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Dead-End Job Mystery #1
Shop Till You Drop
Once on the fast track to success, Helen Hawthorne is now going nowhere fast. She traded in her chic life for a shabby one. And now she's on the fun, jumping from city to city and dead-end job to dead-end job, trying to stay one step ahead of her past... After two weeks as the new salesclerk at Juliana's, Fort Lauderdale's ultra-exclusive clothing boutique, Helen still feels out of fashion. And since the only crime likely to be committed around here is being old-or worse, looking old-Helen figures she is safe. Until she discovers the manager has been embezzling money and selling designer drugs along with the designer clothes. Add murder to the mix-and Helen's dead-end job is downright deadly.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
427 people are currently reading
2901 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Viets
84 books570 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 298 reviews
April 21, 2020
This book was a well constructed machine-like work of art. You can see the cogs and wheels, the gears and other plot devices. The book is unashamedly nude. It wears its heart on its sleeve.
The was a scrapable amount of muted humor in the book, but nothing to smile about. That's just a mental picture I'm trying to posit here. It's not a complaint.
The lack of surprise, the paucity of a clever twist robbed it of that final fifth star. But I was mightily impressed. I've become a person of interest into this series and have already sideloaded the 2nd book.
The was a scrapable amount of muted humor in the book, but nothing to smile about. That's just a mental picture I'm trying to posit here. It's not a complaint.
The lack of surprise, the paucity of a clever twist robbed it of that final fifth star. But I was mightily impressed. I've become a person of interest into this series and have already sideloaded the 2nd book.
July 4, 2019
The first book in a series about Helen who found her husband with another women and since he had been a stay at home husband she was ordered by the court to pay him. She didn't agree and took off. Now she has to work at poorly paid jobs that are paid under the table so she can stay hidden. She is working at a high class clothing store, when she notices that the main employee,Christina, is selling drugs and overhears her planning a murder. Helen finds that Christina is black mailing several people so it is no wonder Christina is found murdered. Helen has to figure a way to solve the murder without bringing attention to herself.
June 16, 2016
Really 3.5 stars, but I rounded up.
I have heard people simply raving over and over again about how good this series is, so when I saw this book at a rummage store about a year ago, I picked it up and bought it. Until now, however, I never got around to reading it. Shop Till You Drop was a funny, fast-paced start to a longstanding series that's a favorite with many cozy readers.
Helen was a MC down on her luck. Unlike most cozy mystery main characters, we don't know much about Helen's past when we first start the book, finding out only a few vague details. However, the pieces of her extremely interesting past are soon put together. I loved Margery, Tara, and the rest of the supporting characters, and I hope we see them again in the next book.
The setting was actually wonderful. Most of the story took place in a wonderful older apartment complex and Juliana's, an extremely upscale clothing store, and Ms. Viets did a wonderful job of describing both. The mystery, however, left a lot to be desired. There was no real climax at the end, and I didn't like the way the mystery was set up; you knew who the killer was for quite awhile and you just had to find the evidence. It was disappointing.
Overall a solid book. I'll read the next one.
I have heard people simply raving over and over again about how good this series is, so when I saw this book at a rummage store about a year ago, I picked it up and bought it. Until now, however, I never got around to reading it. Shop Till You Drop was a funny, fast-paced start to a longstanding series that's a favorite with many cozy readers.
Helen was a MC down on her luck. Unlike most cozy mystery main characters, we don't know much about Helen's past when we first start the book, finding out only a few vague details. However, the pieces of her extremely interesting past are soon put together. I loved Margery, Tara, and the rest of the supporting characters, and I hope we see them again in the next book.
The setting was actually wonderful. Most of the story took place in a wonderful older apartment complex and Juliana's, an extremely upscale clothing store, and Ms. Viets did a wonderful job of describing both. The mystery, however, left a lot to be desired. There was no real climax at the end, and I didn't like the way the mystery was set up; you knew who the killer was for quite awhile and you just had to find the evidence. It was disappointing.
Overall a solid book. I'll read the next one.
