THE FASHION HOUND MURDERS by Elaine Viets

Publisher: Signet
Date Published: November 2009
ISBN: 978-0-451-22842-0
Cozy Mystery
Paperback
Reviewed by Angie
Obtained by Publisher for review




Josie Marcus, mystery shopper, is hired to shop at a pet store chain with a suspect reputation. She is on edge about the job when her boss asks her to hide a camera in her purse to film the transactions, but financial woes cause her to take the job. After the woman who “talks” to Josie is run down with a car, the chase is on to find out who doesn’t want the truth about the store’s animals coming out.
Josie’s love life has suffered the past few months. Her one time boyfriend and neighbor has stopped being a cuddly nerd and gotten buff – and is now a gym member with passion. His passion for body building and his diet have taken over and he has lost interest in her. She doesn’t want to let go of the relationship but then she meets a man she thinks might be her newest squeeze – until she meets his friend Jonah who runs a puppy mill and realizes her taste in men needs a boost.
The fifth book in Elaine Viets Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper Series will leave readers laughing out loud, cringing as Josie fumbles her way through the case of whodunit and cheering when her love life starts to get heated up. Josie is a loveable character who comes off the pages. Her humor is hysterical, her empathy shines and she comes off the pages as down home and realistic. Ms. Viets has written winners with her series, and THE FASHION HOUND MURDERS continues to leave readers wanting more.
The romance in THE FASHION HOUND MURDERS is humorous and cute. While not the focus of the novel, it gives a light touch to a novel that is filled with drama and sadness. Ms Viets has a subject that needs more attention – puppy mills are horrendous places – and has penned a novel that will lend support to the cause. Celebrities today are often found with “accessory dogs” in their purses, and this novel while it does not condemn, gives reasons why these animals are often treated cruelly. I give Ms. Viets two thumbs up for telling her tale with grace and the humor needed.



THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW