"Strong Dead-End Jobs mystery"
After hearing the judge's ruling in a St. Louis Courtroom,
Helen Hawthorne goes on the run, leaving a job that pays
six figures annum and her family and friends behind. She
ends up in Fort Lauderdale working in sales in the
exclusive female clothes store Juliana's, earning minimum
wage off the books. The clientele consists of trophy wives
and men's mistresses who have nothing better to do than
shop until they drop. After two weeks on the job, Helen
comes to believe that her boss is skimming money, selling
illegal drugs, arranging for illegal plastic surgery and
hiring a hit man for a customer. Before Helen can decide what to do about what she thinks is
going on, Christina takes off on a vacation and never comes
back. Her body is found in a barrel floating in the ocean
and Helen soon has proof that her former boss was
blackmailing five customers and her ex-boyfriend. When
Helen tries to solve the crime and collect the reward
money, the killer decides to make Helen the second victim. The first Dead-End Jobs mystery is such a smashing success
it will provide long-term job security for Elaine Viets.
The tale contains wit, local color and a cast of secondary
characters that is eccentric and funny. The heroine is a
delightful mix of grit; determination and stubbornness,
which is why she goes from one deadly encounter to
another. She doesn't know the meaning of the word quit and
she hounds all the suspects until one of them finally makes
a move on her. Elaine Viets' SHOP TILL YOU DROP is
electrifying. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted April 10, 2003
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