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Dead-End Job Mystery #12
Board Stiff
Husband and wife PI team Helen Hawthorne and Phil Sagemont won’t be sparing the sunscreen on their latest assignment, but they’re about to find out murder is no day at the beach….
Will the Real Paddleboard Killer Please Stand Up?
There’s a dark cloud over Sunny Jim’s Safety First Parasailing and Stand-Up Paddleboarding business on Florida’s Riggs Beach—especially after one of his clients is killed in a tragic paddleboarding mishap. Sunny Jim is sure it was no accident, and he hires Helen and Phil to find the murderer.
Between cutthroat competitors poaching his territory, the city threatening to revoke his license, a restaurant owner wanting his beach spot for a parking lot, and a wrongful death suit filed by the victim’s husband, Sunny Jim may soon be up the creek without a paddle.
But he does have Helen and Phil on his side, and as the couple start to investigate, they discover dark undercurrents of corruption behind the cheerful facades of the beachfront businesses, as well as domestic secrets. But the sands of time are running out, and if they don’t catch the killer soon, Sunny Jim won’t be the only one to go under….
Will the Real Paddleboard Killer Please Stand Up?
There’s a dark cloud over Sunny Jim’s Safety First Parasailing and Stand-Up Paddleboarding business on Florida’s Riggs Beach—especially after one of his clients is killed in a tragic paddleboarding mishap. Sunny Jim is sure it was no accident, and he hires Helen and Phil to find the murderer.
Between cutthroat competitors poaching his territory, the city threatening to revoke his license, a restaurant owner wanting his beach spot for a parking lot, and a wrongful death suit filed by the victim’s husband, Sunny Jim may soon be up the creek without a paddle.
But he does have Helen and Phil on his side, and as the couple start to investigate, they discover dark undercurrents of corruption behind the cheerful facades of the beachfront businesses, as well as domestic secrets. But the sands of time are running out, and if they don’t catch the killer soon, Sunny Jim won’t be the only one to go under….
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2013
156 people are currently reading
749 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Viets
81 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
May 17, 2020
I am a huge fan of the Dead-End Job Mystery series by Elaine Viets and Board Stiff, the twelfth book in the series, will tear at your heartstrings. I know this series is a mystery series but after reading previous books, readers will get to know Helen and her group of friends and you cannot help but develop feelings for them. And now that Helen and Phil are married and have their own private investigators business, you love them even more.
Another reason to love this series is the dead-end jobs that Helen usually takes. Now that her and Phil are married and they have their private investigators business, they take jobs in order to solve the cases they get .... and the fun part is that now Phil gets to work some dead-end jobs as well.
In Board Stiff they are hired by Sunny Jim who owns a paddleboard rental and lesson business on Riggs Beach. He thinks the city is going to revoke his business license so that a shady restaurant and business owner can get his location to expand his parking lot. And when a customer of Sunny Jim's goes out paddleboarding and dies, Helen and Phil dive in head first to find out what happened and help Sunny Jim save his business.
You know it's going to be a good case when they recruit their landlady and friend, Margery to help with the investigation.
Readers will love this series and want to return to Coronado Tropics Apartments to visit Helen, Phil, and Margery and see what is going on. They will want to follow Helen around to all the dead-end jobs and watch how her and Phil work together solving cases. They will even want to sit poolside in a cloud of Margery's smoke drinking wine from a box in a plastic wineglass. There are so many reasons to read these books......I could continue to tell you but that's preventing you from picking up one and starting it.
Another reason to love this series is the dead-end jobs that Helen usually takes. Now that her and Phil are married and they have their private investigators business, they take jobs in order to solve the cases they get .... and the fun part is that now Phil gets to work some dead-end jobs as well.
In Board Stiff they are hired by Sunny Jim who owns a paddleboard rental and lesson business on Riggs Beach. He thinks the city is going to revoke his business license so that a shady restaurant and business owner can get his location to expand his parking lot. And when a customer of Sunny Jim's goes out paddleboarding and dies, Helen and Phil dive in head first to find out what happened and help Sunny Jim save his business.
