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Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper #4

Murder with All the Trimmings

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‘Tis the season for sleuthing when secret shopper Josie Marcus’s ex falls victim to a festive fiend…Josie’s latest mystery shopper report won’t help business at Naughty or Nice, Maplewood’s raunchy year-round Christmas store. But she can’t worry about work when her ex-dealer, ex-convict, ex-boyfriend, Nate Weekler, just came home for the holidays, prepared to fight Josie for custody of their daughter. Josie wishes he’d catch the next sleigh out of town, but instead, Nate is poisoned…and suddenly Josie is a person of interest.With Nate’s criminal past, he’d never make Santa’s “Nice” column, but his own list of enemies also includes plenty of “Naughties” who might want him dead. Josie will need her team of little helpers to wrap up this case, before the killer commits another holiday homicide.

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2008

124 people are currently reading
633 people want to read

About the author

Elaine Viets

84 books571 followers
As a young girl, Elaine Viets was taught the virtues of South St. Louis: the importance of hard work, housecleaning, and paying cash. She managed to forget almost everything she learned, which is why she turned to mystery writing.

Living in South Florida has not improved her character. But it has given her the bestselling Dead-End Job series. Like her amateur detective, Helen Hawthorne, Elaine actually works those rotten jobs. Perhaps her early training has given her a lifelong fascination with jobs. She and Helen both know working for a living can be murder.

To research her novels, Elaine has been everything from a salesclerk to a survey taker. Her first book in the series is SHOP TILL YOU DROP, a novel of sex, murder and plastic surgery. It's set at a fashionable dress shop that caters to kept women. Book two, MURDER BETWEEN THE COVERS, takes place at a bookstore. Elaine worked at a Barnes & Noble in Hollywood, Florida, for a year.

For the third, DYING TO CALL YOU, Helen works as a telemarketer. Elaine sold septic tank cleaner and did telephone surveys. She actually asked women if they shaved their armpits. In the fourth Dead-End Job mystery, JUST MURDERED, Elaine and Helen explore big-money matrimony for better or worse. Elaine did her research in Zola Keller’s posh bridal salon in Fort Lauderdale.

For the fifth novel, Elaine and Helen go to the dogs. MURDER UNLEASHED is set at a high-end dog boutique, where people spend two hundred dollars for canine cuisine, women sneak illegal pets into condos using high-priced designer purses, and the dogs at the store have bigger wardrobes than the salesclerks. MURDER UNLEASHED is Elaine's first hardcover mystery. Publishers Weekly calls it “wry social commentary.”

Although Elaine lives in Fort Lauderdale, her heart – and her viewpoint – remain in the Midwest. Like Helen Hawthorne, another transplanted St. Louisan, she observes the outrageously rich Florida culture (and lack thereof) with wide-eyed fascination.

Elaine’s second series takes her back to work in St. Louis. It features Josie Marcus, a mystery shopper and single mom. The debut novel, DYING IN STYLE, tied with Stephen King on the bestseller list for the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

Elaine won both the Agatha and the Anthony Awards for her short story, "Wedding Knife," in CHESAPEAKE CRIMES.

Some honors don’t come with plaques and award banquets. Elaine was thrilled when her short story, "After the Fall," was featured on the same cover of the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine as the master, Ed Hoch.

Her short story, "Red Meat," is in BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS, the Mystery Writers of America anthology edited by Lawrence Block. "Blonde Moment" is in the MWA anthology, SHOW BUSINESS IS MURDER, edited by Stuart Kaminsky. "Sex and Bingo" is featured in the HIGH STAKES gambling anthology. And if you've ever wondered about the early life of purple-loving landlady Margery Flax, read "Killer Blonde" in DROP-DEAD BLONDE.

Elaine has served on the national boards of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with her husband, actor Don Crinklaw, where they collect speeding tickets.

Please buy her novels so she can pay her MasterCard.

Series:
* Dead-End Job Mystery
* Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper
* Francesca Vierling Mystery

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5 stars
289 (29%)
4 stars
322 (32%)
3 stars
272 (27%)
2 stars
70 (7%)
1 star
27 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
Profile Image for Danielle Lee.
259 reviews6 followers
December 15, 2020
I am not a DNF person, but I am kinda sorry I wasted time on this book! It was pointless. It was about Christmas and there were some funny parts but it did not even put me in the holiday spirit. It didn’t even have a happy Christmas ending. It is a mystery book but with other real life situations that made it a little less corny than your average cozy mystery, so I guess that’s a plus.

