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Dead-End Job Mystery #2
Murder Between the Covers
Helen has a new job off the books at Page Turners bookstore in Fort Lauderdale. It's run by Page Turner III, who happens to be neither well-read nor well-liked. When money troubles threaten to close the store, Page is murdered. Arrogant and impossible, he had no shortage of enemies, including his unfaithful wife, unhappy employees, unsavory associates, and an unforgiving lover--Helen's friend and neighbor, Peggy the Parrrot Lady. Though she should start looking for a new dead-end job, Helen launches her own investigation. Can she read between the lines and uncover the truth before the police throw the book at Peggy?
Hardcover
First published December 2, 2003
126 people are currently reading
899 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 148 reviews
April 26, 2020
This was a throwback to the Golden age of Goodreads for me, when I would rate most books 5 stars. The Camel Club, Lucy Stone, Jaine Austen, all series that got 4 or 5 stars from me, week in week out.
Murder between the Covers is like eating Cinnamon Babka that has neither phlegm nor hair on it. It's light, fluffy, creamy, airy, and sugary goodness. Unlike the first book, this one had enough jokes to transcend the cozy genre, where most of the repartee was confined to the title of book of said genre.
I really am impatient to start the next book. But I wanted to tarry a bit. The amount of research done here adds life to the procedure. What a book. I loved how the heroine mentions she doesn't want to be in danger for the finale only for just that to happen. If you do read this, then great. If not then that's okay too. Happy reading.
Murder between the Covers is like eating Cinnamon Babka that has neither phlegm nor hair on it. It's light, fluffy, creamy, airy, and sugary goodness. Unlike the first book, this one had enough jokes to transcend the cozy genre, where most of the repartee was confined to the title of book of said genre.
I really am impatient to start the next book. But I wanted to tarry a bit. The amount of research done here adds life to the procedure. What a book. I loved how the heroine mentions she doesn't want to be in danger for the finale only for just that to happen. If you do read this, then great. If not then that's okay too. Happy reading.
March 31, 2024
I have started this series on book 2, largely because someone gave it to me. I am glad they did and now intend to read a lot more of them.
The main character, Helen, has history. Let us just say her marriage break up was not a happy one, Helen lost her cool and acted out of character, and now she is living off the grid trying to avoid being found. She has given up an important job with matching salary, to live with no credit cards and only being able to work in dead end jobs which do not require references and will pay cash. A very interesting premise.
When this book starts Helen is working in a book shop and doing as well as is possible in her position. When the sleazy book shop owner is murdered and Helen's friend is blamed she has to start her own investigation but at the same time keep a low profile especially with the police!
I really enjoyed the whole book. The idea behind it is great and should supply stories for plenty more books. Helen is a smart girl, sensible with plenty of common sense and strength. There is a lot of humour too especially with Helen's landlady, Margery.
All in all a very enjoyable read and I look forward to many more.
The main character, Helen, has history. Let us just say her marriage break up was not a happy one, Helen lost her cool and acted out of character, and now she is living off the grid trying to avoid being found. She has given up an important job with matching salary, to live with no credit cards and only being able to work in dead end jobs which do not require references and will pay cash. A very interesting premise.
When this book starts Helen is working in a book shop and doing as well as is possible in her position. When the sleazy book shop owner is murdered and Helen's friend is blamed she has to start her own investigation but at the same time keep a low profile especially with the police!
I really enjoyed the whole book. The idea behind it is great and should supply stories for plenty more books. Helen is a smart girl, sensible with plenty of common sense and strength. There is a lot of humour too especially with Helen's landlady, Margery.
All in all a very enjoyable read and I look forward to many more.
April 6, 2017
3.5 stars. I haven't read this series in order so I've read book after this, which made it fun to go back and read one towards the beginning. I liked the bookstore setting. I followed all the red herrings along with Helen and was surprised at the outcome. Fun story.
June 10, 2013
Poor Helen seems to meet all the nastiest and sleaziest men on earth while working on simple blue collar jobs that aren't actually that easy when you go behind the scenes.
In her place I'd probably go back to my well paying job, gather some money, sue the son of a bitch ex-husband, make the facts public and use the publicity to destroy him and live the best I can ever after. I wouldn't put my life and dreams on hold just to get lukewarm revenge. Be proactive darling.
Still, then we wouldn't have this series to enjoy, right?