December 18, 2011
#37 for 2011
Meh. I didn't hate this book, but mainly because it didn't try hard enough for me to actually work up any serious expectations. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all that good, either. Not good enough for three stars, anyway. Just shy of mediocre, I suppose. Lots of contrived and/or predictable elements. Characters that are either made of cardboard or internally inconsistent. And I do hate it when the author's petty personal biases are so transparent. Ms Viets obviously has an ax to grind when it comes to Canadian men, and this does not interest me as a mystery reader.
I have the next few books in the series, so I expect I will read the next one and see if there is any improvement. But if book #2 weren't set in a bookstore, I would probably just give up now.
Meh. I didn't hate this book, but mainly because it didn't try hard enough for me to actually work up any serious expectations. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all that good, either. Not good enough for three stars, anyway. Just shy of mediocre, I suppose. Lots of contrived and/or predictable elements. Characters that are either made of cardboard or internally inconsistent. And I do hate it when the author's petty personal biases are so transparent. Ms Viets obviously has an ax to grind when it comes to Canadian men, and this does not interest me as a mystery reader.
I have the next few books in the series, so I expect I will read the next one and see if there is any improvement. But if book #2 weren't set in a bookstore, I would probably just give up now.
July 30, 2013
Read this as I had heard Elaine Viets talk about all the jobs she has held and how this inspires this series of dead end jobs.
Light mystery, non-gory killing and some humor. Just what you'd expect from this low key, if not a cozy, at least, less violent entry into the mystery world.
I started with as it is the first in the series featuring Helen Hawthorne. Will I read another? Perhaps, but will pick the job, rather than going in sequence. For me, a non-fiction journey with the author and the jobs she has held would probably be more satisfying.
Light mystery, non-gory killing and some humor. Just what you'd expect from this low key, if not a cozy, at least, less violent entry into the mystery world.
I started with as it is the first in the series featuring Helen Hawthorne. Will I read another? Perhaps, but will pick the job, rather than going in sequence. For me, a non-fiction journey with the author and the jobs she has held would probably be more satisfying.
October 7, 2022
I read this book for book club. I wanted to like the book but this was almost a didn’t not finish for me. The book was so slow paced. Also it kept referring to our protagonist was hiding from her husband after she did something to him. You didn’t find out until nearly the end of the book what she had done, this was drug out way to long. The present mystery finally picked up with only about a 1/4 of the book left. This and the secondary character the landlord are what saved this book and the reason I did finish the book and didn’t give it a lower rating.
May 20, 2020
I really wanted to enjoy this book, as many have stated how funny it is. I think I have become a cozy snob, as I like my cozies to have a little more depth, and enjoyable characters. I did not find either with this book. I will not be continuing on with the series.
April 10, 2011
Shop till You Drop is one of the best, laugh your butt off mystery books out there. Helen Hawthorne is one of the most impressive characters to come along in the saturated amateur sleuth genre. Elaine Viets has made her Dead-End Job mysteries must read. No matter what is going on.
I was going through of one of my moody reading spells where you just couldn't find the right book to read & every unread book on your shelf just wasn't calling you. Shop till You Drop was shouting to be read.
Well, I read it ~ in one sitting. I believe one of the reasons I think the Stephanie Plum series is a total snore fest is Elaine Viets. She is one of the reasons I am so darn spoiled by excellent writing, laugh-out-loud amusing adventures & characters so vile or so endearing you just want them to be real.
Elaine Viets' Dead-End Job Mysteries are addicting... like grapes, peanuts, potato chips or M&M's... one just will not do.
Ms. Viets creates such vivacious characters, I was tempted to go for a stroll along Las Olas Boulevard & ring the bell @ Julianna's. I just wanted to see Christina up close.
Helen Hawthorne is one of the most riotous, sensational & vivid characters you'll ever encounter.
The cast of secondary characters are delectable, whimsical & priceless.
Elaine's plotting is ingenious & her wicked sense of humor is reason enough to pick up Shop till You Drop.
