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Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper #8
Murder is a Piece of Cake
Mystery shopper Josie Marcus is thrilled to be getting married. But when a deranged bride meets a grim end, Josie will have to catch a murderer before she tosses the bouquet…
As a bride-to-be, Josie’s latest assignment is absolutely fitting—investigating wedding flowers and wedding cakes. Josie can’t wait to pick out the details to make her own wedding perfect, even as her fiancé Ted’s outrageous mother has plans to turn the celebration into an over-the-top extravaganza. Still, the pistol-packing Lenore does come in handy when she draws her gun on Molly—a homicidal bridezilla who threatens to kill Ted unless he agrees to marry her—and saves the day.
Josie thinks the worst pre-wedding disaster is behind her—until Molly is shot and Lenore becomes the prime suspect. With her mother-in-law behind bars and her wedding on hold, Josie’s about to become fully engaged in finding the bridezilla killer and getting her own wedding back on track…
As a bride-to-be, Josie’s latest assignment is absolutely fitting—investigating wedding flowers and wedding cakes. Josie can’t wait to pick out the details to make her own wedding perfect, even as her fiancé Ted’s outrageous mother has plans to turn the celebration into an over-the-top extravaganza. Still, the pistol-packing Lenore does come in handy when she draws her gun on Molly—a homicidal bridezilla who threatens to kill Ted unless he agrees to marry her—and saves the day.
Josie thinks the worst pre-wedding disaster is behind her—until Molly is shot and Lenore becomes the prime suspect. With her mother-in-law behind bars and her wedding on hold, Josie’s about to become fully engaged in finding the bridezilla killer and getting her own wedding back on track…
291 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 6, 2012
69 people are currently reading
601 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Viets
84 books569 followersAs 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.
Series:
* Dead-End Job Mystery
* Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper
* Francesca Vierling Mystery
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.
Series:
* Dead-End Job Mystery
* Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper
* Francesca Vierling Mystery
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
June 1, 2020
Really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad Josie found happiness and I loved reading about her wedding. I was so proud that I figured out both the victim and murderer ahead of Josie. #readforkimberly
September 5, 2022
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Mystery series by Elaine Viet and I probably say this every time but the eighth book in the series, Murder is a Piece of Cake is my favorite !!
When you read books in a series you become familiar with the town and fall in love with the characters....and you cannot help falling in love with Josie, her daughter Amelia, her mother Jane, her best friend Alyce and even the pesty neighbor next door, Mrs. Mueller and now Josie's fiance, soon to be husband by the end of Murder is a Piece of Cake, Dr. Ted.
In Murder is a Piece of Cake Josie and Ted are planning their wedding and doing a pretty good job of it and staying within their allowed budget .... that is until Ted's mother comes to town and wants to change everything !! Unfortunately Ted's mother, Lenore, is going to have more pressing problems when she is arrested for murder !!
Ted is a veterinarian and runs a clinic with a partner and he is getting ready to film his first Dr. Ted's Pet Vet Tips for local Channel Seven and Josie and Lenore are both there to support him. Unfortunately they are hit with a huge surprise when Molly walks in wearing a wedding dress insisting that Ted is her fiance and she is there to pick him up for their wedding !! Turns out Molly has a dog that is Ted's client and she fixated on Ted to the point she was stalking him and believes that he is her fiance and they are to be wed. Before things can really be resolved Josie and Ted find Molly shot to death in her car outside his clinic....and the gun used is the same one belonging to Lenore and Channel Seven filmed her talking about it.
Josie knows that if she wants to marry Ted on their planned and mostly paid for day she has to find Molly's real killer and prove Lenore's innocence...without getting herself killed in the process.
Readers will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper series and when you get to this eighth book, I'm sure it will be your favorite also !! How can you not fall in love with everything Viets writes !!! I will also admit that I got emotional at the end of Murder is a Piece of Cake when Josie and Ted have their magical wedding day !! I cannot wait to see where Viets takes us next with Fixing to Die......
When you read books in a series you become familiar with the town and fall in love with the characters....and you cannot help falling in love with Josie, her daughter Amelia, her mother Jane, her best friend Alyce and even the pesty neighbor next door, Mrs. Mueller and now Josie's fiance, soon to be husband by the end of Murder is a Piece of Cake, Dr. Ted.