In her place I'd probably go back to my well paying job, gather some money, sue the son of a bitch ex-husband, make the facts public and use the publicity to destroy him and live the best I can ever after. I wouldn't put my life and dreams on hold just to get lukewarm revenge. Be proactive darling.
Still, then we wouldn't have this series to enjoy, right?
May 24, 2022
Though I've enjoyed most of the books in the series, this one was just average. I wanted more from the bookstore setting. And it really bothered me that the owner of the store was (how to say it) not a good person. It's not fair not to give a book a better rating based on that one thing but I couldn't let it go during the whole story.
Overall I really love the writing style and the pattern of this series and this book is not an exception. Somehow it's always the same but you never get bored because the jobs are different and the events progress.
I was glad to learn more about Peggy's past from this book and also the relations between Helen and her landlady are hilarious! This one thing is worth reading the book. Both Helen and Margery have great personalities and so fun to follow.
Though the book was not my favourite the atmosphere was warm and cozy, the goal achieved, the mood is great! :)
Overall I really love the writing style and the pattern of this series and this book is not an exception. Somehow it's always the same but you never get bored because the jobs are different and the events progress.
I was glad to learn more about Peggy's past from this book and also the relations between Helen and her landlady are hilarious! This one thing is worth reading the book. Both Helen and Margery have great personalities and so fun to follow.
Though the book was not my favourite the atmosphere was warm and cozy, the goal achieved, the mood is great! :)
April 8, 2012
A sleuth with a sense of humor, October 18, 2011
By Ellen Rappaport
This review is from: Murder Between the Covers (Dead-End Job Mysteries, Book 2) (Paperback)
This is about the 4th book I've read in this series and this series is for me. I enjoy the sense of humor the author delivers through Helen Hawthorne and her zany landlady, Margery. The fun names for some of the characters-Page Turner the owner of the book store. The title for the book itself-Murder Between the Covers: can that mean covers of a bed or a book.
In this edition of the Dead End Job series Helen finds herself working in a (going down hill fast) book store. She's working for a sleazy boss with more enemies than one can count. Finally someone does him in, but Page Turner's body is found in Helen's friend's apartment. As soon as Peggy is jailed for the murder of Page Turner Helen sets out to find the real killer and clear her friend. Peg's Parrot, Pete, is handed over to Margery who is not too happy to have him.
As Helen begins to uncover clues she soon discovers there's more to Peggy's past than what she originally thought. To make things more complicated Margery also knew about Peggy's past. Soon Helen and her landlady team up to stake out the manager of the book store. That's when things take a turn that Helen was definitly not expecting.
I enjoy this series and it's characters. I recommend it to readers of cozy mysteries.
Ellen
By Ellen Rappaport
This review is from: Murder Between the Covers (Dead-End Job Mysteries, Book 2) (Paperback)
This is about the 4th book I've read in this series and this series is for me. I enjoy the sense of humor the author delivers through Helen Hawthorne and her zany landlady, Margery. The fun names for some of the characters-Page Turner the owner of the book store. The title for the book itself-Murder Between the Covers: can that mean covers of a bed or a book.
In this edition of the Dead End Job series Helen finds herself working in a (going down hill fast) book store. She's working for a sleazy boss with more enemies than one can count. Finally someone does him in, but Page Turner's body is found in Helen's friend's apartment. As soon as Peggy is jailed for the murder of Page Turner Helen sets out to find the real killer and clear her friend. Peg's Parrot, Pete, is handed over to Margery who is not too happy to have him.
As Helen begins to uncover clues she soon discovers there's more to Peggy's past than what she originally thought. To make things more complicated Margery also knew about Peggy's past. Soon Helen and her landlady team up to stake out the manager of the book store. That's when things take a turn that Helen was definitly not expecting.
I enjoy this series and it's characters. I recommend it to readers of cozy mysteries.
Ellen
April 29, 2013
The bookstore details are spot-on: the customer who doesn't know the author or title but the book is blue, the Bible as most shoplifted book, the neverending slush piles, the kids destroying the children's section while the moms ignore them, the customer who shows up every day to read, the manager(owner in this case) who knows nothing about books, the new employee who can't figure out how to ring up a coupon - clearly Viets did spend a year working in a bookstore. For the rest, well, it's a mystery novel, populated by a lot of people who have no problem bending the law if it suits them and who think they have a claim on rich people's money just because they're poor. It's set in south Florida, would make a good beach read. Maybe one of these days it'll be warm enough to go to the beach.
