Murder Is a Piece of Cake

Praise for the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Series

Death on a Platter

“With her quirky characters and unexpected plot twists, [Viets] combines the perfect
list of ingredients to whip up a cozy treat. . . . Without a doubt,
Death on a Platter
serves up her most hilarious mixture of mystery, love, and adventure to date.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Each of Viets’s titles is top-notch.”

—AnnArbor.com

“Engaging.”

—
Publishers Weekly

An Uplifting Murder

“Entertaining. . . . As always, Viets creates a heroine replete with wit, intelligence,
and a sense of humor and entwines her in complicated plot strands.”

—
Mystery Scene

“Viets designs a flashy murder with just the right amounts of sparkle and shine.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Fans will laugh at the predicaments this mystery shopper finds herself in on the
job and sleuthing.”

—The Mystery Gazette

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.”

—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

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

High Heels Are Murder

“A 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 lies 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

Praise for the Dead-End Job Mystery Series

“One way for a fugitive to hide in plain sight is to work at low-wage jobs, which
is what Helen Hawthorne has been doing in Elaine Viets’s quick-witted mysteries.”

—Marilyn Stasio,
The New York Times

“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
No Way to Kill a Lady

“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

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

An Uplifting Murder

Death on a Platter

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

Pumped for Murder

Final Sail

MURDER IS A PIECE OF CAKE

JOSIE MARCUS, MYSTERY SHOPPER

Elaine Viets

OBSIDIAN

Published by New American Library, a division of

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,

Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

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Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

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Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

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New Delhi - 110 017, India

Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632,

New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

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Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

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

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, November 2012

Copyright © Elaine Viets, 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed
in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in
or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
Purchase only authorized editions.

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

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the
product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance
to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility
for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

For Mary Alice Gorman,

who was there at Josie’s birth.

Enjoy her wedding.

Acknowledgments

Publishing a novel is a team effort, and I’m lucky to have Sandra Harding, my editor
at NAL. Thank you for a thorough critique. I appreciate the efforts of assistant Elizabeth
Bistrow, hardworking publicist Kayleigh Clark, the NAL copy editor, and the production
staff.

Jinny Gender is my bridge adviser and Maplewood expert. My friend and Femmes Fatales
blog sister Hank Phillippi Ryan helped with the television section. Thanks to Liz
Aton, Valerie Cannata, Kay Gordy, Alan Portman, Molly Portman, Jack Klobnak, Bob Levine,
Sue Schlueter, Janet Smith, Jennifer Snethen, and Anne Watts.

Thanks to teacher MarySue Carl’s fifth-period biology class at Arroyo High School,
El Monte, California, for their help with Amelia’s language. Go, Blue Pride!

The Rev. Kalen McAllister’s good works include helping the homeless, visiting prisoners—and
giving me information about life in the county jail.

The Jewel Box is not open for weddings the day after Thanksgiving, except for Josie.
It is, however, a beautiful place to get married.

Thank you, Linda Dattilo, for explaining Molly’s trek through the court system and
how she could wear a bridal gown instead of a jail jumpsuit in front of a judge.

Doris Ann Norris is not a Maplewood police officer, but a retired librarian and a
friend to writers. Big Dave the pizza deliveryman is Dave Kellogg, a pizza driver,
reservist, and disabled Iraq-era war veteran who is now a contractor in Afghanistan.

Special thanks to Detective R. C. White, Fort Lauderdale Police Department (retired),
and to the law enforcement men and women who answered my questions on police procedure.
Some police and medical sources have to remain nameless, but I’m grateful for their
help. Any mistakes are mine.

Cath Hoffner is a real person and a true pet lover. She still feels guilty that her
cat Audrey swallowed that balloon ribbon, though Dr. Ted said it wasn’t her fault
and many pet owners wouldn’t have paid for the surgery to save a cat’s life. Cath’s
little girl, Kristyn, is now grown up.

Thanks to Rachelle L’Ecuyer, Community Development Director for the City of Maplewood.

Are you a fan of writer John Lescroart? Me, too. He bid one thousand dollars at a
Left Coast Crime auction for a character name in this novel. John asked that the character
be named after a buddy and former manager at Borders Fair Oaks, Tom Hedtke. John’s
money will go to the Sacramento Library Adult Literacy Program. Thank you, John, for
helping writers and readers.

Many booksellers help keep this series alive. I wish I could thank them all.

Thank you to the librarians at the Broward County Library, the St. Louis Public Library,
and St. Louis County Library. Librarians are the original search engines.

For my husband, Don Crinklaw, a heartfelt thank-you for listening to Josie’s wedding
plans. Thanks also to my agent, David Hendin.

Amelia’s cat is based on my striped writing partner, Harry, who snores by my monitor
while I write. Stuart Little is a real shih tzu. His owner, Bill Lichtenberger of
Palm City, Florida, made a generous donation to the Humane Society of the Treasure
Coast to see Stuart’s name in my novels.

Thank you, blog sisters. I rely on the advice and encouragement of the wise women
in the Femmes Fatales (www.femmesfatales.typepad.com). Stop by our blog.

Harry and Stuart’s photos are on my Web site at elaineviets.com. Please e-mail me
at [email protected].