Hollywood diva Jessica Gray is on the last leg of her one-woman show when she suffers a sudden and fatal illness . . . but Angela Richman thinks there's more to it. "Ageless" Hollywood diva Jessica Gray is finishing the last leg of her one-woman show in St Louis, Missouri, and the nearby town of Chouteau Forest is dazzled. During the show she humiliates three homeless women onstage, fires her entourage – not for the first time – and makes a bitter enemy of the town's powerful patriarch. After she collapses at an after-show party and is rushed to the hospital, she ignores the advice of her doctors and discharges herself in order to return to LA. On the way to the airport she suffers a deadly coughing fit. It was poison. When Angela Richman's friend, Mario, is arrested for the murder and faces the death penalty, she is compelled to investigate. With so many grudges held against the actress and Mario's life on the line, the stakes are higher than...

In the exclusive, gated enclave of Olympia Forest Estates, death investigator Angela Richman watches a mansion go up in a fiery blaze. With it, seventy-year-old financier Luther Delor, a drunken, bed-hopping rhinestone cowboy. Embroiled in a bitter divorce, Delor may have scandalized Chouteau Forest, but his murder has united it against the accused: Delor’s twenty-year-old girlfriend, Kendra Salvato, an “outsider.” With an engagement ring bigger than Chouteau County, she’s being railroaded straight to death row as a gold-digging killer.All there is against Kendra is vicious gossip and anti-Mexican rage, and both are spreading like wildfire. Meanwhile, Angela is trying to douse the flames with forensic work that’s putting the Forest on edge. After all, facts could implicate one of their own. Now, sifting through the ashes of a vicious crime—and the guilty secrets of the privileged—only Angela can get to the truth, and prevent an innocent woman from getting burned.

The open road.  The wind whipping in your face.  For both serious riders and the wanna-bes called RUBs--Rich Urban Bikers--riding a Harley is only part of the thrill.  Putting on leather and acting out is the rest.  Even Francesca Vierling, a St. Louis reporter who is a little too tall, smart, and sexy for her own good, is dressed to kill--for a biker's ball that will lead straight ahead to murder.The victim is a woman who lived well, married bad, and divorced hard.  For Sydney Vander Venter, going from high-society wife to tough-talking biker chick was only a phase.  One she didn't survive.  Now Francesca must find out who ruined the annual Leather and Lace Ball by killing Sydney.  But with her career crashing, her love life sputtering, and another murder waiting down the road, Francesca finds out firsthand how dangerous it can be when you're born to be wild--and dare to live that way too.  .  .  .From the Paperback edition.Review"Nobody knows St.  Louis better than Elaine Viets.  .  .  .  I'm looking forward to reading more about Francesca Vierling.  Her creator has the touch."--John Lutz, author of Death by JuryFrom the Publisher"Nobody knows St. Louis better than Elaine Viets. . . . I'm looking forward to reading more about Francesca Vierling. Her creator has the touch."--John Lutz, author of Death by Jury

BACK STAB is a mystery about the newspaper business—which has always been murder. Now someone is killing off readers, and the St. Louis City Gazette can't afford to lose circulation.Gazette columnist Francesca Vierling takes these deaths personally—reliable sources are hard to find—and Francesca's search for the killer takes her into the strange side streets of St. Louis, including a visit to the Miss Gender Bender Pageant, a beauty contest for female impersonators. Along the way Francesca must determine if her own blood soaked past is clouding her view of the future.

