Book Review: Pumped for Murder

Pumped for Murder
Dead-End Job Mystery #10
Author: Elaine Viets
Pages: 304 pgs
Reading Level: Adult
Publihsed: May 3rd 2011
Review Source: Berkley Books
Available: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Borders

Summary: (from goodreads) The latest Dead-End Job mystery from the national bestselling author of Half-Priced Homicide.

Helen Hawthorne and her new hubby Phil have opened their own P.I. agency and their very first client is Shelby, who thinks her husband is developing a killer body for another woman.

To keep track of the suspected cheater, Helen gets a dead-end job at Fantastic Fitness, where she has to pump iron to stay employed. Then the budding agency takes on a murder case, and Helen has to move her workouts to the early morning just to keep up. With so much weight on her aching shoulders, will Helen catch a killer-or just drop dead from exhaustion?

Don’t let the title fool you, this is not a story of a person who was accused of murder or was a convicted murderer. It’s much more than that. I will be the first to tell you that when I accepted to review this book I thought I was getting myself into a horror story of some kind, but boy was I wrong. I just recently saw the entire season of Veronica Mars and was disappointed that the series ended and that they canceled the show but when I began reading this story I was excited again!This is an investigative story about two newlyweds who start their own business as PI detectives in sunny South Florida! It’s location is Ft. Lauderdale and being from Miami myself I was excited to know of the locations I was reading. The story was edgy and featured different types of cases all at once but never confused you. The author did a great job with that. She made it all relate with each other and unfold together in the end. Helen the female lead character reminded me a lot of Veronica Mars. Helen went with her guy instinct and did not follow any rules when she believe she was on to something and I believe that’s what makes a good PI. The landlord lady was something else, she was funny, quirky and loved to drink “box wine”. She has a parrot named Pete who’s on a diet!! I thought that was hilarious. 

With all the twists and turns and fast paced information you learned on each case just by flipping the page I wouldn’t dare but the book down. I finished the book in two days!!!! If you into investigations, solving murders or just like the thrill of the chase, this book is for you! You’d love it! I personally did and I highly recommend it.