The Art of Murder by Elaine Viets
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I requested this book from my library as soon as I read it was available because I enjoyed both series of books written by Elaine Viets.
I am pleased to report this book did not disappoint me.
I recommend it to fans of the "Dead-End Job" series. It could be read as a stand-alone for a reader who prefers cozy mysteries.


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Checked Out by Elaine Viets
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this because Elaine Viets is a favorite writer of cozy mysteries for me. I like the characters she created for this series.
I recommend this book for all readers of cozy mysteries for this can be enjoyed by a new-to-the-series reader.


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A Dog Gone Murder: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper by Elaine Viets
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I recommend this series for all readers of cozy mysteries.


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Fixing to Die by Elaine Viets
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am catching up on the series by Elaine Viets.  I like this series because I like the emphasis on Josie's family.  Finally this is a cozy murder mystery with only one corpse.
I recommend it to all readers of cozy mystery, and this could be a good start for the new reader.


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Catnapped! by Elaine Viets
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have fallen behind on reading the two series by Elaine Viets, and I had time this summer to read cozy mysteries.
As always, I enjoy Viet's work.  I'm getting to the point where I think some authors put too many corpses in a cozy mystery.  This one went over my limit, and I only rated it three stars.


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Board Stiff by Elaine Viets
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I put off reading #12 in the series because I was uncomfortable with the turn the Rob storyline had taken. I came back to the series after #13 was published.
For whatever reasons, I also find myself uncomfortable with the dead body count in so many cozy mysteries.  This mystery has 3, and I really think that third one was unnecessary.
I recommend this to fans of the series.  


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Murder is a Piece of Cake by Elaine Viets
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I eagerly anticipated reading this mystery for I have been waiting through several books for Josie Marcus to finally marry Dr. Ted, the attractive veterinarian. I did not need a murder or two to pique my interest in the dialogues and interactions between family members and friends. Yet, this is eighth book in the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper series in the amateur sleuth category of the mystery genre; there is going to be a murder. Clues for the prospective victim, the first suspect, and the actual murderer were heavy-handed.
I recommend this book for fans of the series.


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Final Sail by Elaine Viets
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoy the books by this author for she does a good job of capturing the local Florida observations about its people and the economy. In 20 years, this book may seem dated; but it is spot on now.
This is an entertaining cozy mystery,even with its three murders.
If you want a fun summer read or you are already a fan of Elaine Viets' book, I recommend this.

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Death on a Platter by Elaine Viets

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Death on a Platter is the seventh book in the Jose Marcus, Mystery Shopper, and I eagerly anticipated its release. This is an entertaining series with believable supporting characters and with fun shopping tips.


Of course there is a mystery to be solved and Viets writes that skillfully. I learn that St. Louis pizza uses Provel cheese, a processed cheese that fuses provolone, Swiss and cheddar. There is a dessert treat called a Gooey Louie cake which comes in fourteen flavors. This particular book combines my preferences for a cozy nmystery and armchair food travel.


I recommend it to fans of the series. It can also be a mystery that stands by itself.


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Pumped for Murder by Elaine Viets

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Pumped for Murder is the tenth book in the Dead-End Job Mystery series, and I enjoyed this one as much as any of the others. The Library Journal classifies this series as humorous mysteries with clever premises.



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An Uplifting Murder by Elaine Viets

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is another entertaining cozy mystery from Elaine Viets. I recommend the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper series to those who enjoy series like this. I prefer to read her series instead of Stephanie Plum series by Jane Evanovich. Yes, it is a personal preference; but give this series a try and tell me which one you prefer.



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Half-Price Homicide by Elaine Viets


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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The Final Tally is 128 Books Read in 2009

2009 Books I Read
2009 was the year I continued to focus my reading choices on the books I already own on my investing shelf, my writing shelf, and my bought-while-traveling shelf. I started these projects with a 2007 resolution to finish reading the books in these groups before I buy any more books in those categories. Now, books I borrow from the library did not count against me. Yes, that is called justification and rationalization, and they are two skills I am proud to have. This was also the year my husband decided to bring some books, previously stored in the garage, back inside. He likes to see what he owns. Now when I saw the spines of the books daily and I handled them during occasional dusting, I started reading more of them in 15-minute or chapter intervals on a daily basis until yet until another book was finished.
We agreed to sell some books on Half.com. To qualify for our listings, the book had to be one we both read. Later, I broadened the sellable books to those I had read and he was unlikely to ever read.books for sale

