Mystery shopper Josie Marcus has been happily married to veterinarian Ted Scottsmeyer for months. But her newly wedded bliss is about to be cut short....
Josie and Ted have finally tied the knot, and they’re ready for the next step: buying a house. Ted’s business partner, Christine, has one she’s willing to sell, but it needs a lot of love. Luckily, the newlyweds are up for the challenge.
But when they tear down a rickety gazebo in the backyard, they find the body of Christine’s sister, a free spirit who supposedly took off six months before. The police arrest Christine for murder, leaving Ted to work overtime at the office to cover for his partner. With no time to work on the house or be with her husband, Josie will have to find the real killer quickly, before both her house and marriage are beyond repair....
My Thoughts :
I have been reading Elaine Viets cozies for a few years now and I love both of her series. Her Dead-End job mysteries are super reads and her Mystery Shopper books are wonderful. I have enjoyed following both Helen and Josie over the years and it is nice to see them both settled down but still getting into trouble. I hope they both have a few more mysteries in them!
This is the ninth book in the series and you really need to catch up with the others before getting into this one. There is the on going story of Josie, her daughter, mother and various other characters which makes the books so much more fun to read and harder to read out of order. It is always fun to find out how Josie sees her daughters development and I love how her Amelia is growing up into such a nice, clever and well-behaved young woman. Also it seems she is going to follow in her mums footsteps!
The mystery this time around was harder to solve but I did have my suspicions straight away. Of course it isn't easy to know who did it when you aren't completely sure what the motive may have been and this is what stumped me until it all became clear. So despite being right all along I wouldn't have bet any money on my choice because the story kept the important bits hidden until the time came to reveal the murderer. Very well written.
I missed the mystery shopping in this book. Yes there was a job or two but it was quick jobs that didn't really need a lot of work. I am used to having a few more visits to strange and interesting shops or restaurants Also Alyce played a smaller part than usual. Alyce is normally her partner when investigating where she shouldn't and this time Josie did the majority of the snooping alone.
Another great addition to the series and another reason for this author to stay on my must read and pre-order lists. However I am still waiting for this author to come up with a paranormal cozy (I think she would rock it) I am very attached to the stories and characters in her books and couldn't give them up.
↑ Grab this Headline Animator