I don’t know what else to say other than this book was just boring. I gave it two stars simply because there were a few funny parts and I liked the character of the Grandpa in the story. Im really hoping my next holiday read will put me in the Christmas mood!
Profile Image for Kate.
473 reviews16 followers
February 21, 2010
I reallly wanted to like this book- I love a good cozy mystery, especially one set at Christmas time. But I honestly couldn't stand it. The constant discussion of "pornaments" and the hideously irritating daughter of the boyfriend were annoying. But the WORST part of the whole book is the stupidity of the main character. Case in point #1- she goes on and on and on about the fact that her ex-con boyfriend might very well gain FULL custody of the teenage daughter he's only just met, causing her to NEVER see her daughter again. Ugh. A little research of the law and some common sense would go a long way. #2- the main character forces her daughter to hang around with a mean girl who bullies her and drinks/pukes/vandalizes property all within the span of practically 1 page- because the bully girl is her boyfriend's daughter. Double ugh! And these are just the two examples I came up with off the top of my head. I hate to be negative but this book could have been sooo much better!
Profile Image for Missi Martin (Stockwell).
1,154 reviews35 followers
October 21, 2021
I am a huge fan of author Elaine Viets and her Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Mystery series. Every time I read one of the books in this series it becomes my favorite one so far and Murder with All the Trimmings, the fourth book in the series, is now my favorite....that is until I read the fifth book.

In Murder with All the Trimmings Josie is thrown into her worst nightmare.....the father of her 9 year-old daughter Amelia comes to town ! Josie and Nate never married and when he was arrested for being a drug dealer, she did not let him know that she was pregnant. She didn't think that he would ever get out of the Canadian jail he was in and even told Amelia that her father was dead. But when he shows up and wants to get back together with Josie and be a family with her and Amelia, Josie is not happy. Josie has finally found the man of her dreams in Mike the plumber and wants nothing to do with Nate. Unfortunately Josie's world comes crumbling down on her when Nate dies.....but let's back up just a bit.

Mike's ex-girlfriend who is the mother of his teenage daughter opens up a Christmas store right next to two other Christmas themed stores except her store, Naughty or Nice, is not your normal Christmas store. Doreen is a thorn in Josie's side and her daughter Heather is a thorn in Amelia's side. Heather is not a nice person at all and unfortunately she takes after her mother and sadly Mike does not see it at all. When it comes to his daughter, she can do no wrong.

When two people die, Nate being one of them, and they are ruled murder and their deaths are from poisoning and the only thing they have in common is that they both ate chocolate cake from the store next door to Doreen's, Elsie's Elf House, Josie is thrown into a murder investigation....again. And this time not only is she a suspect but Mike is also. Josie has to figure out how to prove that neither her or Mike poisoned Nate and some woman that they didn't even know and do it fast !!

Readers cannot help but fall in love with this series and no matter what book you pick up, you will be instantly drawn into Josie's life and not want to leave. Viets has a great cast of characters for readers to love and the stories and the murders that she comes up with will grab your interest immediately. And as you get to know everyone, even the nosy neighbor Mrs. Mueller, you will be ready to move into the neighborhood and help Josie navigate through life.....

Profile Image for Brenda.
1,546 reviews
April 28, 2019
This cozy is more family focused than mystery shopper and characters grow in complexity. Originally written in 2018 this has been reissued as an ebook in 2018 making me wonder if it was updated a bit since it doesn't seem outdated.

Josie's assignment has her mystery shopping two new Christmas stores - one owned by her plumber boyfriend Mike'ex and the mother of his daughter.

When Amelia's father Nate appears, her fear of losing custody of Amelia has Josie so enraged that his sudden death has her rattled, and a suspect.

Can next door neighbor Stan be the man of her dreams after all?

I am looking forward to book 5.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
40 reviews
December 29, 2021
Working on getting myself back into reading more regularly and this was a great start. Fast easy read with an easy to follow plot. Josie is a character you want to root for.
Profile Image for Sara.
350 reviews
September 23, 2020
I generally love the books in this series but this one is definitely not a "cozy" mystery. First the setting is Christmas which in my opinion in a cozy should be a relatively happy time. Pornaments? Seriously? And as if the reader isn't wise enough to know what that means we get said ornaments described in great detail Not one to get the point but multiples.

Then there is the distressing death by poisoning of a 9 year old girl's father and the subsequent drawn out hospital and funeral scenes and of course the aftermath of a horribly grieving child.