This is definitely a series lovers of the cozy genre should scoop up & readers in search of incredible story telling should rush out to grab Shop till You Drop. Hurry go grab it. Heck, who am I kidding, order all of the books now. The only thing you will regret is waiting an entire year for the next hilarious mystery adventure w/ Helen & company.
I was going through of one of my moody reading spells where you just couldn't find the right book to read & every unread book on your shelf just wasn't calling you. Shop till You Drop was shouting to be read.
Well, I read it ~ in one sitting. I believe one of the reasons I think the Stephanie Plum series is a total snore fest is Elaine Viets. She is one of the reasons I am so darn spoiled by excellent writing, laugh-out-loud amusing adventures & characters so vile or so endearing you just want them to be real.
Elaine Viets' Dead-End Job Mysteries are addicting... like grapes, peanuts, potato chips or M&M's... one just will not do.
Ms. Viets creates such vivacious characters, I was tempted to go for a stroll along Las Olas Boulevard & ring the bell @ Julianna's. I just wanted to see Christina up close.
Helen Hawthorne is one of the most riotous, sensational & vivid characters you'll ever encounter.
The cast of secondary characters are delectable, whimsical & priceless.
Elaine's plotting is ingenious & her wicked sense of humor is reason enough to pick up Shop till You Drop.
This is definitely a series lovers of the cozy genre should scoop up & readers in search of incredible story telling should rush out to grab Shop till You Drop. Hurry go grab it. Heck, who am I kidding, order all of the books now. The only thing you will regret is waiting an entire year for the next hilarious mystery adventure w/ Helen & company.
March 3, 2015
I thought this book had a good plot and mystery. I'm glad it's a series as I'll be able to connect more with the main characters. I grew to like Hellen as well as the landlady, Peggy and Pete the parrot, and detective Grace.
While I liked the characters, I'd have liked some more character development. The writing style seemed too under-developed for the subject matter and main character's age. Also, there were some predictable moments in the story.
Overall, shop Till You Drop was a good mystery and a good start to a series however, it left me wishing for more.
While I liked the characters, I'd have liked some more character development. The writing style seemed too under-developed for the subject matter and main character's age. Also, there were some predictable moments in the story.
Overall, shop Till You Drop was a good mystery and a good start to a series however, it left me wishing for more.
February 6, 2021
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. Helen, the main character, was immature and annoying, making this read difficult at times. Otherwise, the story was light and fun, which is what I was hoping for. Helen thought she was smarter and more down-to-earth than the clientele at Juliana’s, which she was. However, her personality when dealing with people in her personal life was pure idiocy. She was immature, gullible, and impulsive. I probably won’t read another book by this author for some time.
September 10, 2020
Truly outstanding. I laughed all the way through the book.
May 1, 2022
Enjoyed this one, lots happening, Helen juggling trying to solve Christine’s murder and keeping her own identity a secret. Loved the assortment of characters.
January 21, 2012
Meet Helen Hawthorne, star of Elaine Viets' Shop Till You Drop. Helen on the run after an incident with a cheating husband and a crowbar and has left affluent (though dowdy) St. Louis for an impoverished life in chic (but sleazy) Ft. Lauderdale. Working off the books for cash, she is an assistant in a high end boutique. But anorexia and kleptomania are the mildest problems she sees. There are drug sales, hit men, and the murder of a co-worker to contend with as well.
This book is a breathlessly fast read and lots of fun for lovers of cozies. I'm off to find myself the next in the series asap.
This book is a breathlessly fast read and lots of fun for lovers of cozies. I'm off to find myself the next in the series asap.
November 23, 2013
I was lucky enough to get to meet this author while attending a bookstore manager's meeting.
This is a nice cozy style mystery. Helen has a good job but then her life goes haywire. She finds herself running from her past as she travels from town to town and taking dead end jobs. Naturally she is trying to keep a low profile so when she stumbles across some funny business and a murder at her salesclerk job, she tries to quickly solve the murder before anyone takes too close of a look at her and the past from which she is running.
