Review:: Half Price Homicide by Elaine Viets

In the ninth novel in the Dead-End Job series by Elaine Viets, we again meet Helen Hawthorne. In Half Price Homicide, Helen is joined by fiancee Phil on her journey back to living a legal, tax-paying life. Meeting with lawyers to get her questionable alimony settled so she can begin her new life with Phil.

Helen is also involved in investigation a murder of a well-known developer’s wife in the upscale second-hand designer consignment shop where she’s been earning her money under the table (yet again!).

Viet’s formula for the series is back, with a vengeance. The same lovable characters in the same motel in Florida. But, we also get to see Helen interact with her family from her native St. Louis.

While I’ve been a fan of this series for a while, I think there were too many pop culture references made in this particular book. While I was excited to read them, it seemed like Helen was a different character in this novel–acting out of character at this point in the series seems a bit forced, in my opinion. It is probably time for me to say goodbye to the series.

I checked this book out of my local library.

2/5