Murder Unleashed by Elaine Viets

After reading my first book in Elaine Viets' Dead End Job series, (Clubbed to Death), I was eager to find another book. Fortunately, the WPL's mystery section delivered--and I just finished Murder Unleashed (2006). Helen, the divorced woman taking bottom of the barrel employment to avoid supporting her ex-husband is back. This time, she is the "hey you" assistant at the Pampered Pet Boutique; she waits on customers, picks up and delivers dogs, stocks shelves, and does just about anything else she's asked to do.

She is still living at her shabby but cozy apartment at the Coronado, where Margery is not only her landlord, but her surrogate mother and friend. She is also still involved with Phil, one of her neighbors, and a private investigator who is also one of the rare "good guys."

As the story begins, Helen is working hard to please the rich, spoiled customers bringing their pooches in to be groomed. As part of her routine, she must pick up a dog--who has a lavish birthday party later in the day and needs a haircut and new outfit. However, when she arrives at the customer's huge mansion, no one answers the door, so she finally enters and finds Tammie, the owner, naked by the pool; Helen takes the dog and makes a speedy escape. Later, she returns the dog--or tries to, but again, no one answers the door. Determined not to encounter the naked owner again, she grabs a robe on her way to the pool area--only to find that Tammie is dead, with a pair of dog groomer's shears sticking out of her chest. In a panic, Helen runs back out, clutching the poor dog, and wipes down the door knob. She doesn't want to call the police from the house because she is afraid of being drawn into the investigation, and being revealed as someone using a new last name to avoid her ex-husband.

So she does something stupid--she throws the robe into a dumpster (note: don't do this. They have cameras everywhere!) and makes an anonymous call, taking the poor little dog back to the boutique and saying that no one came to the door. Things go from bad to worse when next a dog goes missing, when Helen lets a husband pick up his dog, not knowing that the poor animal is the subject of a custody battle. The dog also happens to be a valuable media star--the poster pooch for a local department store.

So Helen is in trouble--the hysterical wife accuses her of giving the dog away, the police from two different jurisdictions are asking her lots of questions, and she is starting to wonder about the guilt or innocence of the two dog groomers at the store. There is a lot of tension between Todd and Jonathan; Todd seems to attract a lot of the older, single rich women, who give him lavish tips. Jonathan is unapproachable: flamboyant in appearance, he is extremely talented but does not tolerate people well. He is annoyed by Todd kissing the pooches and does not want to share space. When it turns out that the murder weapon happens to be a pair of Jonathan's scissors, the police take an interest in him as well. Soon, Helen is trying to hunt down a killer and find a missing dog in order to take the heat off of herself and her place of employment.

Add in a hurricane, some colorful chsracters, and some tension between Helen and Phil, who only wants to help (but starts asking a lot of questions about Helen's past), and the book is another good read. However, it is also interesting for the sub plot about Helen's relationship with Phil. She has to confront her own fears, insecurities, and decide whether or not she can trust Phil with all of her secrets.

If you can't make it to the beach in Florida, this book will help you to escape your daily routine for awhile. You can find it in the Mystery section of the WPL.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008