In Murder is a Piece of Cake Josie and Ted are planning their wedding and doing a pretty good job of it and staying within their allowed budget .... that is until Ted's mother comes to town and wants to change everything !! Unfortunately Ted's mother, Lenore, is going to have more pressing problems when she is arrested for murder !!
Ted is a veterinarian and runs a clinic with a partner and he is getting ready to film his first Dr. Ted's Pet Vet Tips for local Channel Seven and Josie and Lenore are both there to support him. Unfortunately they are hit with a huge surprise when Molly walks in wearing a wedding dress insisting that Ted is her fiance and she is there to pick him up for their wedding !! Turns out Molly has a dog that is Ted's client and she fixated on Ted to the point she was stalking him and believes that he is her fiance and they are to be wed. Before things can really be resolved Josie and Ted find Molly shot to death in her car outside his clinic....and the gun used is the same one belonging to Lenore and Channel Seven filmed her talking about it.
Josie knows that if she wants to marry Ted on their planned and mostly paid for day she has to find Molly's real killer and prove Lenore's innocence...without getting herself killed in the process.
Readers will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper series and when you get to this eighth book, I'm sure it will be your favorite also !! How can you not fall in love with everything Viets writes !!! I will also admit that I got emotional at the end of Murder is a Piece of Cake when Josie and Ted have their magical wedding day !! I cannot wait to see where Viets takes us next with Fixing to Die......
August 11, 2020
Very cute. It’s definitely one of the better Josie books! The mystery is as over the top as ever, but the rest runs in the lines as “fairly normal.” It’s cute and a touch sassy. Just a little bit dated. (As, honestly anything that references technology will be.) It’s a cute wedding tale and mystery.
January 16, 2016
Mystery Shopper Josie Marcus is thrilled to be getting married to Dr.Ted. Her boss gives her an early wedding present/assignment. Josie gets to investigate wedding cakes and flowers. She is also busy finalizing her own wedding plans as her future mother-in-law starts to drive her a little crazy with her "minor" changes. Still it is good to have "pistol packing" Lenore around when she comes to the rescue when a homicidal bridezilla named Molly threatens to kill Ted unless he agrees to marry her.
Josie thinks the pre-wedding drama is behind her and there will be smooth sailing ahead. Then Molly is found dead and the pistol packing mama is the prime suspect. Lenore is behind bars and the wedding is on hold. Josie has no choice but to track down the bridezilla killer so that her and Dr. Ted can get married and start their wonderful life together.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I love this series!
Josie Marcus is an amateur sleuth everyone will love. In this 8th installment to the Mystery Shopper Mysteries she pulls out all the stops. Planning a wedding, dealing with a bridezilla while not becoming one herself, and catching a killer. Then there's her future mother-in-law and her helpful suggestions. While she was behind bars Josie felt obligated to accept every one, but she needs to keep her wedding from becoming an over the top extravaganza.
This story will have you laughing out loud, following the clues, and wishing and hoping Josie's dream wedding comes true. This is a fast paced mystery that will keep you guessing until the final clue is uncovered.
The author also includes great tips if you are planning a wedding too whether you are the bride or even the future mother-in-law.
Elaine Viets always gives us mysteries that are fun and entertaining! Keep them coming Elaine.
Josie thinks the pre-wedding drama is behind her and there will be smooth sailing ahead. Then Molly is found dead and the pistol packing mama is the prime suspect. Lenore is behind bars and the wedding is on hold. Josie has no choice but to track down the bridezilla killer so that her and Dr. Ted can get married and start their wonderful life together.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I love this series!
Josie Marcus is an amateur sleuth everyone will love. In this 8th installment to the Mystery Shopper Mysteries she pulls out all the stops. Planning a wedding, dealing with a bridezilla while not becoming one herself, and catching a killer. Then there's her future mother-in-law and her helpful suggestions. While she was behind bars Josie felt obligated to accept every one, but she needs to keep her wedding from becoming an over the top extravaganza.
This story will have you laughing out loud, following the clues, and wishing and hoping Josie's dream wedding comes true. This is a fast paced mystery that will keep you guessing until the final clue is uncovered.