You know it's going to be a good case when they recruit their landlady and friend, Margery to help with the investigation.
Readers will love this series and want to return to Coronado Tropics Apartments to visit Helen, Phil, and Margery and see what is going on. They will want to follow Helen around to all the dead-end jobs and watch how her and Phil work together solving cases. They will even want to sit poolside in a cloud of Margery's smoke drinking wine from a box in a plastic wineglass. There are so many reasons to read these books......I could continue to tell you but that's preventing you from picking up one and starting it.
June 6, 2013
This book was okay, pretty much same-old, same-old. I wish the characters would develope.
Helen is self-centered as always. We hear seven million times how attractive Phil is.
The plot was okay, easily figured out.
I'm not sure where this series is going,but I hope some new ideas come forth soon. I stay with the books because I likedthem in the beginning, but now, even the most loyal fans have got to be growing tired of the predictability.
Helen is self-centered as always. We hear seven million times how attractive Phil is.
The plot was okay, easily figured out.
I'm not sure where this series is going,but I hope some new ideas come forth soon. I stay with the books because I likedthem in the beginning, but now, even the most loyal fans have got to be growing tired of the predictability.
April 25, 2013
This twelfth novel in this entertaining and compelling murder mystery series, left me anything but bored stiff.
Private Investigator and married couple, Helen Hawthorne and Phil Sagemont have been delivered a plum summer beach job...find out who is sabotaging Sunny Jim's Safety First Parasailing and Stand Up Paddleboarding business on Florida's Riggs Beach. This idyllic job quickly transforms into a murder investigation when a client is killed riding one of Jim's Paddleboards.
Helen and Phil soon discover that there are many layers of crime and corruption within the sunny sands of the the city. Time works against the duo as they try to salvage Jim's business and keep their lives.
As with all married couples, Helen and Phil also find their marriage challenged in a terrifying sub-plot.
The smooth writing style of Ms. Viets makes this suspenseful and complex tale a page-turner. You can feel the tropical breezes upon your skin and smell the surf as you turn each page. Not to mention the spice of St. Louis pork steak barbecue. What a delightful summer read. Hurry up and pre-order your copy so that you can head for the sand!
Private Investigator and married couple, Helen Hawthorne and Phil Sagemont have been delivered a plum summer beach job...find out who is sabotaging Sunny Jim's Safety First Parasailing and Stand Up Paddleboarding business on Florida's Riggs Beach. This idyllic job quickly transforms into a murder investigation when a client is killed riding one of Jim's Paddleboards.
Helen and Phil soon discover that there are many layers of crime and corruption within the sunny sands of the the city. Time works against the duo as they try to salvage Jim's business and keep their lives.
As with all married couples, Helen and Phil also find their marriage challenged in a terrifying sub-plot.
The smooth writing style of Ms. Viets makes this suspenseful and complex tale a page-turner. You can feel the tropical breezes upon your skin and smell the surf as you turn each page. Not to mention the spice of St. Louis pork steak barbecue. What a delightful summer read. Hurry up and pre-order your copy so that you can head for the sand!
January 18, 2016
Phil is working undercover at Sunny Jim’s Safety First Parasailing and Stand-Up Paddleboarding business on Florida’s Riggs Beach while Helen plays the tourist with her trusty video camera. They have been hired to figure out who was trying to put Jim out of business when stakes get raised considerably. A client was killed and Jim knows it was no accident.
There are no shortage of suspects, a cutthroat competitor wants Jim’s prime beach location, the nearby restaurant owner wants the space to enlarge his parking lot, and the victim’s husband seems pretty shady himself and more so after he files a wrongful death suit.