Whacked with a lawn flamingo? A reporter wants to know--who killed with kitsch...The rehabilitation of North Dakota Place is a feel-good story--the kind St. Louis City Gazette columnist Francesca Vierling likes to write. Grand houses restored to former glory. Pride in a neighborhood--and, like all good stories, this one has a hero, the woman who made it all happen, the city's guardian of good taste. Some call her a rehabbing saint, others a fanatic.The first death on North Dakota Place was certainly shocking but not entirely unwelcome--after all, the victim was a cranky old man who had been painting his house purple. The second death, of a drug dealer, brings tacit approval--and growing suspicion. But all bets are off when another victim is found, a socialite unceremoniously whacked with a pink lawn flamingo. Now the neighbors want Francesca to investigate. But her boyfriend wants her to commit to marriage, not crime. Soon the gutsy reporter is experiencing a deepening personal crisis--and something more heinous than vinyl siding: the dark secrets of heart, home, and blighted dreams.From the Paperback edition.Review"Viets . . . delves into the vibrancy of a city that has more than just a big Arch and breweries while creating realistic characters."--Ft. Lauderdale Sun-SentinelFrom the Paperback edition.From the Inside FlapWhacked with a lawn flamingo? A reporter wants to know--who killed with kitsch...The rehabilitation of North Dakota Place is a feel-good story--the kind St. Louis City Gazette columnist Francesca Vierling likes to write. Grand houses restored to former glory. Pride in a neighborhood--and, like all good stories, this one has a hero, the woman who made it all happen, the city's guardian of good taste. Some call her a rehabbing saint, others a fanatic.The first death on North Dakota Place was certainly shocking but not entirely unwelcome--after all, the victim was a cranky old man who had been painting his house purple. The second death, of a drug dealer, brings tacit approval--and growing suspicion. But all bets are off when another victim is found, a socialite unceremoniously whacked with a pink lawn flamingo. Now the neighbors want Francesca to investigate. But her boyfriend wants her to commit to marriage, not crime. Soon the gutsy reporter is experiencing a deepening personal crisis--and something more heinous than vinyl siding: the dark secrets of heart, home, and blighted dreams.From the Paperback edition.

From Anthony and Agatha Award-winning author of the Dead-End Job mysteries—a gritty series featuring a no-nonsense female journalist who follows her stories wherever they may lead...especially if they lead to big trouble.Columnist Francesca Vierling thought she had it tough dealing with the cutthroat office politics at the St. Louis City Gazette. But stressors in the newsroom reach new heights when her dear mentor Georgia is diagnosed with cancer and Francesca offers to hide her illness from their boorish boss.When Francesca goes to pick up Georgia from treatment, she is horrified to find the staff shot dead and a distraught Georgia the only survivor. The crime is bloody, shocking, sensational—and just the kind of story that would allow Francesca to break free from her oppressive employers. All she has to do is solve the crime.The story quickly grows out of control when a doctor is killed in the same building as the massacre. And then another. And...

Mystery shopper Josie Marcus is thrilled to be getting married. But when a deranged bride meets a grim end, Josie will have to catch a murderer before she tosses the bouquet… As a bride-to-be, Josie’s latest assignment is absolutely fitting—investigating wedding flowers and wedding cakes. Josie can’t wait to pick out the details to make her own wedding perfect, even as her fiancé Ted’s outrageous mother has plans to turn the celebration into an over-the-top extravaganza. Still, the pistol-packing Lenore does come in handy when she draws her gun on Molly—a homicidal bridezilla who threatens to kill Ted unless he agrees to marry her—and saves the day.Josie thinks the worst pre-wedding disaster is behind her—until Molly is shot and Lenore becomes the prime suspect. With her mother-in-law behind bars and her wedding on hold, Josie’s about to become fully engaged in finding the bridezilla killer and getting her own wedding back on track…ReviewPraise for the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper series:  “Elaine Viets writes exciting amateur sleuth mysteries filled with believable characters.”—Midwest Book Review “[A] fun, fast-paced read.”—The Mystery Reader “Elaine Viets knows how to orchestrate a flawless mystery with just the right blend of humor, intrigue, and hot romance.”—Fresh FictionAbout the AuthorElaine Viets is an Agatha and Anthony Award-winning author. She was also given the key to the city of Maplewood, Josie’s hometown. Her mother was a mystery shopper in Elaine’s hometown of St. Louis. Elaine has served on the national boards of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Fort Lauderdale with her husband, reporter Don Crinklaw. 

