen King on the bestseller list for the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.
Elaine won both the Agatha and the Anthony Awards for her short story, "Wedding Knife," in CHESAPEAKE CRIMES.
Some honors don’t come with plaques and award banquets. Elaine was thrilled when her short story, "After the Fall," was featured on the same cover of the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine as the master, Ed Hoch.
Her short story, "Red Meat," is in BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS, the Mystery Writers of America anthology edited by Lawrence Block. "Blonde Moment" is in the MWA anthology, SHOW BUSINESS IS MURDER, edited by Stuart Kaminsky. "Sex and Bingo" is featured in the HIGH STAKES gambling anthology. And if you've ever wondered about the early life of purple-loving landlady Margery Flax, read "Killer Blonde" in DROP-DEAD BLONDE.
Elaine has served on the national boards of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with her husband, actor Don Crinklaw, where they collect speeding tickets.
Please buy her novels so she can pay her MasterCard.
One of the reasons I admire Agatha Christie's writing so much is that she has the gift of observing people and capturing human nature perfectly. Elaine Viets does not have that gift.
One obvious suspect; one obvious motive; three red-handed red herrings; and the case is broken open by one overheard lover's dialogue/confession. Meh.
And on the other hand, I really wish the 31-year-old protagonist would grow up.
Another fun shopping adventure with Josie. This time it is more mystery eating than shopping but Josie is up for the challenge even with some St Louis specialties like brain sandwiches. Her mother pushes her into investigating when her childhood friend is accused of murder (she happens to be the owner of one of the restaurants that Josie is shopping). Good mystery and good personal developments.
Josie Marcus is a mystery shopper, and her current assignment has its good and bad parts: she has to eat in a good and well-respected restaurant where toasted raviloi is the featured dish, which is not a problem, but then she has to eat in two other restaurants where they serve brain sanwiches and pig-ear sandwiches, not something she is willing to do. When she is in the good restaurant, however, she sees a customer die of poisoning, an apparent murder victim. Although she doesn't want to get involved, the restaurant's owner is a good friend of her mother's and is jailed for the murder, so Josie is drawn into investigating whether she wants to or not. All comes out well in the end, but not without danger to Josie and some interesting outcomes to the subplots. This is a good read.
Death On A Platter by Elaine Viets is a quick, fun read with an engaging cast of characters. One drawback to reading a series out-of-order is the lack of continuity (I have only read book 3, Accessory To Murder, so far). I really liked Josie's boyfriend Mike, the plumber, from that book. Now, Josie's dating Ted, the vet. I wonder what happened to Mike?
I will never look at our Rosary Beads in the same manner as before I read this book. That being stated, I think this was the best novel in this series yet.
Josie Marcus, a single mother of one young lady wise beyond her years, pays the bills by being a 'Mystery Shopper.' In this volume Josie was shopping for traditional St. Louis foods and restaurants. Our talented Author, Elaine Viets, shows us a view of St. Louis which is honest and perhaps not favored by the Chamber of Commerce. I truly loved learning the history of the good, run-down, and restored neighborhoods of St. Louis.
What I did not know was they have their own versions of Pizza, Barbecue, and a delicious, but calories laden version of Toasted Ravioli. To this native Californian, these dishes were heavenly and even shocking to my taste buds.
The owner, Tillie of Tillie's Off the Hill, is accused of murder when a rowdy patron dies while eating a souped up version of the dipping sauce accompanying the famous Toasted Ravioli. Tillie is a life long friend of Josie's Mother and is commanded by the same to solve the murder now.
During the solving of the crime, Josie finds out just how much her boyfriend really cares for her and her daughter. Her Mother, Jane finds herself a victim of a mail fraud scheme and daughter, goes through growing pains.
This was a very nice murder mystery to sit down and become immersed.
I couldn't finish this book. I couldn't even get to the mystery!
I understand that the author loves St. Louis, but it sounded like she worked for the St. Louis Board of Tourism. It felt like the reader was being lectured on all things St. Louis, specifically the pizza and the cheese that goes on it. I don't like being lectured when I'm trying to read a cozy mystery. It's condescending and unnecessary to the plot. Save it for travel brochures.
