Death of a Saleswoman

by Michelle Haring

My life plan checklist was:
Finish my Ph.D. in Popular Culture ✔
Find a job as a tenured professor (I wish)
Buy a house (ha)

Not on my life checklist:
Move in with my 2 year old grandfather, Lando ✔
Get a job selling cars ✔
Find a dead blonde in a convertible ✔

My new checklist:
Adopt a cat
Solve her murder (so the police don't suspect me)
Avoid becoming the next victim

284 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Maria V. Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cozy mystery set in a car dealership. Which is really unique - I can't think of any other cozy mystery set there - and unexpected because the author owns a bookstore (a fabulous independent bookstore called Cupboard Maker Books). But cozy mysteries set in bookstores are very common so this unique element sets this novel apart from its peers. And wow - I had no idea what went on behind the scenes at a car dealership! That's not fiction - Michelle has insider knowledge.

However, don't think there aren't any books in this mystery. The main character's grandfather, nicknamed Lando, who is a retired car salesman, has every book lover's dream house! Books in so many of the rooms that he calls them by different names--the receiving library, the blue library, etc.... all with very comfortable reading chairs. Drool!

Violet, the main protag is living with her grandfather. Seems a Ph.D in pop culture isn't the best major for finding a job and Violet ends up selling cars. I enjoyed reading the pop culture references. Violet did her thesis on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is one of my favorite TV shows. When Violet is stressed, she refers to her favorite episodes to help sooth her nerves.

And there's lots of stress for Violet. Two weeks on the job and she discovers a dead body in a convertible! Adulting just got real!

I enjoyed the book. It was fun to see a camo from the bookstore. Annika, the Himalayan cat who is a real cat that lives at Cupboard Maker books. Except the real Annika doesn't like most people (the queen has her favorites of course). But if Annika lays on your signing table before an event, that's a good sign!

[Patty Collamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never thought I would be a cozy mystery fan, but this book, Death of a Saleswoman, changed that!!! The story opens with the discovery of a dead glamour-girl car saleswoman at a dealership owned by generations of, let's say, traditional-thinking men. Every page follows the adventures of the most relatable characters ever-- from old admirers of the victim to a pop-culture trained sleuth and her newly adopted fluffy feline whose antics may reveal the most important clue to solving the crime! Great mystery to share with friends. Super fun to see who pins the crime on the real killer first. Can't wait for the next book!!!

[Shaelyn Stalcup · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the first person narrative and I liked how aspects of a car salesman job are explained. However I felt that certain things just felt really forced. For example the love triangle between the main character and two of the other characters. I felt that that took away from the story a little bit. But then other things felt super right. For example the main character adopting the cat of her coworker whose murder is under investigation. It’s never talked about the animals we leave behind if we go. I also felt that it could have gone through another round of editing. I found some spelling errors and some sentences that just seemed to not make sense grammatically.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a fun cozy mystery. The setting is a car dealership which is different from most cozy mysteries. The author does an excellent job of making sure the reader understands the aspects of the car business that are discussed in the book. Besides the mystery, you have a love triangle, fun pop-culture references, and an adorable cat. Oh and a house filled with books! I can't wait for more in this series!

[Linda Roller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced and enjoyable! I LOVE the characters! The relationship between Violet and Lando blossoms throughout the book, and the "supporting" characters, both at Roar Motors and friends of Lando are well developed and so believable.
I'm ready to follow this car sales team to book #2. Thank you for a fun read.

[Lori Lydell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entertaining and now I find myself wondering how the characters are doing and imagining the home the main character lives in with her grandfather, who I LOVE btw. Some of the conversations seem a little stilted which is why I’m not giving five stars, but if you read Death of a Saleswoman, you’re going to hope this is a series. I know I do!

[M.C. Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well put together! Relatable character who watch most of the same shows I have at one time or another so easy to understand the references. Great suspect list and plot twists to throw you off the killer's trail. Eagerly waiting for book 2!