July 3, 2016
Book #58 Read in 2016
Murder Between the Covers by Elaine Viets
This is the second book in a cozy mystery series. Helen, hiding from the law after assaulting her cheating ex-husband, goes from dead-end job to dead-end job. In this book, Helen is working in a bookstore. The sleazy bookstore owner is killed and one of Helen's friends is arrested for his murder. Helen sets out to prove Peggy's innocence. This series has a lot of fun characters, decent mystery plots and humor. I recommend this series.
Murder Between the Covers by Elaine Viets
This is the second book in a cozy mystery series. Helen, hiding from the law after assaulting her cheating ex-husband, goes from dead-end job to dead-end job. In this book, Helen is working in a bookstore. The sleazy bookstore owner is killed and one of Helen's friends is arrested for his murder. Helen sets out to prove Peggy's innocence. This series has a lot of fun characters, decent mystery plots and humor. I recommend this series.
March 10, 2013
Is this book really worse than the first in this series? I'm not sure, but it sure feels like it. Maybe it's just because I was really hoping that the series would improve, but I was disappointed by Helen's complete idiocy, and Viets's writing style seemed even more transparently amateurish than ever. I could catalog everything that annoyed me in this book, but I would rather not waste the energy. I don't think I will be reading anything more from this author.
March 8, 2018
I just love the Dead-End Job Mystery series by Elaine Viets and am very happy that JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc. are giving them new life. This series was written years ago but I have only recently been introduced to it. I read and reviewed the first book in this series, Shop Till You Drop, and knew that I wanted to read every single book in this series.
I fell in love with the main character, Helen Hawthorne. Helen is on the run from her past. A past where she was married, had a great job, and she thought a solid marriage. All of that changed one day when she returned home early from work and caught her low-life husband cheating !!! When they went to court for divorce and the judge awarded her ex a percentage of her future earnings, she vowed that he would never receive another penny from her. So she packed up and moved to Florida where she has her own apartment, a few people she can call friends, and a cat. The only bad thing is that in order to keep her vow to not givr her ex another cent, she has to find employers who are willing to pay her cash.
In Murder Between the Covers, Helen is working at a bookstore called Page Turners, after its founder the original Page Turner. She is working for the grandson who is a very sleazy, cheap and creepy drunk. Page Turner III has a hobby of bedding women in his office and taping the sessions. When he is found murdered, the list of suspects is quite long, unfortunately the police only look at one person. That person is Helen's friend, Peggy, and the main reason she is the only suspect is because he is found dead in her bed .......
Helen knows that there is no way that Peggy would have killed Page and will stop at nothing to prove that. With the help of her landlady, Margery, they lead their own investigation.
There is so much to fall in love with in this series !!!! As soon as I finished reading the first book I was looking forward to this next one. And now that I am done with Murder Betweent the Covers, I cannot wait to pick up the next book to see where Helen is going to work next and what craziness will follow her....
I fell in love with the main character, Helen Hawthorne. Helen is on the run from her past. A past where she was married, had a great job, and she thought a solid marriage. All of that changed one day when she returned home early from work and caught her low-life husband cheating !!! When they went to court for divorce and the judge awarded her ex a percentage of her future earnings, she vowed that he would never receive another penny from her. So she packed up and moved to Florida where she has her own apartment, a few people she can call friends, and a cat. The only bad thing is that in order to keep her vow to not givr her ex another cent, she has to find employers who are willing to pay her cash.
In Murder Between the Covers, Helen is working at a bookstore called Page Turners, after its founder the original Page Turner. She is working for the grandson who is a very sleazy, cheap and creepy drunk. Page Turner III has a hobby of bedding women in his office and taping the sessions. When he is found murdered, the list of suspects is quite long, unfortunately the police only look at one person. That person is Helen's friend, Peggy, and the main reason she is the only suspect is because he is found dead in her bed .......
Helen knows that there is no way that Peggy would have killed Page and will stop at nothing to prove that. With the help of her landlady, Margery, they lead their own investigation.
There is so much to fall in love with in this series !!!! As soon as I finished reading the first book I was looking forward to this next one. And now that I am done with Murder Betweent the Covers, I cannot wait to pick up the next book to see where Helen is going to work next and what craziness will follow her....
