Reading Week

I had a fabulous week of reading. I didn't do as much stitching as I would have liked because I was just exhausted. The first week of school after Christmas break is always the longest week of the year. I would come home and just crash in my chair. I would put in a few stitches and then would basically pick up a book and just get lost in it. I have been focusing on the Elaine Viets-Dead End Job Series. I read books 1, 3, & 5 this week. I need to go to the libray and pick up book 3 in the series...then to read her new one "Murder with Reservations". I really love the characters in the book. The books are written where you feel like you are right there with them.

The first book Shop till You Drop introduces you Helen who is on the run from her deadbeat husband. She is hiding out in Florida where she works a series of Dead-End Jobs. She flies under the radar, no bank account, phone nothing...she does not want to be found. All of her jobs pay her in cash which means she usually works for less money than the other workers. Frankly, I don't see how she can make a living. Her first job is in a very snooty womens dress store. The clients live off their extremely wealthy husbands, and do not think twice about spending hundreds of dollars on a blouse. The live for platic surgery, little procedures that inject strange things in your face to smooth out the wrinkles. The service manager decides to have a little procedure also and it goes very bad. Then someone dies and Helen has to play dectective to save herself from being found out. She enlists help from her kooky neighbors who live in the really cool apartment building she has found. She has found herself a fabulous little family in Florida. I have to say, I did not figure out who the killer was until it was exposed at the end.

In her third book, Helen is now working at a Bridal Shop selling wedding gowns to very spoiled women. One very crazy woman with her daughter came in to purchase wedding gowns for her daughters wedding the next weekend. The Mama was a real character who had this thing about not wearing panties. Her daughter was a very mousy and couldn't really voice her opinion to her mother or her mother just chose to ignore her. Helen has to go help out the day of the wedding and low and behold she finds the mother of the bride dead. Poor Helen, the police question her and she has to find out who killed the murder of the bride before they find out who she is and she gets sent back to St. Louis.

I finished this one today. Helen is working in an upscale Dog Grooming shop. She survives a murder and a hurricane in this book. She is still dating Phil however, this time it may not last unless she tells him about the big secret she is hiding. The shop she works in sounds like every puppies paradise. The treats and birthday cakes for the dogs sounds like heaven. I know my dogs would love to hangout there!!! I love the little weenie dog Lulu that runs around the store all dressed up in her little outfits showing off to the customers. Her neighbors all jump on the bandwagon to help her solve this case and keep her hidden from her ex!