Accessory to Murder

What to wear: Your favorite scarf, of course.
What to eat: Old-fashioned deli food.
What to drink: White wine. Margaritas. Hot coffee.

(1) If you had the money, would you pay a thousand dollars for a designer scarf? Or would you spend it on Alyce’s fine kitchen knives? Which is more important – being pretty or practical?

(2) While mystery shopping, Josie encounters what she calls a Captive Princess. “The Captive Princess knew the universe had made a terrible mistake,” Josie says. “She wasn’t a salesclerk. She was royalty brought low. She did customers a favor by deigning to wait on them. . . . ” Have you been waited on by a Captive Princess?

(3) When Josie meets Mike the Plumber, she is stricken with “Desperate Housewives” syndrome, and blurts out double entendres to the handsome plumber. Have you ever had this affliction?

(4) Alyce has to make the difficult decision of whether to stay with her husband and maintain her – and her child’s – standard of living, or turn a blind eye to his possible philandering.
Many women make this grim choice, and they have good reasons for either decision. If you were Alyce, would you forgive Jake to get your children through school? Or would you leave because there’s a critical lack of trust in the marriage?

(5) Josie’s mother has resumed smoking at age 78. Josie says this habit is smelly and unhealthy. She bans her mother’s cigarettes in her home. Did Josie go too far? After her mother’s sacrifices for Josie, does Jane deserve a few cigarettes? Do you think someone nearing 80 can stop this addictive habit?

(6) Josie’s mother blackmails her daughter into a blind date. Do you believe blind dates are successful? Have you ever gone on one? What do you think is the best way for a woman over thirty to meet interesting and attractive men?

(7) Designer Halley Hardwicke goes off the rails as her thirtieth birthday approaches. Thirty is a milestone many women dread. Which age caused you problems: Thirty? Forty? Fifty? Some other year? Or do you take each year in stride, believing you are only as old as you feel?

(8) Josie dislikes Alyce’s husband, but tries to hide her feelings. How do you handle “love her, hate him” situations? Do you go out with the couple if you dislike one partner?

(9) Alyce is shunned by some neighbors when her husband comes under police suspicion. Even her son’s play dates are canceled. Would you have misgivings about associating with the spouse of an accused murderer? Would you ask her to resign from an organization? Would you let your children play with her children?

(10) Ramsey, the “Great American Novelist” has never finished a book. His reputation is based on one chapter, which brought him free stays at vacation homes, glamorous women, free food and drink. Do you know writers like Ramsey?

(11) Alyce wonders what people will make of her fake Tudor mansion in a hundred years. She suspects her home is laughable, but loves it anyway. How do you view Alyce’s possessions?

(12) Josie let Amelia paint her bathroom purple. She “thought her daughter should learn to live with her mistakes, at least the small, easily fixable ones. It was good training.” Do you agree?

(13) Mike the plumber tells Josie that “money can’t buy character.” In Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” Liza’s Cockney father says he doesn’t have morals – he can’t afford them. Do you think it’s easier or harder to live a so-called moral life if you have money?

(14) Josie keeps her herb mill filled with rosemary to remember who her friends are. Is Alyce a true friend? What is it about their odd friendship that keeps them together?

(15) Josie says being a homemaker is a good disguise for a mystery shopper because these women are invisible. Have you ever felt invisible in a store? Do you know why?

A few notes on St. Louis

St. Louis has some exceptional restaurants. My husband Don took me to Tony’s in downtown St. Louis when we were dating. Tony’s is still a favorite.

Maplewood, where Josie and Amelia live, is like a small town on the edge of St. Louis. It’s a terrific place for a stroll, and the shops and restaurants are charming. You can buy spices, model trains, even freshly brewed beer at the Schlafly Brewery. Minion’s has terrific muffins, and not a crumb of mine is ever wasted.

While we’re on the subject of desserts, Bissinger’s gourmet chocolates are exquisite. During chocolate-covered raspberry season, gorge on those delicacies. Check out the seasonal specialties at www.bissingers.com.

St. Louis has a wonderfully loony streak. The giant amphibians at the Turtle Playground along Highway Forty (I-64 on the maps) at Forest Park are magical. Let the kids crawl around on the sculptures.

Laumeier Sculpture Park is the best place for a walk on a crisp fall day. Check it out at www.laumeier.com.

So far as I know, there is no Chunk-A-Chicken, though a reader claimed my descriptions of eating there gave her nightmares. But Linda Dattilo and Joanie Protzel are real. Both made generous donations to charity to let me use their names in ACCESSORY TO MURDER. Protzel’s deli is at 7608 Wydown in St. Louis. If you’re in the area, stop by for a treat.

Accessory to Murder:
A Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper book by Elaine Viets
Paperback original from Obsidian. $6.99.
ISBN: 978-0-451-22258-9