But Phil and Helen uncover much more as they investigate. Dirty politicians, dirty cops and many secrets seem to be the norm at this beach. Helen and Phil need to catch the culprit before the tide turns and they all get washed away.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
One of my favorite series. Viets tops herself this one with a big surprise. I had a little inkling at the end of Final Sail but never imagined that it would play out the way it did.
Valerie Cannata finds herself right in the middle of the investigation and my favorite lady in purple, Margery, plays a key role as well. That Margery is one wise woman who never fails to put a smile on my face.
The time we had more than just one character to hate. Daniel was a terrible husband, Cy was a terrible boss, Frank was on the take and Randy was out for revenge. The author has readers paddling at a fast pace to uncover the killer.
A smart mystery that is fun and very entertaining. I recommend reading the series in order because each builds to the next. Helen’s evolution from the beginning of the series until now is remarkable. All the books would make great Summer Reads!!!
There are no shortage of suspects, a cutthroat competitor wants Jim’s prime beach location, the nearby restaurant owner wants the space to enlarge his parking lot, and the victim’s husband seems pretty shady himself and more so after he files a wrongful death suit.
But Phil and Helen uncover much more as they investigate. Dirty politicians, dirty cops and many secrets seem to be the norm at this beach. Helen and Phil need to catch the culprit before the tide turns and they all get washed away.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
One of my favorite series. Viets tops herself this one with a big surprise. I had a little inkling at the end of Final Sail but never imagined that it would play out the way it did.
Valerie Cannata finds herself right in the middle of the investigation and my favorite lady in purple, Margery, plays a key role as well. That Margery is one wise woman who never fails to put a smile on my face.
The time we had more than just one character to hate. Daniel was a terrible husband, Cy was a terrible boss, Frank was on the take and Randy was out for revenge. The author has readers paddling at a fast pace to uncover the killer.
A smart mystery that is fun and very entertaining. I recommend reading the series in order because each builds to the next. Helen’s evolution from the beginning of the series until now is remarkable. All the books would make great Summer Reads!!!
August 21, 2013
I had previously given up on this series, but picked this one up at the library since it was set on the beach, which is always my weakness... it's definitely the last one. While corruption is always very believable, the rest of the plot (from the return of helen's ex from the dead to her new husband freaking out over her hiding the fact that she was blackmailed from him) was not. I just stopped caring where the book went after the couple's little tiff.
January 14, 2017
I was just disappointed in this Dead-End Job mystery --- was more fun before the main character remarried. Except for a couple chapters in this one, it was mostly the same old --- her dead buried husband turned up again, her and her new husband had a bad enough row that he kicked her out of his apartment (but she never gave hers up so she still had a place to live).
May 4, 2016
Hmmm........lots of good reviews but for me this was just an average cozy. Nothing special but an "ok" time-waster. If you're looking for a challenging read, look elsewhere. That said, it's a pleasant beach book which I'm sure is what the author intends.
February 2, 2014
I miss when this series was funny. That was its main appeal.
May 15, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/bo...
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
And you thought your job reeked. Or at least that you’ve had more than your share of positions that nobody should have to have. Maybe you are even a small business owner who has had a few challenges with the competition You can definitely appreciate the situation that Sunny Jim, of Sunny Jim’s Stand-Up Paddleboard Rental stand finds himself, when all is not sunny at Riggs Beach in Florida.
His business is quickly being ruined, board by paddle by board. Vandalism, possibly by a competitor, is costing many dollars and customers. He suspects that a political palm or two are being greased by something other than cocoa butter tanning lotions, so he hires the now-newlywed team of Helen Hawthorne and Phil Sagemont to discover who is trying to shut him down. Helen and Phil are PI’s who have a bit of time on their hands, enough time for Phil to learn more about the paddleboard business. Helen seems to get the easier part of this job, basking in the sun and watching the shop, video camera in hand, hoping to document the customer-thieves from a safe distance as other sunbathers, at least the men, watch her.
