High Heels are Murder
Elaine Viets
Reviewed by Kirsten Fournier
Elaine Viets’ High Heels are Murder is a
laugh-out-loud comedic murder mystery
guaranteed to keep you entertained for any number of hours - the
perfect read
for a rainy day. With a knack for
attracting trouble, Viets’ protagonist thirty-one year old Josie Marcus
bears resemblance
to Janet Evanovich’s bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum.
Quite possibly long lost cousins, the two
women are similar in more ways than one.
Josie’s hometown of St. Louis, MO
and affinity for soft pretzel wrapped bratwurst replace Stephanie’s Trenton,
NJ turf and beloved Tasty Kakes. Throw a precocious nine year old daughter and
a nosy neighbor into the mix, and there you have a day in the life of
Josie
Marcus, professional mystery shopper and amateur sleuth.
Josie’s latest assignment from her
manager Harry of Suttin Services, is to mystery shop local shoe store,
Soft
Shoe. Soft Shoe executives have reason
to believe that top-selling manager Mel Poulaine might love women’s
shoes a
little too much. To investigate claims
that Mel may be more sleazoid than salesman, Josie poses as an
interested
customer. After Mel’s inappropriate
groping of her instep, Josie walks in on Mel in the stock room
molesting her
shoe. Disgusted beyond belief, Josie
rescues her shoe, files her report with Harry, effectively getting Mel
fired,
and calls it a day.
Shortly after being fired from Soft
Shoe, Mel is found murdered in his wealthy Olympia
Park neighborhood home. Curious how a shoe salesman could afford such
extravagant digs, Josie and her hot, coffee barista/aspiring sci-fi
writer
boyfriend Josh, speculate about the case.
Little does Josie know that she will soon be pulling
investigative
duty. After arriving home, her mother
Jane (and landlord) breaks the news that nosy neighbor Mrs. Mueller’s
perfect
daughter, Cheryl, is the prime suspect!
Smug satisfaction at seeing Cheryl’s fall from grace aside,
Josie agrees
to do some snooping on Cheryl’s behalf in exchange for Mrs. Mueller
appointing
Jane to the much coveted Maplewood Chair of the St. Louis Flower Guild.
Accompanied by her sidekick and
close friend Alyce, Josie attempts to meet with Cheryl to discuss her
whereabouts at the time of the murder.
After being met with a rather frosty reception, Josie and Alyce
stealthily tail Cheryl in the following days and make some horrifying
discoveries. Not only does Cheryl have a
nasty gambling habit, but she also participates in a shoe fetishist
ring run by
the former Mel Poulaine to help her finance her addiction.
Digging deeper, Josie and Alyce also discover
a secret “fantasy-room” on the upper floor of Mel’s home; the location
for many
a shoe fetish parties attended and worked by some well respected
members in the
community.
After Mel’s naïve housekeeper
Zinnia also turns up dead, the race is on to find Mel’s killer. Complete with corny puns, jaunty sarcasm, and
some steamy romance between Josie and Josh, High
Heels are Murder will inject some much needed fun into the day. Shopping, St. Louis
culinary treats, and mayhem abound, providing for a satisfying read. Be sure to look for the special bonus section
after the last chapter; Viets offers her personal philosophy on shoes
and how
and where to shop for the latest styles!