1. The On-Line Poet's Resource Center by Rob Parnell
   
2. Easy Cash Writing: Paying Magazine Market by Rob Parnell
   
3. The Tetons: Interpretations of a Mountain Landscape by Fritiof Fryxell
   
4. The Decatur Road by Joe Coomer
   
5. The Loop by Joe Coomer
   
6. Doing the Write Thing: 10 Tips on Becoming a More Professional Writer by Sarah White and Rob Parnell
   
7. How to Achieve Writing Success by Rob Parnell
   
8. They Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks
   
9. Shadow Waltz Amy Patricia Meade
   
10. The Explorations of the Colorado River and Its Canyons by Major John Wesley Powell
    
11. Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
    
12. The Abs Diet: Ultimate Nutrition Handbook by David Zinczenko
    
13. Zen and the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity by Ray Bradbury
    
14. An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
    
15. Writing from the Body by John Lee with Ceci Miller Krittsberg
    
16. John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman
    
17. Thinking About Memoir by Abigail Thomas
    
18. Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman
    
19. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
    
20. Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon by Edward Dolnick
    
21. Does This Cluuter Make My Butt Look Fat? By Peter Walsh
    
22. All But the Waltz: Essays on a Montana Family by Mary Clearman Blue
    
23. A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas
    
24. A Bull in China by Jim Rogers
    
25. Why We Want You to Be Rich by Donald Trump, Meredith McIver & Robert Kiyosaki/Sharon Lechter
    
26. Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money and Markets by R.S. Wurman, Alan Siegel and Kenneth Morris
    
27. The Coming Economic Collapse: How You Can Thrive When Oil Cost $200 a Barrel by Stephen Leeb, Ph.D. with Glen Strathy
    
28. The America We Deserve by Donald Trump with David Shiflett
    
29. Economics on Trial by Mark Skousen
    
30. Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs
    
31. A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink
    
32. The World is Flat by Thomas l. Friedman
    
33. Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler
    
34. Raven's Strike by Patricia Briggs
    
35. Naked Guide to Bonds by Michael V. Brandes
    
36. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
    
37. Friday Nights by Joanna Trollope
    
38. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vickie Myron with Bret Witter
    
39. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
    
40. Chi Running by Danny Dreyer with Kathleen Dreyer
    
41. LaVinia by Ursula K. LeGuin
    
42. Rich Woman: A Book on Investing for Women by Kim Kiyosaki
    
43. The Shack by Wm. Paul Young
    
44. Fool by Christopher Moore
    
45. Game Over: How You Can Prosper in a Shattered Economy by Stephen Leeb, PhD.
    
46. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
    
47. No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a 60^th Year by Virginia Ironside
    
48. Lords of Finance by Ahamed Liaquat
    
49. Winning on Wall Street by Martin Zwieg
    
50. Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy
    
51. Michael Sivy's Rules of Investing
    
52. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
    
53. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
    
54. Story: Substance, Structure, Style and Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
    
55. Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, The Woman Who Created Talk TV by Michael A. Banks
    
56. The Motley Fool Investment Guide by David and Tom Gardner
    
57. A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell by Donald Worster
    
58. 1968 by Mark Kurlansky
    
59. Borderline by Nevada Barr
    
60. Evan Blessed by Rhys Bowen
    
61. Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by a Two-Time Pulitzer-Prize Winner by Jon Franklin
    
62. American Nature Writing, 1995 selected by John A. Murray
    
63. The Associate by John Grisham
    
64. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
    
65. Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs
    
66. Photo Finished by Laura Childs
    
67. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
    
68. The Freeway Guide to Retiring Right: How to Invest the Rest of Your Life by Jim Selman
    
69. Bound for Murder by Laura Childs
    
70. Testimony by Anita Shreve
    
71. A Proper Education for Girls by Elaine DiRollo
    
72. Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead
    
73. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
    
74. Writing the Family Narrative by Lawrence P. Gouldrup
    
75. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
    
76. Writing the Family Narrative Workbook by Lawrence P. Gouldrup
    
77. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
    
78. Listening: The Forgotten Skill by Madelyn Burley-Allen
    
79. The Best American Travel Writing 2008 Anthony Bourdain, editor
    
80. Absolute Beginner's Guide to eBay (5^th edition) by Michael Miller
    
81. How to Sell Collectibles on eBay by Entrepreneur Press and Jennifer A. Ericson
    
82. eBay: Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks by Julia Wilkenson
    