Now I don't mind such realism in other genres but in a Christmas cozy it just doesn't work for me.

If you are sentimental at all skip this installment. It's harsh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Chelsea.
334 reviews47 followers
February 18, 2013
Great cozy, again, from Elaine Viets. Some very important issues are presented about being a single parent, and there were times I actually laughed out loud as well; great sense of humor in her stories. Also, at the end of the book, she gives great shopping tips and some helpful websites as well. I highly recommend this series to all cozy mysteries lovers especially those of you who enjoy reading books without nasty curse words and raunchy sex scenes.
Profile Image for Amanda.
328 reviews8 followers
July 9, 2017
Quick and easy read but I didn't like most of the characters. I especially didn't care for Josie, the main character. She's superficial, annoying and it seems that she considers herself above the law. Also there was a lot of poor judgement on her behalf. I wanted to like this book but the cast of characters was awful.
Profile Image for Vicky.
444 reviews9 followers
December 1, 2008
I was disappointed in this book. The premise that a 9 year old child would immediately take to an unknown man was totally unbelievable. I enjoy reading holiday themed books this ime of year and this book was not up to the Elaine Viets standard.
Profile Image for Julie.
1,056 reviews16 followers
November 21, 2010
Elaine Viets has always written humorous mysteries so that is what I come to expect when I pick one up. This was a total disappointment. Very depressing and dark. She should stick to what she does best. Especially if she is going to include it in one of her humorous series!
Profile Image for Rachel Burke.
642 reviews7 followers
March 16, 2020
I found this book in our vacation cabin. It was a quick one day read. It's entertaining -good for when you want something light and cozy. But it's way over narrated. Too many superfluous details about everything. I'm not overly tempted to read the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Linda.
2,174 reviews
September 4, 2020
Josie Marcus has man troubles. Nate Weekler, the father of her nine-year-old daughter Amelia, has come down from Canada to get acquainted with the daughter he's never met. Problem: Nate is a sloppy drunk, an ex-con, and possibly still a drug dealer. Josie doesn't want him anywhere near Amelia.

Mike, the plumber Josie is currently dating, has a daughter named Heather with his witch of an ex-girlfriend, Doreen. Heather and Amelia don't get along at all. Doreen runs a Christmas-themed store called Naughty or Nice, which sells pornographic Christmas ornaments, in a local mall.

As part of her job, Josie has to mystery-shop Naughty or Nice. Her review (which has nothing to do with her opinion of Doreen) is negative. Doreen finds out and threatens to sue both Josie and her employer.

As if all that weren't enough, Nate buys a chocolate cake for Amelia from Doreen's competition and brings it to Josie's house. He's so drunk Josie won't let him inside. Nate eats the cake himself, gets seriously ill, is rushed to the hospital, and dies there. When the police investigate, they find the cake was tainted with antifreeze. For a while, both Josie and Mike are considered suspects.

But who is the real killer? Josie is determined to find out ...
Profile Image for L.M..
Author 4 books23 followers
March 2, 2026
This is one of those series where the main character is always super busy. There's so much going on in the story, between pre-teen drama with her daughter, her ex showing up at her front door, her boyfriend's daughter causing problems, clashing with her boyfriend's ex, even without the murder and subsequent investigation this book would be a fun read. The mystery itself was a bit transparent. The answer was pretty much right in front of our faces the entire time. But I don't care, there was still plenty of suspense to go around.

I really enjoy the author's writing style. She creates characters that are fun and sweet and quirky but very realistic, and she uses tons of dialogue and very little description, which I love because it keeps the story moving quickly and allows me to kind of build the world inside my own mind. I wish this series hadn't ended after only 10 books. Part of me wants to binge read them all because I enjoy them so much and yet I hate to think I only have 6 books left so I'm also inclined to savor them.
Profile Image for Crystal Toller.
1,169 reviews10 followers
July 21, 2022
Josie Marcus