May 4, 2015
Murder Between the Covers, the second installment in the Shop Til You Drop murder series, begins as Helen Hawthorne has ended her job at a high end boutique and started her next dead end job at a book store. She has the world's worst boss who quickly ends up dead and one of her best friends gets the blame. Helen is determined to prove her friend's innocence. Let the fumbling and bumbling begin. I laughed through most of the book. This series reminds me of Stephanie Plum's adventures in the Janet Evanovich novels. I love reading these books by Elaine Viets and can't wait until the next one.
July 17, 2016
Well, folks, this one wasn't as good as the first, but yet it held my attention extremely well. Murder Between the Covers was leaning towards the non-cozy spectrum, yet it stayed within the cozy boundaries, just barely. The characters were extremely well-written and the setting was good, but yet something about this book just didn't click for me. Overall good, and I recommend it, but if the next few don't get any better, then I may not stick with this series.
November 15, 2011
just can't get into this series. I would like more on the overall arc. And her boyfriend went from amazing (in the last book) to complete loon so fast it seemed like the author only likes writing about the beginning of dating someone, not having an actual relationship.
June 19, 2016
this was my first Elaine Viets book...was totally enjoyable. Would love to get the next one!
August 27, 2024
I am absolutely loving this series. This is the second one I listened to and I already have number 3 loaded and ready for a listen.
There is humor, there is mystery and there are charming and adorable characters. In the first one a lot of people died but the reader didn’t have to attend these murders but simply learn of them. In the second, the murders continue but again as a reader, I was only aware of the deaths because they carried forth the story.
Helen is at a new cash paid job in south Florida and struggling to just get by without her ex husband locating her. She is always worried that the police will haul her in so she can give the crappy guy she had been married to a big chunk of her income. There isn’t much income right now, but he’d love to grab it. He’s just an awful person all round.
She is now working at a book shop and it seems like a delightful type of store if you are able to ignore management being quite smarmy. When the owner, named Paige, is killed, all kinds of bad stuff comes to light. As the story goes forward, Helen discovers some of her favorite people have been draw. Into Paige’s awful demands over the years. He was a very bad guy
I loved it all and I’m eager for me. These are not long so just three is a good number for a few days of reading for me but there are loads more for the future. Not just this series but other books also! I love finding a new author that has this kind of talent.
There is humor, there is mystery and there are charming and adorable characters. In the first one a lot of people died but the reader didn’t have to attend these murders but simply learn of them. In the second, the murders continue but again as a reader, I was only aware of the deaths because they carried forth the story.
Helen is at a new cash paid job in south Florida and struggling to just get by without her ex husband locating her. She is always worried that the police will haul her in so she can give the crappy guy she had been married to a big chunk of her income. There isn’t much income right now, but he’d love to grab it. He’s just an awful person all round.
She is now working at a book shop and it seems like a delightful type of store if you are able to ignore management being quite smarmy. When the owner, named Paige, is killed, all kinds of bad stuff comes to light. As the story goes forward, Helen discovers some of her favorite people have been draw. Into Paige’s awful demands over the years. He was a very bad guy
I loved it all and I’m eager for me. These are not long so just three is a good number for a few days of reading for me but there are loads more for the future. Not just this series but other books also! I love finding a new author that has this kind of talent.
July 15, 2017
A fun, enjoyable read. I really liked Helen working at the book store and was sad when it closed. However, her having steady employment would defeat the purpose of the series name. I was not surprised at who the victim was; I was surprised that there ended up being a second victim. We got to learn more about Peggy, her backstory, and how she came to own Pete the Parrot. Margery was the star of the book; her enthusiasm for snooping was contagious. I was not a fan of Dr. Rick; he was sending out all kinds of warning signs that Helen was refusing to acknowledge. It was a shame that it took him hurting her for her to realize it, but at least she got out before it got worse. I was sad that Gabe ended up being a womanizing jerk. I am liking this series, but I'm not sure how much I will like the telemarketer job as a backdrop for the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2017
The second installment of the Dead-End Job series by Elaine Viets continues to follow Helen Hawthorne in Florida and her quest for better-paying jobs, which seems to lead to murder mysteries around her. I'm glad Helen was still living at the same place in this story, because her neighbors are wacky and enjoyable. I enjoyed the bookstore setting, but the sleazy owner was maybe a little too sleazy. The "bad guys" have zero redeeming qualities in these stories, which makes them easy to dislike but isn't very realistic.
May 9, 2024
Interesting plot, fun characters and great dialog. I enjoyed the book very much.
