Killer Cuts:
A Dead-End Job mystery

By Elaine Viets

He sees us at our worst. He listens to our problems. He always tells us we look good, even when we know it’s not true. Spend a few hours with him, and we leave looking younger and glowing.
      Who is this magic man?
      For many women, he is our hairstylist. If we’re lucky, we also have a husband or lover with similar powers.
    “Killer Cuts,” my new Dead-End Job mystery, is about the intimate relationship many women have with their stylists. In “Killer Cuts,” the flamboyant Cuban-born stylist Miguel Angel works his magic at a Fort Lauderdale salon to revive flagging acting careers, and make ordinary women into the stylish “Miguel’s Angels.”
      Because beauty is a high-risk business, it’s no surprise that Miguel is mixed up in a murder, and so is his assistant, Helen Hawthorne. Helen adores her boss and believes he is innocent. But she also knows he evaded the cops at the murder scene by dressing in drag. Now she is on the trail of a murderer who wears spike heels – while she plans her own wedding to Phil.
      Don’t miss the eighth Dead-End Job Mystery. Publishers Weekly says, “Viets keeps the action popping until the cliff-hanging ending, as Helen ignores signs that her best-laid plans have a black hole connected to the past she’s been running from for years.”

Accessory Animals: “The Fashion Hound Murders”

    Paris Hilton has a Chihuahua named Tinkerbell. Hilary Duff’s tiny dog is named for a temptress – Lola. Christina Aguilera has two fluffy papillons called Stinky and Scratchy.
     Pop princesses have accessory animals, dogs so small they’re carried in high-priced purses. These pedigreed pups are dressed like dolls in designer clothes, jeweled collars and tiaras.
     But this pretty fad feeds an ugly demand: Too many accessory animals are born in puppy mills.
     “The Fashion Hound Murders,” my fifth Josie Marcus mystery shopper novel, is about this pet subject.
     Puppy mill dogs are definitely pedigreed – with the papers to prove it. But  those high-falutin’ papers are no protection against substandard care. Sadly, the owners may never know the neglect their pups endured until too late.
     Puppy mill dogs are cleaned up and charmingly displayed in pet shops. They don’t look like victims of abuse. Their new owners don’t realize their cute little fur ball may come with a different guarantee – a lifetime of behavior problems and illness.
     In “The Fashion Hound Murders” Josie’s awful boss gives her an easy assignment. “Look at little puppies,” he says.
     But Josie does more than look. She digs deep and discovers those cute companion animals were born in a puppy mill. When a helpful clerk is murdered, Josie realizes her easy assignment could bite back.
     In “The Fashion Hound Murders,” you’ll meet Tracey, a newcomer to St. Louis who wants a pedigreed dog. Josie Marcus tries to convince Tracey that she can adopt one at the Humane Society of Missouri. After all, Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal has a rescued German Shepherd, Attitcus. He proudly strolls with his paperless purebred.
     But Tracey wants that piece of paper, just like she wants the designer logo on her dress. She gets the pedigree paper – along with a little bichon who has a basketful of health and behavior problems.
     Though the subject is serious, this mystery has laugh-out loud adventure and an upbeat ending. Tracey turns her mistake into a triumph. Josie adopts a cat for her daughter, Amelia, from the Humane Society and also discovers the animal magnetism of a hunky vet.
     Harry, the cat in “The Fashion Hound Murders,” is based in my own rescue cat. My Harry resembles Amelia’s tabby down to the last stripe. You’ll laugh at how Harry racked up a $200 vet bill, although I didn’t find it so funny.
     The novel comes with a special “shopping tips” section, information on how to avoid buying a puppy mill pet, and how to help our overburdened animal shelters. Short of cash, like nearly everyone else? I’ll tell you how to make a difference without donating a dime.
     Pick up my new paperback. “The Fashion Hound Murders” is purebred entertainment.