Elaine Viets, Dying in Style

Dying in Style

Elaine Viets

Signet, Oct 2005, $6.99, 488 pp

ISBN: 0451216782

In St. Louis thirty-one years old Josie Marcus enjoys her undercover work as a mystery shopper for Sutton Services mostly because it enables the single mother to spend plenty of flexible time with her nine year old daughter Amelia, but also she enjoys the thrill. She admits that the job pays lousy, is hard on the feet and her car and her mom thinks she is as bad as the CIA dirty tricks squad.

Her current assignment is for the client Creshan Corporation, which is considering whether to spend fifty million dollars to purchase the three exclusive Danessa boutiques from founder Danessa Celedine. Josie is shocked to find the three stores poorly managed and not customer focused even with few people shopping. Her report tears into Danessa and threatens the business deal. Before Danessa can react, someone kills her with the police wondering whether the mystery shopper, fearing a costly law suit, killed her. Josie in turn ponders whether the amazon store manager of one of the Danessa shops did the deed because she assumes someone had to be strong to commit this style murder.

DYING IN STYLE is a fun cozy starring a delightful protagonist who enjoys debunking crummy sales people and managers. The first half of the story line introduces the audience to Josie, a terrific undercover agent. When Danessa is murdered, Josie becomes an amateur sleuth because she fears she will be the fall gal. Throw in fourteen simple shopping tips and one has a fine unique espionage murder in the mall thriller.

Harriet Klausner