Recap of what I read: The main character is a mystery shopper. Her assignment is to go to restaurants. After the aforementioned lecture on St. Louis, she gets around to her first restaurant. At this point the secondary characters, the obnoxious people in the Italian restaurant and the owner of the restaurant, were so abhorrent, I had to put down the book. If someone is banned from your restaurant, you don't let them back in! There are plenty of ways of doing this which don't cause a scene. If said person is allowed in the restaurant because their behavior is only bad when they're drunk, and their girlfriend sneaks them drinks, then don't serve either one of them. And you certainly would never purposely put peppers so hot in a sauce that you intend to blister the customer's mouth.
Maybe the earlier books are better, but this just really didn't work for me.
So, this one just sucked. I think the main character is just starting too really grate on my nerves.
Let's see -
Ages make no sense - Josie is 31. Her mom is 76, so 45 what she had her only child (and Catholic)? Nope. Also, dad left when Josie was 9, and mom was 54, but mom worked for "decades" at the bank? Nope. I think it's just terrible retconning because the author wanted Tillie and Jane to be the same age. Badly done and lacking in believability.
Josie is literally about to be accused of murder, but the cop's nose looks like a potato so she can't concentrate or care? Add that to the "Don’t you dare propose. Why won’t he propose? I’m going to say no. I have to say yes" added with "He’s too perfect and too good for her" nonsense. Josie is just too juvenile to deal with.
Also, the book needed a proofreader - “Let us prey.”
I'll finish the series because I'm a compulsive completionist, but no more Elaine Viets after that.
Interesting facts about St. Louis eateries and districts, a cozy mystery, and an escalating romance made this another hit.
Josie is mystery shopping restaurants around St. Louis for a tour company. When her Mom's friend, Tillie, is arrested for poisoning a nasty customer, Jane demands Josie find the real killer. Specialty menu items that are famous in St. Louis include brain, and pig ears, both Ted helps Josie to eat for her honest review!
Death on a Platter by Elaine Viets is the seventh book in her Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Mystery series and it is one of my favorites. Once you begin reading books in a series, you tend to fall in love with the people and the town and everything else involved so with Death on a Platter being the seventh book and I have read the previous six, it's no surprise that I'm in love and hooked !!!
In Death on a Platter main character Josie Marcus gets a good mystery shopping job. She has to mystery shop restaurants for a food tour that is going to be in her area, St. Louis. Of course Josie is excited because she loves food !! She also gets her mother on board when one of the restaurants she has to visit is Tillie's Off the Hill which happens to be the restaurant of Jane's childhood friend. Luckily when Josie and Jane go there, they have a fairly good experience. The food is great, visiting with Tillie was great, however the clientele was not so great. Tillie had words with one of her regulars, Clay, for being so drunk and disruptive that she has to call the police.
Josie goes back to Tillie's Off the Hill with her best friend Alyce and unfortunately their experience is worse when again Clay is there and being disruptive. Tiller is overheard threatening Clay and when he requests hotter sauce, she gives him sauce so hot he ends up having to go to the hospital. Unfortunately Clay dies and Tillie is arrested for his murder.
Jane is so distraught that she insists that Josie do what she can to find out who killed Clay because she knows that Tillie didn't do it. EVen though Josie has "helped" solve murders in the past doesn't make her a professional in that field but she tells her mom she will do what she can.
Unfortunately Jane has a man in her life, Ted, that really cares for her and doesn't want her getting involved and getting hurt or worse....killed. So she now has to consider his feelings as well as her own, her daughters and her mothers.....unfortunately she is in a tug-of-war trying to please everyone.
Readers will become fans of the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Mystery series and will totally flip with the way Viets ends Death on a Platter !! You will want to rush to get the next book, Murder is a Piece of Cake, to see where things are heading for Josie and her crew.....I know I am excited and looking forward to digging in.....
This is the 7th in the series. The main character is Josie. Josie is mystery shopping some of the restaurants that someone is thinking of including in tours of S. Louis. She takes her mother with her to a restaurant that is owned by someone who is Jane's oldest friends. When there is a murder at the restaurant and Jane's friend is arrested for the murder, Jane wants Josie to find out who really did it. Can she figure it out before it's too late ? Josie boyfriend is also acting like he might propose and Josie isn't sure what she'll answer. Will she do the right thing ?
Josie Marcus, mother Jane, daughter Amelia, and boyfriend Ted are hunting for a murderer at Tillies.