The author also includes great tips if you are planning a wedding too whether you are the bride or even the future mother-in-law.
Elaine Viets always gives us mysteries that are fun and entertaining! Keep them coming Elaine.
November 27, 2012
When a series has many novels you might think 'more of the same coming.' Not so, in novel number eight "Murder is a Piece of Cake." This novel opens with a shock. Josie Marcus, Mother, Fiancée, and Mystery Shopper is assigned a job that has her shopping for wedding flower center pieces. What? A happy job, not one of the yucky jobs her boss is famous for? Already, I knew this book was going to be fresh and not just a continuance of the same.
Then, The first chapter has Josie's intended, Dr. (Veterinarian,) Ted Scottsmeyer facing danger and his mother, Lenore comes to his aid packing a pistol. I would tell you more but honestly this scene has to be experienced first hand to get the full impact, and it does carry a wallop.
Lenore finds herself behind bars on a murder charge and Josie has to spring her before her wedding day in less than a month.
This novel takes place around Halloween and Thanksgiving. I laughed, weeped, and sat back remembering my own wedding. The murder mystery was strong and clever as well. I did find myself more wrapped up in the romance of the day though.
All in all a fine book. I look forward to the future of Josie, Amelia, and Ted.
Then, The first chapter has Josie's intended, Dr. (Veterinarian,) Ted Scottsmeyer facing danger and his mother, Lenore comes to his aid packing a pistol. I would tell you more but honestly this scene has to be experienced first hand to get the full impact, and it does carry a wallop.
Lenore finds herself behind bars on a murder charge and Josie has to spring her before her wedding day in less than a month.
This novel takes place around Halloween and Thanksgiving. I laughed, weeped, and sat back remembering my own wedding. The murder mystery was strong and clever as well. I did find myself more wrapped up in the romance of the day though.
All in all a fine book. I look forward to the future of Josie, Amelia, and Ted.
December 18, 2012
Another fun read from Elaine Viets! Loved it! Fast paced & fun!
November 6, 2025
Plot
Mystery shopper Josie Marcus is thrilled to be getting married. But when a deranged bride meets a grim end, Josie will have to catch a murderer before she tosses the bouquet…
As a bride-to-be, Josie’s latest assignment is absolutely fitting—investigating wedding flowers and wedding cakes. Josie can’t wait to pick out the details to make her own wedding perfect, even as her fiancé Ted’s outrageous mother has plans to turn the celebration into an over-the-top extravaganza. Still, the pistol-packing Lenore does come in handy when she draws her gun on Molly—a homicidal bridezilla who threatens to kill Ted unless he agrees to marry her—and saves the day.
Josie thinks the worst pre-wedding disaster is behind her—until Molly is shot and Lenore becomes the prime suspect. With her mother-in-law behind bars and her wedding on hold, Josie’s about to become fully engaged in finding the bridezilla killer and getting her own wedding back on track…
My Analysis
So, another cozy by Viets. If I’ve read previous mystery shopper mysteries, I don’t remember. The MC’s name sounds familiar, but oh well.
Typical Viets style. You can see it in her other series about the woman who goes from job to job while avoiding the law.
Good cast of characters and a good supply of suspects without overdoing it. The book rolls along at a fairly good pace and keeps Josie busy with her job as a mystery shopper, planning her own wedding, dealing with her future mother in-law, dealing with her daughter’s issues, dealing with a neighbor’s eccentricities, and, oh yeah, trying to solve a murder case so that her own wedding can happen.
There is some dry humor here. Not much tension throughout, even in the climactic scene with Josie throwing wedding gifts at her assailant.
Pretty good dialogue to help the characters distinguish personalities.
This isn’t a whodunit in the traditional or even cozy vein. There aren’t clues sprinkled here and there. Okay, a few, but nothing that connects until after the reveal. Readers may figure out who the killer is only by the fact that they’re nearing the end of the story and it’s about it.
A long denouement and a lengthy section the author puts in about wedding buying tips.
All in all, a good read.
