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Murder With All The Trimmings
Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series # 4

by Elaine Viets



      Murder With All The Trimmings is a quick, enjoyable read.  It is a nicely written amateur sleuth mystery with a well constructed plot and an entertaining cast of characters.  Fans of Elaine Viets will not be disappointed in this newest entry in the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series.  Shopping tips are also included.

Josie Marcus is a mystery shopper—it is her job to save innocent consumers from bad shopping experiences.  She is also the mother of nine-year-old Amelia.  Josie has been dating a plumber named Mike. The biggest problem in her relationship with Mike is his sullen, teenaged daughter Heather.  Unexpectedly, Amelia's drug dealing father, Nate, shows up on their porch, three-sheets-to-the-wind.  Nate had been serving time in prison for the last decade, and Josie isn't happy at his sudden reappearance.

Two, new, all-year-round Christmas shops open up within a three block radius of the established "Christmas All Year Round" shop.  "Naughty or Nice" is an "alternative" Christmas shop and is owned by Mike's ex-girlfriend, and the mother of Heather, Doreen.  "Elsie's Elf House" is owned by Doreen's rival and has opened up right beside  Doreen's shop.  It’s just a few weeks before Christmas and Josie has been given an assignment to mystery shop at these two new stores.  It's hard to have a holly jolly Christmas when customers are dying.  Now, it's up to Josie to attempt to make the pieces of this Christmas puzzle fit and to figure out who’s the scrooge bringing murder and malice to town, before any more dead customers turn up.

The Book

Obsidian Mystery / A Division of Penquin Group (USA) Inc.
November 4, 2008
Mass Market Paperback
978-0-451-22548-1 / 0-451-22548-1
Amateur Sleuth Mystery
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
NOTE: Christmas Themed

The Reviewer

Connie Harris
Reviewed 2008
NOTE:
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