Wow, this one in the series hit it out of the park. When Josie Marcus is living her life as a mom and mystery shopper single mom and meets a hot new plumber, her life suddenly gets complicated. Her old boyfriend, and Amelia's father shows up on her door drunk while her new boyfriend, Mike the plumber is there. Amelia and Mike's daughter, Heather don't get along and Heather has some real issues. When there is a murder Josie decides she must find the killer for herself, her daughter, her daughters father, and for Mike the plumber. I loved this one, even though it was sad and emotional, at times. I've truly become invested in what happens to Josie, Jane, and Amelia. Even though I figured out the killer this was a good mystery with lots of excitement. Highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
1,184 reviews7 followers
March 8, 2021
This is the 4th in the series. The main character is Josie. She has a daughter and a boyfriend that has a daughter. The daughters don't get along. Mike's ex opens a Christmas store and nothing goes right. She hates people and especially Josie. Josie's ex show up as well and Josie thought he was still in prison in Canada. He wants to meet his daughter he didn't know he had and he also has a drinking problem. Josie refuses to let him in so he sits on the porch and eats a chocolate cake he bought for his daughter. They find out it is laced with antifreeze and he is in the hospital . He dies and the cops think Josie is guilty and that she killed another woman as well. But if not Josie than who? Can josie figure this before it's too late ?
Profile Image for Amy.
1,936 reviews11 followers
February 24, 2019
I really like the series. It had been a little while in between books but it’s nice that you can pick it right back up and feel like you just read the previous novel. I like the authors writing style and I really like Josie. I can’t say a whole lot without giving away the story but I have to say I really felt quite sorry for Amelia. It’ll be interesting to see how the next couple of books play out. I have to admit to pretty much being sure that I knew who the culprit was almost right away. But watching Josie work her way through it was interesting and entertaining. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book
Profile Image for Lee Brothers.
1,395 reviews15 followers
July 28, 2022
This story hit close to home with the stories that Josie has told Amelia trying to keep her safe from the truth about Amelia‘s father. Amelia’s anger and resentment for being lied to and, of course, not being able to see from her mother’s perspective. It was a bittersweet story and tugged at my heart strings. I’m so glad that’s resolved and now they can work through that. Heather and Amelia are real with real life situations that are extremely difficult. I’m so glad Josie made the right choice!!
958 reviews9 followers
May 6, 2020
This was a cute murder mystery in St Louis. Glad my friend had all these Elaine Viets books for me to borrow during the corona era while stores and libraries are closed.
Now I subscribed to Amazon Prime so maybe I'll start kindling instead of holding books.... or maybe just watch a lot of movies and Amazon prime shows since it is hard to concentrate these days.
590 reviews2 followers
February 17, 2021
Entertaining

This interesting story involves the complexities of single parenthood, alcoholism, profits of illegal drugs and murders. The unwed mystery shopper struggles to solve the mysteries. Plus, she learns that the man next door could actually be the right one in spite of her previous judgment.
576 reviews6 followers
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October 3, 2022
A Fourth Fun Novel

I am delighted to discover more books (10) in this series. Each one has been a good read. Some pretty extreme situations have taken place in each story so far, for each protagonist. Recommended while wondering what could still take place. I guess I will have to wait and see. I can't wait!
44 reviews
February 17, 2021
Excellent job in this book.

This was a very good story line. The author used each character and wound them in the story perfectly. Especially the one who did the murdering. Excellent book.
113 reviews
February 20, 2021
Murder with all the Trimmings( Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper)

I really enjoyed the book, it really kept my interest in solving the murders. But I really didn't like the way it was kind of forced in the end. I will be reading some more books by this writer.
Profile Image for Susan Tuttle.
16 reviews2 followers
March 18, 2021
This was a very enjoyable read... Josie is a great character, as are her mother and daughter, and the interplay among them kept me riveted while the mystery was being resolved. I can't wait to go back and read the first 3 books of this series. Definitely one worth your time and bookshelf!
739 reviews1 follower
July 1, 2021
Murder With All the Trimmings

I liked this story best of the Josie Mystery Shopper books I’ve read so far. It was fun to see how this nine year old acted. Sure glad my girls didn’t have to go through that.
723 reviews8 followers
December 29, 2021
Too many coincidences. Good dad/bad dad very confusing. The job "Mystery Shopper" wasn't very convincing. And not a very convincing 9-year-old's behavior -- sometimes too young, sometimes way too mature.
Profile Image for Cathy Davis.
52 reviews3 followers
February 12, 2022
Christmas gone all wrong!

What some people will do to get a sale is u real. Josie is having more problems with her boyfriend, her ex, her daughter and her boyfriends ex! When she goes looking for her ex's murderer does she ever get more than she was looking for.

893 reviews
February 12, 2022
Another good entry in the Josie Marcus mystery shopper series. Murder and mystery at Christmas but once again, Josie solves the crime but it comes at a price in her personal life. But that may be changing as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews

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