83. Trading for a Living by Alexander Elder
    
84. Build an eBay Business Quick Steps by Matthews Technology
    
85. Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear
    
86. Rachel Carson: The Writer at Work by Paul Brooks
    
87. Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
    
88. Make Big Profits on eBay by Jacquelyn Lynn and Charlene Davis
    
89. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
    
90. Start Your Own Blogging Business by Entrepreneur Press and J.S. McDougall
    
91. Start Your Own Self-Publishing Business by Entrepreneur Press and Jennifer Dorsey
    
92. The Only Three Questions that Count by Ken Fisher
    
93. The Official eBay Bible, Third Edition by Jim Griffith
    
94. eBay Photography The Smart Way by Joseph T. Sinclair and Stanley Livingston
    
95. Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach
    
96. The Bond Book by Annette Thau
    
97. Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
    
98. Eat,Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
    
99. Sell, Keep, Toss by Harry L. Rinker
    
100. The Best of Edward Abbey, edited by Edward Abbey
     
101. Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak
     
102. Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind
     
103. Value Investing with the Masters by Kirk Kazinjian
     
104. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
     
105. Murder With All the Trimmings by Elaine Viets
     
106. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
     
107. Vertical Coffin by Stephen J. Cannell
     
108. Killer Cuts by Elaine Viets
     
109. A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid
     
110. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
     
111. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
     
112. Profiting from Emerging Market Stocks by Mitchell Posner
     
113. The Fashion Hound Murders by Elaine Viets
     
114. In a Gilded Cage by Rhys Bowen
     
115. Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind
     
116. End the Fed by Ron Paul
     
117. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
     
118. Cold Hit by Stephen J. Cannell
     
119. White Sister by Stephen J. Cannell
     
120. An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor
     
121. Three Shirt Deal by Stephen J. Cannell
     
122. America's National Parks by Paul Schullery
     
123. Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind
     
124. Desert Light: Myths and Visions of the Great Southwest ; photographs by Dean Lee Uhlinger and edited by John Miller
     
125. A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen
     
126. Alaska's Inside Passage by Kim Heacox
     
127. Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind
     
128. A Teton Country Anthology, edited by Robert W. Righter
     

my 2009 bookshelf

Just when you think it will ...

Killer Cuts by Elaine Viets


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I recommend this to cozy mystery readers who also watch Split Ends and Tabitha's Salon Takeovers.
I can hardly wait for the next novel in this series because the action in the last chapter really thwarted Helen Hawthorne. Darn you, Elaine Viets and your dastardly plotting!

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Books I Read in 2008

96 Books I Read

1. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
   
2. Annie Oakley: Woman at Arms by Courtney Ryley Cooper
   
3. 100 Hikes in Yosemite National Park by Marc J. Soares
   
4. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
   
5. The Biggest Loser Cookbook by Devin Alexander
   
6. Frommer's Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park by Eric Peterson
   
7. National Geographic's Driving Guide to America: California, Nevada, Hawaii
   
8. Floor Sample by Julia Camerson
   
9. All Roads Lead to Yosemite by Ellie Huggins
   
10. American Outrage by Tim Green
    
11. The Art Institute of Chicago: The Essential Guide , revised edition
    
12. Flush by Carl Hiaasen
    
13. The High Sierra by Ezra Bowen
    
14. Red River Gorge Trail Guide by Jerrell Goodpaster
    
15. National Geographic Park Profiles: Yosemite by Kenneth Brower
    
16. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism in the Art Institute of Chicago, selected by James N. Wood
    