These mysteries will strike a cord with anybody who has ever been stuck in a job that is deemed a dead-end.
This is a nice cozy style mystery. Helen has a good job but then her life goes haywire. She finds herself running from her past as she travels from town to town and taking dead end jobs. Naturally she is trying to keep a low profile so when she stumbles across some funny business and a murder at her salesclerk job, she tries to quickly solve the murder before anyone takes too close of a look at her and the past from which she is running.
These mysteries will strike a cord with anybody who has ever been stuck in a job that is deemed a dead-end.
February 12, 2015
I really enjoy mysteries filled with humor and this one has just that! The story line may seem stretched in reality, but after spending time in court rooms with family law I find that anything is possible. It was funny and fast paced, compelling enough to sit and read from cover to cover without putting the book down.
June 11, 2015
Not being a fashionista, I never intended to read this series, and would not have picked up this book had the author not been selected as a featured author of the month in the Cozy Mysteries group. Those who love fashion may appreciate this series, but I personally do not feel compelled to seek out the next book.
January 29, 2009
Met this author at a recent writers conference. So far, very much enjoying the book. A nice, humorous, light read and it's my first time reading her work.
Really enjoyed this book. A cute, humorous, fast read. Enjoyable mystery and I'll be reading the others in this series.
Really enjoyed this book. A cute, humorous, fast read. Enjoyable mystery and I'll be reading the others in this series.
October 26, 2021
Cozy mystery. This one set in a high fashion boutique.
May 19, 2022
Sometimes a reader deviates from their normal choices. That's a good thing, one doesn't want to be stuck in a genre rut. Shop Till You Drop was a deviation. It started out as a 'not my normal type of read' and became a 'this is a book I can't put down' kind of read. It's vacuous but hilarious. Perfect for a tired brain that needs lighter fare. I loved the descriptions of the Cnds who move to Florida, it's clear they are not the stereotypical image one has of us. I was fascinated by the shoppers at the store, one can imagine there really are women like that. And the protagonist is stubborn and determined to stay under the radar so her ex can't get his hands on her money. The author is skilled, the plot twists kept coming. A royally entertaining and enjoyable read. On to Book 2...
July 22, 2019
This is a funny but sad look at various rich women in South Florida. Good Florida background, though not my milieu. The characters are interesting with dark secrets, which Helen, our heroine, eventually ferrets out. We also slowly learn Helen's dark secret--involving a crowbar--but know early on that she's on the run and needs jobs that give her a low profile. My favorite character is Margery, Helen's landlady. (My least favorite character is Helen's mother.) And I love the Epilogue. Oh, I love Thumbs too. Lots of interesting characters, including some who end up in barrels. (Maybe it's best to avoid that part of Florida.)
November 15, 2022
She’s dumber than dumb, I refuse to believe she used in finance making over $100k. 🙄🙄🙄 ughhh I don’t know how Helen survives day to day because she makes the most stupid decisions for a supposed 42 year old woman.
August 22, 2019
Helen is living in Florida and she is on the run from a scum bag ex-husband. She formerly supported him and he wants her to come back so she can get her great job back and begin to support him again.
Helen now works for employers who will pay her cash only with no record on the books. That means low pay, but it also means her jobs are very interesting.
Right now, Helen is working in a very exclusive clothing store for very exclusive women. These customers are all beautiful, and tiny and most of them are girlfriends of very wealthy men. These customers also are ¾ human and at least ¼ plastic. They have had a lot of work done. The men are very wealthy and all their money may not have come from honest work.
Not everyone who wants to shop there gets in the door. The sales people evaluate and make a decision If a woman is not dressed correctly, and the correct teeny size, the door will not open and she will not be allowed to enter.
When the manager Christina disappears, Helen is concerned. She is afraid that some of Christina's extra ways of making money may have irritated some members of the mob. It seems to Helen that Christina has been playing with fire.
Helen does not want the police investigation to include her, so he decides to look into what happened to Christina. If she can solve the mystery quickly, she hopes her cover will not be blown.
