CLUBBED TO DEATH by Elaine Viets

By the time I began reading Elaine Viets' entertaining "Dead-End Job" mystery series, several of the books had already been published. Which, truth be told, is my favorite way to begin a series. Once I read a series and like the first book, it's very convenient to have several more books in the series available to read right away. Imagine how happy I was to begin reading Mary Daheim's two marvelous series (B&B and Alpine) after she had published nearly 20 in each! As an impatient person by personality, it's hard to wait a year for another book to come in a series I love. Can you relate?

Anyway, the schtick for this series is that lead character Helen Hawthorne is on the run from the law after a dirty judge awarded her cheating husband alimony and future earnings from Helen -- this, after the husband cheated on Helen and destroyed her marriage. She vowed never to give her ex a dime, and disappeared -- and despite her high-earning past, she now is living under the radar (off the system) and has to take low-paying jobs to make the rent. She lives in an apartment compound with a colorful cast of characters, including her P.I. boyfriend Phil.

What I love about this series is that Elaine Viets pays attention to the details in all the right ways. She adds little touches that tickle me every time I pick up a new book in the series. For instance, in every book she adds new characters who live in a particular "cursed" apartment in the complex, and it becomes a secondary story line that is fun to watch unfold. Brilliant.

In this latest book, Helen gets an up-grade -- she is now working as a customer service rep for an exclusive resort. The rich customers are a pain in the behind, and the boss is, too. And then she is murdered (of course). Leave it to Helen to find the culprit -- especially when the police begin suspecting her!

Another satisfying entry in this series -- start with book one, and enjoy them all. So far, not a weak one in the bunch.