My Rank:
Blue Belt
Mystery shopper Josie Marcus is thrilled to be getting married. But when a deranged bride meets a grim end, Josie will have to catch a murderer before she tosses the bouquet…
As a bride-to-be, Josie’s latest assignment is absolutely fitting—investigating wedding flowers and wedding cakes. Josie can’t wait to pick out the details to make her own wedding perfect, even as her fiancé Ted’s outrageous mother has plans to turn the celebration into an over-the-top extravaganza. Still, the pistol-packing Lenore does come in handy when she draws her gun on Molly—a homicidal bridezilla who threatens to kill Ted unless he agrees to marry her—and saves the day.
Josie thinks the worst pre-wedding disaster is behind her—until Molly is shot and Lenore becomes the prime suspect. With her mother-in-law behind bars and her wedding on hold, Josie’s about to become fully engaged in finding the bridezilla killer and getting her own wedding back on track…
My Analysis
So, another cozy by Viets. If I’ve read previous mystery shopper mysteries, I don’t remember. The MC’s name sounds familiar, but oh well.
Typical Viets style. You can see it in her other series about the woman who goes from job to job while avoiding the law.
Good cast of characters and a good supply of suspects without overdoing it. The book rolls along at a fairly good pace and keeps Josie busy with her job as a mystery shopper, planning her own wedding, dealing with her future mother in-law, dealing with her daughter’s issues, dealing with a neighbor’s eccentricities, and, oh yeah, trying to solve a murder case so that her own wedding can happen.
There is some dry humor here. Not much tension throughout, even in the climactic scene with Josie throwing wedding gifts at her assailant.
Pretty good dialogue to help the characters distinguish personalities.
This isn’t a whodunit in the traditional or even cozy vein. There aren’t clues sprinkled here and there. Okay, a few, but nothing that connects until after the reveal. Readers may figure out who the killer is only by the fact that they’re nearing the end of the story and it’s about it.
A long denouement and a lengthy section the author puts in about wedding buying tips.
All in all, a good read.
My Rank:
Blue Belt
June 8, 2025
Josie Marcus is a single mother about to marry the man of her dreams--hunky vet Dr. Ted. Josie works as a mystery shopper, and during an assignment, she meets Molly, a clerk in a bridal shop who is planning her own wedding. Molly's fiance is also named Ted, and when she shows up at Ted's clinic in a wedding gown, Josie learns Molly's supposed fiance is her Ted. Ted knows nothing about their engagement and tells Molly he's marrying Josie. Ted's mother, Boca Raton society queen Lenore, pulls her pearl-handled pistol on Molly to get her to leave Ted alone. Problem solved--until Molly turns up dead and Lenore is arrested for the murder. Now Josie must solve the murder and get her future mother-in-law out of jail in time for the wedding.
This book is not the first in the series, so I did not know the back story, but I easily followed the plot as a standalone. The main drawback was that I didn't like Josie very well. She has no problem lying and manipulating people, even though she condemns others for doing it. Otherwise, it was a decent cozy mystery read.
This book is not the first in the series, so I did not know the back story, but I easily followed the plot as a standalone. The main drawback was that I didn't like Josie very well. She has no problem lying and manipulating people, even though she condemns others for doing it. Otherwise, it was a decent cozy mystery read.
February 10, 2025
I knew who the killer was from the beginning. Also, I am tired of these lead characters taking crap from people. If they are brave enough to be searching for a killer then don’t you think they can stand up for themselves? Josie’s future mother in-law is real biotch. How can I believe little mousy Josie is capable of doing anything but hide in a corner and wait to be told what to do. Don’t get me started on spineless Ted that lets mommy dearest treat his beloved the way he does. I have had enough of this series!
May 7, 2021
This is the 8th in the series. Josie is still the main character. Josie and Ted will be married in a month. Suddenly a woman appears at the clinic in a wedding dress claiming Ted and her will be married in an hour. Next thing you know, Ted's mother is arrested for murdering this crazy lady. Josie knows she has to figure out what really happened and quick or Ted and her won't be married. Can she do this ?
April 11, 2024
A fun read although I don't think much of Josie as a sleuth. The whole thing is a bit ridiculous but the characters are likeable & it was very easy to read. Some of the attitudes to the stalking were a bit scary - imagine a judge like the one trying Molly in charge of your case. I enjoyed the wedding, sounds like everyone had a great time. I haven't read any others in this series but I don't feel as if I missed anything.
