Elaine Viets 

Conventional wisdom is that amateur sleuths need to be 1) independently wealthy or married to someone who is, 2) the beneficiary of a rich person’s will, 3) retired or 4) a lottery winner. Otherwise, how do they find time to solve crimes?  Helen Hawthorne is proof that conventional wisdom can be wrong. A former highly compensated executive, Helen is in hiding in Florida (I’ll let you read the books to find out why) and flying beneath the radar – no phone, no car, no credit cards. Finding a job that leaves no paper trail is limiting but Helen manages to get jobs for which she’s paid in cash – but they’re really dead end jobs – thus the name of the series. The Dead-End Job Mysteries are fun reads – great for the beach or during a long wait in a doctor’s office.

Photo at left: Elaine and Lulu, the PAWS rescue dog who was at the dog boutique where the author did her research for Murder Unleashed. Lulu is a beagle-dachshund, and the store's supermodel. She wears the clothes, feather boas, rhinestone collars and gets two manicures a week. "Someday, I hope to have a dog's life," said Elaine. For a Cozy Times article on Elaine, click here.

Books:

Dead-End Job Mysteries

• (2009) Killer Cuts Read Review
• (2008) Clubbed to Death Read Review
• (2007) Murder with Reservations Read Review
• (2006) Murder Unleashed Read Review
• (2005) Just Murdered Read Review
• (2004) Dying to Call You
• (2003) Murder Between the Covers Read Review
• (2003) Shop till You Drop (Nominee, Agatha Award, Best Novel)

 Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series

• (2007) Accessory to Murder See Review
• (2006) High Heels Are Murder See Review
• (2005) Dying in Style

Brief Bio:

Elaine Viets (rhymes with "beets") is the author of two national best-selling mystery series. Her Dead-End Job series is a satiric look at a serious subject – the minimum wage world. Elaine and her character, Helen Hawthorne, work a different low-paying job each book. They’ve been everything from bookstore clerks to hotel maids.  Murder Unleashed, out in hardcover this May, is the fifth book in this series. For this book, Elaine did her research at Bone Appetit Dog Boutique in Fort Lauderdale.   Elaine’s second series, featuring Josie Marcus, looks at the pink-collar world of secret shopping. It debuted with Dying In Style, and tied with Stephen King on the Independent Mystery Booksellers bestseller list. Elaine has won the Agatha and Anthony Awards.

Photo and bio from author's website. Used with permission.

Author Website: www.elaineviets.com