"Viets milks much holiday humor in Murder With All the Trimmings....
Yet along with the humor, Viets also offers a sobering sub-plot on how to deal with a parent’s alcoholism and death. This serious aspect works, adding texture to Viets’ plot and putting a realistic spin on the story.
Viets skillfully balances humor with the thoughtful in Murder With All the Trimmings."
Yet along with the humor, Viets also offers a sobering sub-plot on how to deal with a parent’s alcoholism and death. This serious aspect works, adding texture to Viets’ plot and putting a realistic spin on the story.
Viets skillfully balances humor with the thoughtful in Murder With All the Trimmings."
*Oline Cogdill
Welcome to the hilarious and wonderful Elaine Viets...we're happy to say she's healthy and glowing and writing like mad. It's election day, yes, so go vote. But its also LAUNCH DAY for Elaine's newest mystery, MURDER WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS.
And we're all voting yes for that.
And we're all voting yes for that.
As you know, Elaine has written four Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper novels.
She is also the author of seven Dead-End Job mysteries, including "Clubbed to Death," which Marilyn Stasio of the New York Times called "clever." She's written numerous short stories, which have been published from Japan to Germany, and won the Anthony, the Agatha and the Lefty Awards. The Lefty, given for the funniest mystery at Left Coast Crime, was an engraved pick ax, making it a genuinely lethal mystery award.
She is also the author of seven Dead-End Job mysteries, including "Clubbed to Death," which Marilyn Stasio of the New York Times called "clever." She's written numerous short stories, which have been published from Japan to Germany, and won the Anthony, the Agatha and the Lefty Awards. The Lefty, given for the funniest mystery at Left Coast Crime, was an engraved pick ax, making it a genuinely lethal mystery award.
Elaine is genuinely lethal, too. Lethally funny. And here she is all the way from Florida, where hanging chads are long longer a problem.
HANK:. Is writing the mystery shopper series just a way for you to get to go shopping and call it research? Or does the research get in the way of your shopping? Or do you not like shopping at all?
ELAINE: Don't tell anyone, but I don't like to go shopping. Looking into dressing room mirrors takes more courage than I have. Also, I used to sell dresses at a mall store, and I , uh, lied to make a sale. "Yes, ma'am, Nile green is a very unusual color," I'd say. Of course, it made the woman look like a corpse, but I left out that part.
As punishment for my retail sins, I am unable to believe any salesperson. I take my husband with me to shop because he will tell me the truth.
HANK: Having a mystery shopper as a main character -- someone whose always undercover --is such a terrific idea. How'd you come up with it?
ELAINE: My publisher asked me to do a mystery shopper series. My mother used to mystery shop with her best friend, so you could say I grew up with the subject. Mom didn't wear the disguises that Josie wears in my books. Mom always said that being a housewife made her invisible.
HANK: Your mysteries always have a timely theme...you don't bonk readers over the head with them, but they're an essential part of the story. Do you come up with that theme first? Something you feel needs to be said? Or is it what emerges as you tell the story?
ELAINE: The theme emerges as I write the book and do the research. My upcoming Josie mystery is about puppy mills. I'm from Missouri and I'm sorry to say that my home state is a puppy mill haven. Novels, if they aren't too preachy, are a way to gently educate the public.
ELAINE: My publisher asked me to do a mystery shopper series. My mother used to mystery shop with her best friend, so you could say I grew up with the subject. Mom didn't wear the disguises that Josie wears in my books. Mom always said that being a housewife made her invisible.
HANK: Your mysteries always have a timely theme...you don't bonk readers over the head with them, but they're an essential part of the story. Do you come up with that theme first? Something you feel needs to be said? Or is it what emerges as you tell the story?
ELAINE: The theme emerges as I write the book and do the research. My upcoming Josie mystery is about puppy mills. I'm from Missouri and I'm sorry to say that my home state is a puppy mill haven. Novels, if they aren't too preachy, are a way to gently educate the public.
I developed the generational aspect -- grandmother, mom and daughter living in one house -- because I wanted to get away from the childless heroines of my other books. Josie Marcus is a single mother who cannot make it on her own without help from her sometimes irritating mother. In today's difficult economic situation, two and three generations often pool their resources to survive. Many working parents cannot afford child care, and depend on their families for help.
HANK: Oh, we want to hear about the new-new Josie book. But first, tell us about Murder with all the Trimmings! (That's Harry the Cat on Elaine's head, by the way. I couldn't ask why.)
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ELAINE: This is one of my favorite Josie Marcus books, because she has to confront all sorts of difficulties:
-- Josie has to mystery shop during the Christmas season, which wears down even a shopping pro.
-- For nine years, Josie avoided telling her daughter, Amelia, the truth -- Josie never married her child's father. She implied that Nate is dead, when he was really just dead to Josie. In fact, Nate was a drug dealer. Josie thought he was safely in prison, until he turned up on her doorstep drunk -- with a lot of dubious cash.
-- Josie has to deal with pornaments -- pornographic Christmas ornaments.