August 22, 2024
Josie is getting married, or is she. Someone else seems to think she is marring the same man Josie is. Josie finds herself trying to clear murder suspects, plan a wedding, and not lose her mind. Will she figure it all out? Will she end up marrying Ted? I guess you will have to read the book to find out. I personally love this series because I grew up going to St. Louis; I love all of the references!
April 19, 2021
Good story, but...
Yes this is a good story, but it lacks good editing and proof reading. The mistakes are rather glaring and I found them to be distracting and slowed the story somewhat. Apart from that I liked the plot, the other storyline’s were good and the characters are all great fun, even the nasty neighbour. Pity about the editing and proof reading though.
Yes this is a good story, but it lacks good editing and proof reading. The mistakes are rather glaring and I found them to be distracting and slowed the story somewhat. Apart from that I liked the plot, the other storyline’s were good and the characters are all great fun, even the nasty neighbour. Pity about the editing and proof reading though.
August 3, 2021
Another good entry in the Josie Marcus series, this story has a crazy woman stalking Josie's fiancé, Ted, and claiming that he is going to marry her. When the woman ends up dead, Ted's mother is the prime suspect, due to her flaunting her gun and claiming to be an expert shot. Of course Josie must investigate to save her upcoming wedding, her soon-to-be mother-in-law, and her own life.
August 15, 2021
Another great story!
The Jose Marcus series is wonderful! The characters are well developed and you feel like they’re your friends. There are many twists and turns in the mystery that you’re not sure who it is until it’s right there! It’s a great series without gruesome details or frightening suspense! Delightfully fun mystery/romance!
The Jose Marcus series is wonderful! The characters are well developed and you feel like they’re your friends. There are many twists and turns in the mystery that you’re not sure who it is until it’s right there! It’s a great series without gruesome details or frightening suspense! Delightfully fun mystery/romance!
October 23, 2021
Just completed this entire set
I’ve enjoyed every word & action
I’ve fallen in love with Josie, her daughter, her mom & Ted.
A delightful read with just the right amount of mystery & romance.
Well worth the time to read & be surprised at the little things that pop up at unexpected times.
I’ve enjoyed every word & action
I’ve fallen in love with Josie, her daughter, her mom & Ted.
A delightful read with just the right amount of mystery & romance.
Well worth the time to read & be surprised at the little things that pop up at unexpected times.
April 14, 2021
Josie is a mystery shopper and now a bride to be looking for those special items and cake for her wedding. Then meeting Molly and mayhem when finding the groom is the same. Murder didn’t take away the problem, to find the killer now. Good series with humor.
February 17, 2022
Another great entry in the Josie Marcus series of books and I think this one is my favorite one so far. Once again, Josie figures out who the murderer was after a couple of false starts and is able to have her wedding right on time. Looking forward to the next adventure.
November 20, 2022
I absolutely love this book! The storyline was so good, and I just love these characters! The story was pretty twisted, having a stalker. That’s a scary situation. I can’t wait to read the next book!
August 7, 2023
ok so I accidentally got this book instead of another one with the exact same title. it definitely wasn’t one of my favorites just due to the story circumstances, personally they brought up bad memories. overall the book wasn’t bad I just think this one in the series wasn’t for me.
March 14, 2017
Once again a laugh out loud frolic in murder
July 3, 2018
Another good book / mystery by a very good author.
July 16, 2018
Cute cozy.
October 22, 2018
Entertaining fluff. Nothing objectionable.
May 17, 2020
So fun and fresh stories these are. I am loving Elaine Viets Myster shopper series and ill hate to see it end. They have been so great and a joy to read.
April 21, 2021
Light and enjoyable
Fun story. The story did not big down. Light and enjoyable
The characters were interesting. The animals added to the story .
Fun story. The story did not big down. Light and enjoyable
The characters were interesting. The animals added to the story .
July 5, 2021
Great new series for me
I can’t wait to get more in this series. I like it when the heroine is smart enough to stay out of trouble instead of making things worse!
I can’t wait to get more in this series. I like it when the heroine is smart enough to stay out of trouble instead of making things worse!
February 4, 2022
Super!