Within a short time after beginning their “just a day at the beach”, a tourist with very little instruction on paddleboards decided to go exactly where she was warned to not go. It was thought at first that she died from being caught in a riptide and was unable to get free enough to get air into her starving lungs. Unfortunately, however, it is discovered later that she didn’t drown. She was murdered. And as a customer of Sunny Jim, it might be the last straw before his business is forced to close for good.
As if the job challenges weren’t enough, a blackmailer who had been an unwelcome guest in the lives of Helen and her sister for quite some time contacted Kathy again, wanting more money. This time, quite a large sum. And Helen goes with back home with the hopes of settling with the blackmailer, once and for all. Then Phil’s pride gets the better of him, and he might be ready to end their barely-newlywed-stage marriage and Coronado Investigations – if the killer and vandals don’t get them, first. So many interesting suspects, so little time… And, such a wonderful relationship, so much on the line to save!
This novel is expertly written with characters who have been well-developed over the course of the series and who continue to grow and change with the circumstances. Honestly, I think my favorite was Margery Flax, the landlady and a woman who could be … an aunt to Phil or Helen. She takes delight in helping others and in doing odd jobs for the PI’s. Margery also has sufficient maturity and wisdom to have the respect of most of the younger adults at the apartment complex yet she has a youthful outlook and enjoys playing an “operative”. The twists and ironies in the plot and subplot are unexpected and fascinating to this reader!
One thing I do miss from cozy mysteries with one main protagonist is the first-person perspective of the person whose point of view is primary. While Helen’s point of view is prominent, seeing from more than one perspective may have kept me from forming as much of an attachment with Helen. That being said, it is purely subjective from my point of view and I would not want it to prevent the average cozy reader from enjoying this current offering in this highly successful series.
The most recent novel in the Dead End Job Mystery series is well-recommended by this reader for adults of all ages. Reading Board Stiff may give a dose of gratitude for those who have the ‘working at the car wash blues’ but can also make good, friendly wait staff or paddleboard rental clerks a bit reticent when sharing with new – or repeat – customers! Fans of private investigator cozies that include a little bit of murder, romance, and an interesting array of suspects will enjoy this new Dead-End Job Mystery.
*OBS would like to think the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their on-going blog tour*
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
And you thought your job reeked. Or at least that you’ve had more than your share of positions that nobody should have to have. Maybe you are even a small business owner who has had a few challenges with the competition You can definitely appreciate the situation that Sunny Jim, of Sunny Jim’s Stand-Up Paddleboard Rental stand finds himself, when all is not sunny at Riggs Beach in Florida.
His business is quickly being ruined, board by paddle by board. Vandalism, possibly by a competitor, is costing many dollars and customers. He suspects that a political palm or two are being greased by something other than cocoa butter tanning lotions, so he hires the now-newlywed team of Helen Hawthorne and Phil Sagemont to discover who is trying to shut him down. Helen and Phil are PI’s who have a bit of time on their hands, enough time for Phil to learn more about the paddleboard business. Helen seems to get the easier part of this job, basking in the sun and watching the shop, video camera in hand, hoping to document the customer-thieves from a safe distance as other sunbathers, at least the men, watch her.
Within a short time after beginning their “just a day at the beach”, a tourist with very little instruction on paddleboards decided to go exactly where she was warned to not go. It was thought at first that she died from being caught in a riptide and was unable to get free enough to get air into her starving lungs. Unfortunately, however, it is discovered later that she didn’t drown. She was murdered. And as a customer of Sunny Jim, it might be the last straw before his business is forced to close for good.
As if the job challenges weren’t enough, a blackmailer who had been an unwelcome guest in the lives of Helen and her sister for quite some time contacted Kathy again, wanting more money. This time, quite a large sum. And Helen goes with back home with the hopes of settling with the blackmailer, once and for all. Then Phil’s pride gets the better of him, and he might be ready to end their barely-newlywed-stage marriage and Coronado Investigations – if the killer and vandals don’t get them, first. So many interesting suspects, so little time… And, such a wonderful relationship, so much on the line to save!