This is part of a series which follows Helen in her adventures in jobs which are always low paying but always filled with adventure.
Ms Viets has a knack for creating characters who are interesting,funny but not always likable.
Helen and her neighbors at her apartment building are generally good people with small minor issues in their lives. There is never a dull moment by the pool. And the landlady can be relied upon to provide exactly what is needed when it is needed.
The customers at the dress shop, on the other hand, are generally not the kind of women you would want to bring home to mother. Unless, of course, you wanted her to have a stroke so you could inherit her beloved collection of souvenir spoons. Although these women are lovely to look at, their characters are not filled with the milk of human kindness.
This is a quick read. It is entertaining and the journey to the solution is a fun one.
Helen now works for employers who will pay her cash only with no record on the books. That means low pay, but it also means her jobs are very interesting.
Right now, Helen is working in a very exclusive clothing store for very exclusive women. These customers are all beautiful, and tiny and most of them are girlfriends of very wealthy men. These customers also are ¾ human and at least ¼ plastic. They have had a lot of work done. The men are very wealthy and all their money may not have come from honest work.
Not everyone who wants to shop there gets in the door. The sales people evaluate and make a decision If a woman is not dressed correctly, and the correct teeny size, the door will not open and she will not be allowed to enter.
When the manager Christina disappears, Helen is concerned. She is afraid that some of Christina's extra ways of making money may have irritated some members of the mob. It seems to Helen that Christina has been playing with fire.
Helen does not want the police investigation to include her, so he decides to look into what happened to Christina. If she can solve the mystery quickly, she hopes her cover will not be blown.
This is part of a series which follows Helen in her adventures in jobs which are always low paying but always filled with adventure.
Ms Viets has a knack for creating characters who are interesting,funny but not always likable.
Helen and her neighbors at her apartment building are generally good people with small minor issues in their lives. There is never a dull moment by the pool. And the landlady can be relied upon to provide exactly what is needed when it is needed.
The customers at the dress shop, on the other hand, are generally not the kind of women you would want to bring home to mother. Unless, of course, you wanted her to have a stroke so you could inherit her beloved collection of souvenir spoons. Although these women are lovely to look at, their characters are not filled with the milk of human kindness.
This is a quick read. It is entertaining and the journey to the solution is a fun one.
April 27, 2015
Shop Till You Drop was published in 2003 but my local library just purchased the mystery series written by Elaine Viets. The mystery was easy to read with a good plot. I sympathized with the main character, Helen Hawthorne, and liked her friends, landlady Margery, pool pal Peggy, and best friend Sarah. The murders were not graphically violent and the book didn't contain bad language. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and intend to read the next dozen written by this author as soon as possible.
April 7, 2008
This is the first book in the series by Elaine Viets about Helen Hawthorne who is lying low and taking jobs where she can be paid cash under the table so that her ex husband can't find her. They divorced but the judge said he was entitled to half of her income since he "supported" her....yeah right, typical male judge!
I read this series out of order and while I don't think it hurt anything it would be better to read in order. So this is the first book, enjoy!
I read this series out of order and while I don't think it hurt anything it would be better to read in order. So this is the first book, enjoy!
March 12, 2020
The author did a great job painting a picture of the rich and snobbish patrons of exclusive shops in south Florida. I know, I live here and have seen them first hand. I loved each of the characters and their interaction with the main character. The pacing of the story was perfect. The mystery was solved, but there were enough possibilities that you are guessing right up until the end. Highly recommend, and looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
March 19, 2016
Read it again on February 3, 2014. Fun read again. :-D. Great cozy mystery with likable and real characters.
June 21, 2013
Solid start to the series. I enjoyed the story and the ending was really good. I liked how she had an epilogue and you found out what happened to the murderer.
October 30, 2013
Funny read. Started out a little slow but the main character was funny and witty.
January 27, 2022
I really liked the characters in this, a really fun easy book to listen to but kept me interested.
March 9, 2023
Read on December 11, 2020 also and May 1, 2022. 😃🥰
Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews