Pumped for Murder is the latest in Elaine Viets’ Dead-End Job series featuring Miami sleuth Helen Hawthorne. Like the author, Helen originally lived in St. Louis, but now resides in sunny Florida. Helen initially started working dead-end jobs where she could be paid “under the table” to avoid paying alimony to her cheating ex-husband.
Even though Helen has straightened this situation out with the St. Louis courts, Helen finds herself working another dead-end job. However this time, it’s to investigate a case. A young woman named Shelby has hired newlyweds Helen and Phil to see if her husband Bryan is cheating on her with someone at their health club. Helen goes undercover as one of the receptionists to find out what else besides the weight room is drawing Bryan to the gym so often. While Helen is busy at the club, Phil begins looking into a cold case; a man thinks his brother’s suicide in the eighties was really murder. These seem like perfect cases for Helen and Phil’s fledgling private investigation agency, but many people aren’t happy to have the cold case reopened and Helen soon finds that working out can be hazardous to your health when there’s a murderer on the loose.
Pumped for Murder is a quick, fun read full of interesting characters and the author’s trademark humor. In one scene, Helen’s boss at the health club tells her in a very insulting manner than she needs to “buff up”. Helen smiles and replies sweetly, “Anyone can benefit from exercise.”, but then thinks to herself, “I’ve started exercising already…it takes fifteen muscles to smile and only seven to flip someone off.” It is great lines like this mixed with unique characters and interesting cases that make Viets’ books such a joy to read.
In the Dead-End Job series, the author shares inside information about the particular job being featured. Pumped for Murder gives the reader a revealing look into the ugly world of steroid use by some bodybuilders. This practice plays an important role in the story and illustrates the dangers involved with the use of these substances.
Both of Helen and Phil’s cases wrap up nicely in a satisfying ending. I like being surprised, and while I was able to guess the outcome of one of the cases, the other one takes an unexpected turn I didn’t see coming. In addition to the success of their detective agency, it is nice to see Helen and Phil so happy in their new marriage. However, an unpleasant event regarding Helen’s ex-husband that occurred in the prior book Half-Price Homicide still looms in this installment. I had unrealistically hoped this particular plot twist could have been explained away as just a bad dream, but unfortunately it plays a part in this book as well. This event and the aftermath hang over Helen’s head and really take away from the book’s otherwise lighthearted tone. It seems there is no way out from the direction this storyline has taken, but I’m hopeful the author can somehow resolve it in a favorable way for Helen and her family.
In spite of the one downbeat storyline, the rest of the book is entertaining from the beginning to the end and would be equally great to enjoy on the beach or on a rainy day. Anyone familiar with Viets’ humor from her previous career in journalism or from her mysteries will not be disappointed. Those unfamiliar with Elaine Viets will find she has all the humor (without the slapstick) of Janet Evanovich and are in for a treat.
~ Christine K. |