In this book however, I wish the author hadn't been so harsh on independent self-published 'print on demand' authors. There are a lot of great writers out there braving it alone without the crutches of publishers, editors, artists, publicists, agents and big money. Many are weaving excellent stories which never would have seen the light of day if they had to wait for the approval of a traditional publisher. Thank goodness they have the courage and determination to do what they do.
In this book however, I wish the author hadn't been so harsh on independent self-published 'print on demand' authors. There are a lot of great writers out there braving it alone without the crutches of publishers, editors, artists, publicists, agents and big money. Many are weaving excellent stories which never would have seen the light of day if they had to wait for the approval of a traditional publisher. Thank goodness they have the courage and determination to do what they do.
February 11, 2021
It was fun to read another Dead-End Mystery crime story. I decided to start at the beginning of the series, but I am still a book off. This time while Helen works to solve the murder of the "creep" who is her boss, she must also deal with a best friend being the accused murderer. On top of all of this she has some boyfriend troubles and the whole apartment condo is tented to get rid of termites.
August 28, 2017
This book was Ok. Helen kept making the statement "I'm so Midwestern" when she doesn't understand something or when it came to something she knew nothing about. I live in the Midwest and I was not insulted by this phrase but seems that some authors feel that if you live in the Midwest you are naive and don't understand the workings of the world.
Read
September 8, 2019I liked this more than I expected. The heroine is not as ditsy as most cozy mystery amateur sleuths I come across although she is running from her past and taking payment under the table so she's not really quite as smart as I'd like her to be. I did enjoy the south Florida and bookstore setting and her co-worker and apartment-dweller characters. I would read more from this author.
June 17, 2020
While I didn't figure out who the culprit was before Helen did, it was still an enjoyable read. Even though Helen is trying to fly under the radar, she manages to get caught up in the midst of things and has to talk to police ... eventually her luck will run out and her past will catch up to her. Until then she will keep doing what she does and entertain us while she is doing it.
October 12, 2021
My Scribd account blocked me on all my reading list. So I saw this one in the suggested and clicked on it. I read the first one a bit back and I hated it. I had decided I wouldn't finish the series. I was sure I would dislike this one. I was right.
Some books are a pleasure to read. This was the opposite. It was painful. I need a drink.
Some books are a pleasure to read. This was the opposite. It was painful. I need a drink.
January 31, 2022
Honestly, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first book. Helen is 42 years old but she acted like a teenager. For goodness sake, we know you're broke but stop thinking that every act of kindness is a charity case. Also, why are all the men she dated are trash? Does the author has something against the other gender?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2022
Murder Mystery at the Bookstore
This is the second book in a series. The reader will get the best enjoyment by reading the series in order. In this episode, our main character has found a job in a bookstore. She is reminded of how difficult retail work is and that bookstores are far from serene. This is a fun book with lots of twists and turns. The characters are also unique and fun.
This is the second book in a series. The reader will get the best enjoyment by reading the series in order. In this episode, our main character has found a job in a bookstore. She is reminded of how difficult retail work is and that bookstores are far from serene. This is a fun book with lots of twists and turns. The characters are also unique and fun.
August 28, 2023
This is the second I've read in this series and really enjoyed this one. I like Helen, and I love the other characters at the apartment house. Love that Viets really worked the jobs she writes about-- you can really tell that she knows the details. I like her sense of humor, too-- dry and wry, not slapstick.
November 24, 2025
Good story and Sarah Pesek does a wonderful job narrating this story about Helen Hawthorn still on the run because of her refusal to pay her dead beat ex-husband alimony. Helen is at Fort Lauderdale working at Page Turners bookstore and there are a lot of things going on in this town to keep Helen busy and finding out who did what.
September 20, 2017
3 1/2 stars. Better than mediocre and even better than that because it's set where I live and I can picture every road turn and landmark. Dead End Job Mystery is a bit more than a cozy mystery, but, again, possibly because the setting is so familiar. I'll read more of Viets.
September 25, 2018
Fun little book with lovable characters.
The second book in the series is just as fun. Helen is piecing the murders together in her own way with the help of her savy purple landlord.
The second book in the series is just as fun. Helen is piecing the murders together in her own way with the help of her savy purple landlord.
June 19, 2020
A woman hiding from her ex is working at a bookstore in Fort Lauderdale Florida. The owner is not liked and ends up dead. Was it his wife, one of his ex-lovers or one of his employees?
Author worked at Barnes & Noble for a year to get background for book.
Author worked at Barnes & Noble for a year to get background for book.
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