This novel is expertly written with characters who have been well-developed over the course of the series and who continue to grow and change with the circumstances. Honestly, I think my favorite was Margery Flax, the landlady and a woman who could be … an aunt to Phil or Helen. She takes delight in helping others and in doing odd jobs for the PI’s. Margery also has sufficient maturity and wisdom to have the respect of most of the younger adults at the apartment complex yet she has a youthful outlook and enjoys playing an “operative”. The twists and ironies in the plot and subplot are unexpected and fascinating to this reader!
One thing I do miss from cozy mysteries with one main protagonist is the first-person perspective of the person whose point of view is primary. While Helen’s point of view is prominent, seeing from more than one perspective may have kept me from forming as much of an attachment with Helen. That being said, it is purely subjective from my point of view and I would not want it to prevent the average cozy reader from enjoying this current offering in this highly successful series.
The most recent novel in the Dead End Job Mystery series is well-recommended by this reader for adults of all ages. Reading Board Stiff may give a dose of gratitude for those who have the ‘working at the car wash blues’ but can also make good, friendly wait staff or paddleboard rental clerks a bit reticent when sharing with new – or repeat – customers! Fans of private investigator cozies that include a little bit of murder, romance, and an interesting array of suspects will enjoy this new Dead-End Job Mystery.
*OBS would like to think the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their on-going blog tour*
July 17, 2014
"Board Stiff" is the 12Th in the Dead End Jobs mystery series and I've read every one of them. The reasons why I've stayed with this series will become quite obvious once you too become addicted.
1. They characters are not boring or repetitive. The action is new with each book.
2. The characters work well together as their relationships evolve.
3. The author took care to have the main characters in a collaborative P.I. business so they would be sought out by others and not stuck in their own environment with murders taking place under their noses.
4. An necessary character of a zany and fun loving nature has wisely been included.
Characters:
Helen Hawthorne: Married to Phil and 1/2 of the Coronado Investigation team.
Phil Sagemont: Helen's husband and the other 1/2 of the Coronado Investigation team.
Margery Flax: owner of the Coronado Tropic apartments in Fort Lauderdale where Helen & Phil live. A 76 yo with the energy of a teenager and a mind still as sharp as a tack. Did I mention Margery loves the color purple?
Sunny Jim Sandusky, owner of Sunny Jim's Paddle Board Rentals on Riggs Beach, needs some investigative research done on who is trying to destroy his business. Jim seems to think it's Bill Board, the owner of another paddle board rental on Riggs Beach. Jim feels that bill is trying to run off the competition so he can be solo in the paddle board business. But how far will he go to accomplish this?
Daniel & Ceci Odell have reserve 2 paddle boards for 10:00 am. When they arrive Daniel suddenly decides Ceci can go on her own and he will sit this one out. Sunny Jim has second thoughts about Ceci going it alone after just one lesson paddle boarding. Ceci insists and away she goes.
This story is not that simple. The murder(s) happen and the plot behind them thickens and just when you think it all may be solved another mystery from Helen's past comes back to haunt her. Helen gets a phone call from her sister Kathy. That phone call turns Helen's life upside down.
A must read for all lovers of cozy mysteries in a series. highly recommended.
1. They characters are not boring or repetitive. The action is new with each book.
2. The characters work well together as their relationships evolve.
3. The author took care to have the main characters in a collaborative P.I. business so they would be sought out by others and not stuck in their own environment with murders taking place under their noses.
4. An necessary character of a zany and fun loving nature has wisely been included.
Characters:
Helen Hawthorne: Married to Phil and 1/2 of the Coronado Investigation team.
Phil Sagemont: Helen's husband and the other 1/2 of the Coronado Investigation team.