Fans of J.A. Jance and Lisa Gardner will love this exploration of the little-known job of death investigator in small-town Missouri where Angela Richman finds herself investigating the lives and secrets of the one percenters in Chouteau Forest. Chouteau Forest's wealthy are being targeted by the Ghost Burglars, who've carried out twelve burglaries over two weeks. So far, there's been no bloodshed . . . until Tom Lockridge is brutally slain inside his marble mansion during the latest raid. Angela Richman, death investigator for Chouteau County, is called to assess the scene and the body by Detective Jace Budewitz. As they investigate, Jace becomes obsessed with proving the Ghost Burglars weren't involved in the murder. Can the burglars be ruled out so easily? Is there more to Cynthia Lockridge, Tom's wife, seeking solace in the arms of the ambitious local lawyer Wesley Desloge? What about Tom's long-suffering daughter, or his loose-lipped housekeeper or...

Once on the fast track to success, Helen Hawthorne is now going nowhere fast. She traded in her chic life for a shabby one. And now she's on the run, jumping from city to city and dead-end job to dead-end job, trying to stay one step ahead of her past... After two weeks as the new salesclerk at Juliana's, Fort Lauderdale's ultra-exclusive clothing boutique, Helen still feels out of fashion. And since the only crime likely to be committed around here is being old-or worse, looking old-Helen figures she's safe. Until she discovers the manager has been embezzling money and selling designer drugs along with the designer clothes. Add murder to the mix-and Helen's dead-end job is downright deadly.

From Anthony and Agatha Award-winning author Elaine Viets—the thrilling mystery series about one woman trying to make a living... while other people are making a killing.Helen Hawthorne is still on the run because of her refusal to pay her worthless ex-husband alimony. But a girl's gotta eat...and pay rent, utilities, etc. So she's taken a cash-paying job at Fort Lauderdale's own Page Turners bookstore. And while the job is decent enough, the owner of the store is anything but.Page Turner III is a boor with more money than brains: he's cheating on his wife while running his family business into the ground and has a list of enemies longer than any bestseller. So when he turns up dead, no one is too surprised. What is surprising is where—in the bed of Helen's glamorous gal pal Peggy, whose usual bedmates are more cultured, refined...and still breathing.Worse still, it turns out that Peggy once had a tryst with the late Mr. Turner that ended quite badly, with a...

From Anthony and Agatha Award-winning author Elaine Viets—the thrilling mystery series about one woman trying to make a living... while other people are making a killing.Miguel Angel's chic salon is where Fort Lauderdale's high society hairdos get done. Even though Helen Hawthorne is just a gofer at the upscale salon, she has to admit the fabulous Miguel Angel is a master at the craft of coif.But with great heads of hair come great headaches. Especially when Miguel Angel and Helen try to prepare the pregnant fiancée of Kingman "King" Oden for her nuptials. King is a bloated, loudmouth bully with a gossip blog, a TV show, and a lousy attitude. When King tries to throw his weight around the shop, Miguel Angel delivers a vicious dressing down—along with a killer threat.Unfortunately, that's why Miguel Angel is named the prime suspect when King's body is found drowned in a pool at his own wedding. Helen knows her boss might have a temper, but murder? That's just not...

Helen has a new job "off the books" at Page Turners bookstore in Fort Lauderdale...until the owner is murdered. But since the arrogant Page Turner III had so many enemies, Helen will have to read between the lines to uncover the truth about a clever killer.

From Anthony and Agatha Award-winning author Elaine Viets—the thrilling mystery series about one woman trying to make a living... while other people are making a killing.Still living under the radar in Fort Lauderdale due to her refusal to pay her ex-husband's spousal support, Helen Hawthorne's latest workaday job might just be the lowest rung on the employment ladder—telemarketing. She's spending her hours interrupting dinners and disturbing slumbers, and in return hearing curses and extremely rude suggestions.Then, while Helen is conducting a phone survey with the wealthy Henry "Hank" Asporth, he puts the receiver down without hanging up...and Helen can't believe what she hears next. She can just make out a man and a woman arguing, a short scream cut off by a horrible choking sound, then an eerie silence followed by a final "click."Convinced she just heard a murder being committed—but with no solid proof—Helen is driven to find out what really happened with...

Helen Hawthorne's new job at a bridal salon becomes downright funereal when a bride-to-be's mother is murdered. Now, Helen must find the killer before this turns into another dead-end position for her-literally.