An Uplifting Murder

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Epilogue

Shopping Tips

Teaser chapter

Praise for the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series

The Fashion Hound Murders

“I’ve read most of Ms. Viets’s work. All of it is good, most of it excellent. This one is superb, maybe the best she’s written so far. My attention was caught from the first page and stayed caught the entire book. It is a wonderful cozy read. The characters are great, as are the relationships between the characters.”

—Gumshoe

“Elaine Viets does it again! . . .
The Fashion Hound Murders
is a hilarious story . . . [and] a fun-filled adventure. . . . Pick this book up if you are looking for a lighthearted read with great shopping tips!”

—The Romance Readers Connection

Murder with All the Trimmings

“Viets milks much holiday humor in her novel, pulling out all the wonderfully garish stops.”

—
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“Elaine Viets writes exciting amateur sleuth mysteries filled with believable characters; the recurring cast starting with Josie adds a sense of friendship that in turn embellishes the feeling of realism.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“[A] wonderful holiday read... a book to be savored by a cozy fire with a good cup of hot chocolate.”

—Gumshoe

Accessory to Murder

“Elaine Viets knows how to orchestrate a flawless mystery with just the right blend of humor, intrigue, and hot romance. If you are looking to complete your wardrobe for the fall, you just found the most essential piece.”

—Fresh Fiction

“The writing and plot are superb . . . no wasted words, scenes, or characters. Everything advances the plot, builds the characters, or keeps things moving. It’s what her many fans have learned to expect.”

—Cozy Library

“A funny, laugh-out-loud whodunit. Elaine Viets has created characters that you can identify with.... This is one book you don’t want to miss.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

High Heels Are Murder

“Laugh-out-loud comedic murder mystery guaranteed to keep you entertained for any number of hours—the perfect read for a rainy day. . . . Shopping, St. Louis culinary treats, and mayhem abound, providing for a satisfying read.”

—Front Street Reviews

“
High Heels Are Murder
takes Josie into the wicked world of murder, mayhem, and toe-cleavage.... Viets spans the female psyche with panache and wit.”

—
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“Viets has written one of the funniest amateur sleuth mysteries to come along in ages. Her protagonist is a thoroughly likable person, a great mother, daughter, and friend.... The strength and the freshness of the tale lie in the characters.”

—
Midwest Book Review

Dying in Style

“Finally, a protagonist we can relate to.”

—
Riverfront Times
(St. Louis, MO)

“Laugh-out-loud humor adds to the brisk action.”

—
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“A fine, unique espionage, murder-in-the-mall thriller.”

—The Best Reviews

“I found myself rooting for Josie. . . . Oh, yes, a really interesting mystery plot along the way, too.”

—Roundtable Reviews

“A charming and sympathetic amateur sleuth.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

Praise for the Dead-End Job Mystery Series

“Clever... [The] real satisfaction is in observing the club members at their worst.”

—Marilyn Stasio,
The New York Times Book Review

“Wickedly funny.”

—
The Miami Herald

“A stubborn and intelligent heroine, a wonderful South Florida setting, and a cast of more-or-less lethal bimbos . . . I loved this book.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Charlaine Harris

“Hair-raising. . . Viets keeps the action popping until the cliff-hanger ending.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Hilarious.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“A fast-paced story and nonstop wisecracks. . . . Elaine Viets knows how to turn minimum wage into maximum hilarity.”

—Nancy Martin, author of
Our Lady of Immaculate Deception

“Elaine Viets reaches the right equilibrium with well-placed humor and lively plotting.”

—
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“A quick summer read for fans of humorous mysteries with clever premises.”

—
Library Journal

“Helen Hawthorne is one of my all-time favorite mystery characters—smart and funny with a huge heart.”

—Cozy Library

“Laugh-out-loud comedy with enough twists and turns to make it to the top of the mystery bestseller charts.”

—
Florida Today

“Wit, murder, and sunshine . . . it must be Florida. I love this new series.”

—Nancy Pickard, author of
The Scent of Rain and Lightning

“Fresh, funny, and fiendishly constructed.”

—Parnell Hall, author of The Puzzle Lady crossword puzzle mysteries

“Elaine Viets has come up with all the ingredients for an irresistible mystery: a heroine with a sense of humor and a gift for snappy dialogue, an atmospheric South Florida backdrop . . . and some really nasty crimes.”

—Jane Heller, author of
Some Nerve

Also by Elaine Viets

Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series

Dying in Style
High Heels Are Murder
Accessory to Murder
Murder with All the Trimmings
The Fashion Hound Murders

Dead-End Job Mystery Series

Shop till You Drop
Murder Between the Covers
Dying to Call You
Just Murdered
Murder Unleashed
Murder with Reservations
Clubbed to Death
Killer Cuts
Half-Price Homicide

OBSIDIAN

Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

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First published by Obsidian, an imprint of New American Library,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, November 2010

Copyright © Elaine Viets, 2010

All rights reserved

OBSIDIAN and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

eISBN : 978-1-101-44480-1

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