Margery Flax: owner of the Coronado Tropic apartments in Fort Lauderdale where Helen & Phil live. A 76 yo with the energy of a teenager and a mind still as sharp as a tack. Did I mention Margery loves the color purple?
Sunny Jim Sandusky, owner of Sunny Jim's Paddle Board Rentals on Riggs Beach, needs some investigative research done on who is trying to destroy his business. Jim seems to think it's Bill Board, the owner of another paddle board rental on Riggs Beach. Jim feels that bill is trying to run off the competition so he can be solo in the paddle board business. But how far will he go to accomplish this?
Daniel & Ceci Odell have reserve 2 paddle boards for 10:00 am. When they arrive Daniel suddenly decides Ceci can go on her own and he will sit this one out. Sunny Jim has second thoughts about Ceci going it alone after just one lesson paddle boarding. Ceci insists and away she goes.
This story is not that simple. The murder(s) happen and the plot behind them thickens and just when you think it all may be solved another mystery from Helen's past comes back to haunt her. Helen gets a phone call from her sister Kathy. That phone call turns Helen's life upside down.
A must read for all lovers of cozy mysteries in a series. highly recommended.
March 6, 2018
I'm annoyed that I stayed up late to finish reading this lame mystery, but I wanted to see where it went. It was improbable, implausible and overall ridiculous with coincidences such as one of the murder suspects, who was on vacation in Florida where the murder occurred, was from St. Louis in the exact same neighborhood as the heroine's sister lives. Someone was willing to commit murder for $5,000? It was supposed to look accidental, but the victim was stabbed besides drowned? Insulting to one's intelligence. And there's plenty more of this type of stupidity, these are the most obvious.
I liked the beach setting as I'm familiar with that area, but that's where the interesting part ended and the rest was pretty preposterous - from people giving out revealing info for no reason, to a husband who was ready to leave his wife for keeping a secret from him, an improbable ridiculous one at that!
I liked the beach setting as I'm familiar with that area, but that's where the interesting part ended and the rest was pretty preposterous - from people giving out revealing info for no reason, to a husband who was ready to leave his wife for keeping a secret from him, an improbable ridiculous one at that!
December 19, 2013
This was a fun book about Helen Hawthorne in a fictional town in Florida, who is involved a private investigation with her husband Phil regarding deaths around their client. I had never read anything by this author before. I like mysteries and humor and this book had them both. I'will be checking out the reset of this series.
June 8, 2013
The mystery in this one was average. I found myself hating Phil during the later portion of the book. I hated how he jumped to conclusions and was so judgmental. At one point I wanted Helen to find someplace new, especially when Margery started to chime in.
December 20, 2015
I love the Dead-End Job series. Helen is now married to Phil and both have their own detective agency. This lively plot and board humor is a great tea mystery. Perfect read for the summer and beach.
June 16, 2015
I should have stopped with the last one. I really enjoyed all the books to this point. I think this series has finally been enough for me.
September 15, 2013
I was very predictable. I skipped over several pages and missed nothing.
December 16, 2015
The side story completely turned me off
October 27, 2018
It was interesting enough to keep me reading, but just barely. The supporting characters, Margery, and the old treasure hunter, were much more appealing and real than the two main ones.
October 1, 2021
I absolutely love the 'Dead-End Job Mystery' series by Elaine Viets. I started this series when I stumbled across one at random the decided it was one series worth reading. Even though this series is a murder mystery, it's delivered with a huge side of humer.
Helen's latest dead-end job is with Phil—her husband and PI partner—they are on the case when Jim Sandusky asks them to save his business. Because while “Sunny Jim’s Stand-Up Paddleboard Rental” is garnering a lot of attention, it’s not the kind the beachside business ever hoped to attract.
In Boats Stiff it dies take long for things to heat up and and an accident to be ruled murder. As well as a suicide to be discovered as murder.
To add insult to injury, Rob is not dead and is the blackmailer. However, things don't turn out the way Rob envisioned. Nor does it turn out the way Helen thought it would. Phil is in the mix and he is super pissed at Helen. What on earth was Helen thinking, not telling Phil in the first place?
