Death on a Platter: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper [Mass Market Paperback]

Josie' latest assignment includes taste testing some of St. Louis' local cuisine for a City Eats Food tour. One of her stops includes a restaurant owned by one of Josie's mom's friends so they head there first. Tillie's Off the Hill is known for its toasted ravioli and Josie can't wait to try it. The ravioli passes inspection but the clientele of the restaurant falls far below standard. One in particular is awfully unruly. When he becomes the victim of poison linked directly to the food he is served at Tillie's the question becomes was he the real target or was someone trying to ruin the restaurant's reputation.

The police believe Tillie was trying to get rid of her customer permanently and arrest her for the crime. Josie's mom makes it clear to Josie she must find the real culprit as soon as possible. So Josie's is soon up to her neck in the investigation. She hopes to find that Tillie's cooking is not what did her customer in, but that someone else served up death on a platter.

Dollycas's Thoughts
I learned a lot about the foods that make St. Louis famous in this story, a few I wouldn't even go near, but that didn't keep me from loving this story. In fact most of Josie's comments and reactions made my laugh out loud.

Josie just can't say no to her mom and there were times I really wish she could as she kept putting herself in danger, but seriously how many of can say no to our mothers. This character is real through and through as are all the others which is why we invest our time into seeing what they are up to in each installment of this series.

The plot in this installment was very good too as we traveled to and fro trying to figure out who-dun-it.

Elaine Viets knows her stuff when it comes to cozy mysteries. She writes fun, fast paced mysteries with plucky protagonist that keeps us coming back for more.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Obsidian. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

This is a book that you'll want read curled up in front of a warm fire. If you've followed this series at all, this one just adds even more to the on-going saga of Josie Marcus. You don't have to read the prior books in the series to understand the story line. This one was full of rich details and had a great ending.
This time Josie mystery shops restaurants, and some of the things she tried had me cringing, but I loved every minute of the story and am eagerly awaiting the next installment!
If you're a cozy mystery fan, then this book is right up your alley!

I really like Elaine Viets' deadend job series better than this series but I like the way she writes about St Louis in these books. You can tell she really loves her town and knows it like the back of her hand. This was a good mystery. I had it halfway figured out but not completely. I like Josie. I like her daughter. I like her boyfriend (although he's almost too good to be true). The character I really cannot stand in this series is Josie's mother, Jane. She comes across as a demanding, bitter old bat. I'm hoping in the next book Josie marries her vet and moves away from Jane for good or at the very least, develops a backbone and stops taking Jane's crap.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 10 reviews  4.6 out of 5 stars