Josie the mystery shopper is eating Italian on the wrong day. The day someone decides to kill troublesome Clay at Tillies on the Hill. This gets her involved because Tilly is her mothers longtime friend and of course her mother feels Josie is the only one that can clear her friend from being charged with murder. It takes everyone she knows to help and an other murder to find the answers needed.
Josie's mother's best friend, Tillie, is a prime murder suspect. It all happened at Tillie's restaurant. Her troublesome customer, Clay, was poisoned and all signs pointed to Tillie who had served him the spicy hot ravioli. When the police discovered that highly poisonous beans that were placed in his food, grew in the lot behind her restaurant, she was arrested. Josie sets out to unmask the murderer. Lots of suspects arise and her investigation proves fruitless, until... An enjoyable cozy mystery.
free ebook she was mystery shopper who goes to restaurants to test the food she has a daughter shes raising alone, her mom lives upstairs and babysits her boyfriend is a veterinarian.
she went to her moms friends restaurant and a man was yelling and carrying on in there. he died and her moms friend was arrested for murder
the girl in the junk shop was killed too
her mom insisted she figure out who did it
she did and then her boyfriend asked to marry her and she said yes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I am a fan of Elaine Viets', Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper books. Josie, Amelia, Jane, and Alyce are so much fun to read about! This book surprised me when Alyce used an Ebelskiver! I am Danish and I have had little round pancakes cooked in an Ebelskiver pan! Gotta love Alyce and all her kitchen gadgets!
No one should expect cozy mysteries to be more than easy escapism. But after reading a few pleasant Dead End Mysteries by this author, I didn't expect one this insipid. Many bloopers and small details that don't make sense made this almost annoying. Read her other series instead.
P.S. Mystery shoppers taste but do not rate the food. They rate the service, cleanliness etc.
This is really a good book and I just love this series!!! I get Josie’s hesitation in trusting someone again. It’s a monumental decision and should be made wisely and with eyes wide open. Amelia is amazing and Jane needs to rethink her priorities!! I just love Ted!! The author adds in some other stuff that’s really timely like who do you trust to give your money to? Investigate before you give!!!
This book made me simultaneously be a mystery shopper and try toasted ravioli! Not sure how I would have fared on pig's ears, but Josie came through with a new appreciation for distinct St. Louis fare and I have an appreciation for her knack of being in the right place at the right (or wrong) time.
Easy read that stands by itself. Description of the mystery shopping at restaurants was stomach turning. The characters were normal real people. I liked Mel and her grandmother. Pick this book up for a quick late night read.
Josie is a mystery shopper, looking at restaurants for a St Louis city food tour event, Choosing Tillie an Italian restaurant. Was the man drunk and later finding he was poisoned. Asked by her mother to investigate since her mother was a friend being questioned. Good humorous story.
This is a well developed story. Will the mystery shopper blackmailed into being an amateur investigator solve the crimes? Plus, there is a bit of romance that could lead to an important, life changing decision. Enjoy!
Easy reading. Always a good story. Glad to see a heroine find a supportive love interest. I've read the dead end jobs series and loved it. This series will be nice to explore.
Another good entry in the Josie Marcus mystery shopper series. This time she got to shop restaurants and had some good food and some disgusting sounding food. Once again, Josie solves the mystery of the murder. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
I am finding that as the books go, there is less and less about the mystery shopping aspect and more to do with personal/family stuff, which is a huge disappointment; they are losing their way the further the books go on. Also, I'm finding the more I read the less I like Josie, as a person.
I'm loving this series and this book iras good as all the others. I am really enjoying Josie and her family as the y grow and develop throughout the series. The mystery is strong and well worth reading.
Mostly pretty good read but the murder got explained 1,2,3. I liked some of the characters but there wasn’t quite enough humor. Some of Viet’s books have more. Interesting murder weapon Tho.
Wish she never ended this series, i do have 2 more to read. Terrific book, Elaine did a awesome job on this Mystery Shopper series, its fresh, its new. Could not put it down.
Though the proof reading isn’t perfect with the great characters, plot and storyline’s this story is a good one with a happy ending and is clean as well. Very enjoyable
I thought the plot was very good, but the romance was even better. It’s fun reading about St. Louis and the variety of local food that is available there.