On Flashback Fridays I will share with you the books I missed when they were first
released that have been screaming at me from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
Checked Out:
A Dead-End Job Mystery
14th in Series
Cozy Mystery
Setting – Florida
Release Date – May 5, 2015
An Obsidian Mystery
An Imprint of New American Library
Published by Penguin Random House, LLC.
Hardcover: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451466327
E-Book ASIN: B00O2BKLB6
Shhh…in the newest hardcover in the national bestselling Dead-End Job Mystery series, Helen Hawthorne quietly goes undercover at a local library to search for a missing masterpiece.
Wealthy socialite Elizabeth Cateman Kingsley has hired Helen to find a missing John Singer Sargent painting, owned by her late father. After his death, many of Davis Cateman’s books were donated to the Flora Park library, and his daughter suspects the small watercolor—worth millions—was tucked away inside one of those dusty tomes.
To search the stacks, Helen applies for a position as a library volunteer and discovers the library director has a catalog of complaints—from a mischievous calico cat named Paris to the mysterious disappearance of various items that some of the more imaginative staff are attributing to a ghost haunting the building.
While her husband Phil sticks his neck out to find a missing necklace, Helen is on her own with no one to lend her a hand. When a dead body turns up in a parking lot, it appears someone is willing to go to any lengths to keep the treasure in the library quiet. Now Helen is bound and determined to find the killer as well as the painting—before she’s taken out of circulation herself.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Elaine Viets just continues to top herself.
In the 14th installment of this very popular series, Helen and Phil are working separate cases. Helen is working as a library volunteer while she search for a very high valued piece of artwork that may have been misplaced in a book donated to the library. Phil is trying to find a very expensive necklace and a golf cart that went missing during a party. Both seem like relatively simple jobs but both of filled with plenty of complications, including teenagers who don’t have a clue… a “ghost”….a dead body….and more.
This was a great read and thought provoking. Helen’s work at the library introduced us to some wealthy women who thought of nothing but themselves. We also met some homeless people who use the library as a refuge. Phil was working for more wealthy people but spent most of his time getting to know the hired help who seemed to get blamed for everything. I truly enjoyed the twists in the story that showed people’s true colors.
All the characters that live at the Coronado Apartments have returned as well with a couple of additions. The Sunset Salute still takes place every evening by the pool so all the friends can catch up with a drink or two.
Now the settings were amazing. The Flora Park Library was a huge estate that was converted into a library. The Friends of the Library are trying to raise money to shore up the walls and floors to handle the weight of all the wonderful books it contains, otherwise a new library will need to be built without all the rich history of the current library. Phil’s job also takes place at a beautiful estate with a pool and anything else a person could want. And since there is snow on the ground in Wisconsin right now, Florida anywhere sounds delightful.
The reason I love this series is because the recurring characters are real and true to life. The new characters in each story all unique, some work their way into our hearts and some we would like to jump into the pages and slap across the face. Of course there are some that fall in between. Viets puts them all in believable situations and wraps them in mysteries where many become suspects. Trying to solve them before Helen and Phil is the fun part. Usually I figure it out the same time they do.
Each story can be read as a stand alone but you really should read the whole series for maximum enjoyment.

About This Author
Elaine writes her novels with the help of Harry, a striped cat who sleeps by her computer and lashes the keyboard with his tail. He whips her into a writing frenzy. Harry collaborates on two series, the Dead-End Job Mysteries and the Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper
series. She’s won the Anthony, Agatha and Lefty awards.
For more about Elaine check out her web site here.
Book #15 will be out in May!
I am giving away my hardcover review copy!
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US or Canadian mailing address.
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Click Here For Entry Form
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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thanks for the chance
I haven’t read this series though I really want to (after reading your book review)! Thank you for the giveaway.
Another series to catch up with…
New author for me. Love it.
An author who has a co-writer in a cat is one I’m sure I’ll enjoy. Thanks for the giveaway. robeader53@yahoo.com
Another new author and series! I’m always looking for a new series:)
This is a new author and series to me that sounds interesting. Adding to my ever growing TBR list.
I just read about this series the other day…looking forward to checking these books out. 🙂
My TBR has grown dramatically with this post. New stuff to read. Thanks for the heads up and this chance at an early start. I hope. If not. Well I have a bunch of new books to check out. Thanks