-- Josie has to mystery shop during the Christmas season, which wears down even a shopping pro.
-- For nine years, Josie avoided telling her daughter, Amelia, the truth -- Josie never married her child's father. She implied that Nate is dead, when he was really just dead to Josie. In fact, Nate was a drug dealer. Josie thought he was safely in prison, until he turned up on her doorstep drunk -- with a lot of dubious cash.
-- Josie has to deal with pornaments -- pornographic Christmas ornaments.
HANK: Pornaments! I am laughing so hard..I can barely type.
ELAINE: Yes, they really exist. If I tell you one is called "snow job," you'll get the idea. Worse, these pornaments are sold by Doreen, the ex-girlfriend of Josie's current love. Josie tries to get out of mystery-shopping Doreen's store, but Harry the Horrible, Josie's evil boss, forces her to do it.
HANK: Pornaments. I can't get that out of my mind. But I'll try. Anyway--shopping. If something goes on sale the week after I buy it at full price, that's the worst. (I suppose the best solution is never to buy anything full price.) But if I pay too much--I just ask for an adjustment. I know you always have tips...what's your latest favorite?
ELAINE: To avoid that sinking "oops, I paid full price" feeling, check online. Many major stores, such as Nordstrom, post their big sale dates on their Websites. Here's a link https://webmail.whdh.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=7199f528028444299cd1785fecb328d1&URL=http%3a%2f%2fshop.nordstrom.com%2fC%2f6002242%2f0%7e2376788%7e6002242%3forigin%3dtab
You can also get on your favorite stores' mailing or email lists, and they'll alert you to the big sales.
Black Friday Bargains: Brave souls get up at four a.m. the day after Thanksgiving and shiver in the cold for those special holiday prices. If you're one of them, make sure you’re waiting for something that's in stock. Call the store before the sale and find out how many units are in stock. If the store only has four or five flat panel televisions at that incredibly low price, you may decide you want to sleep late Friday morning.
ELAINE: Yes, they really exist. If I tell you one is called "snow job," you'll get the idea. Worse, these pornaments are sold by Doreen, the ex-girlfriend of Josie's current love. Josie tries to get out of mystery-shopping Doreen's store, but Harry the Horrible, Josie's evil boss, forces her to do it.
HANK: Pornaments. I can't get that out of my mind. But I'll try. Anyway--shopping. If something goes on sale the week after I buy it at full price, that's the worst. (I suppose the best solution is never to buy anything full price.) But if I pay too much--I just ask for an adjustment. I know you always have tips...what's your latest favorite?
ELAINE: To avoid that sinking "oops, I paid full price" feeling, check online. Many major stores, such as Nordstrom, post their big sale dates on their Websites. Here's a link https://webmail.whdh.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=7199f528028444299cd1785fecb328d1&URL=http%3a%2f%2fshop.nordstrom.com%2fC%2f6002242%2f0%7e2376788%7e6002242%3forigin%3dtab
You can also get on your favorite stores' mailing or email lists, and they'll alert you to the big sales.
Black Friday Bargains: Brave souls get up at four a.m. the day after Thanksgiving and shiver in the cold for those special holiday prices. If you're one of them, make sure you’re waiting for something that's in stock. Call the store before the sale and find out how many units are in stock. If the store only has four or five flat panel televisions at that incredibly low price, you may decide you want to sleep late Friday morning.
Better yet, sit tight until the last two weeks before Christmas, when you’ll see real deals on TVs, computers, electronics and other gifts. The lines are shorter, too, except maybe on December 23, which is probably the busiest shopping day of the holiday season -- not Black Friday.
HANK: And shall we ask the JR's for their favorite shopping tips--and then urge everyone to get to the polls!
ELAINE: By all means! Let's hear your tips!
HANK: Elaine will stop in if you all have questions...and hey--
HANK: And shall we ask the JR's for their favorite shopping tips--and then urge everyone to get to the polls!
ELAINE: By all means! Let's hear your tips!
HANK: Elaine will stop in if you all have questions...and hey--
CONTEST TIME! We're giving away two signed copies of Murder with All the Trimmings! All you have to do is comment and leave us a shopping tip-- and we'll choose a winner at random. Contest goes today and tomorrow...when Elaine will return to take the Jungle Red Quiz! And to give us the special scoop on the new-new Josie.
***And in case you're lucky enough to be in the neighborhood:
Elaine will discuss Murder with All the Trimmings at 7 p.m. Friday Nov. 7, at Murder on the Beach, 273 Pineapple Grove Way, Delray Beach, 561-279-7790, and from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at Barnes & Noble Plantation, 591 S. University Drive, Plantation, 954-723-0489.
Elaine will discuss Murder with All the Trimmings at 7 p.m. Friday Nov. 7, at Murder on the Beach, 273 Pineapple Grove Way, Delray Beach, 561-279-7790, and from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at Barnes & Noble Plantation, 591 S. University Drive, Plantation, 954-723-0489.