17. Mirror of America edited by David Harmon
    
18. Shop Till You Drop by Elaine Viets
    
19. John Muir: The Eight Wilderness Discovery Books
    
20. Murder Between the Covers by Elaine viets
    
21. Dying to Call You by Elaine Viets
    
22. Teach Yourself Visually Photoshop Elements 6 by Mike Woolbridge
    
23. Just Murdered by Elaine Viets
    
24. Murder Unleashed by Elaine Viets
    
25. Murder with Reservations by Elaine Viets
    
26. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
    
27. Dying in Style by Elaine Viets
    
28. Plastic Cameras: Toying with Creativity by Michelle Bates
    
29. The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers
    
30. Photoshop Elements 5 for Dummies by Barbara Obermeier, Ted Padova
    
31. High Heels are Murder by Elaine Viets
    
32. Accessory to Murder by Elaine Viets
    
33. An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
    
34. The Complete Turtle Trader by Michael W. covel
    
35. Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils and Rewards of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland
    
36. Visual Quickstart Guide to Photoshop Elements 6 by Jeff Carlson
    
37. Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual by Barbara Brundage
    
38. Overcoming the Five Dysfuntions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers and Facilitators by Patrick Lencioni
    
39. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
    
40. A Firestorm of Dragons , edited by Michele Acker and Kirk Dougal
    
41. Beyond Bullet Points by Cliff Atkinson
    
42. How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael Gelb
    
43. The Writing Diet by Julia Cameron
    
44. Invest with Success by Dr. Charles Schaap
    
45. Winter Study by Nevada Barr
    
46. The Chase by clive Cussler
    
47. Beyond Basketball: Coach K's Keywords for Success by Mike Krzyewskiwith Jamie K. Spatola
    
48. Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen
    
49. Fodor's 2001 Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island
    
50. Fodor's Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada, 9th Edition: With New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador
    
51. Lonely Planet Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
    
52. Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen
    
53. For the Love of Mike by Rhys Bowen
    
54. Legal Larceny by Dr. Jill B. Vosler
    
55. The Insider's Guide to Portland, Maine by Sarah Donnelly and Meredith Goad
    
56. In Like Flynn by Rhys Bowen
    
57. Oh Danny Boy by Rhys Bowen
    
58. The Lie That Tells the Truth : A Guide for Writing Fiction by John Dufresne
    
59. Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark
    
60. Increase Your Financial IQ by Robert Kiyosaki
    
61. In Dublin's Fair City by Rhys Bowen
    
62. Space Available by Sid Davis
    
63. Tell Me Pretty Maiden by Rhys Bowen
    
64. In New Brunswick, We Will Find It by Lowell Thomas and Rex Barton
    
65. Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers' Guide from the Neiman Foundation at Harvard University by Wendy Call
    
66. The Writer's Little Helper by James V. Smith, Jr.
    
67. No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
    
68. Letters from Finland by Joanna Campbell
    
69. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
    
70. The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler
    
71. Yeah, I Said It by Wanda Sykes
    
72. Writing as a Lifelong Skill by Sanford Kaye
    
73. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
    
74. Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need by Dave Barry
    
75. Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World by Carl Hiaassen
    
76. Dave Barry's Money Secrets: Like, Why is There A Giant Eyeball on the Dollar
    
77. Variable Star by Robert Heinlein and Spider Robinson
    
78. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laura Viera Rigler
    
79. This Land is Their Land: Reports from a Divided Nation by Barbara Ehrenreich
    
80. Girl from the South by Joanna Trollope
    
81. Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
    
82. Yosemite: The Story Behind the Scenery by William R. Jones
    
83. The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner
    
84. Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon
    
85. Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg
    
86. The Abs Diet for Women by David Zinczencko
    
87. The Space Between Before and After by Jean Reynolds Page
    
88. The Abs Diet: 6 Minute Meals for 6-Pack Abs by David Zinczenko
    
89. Clubbed to Death by Elaine Viets
    
90. A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmstead and America in the Nineteeth Century by Witold Rybczynski
    
91. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
    
92. The Land We Call Ohio by Deborah Bradford Linville and Paint Ohio LLC
    
93. Seasonal Disorder by Pat Hagan
    
94. Sequoia and Kings Canyon by William C. Tweed
    
95. Fundy, Bay of the Great Tides by Michael
    Burzynski
    
96. Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig
    
    

my 2008 bookshelf