If you more deets that make the story a whole. Your just going to have give it a read. I promise you will not be disappointed. Especially with the surprise ending with the Rob situation.
~Laters Peeps
Helen's latest dead-end job is with Phil—her husband and PI partner—they are on the case when Jim Sandusky asks them to save his business. Because while “Sunny Jim’s Stand-Up Paddleboard Rental” is garnering a lot of attention, it’s not the kind the beachside business ever hoped to attract.
In Boats Stiff it dies take long for things to heat up and and an accident to be ruled murder. As well as a suicide to be discovered as murder.
To add insult to injury, Rob is not dead and is the blackmailer. However, things don't turn out the way Rob envisioned. Nor does it turn out the way Helen thought it would. Phil is in the mix and he is super pissed at Helen. What on earth was Helen thinking, not telling Phil in the first place?
If you more deets that make the story a whole. Your just going to have give it a read. I promise you will not be disappointed. Especially with the surprise ending with the Rob situation.
~Laters Peeps
January 29, 2022
3.0/5.0 - This got better as it went on. Since it was book 12, but the first book of the series that I had read, it took a bit for me to get my bearings. The premise was that Helen had left her high paying job in the corporate world, divorced her no good husband, and been traveling around working at various dead-end jobs. In the meantime, she met her new husband, Phil, and they formed a PI agency, now in Florida. She and Phil have a falling out halfway through the book, much like Melanie and Jack in The Attic on Queen Street, which I just finished. But in the end, they bring home the case, the bacon, and the love. One thing that I particularly liked about the book is the epilogue, where they summarize what happened to each of the characters. All in all, a pretty good little book, but I'm not sure I'm inspired enough to read the rest of the series.
Book 37 of 2022
Book 37 of 2022
July 3, 2022
Bribery and Murder at The Beach
This book is one of a series that is best read in order. In this episode, the detectives are investigating some problems at the pier. But things only get worse after they start to dig in. The book is fast paced and quite a bit is based on things that happened in earlier books. I am still enjoying the series after reading an even dozen.
This book is one of a series that is best read in order. In this episode, the detectives are investigating some problems at the pier. But things only get worse after they start to dig in. The book is fast paced and quite a bit is based on things that happened in earlier books. I am still enjoying the series after reading an even dozen.
April 19, 2018
Fluffy detective story set mostly in a south Florida beach town with a foray back to St. Louis to pull together old secret history of detective Helen Hawthorne. A quick read, maybe a good summer vacation book?
May 14, 2018
Even though this is the first I've read in the series; it was a fantastic read and I didn't feel out of the loop about backstory and history. Great characters. I really felt like they could be real. Two plots keep me interested. Looking forward to reading more in the series.
May 9, 2019
This was a welcome return to the characters I love. Despite becoming steadily employed with her husband as a PI (and not being in a 'dead end job' as originally titled) my favorite adventurous amazon is back in the business of entertaining us with good storytelling and great mysteries.
December 27, 2020
Fantastic from start to finish. This is the first one of the series that I read and it’s great! The characters, plot, location! Just super! I’m going back and have already started book 1. She is an amazing writer!
May 28, 2017
A new twist with Helen and Phil, investigators. This book was quite intriguing as a lot was happening with the characters. Marge is one of my favorites - one sassy lady.
August 3, 2017
Easy read. Glad they finally tied up the story line with her ex-husband. Was really ready for that to end.
September 26, 2018
Always fun to read
September 6, 2020
Will Coronado Investigations close down?
A case at the beach expands into bribery and murder, while Helen and Phil are at odds thanks to Helen's secrets about Rob.
A case at the beach expands into bribery and murder, while Helen and Phil are at odds thanks to Helen's secrets about Rob.
August 28, 2021
Helen and Phil did it again, these just keep getting better...
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