Once again Ms. Viets comes up with a super smart story. The twists and turns were fun! The villain was a unique character. Loved it!
Once again Ms. Viets comes up with a super smart story. The twists and turns were fun! The villain was a unique character. Loved it!
July 5, 2024
Good cozy mystery,!
May 18, 2013
The newest book in the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper extraordinaire, has Josie tasked by her boss, “Harry the Horrible,” to mystery shop wedding flowers and wedding cakes for a St. Louis wedding website. The timing couldn’t be better for Josie, who is in the throes of planning her own wedding. The first of her mystery-shopper sites is Denise’s Dreams, where the sales associate who assists her is a young woman named Molly, who in the ensuing exchange divulges - - well, gushes - - that she is also about to get married.
Josie is a thirty-one-year-old single mom to Amelia, a ‘tween’ with the usual fast-changing sulky-to-“flawless!” mood changes. Her life is about to undergo major changes, with her upcoming wedding to local veterinarian Dr. Ted, scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving, five weeks away as the story opens. Their combined pets include Stuart Little, Josie’s shih tzu, her cat Harry, Ted’s cat Marmalade and his black Labrador, Festus.
One week later, shortly after Josie arrives at Ted’s veterinary clinic one morning, a surreal scene unfolds: the self-same Molly, dressed in all her bridal finery, exits a Bentley and pushes her way into the clinic, claiming she’s there to pick up Ted en route to their wedding. Clearly delusional, the scene ends with Molly picking up a scalpel and attacking Ted when he insists that he is indeed shortly to be married, but to Josie. Ted’s mother, also present, disarms her, brandishing the pistol she always carried in her purse. To cut to the chase, “mad Molly” is arrested and charged with assault. She is soon released from jail by a sympathetic judge, but the melodrama continues when, continuing to stalk Ted, she is shot to death in her car in the clinic parking lot. Things only get worse when Ted’s “Boca diva” mother is arrested, as her gun proves to be the murder weapon.
The book was a delightful change of pace for this reader, contrasted with other fare of thrillers and serial killers. Besides an intriguing murder mystery with several possible culprits, it offers a few mouthwatering culinary tidbits, and culminates in several pages of shopping tips for wedding-related purchases, from flowers for various segments of the Big Day, bling, cakes, etc. Following which is a peek at the next offering in Ms. Viets’ Dead-End Job Mystery series, “Board Stiff,” published by Obsidian in May 2013, which I have the good fortune to have in my towering TBR/R pile - - more to come on that soon!
Josie is a thirty-one-year-old single mom to Amelia, a ‘tween’ with the usual fast-changing sulky-to-“flawless!” mood changes. Her life is about to undergo major changes, with her upcoming wedding to local veterinarian Dr. Ted, scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving, five weeks away as the story opens. Their combined pets include Stuart Little, Josie’s shih tzu, her cat Harry, Ted’s cat Marmalade and his black Labrador, Festus.
One week later, shortly after Josie arrives at Ted’s veterinary clinic one morning, a surreal scene unfolds: the self-same Molly, dressed in all her bridal finery, exits a Bentley and pushes her way into the clinic, claiming she’s there to pick up Ted en route to their wedding. Clearly delusional, the scene ends with Molly picking up a scalpel and attacking Ted when he insists that he is indeed shortly to be married, but to Josie. Ted’s mother, also present, disarms her, brandishing the pistol she always carried in her purse. To cut to the chase, “mad Molly” is arrested and charged with assault. She is soon released from jail by a sympathetic judge, but the melodrama continues when, continuing to stalk Ted, she is shot to death in her car in the clinic parking lot. Things only get worse when Ted’s “Boca diva” mother is arrested, as her gun proves to be the murder weapon.
The book was a delightful change of pace for this reader, contrasted with other fare of thrillers and serial killers. Besides an intriguing murder mystery with several possible culprits, it offers a few mouthwatering culinary tidbits, and culminates in several pages of shopping tips for wedding-related purchases, from flowers for various segments of the Big Day, bling, cakes, etc. Following which is a peek at the next offering in Ms. Viets’ Dead-End Job Mystery series, “Board Stiff,” published by Obsidian in May 2013, which I have the good fortune to have in my towering TBR/R pile - - more to come on that soon!
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