Clubbed to Death: A Dead-End Job Mystery

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Clubbed to Death is the first "Dead-end Job" mystery I've read. I enjoyed the beginning of the book. The chemistry in the customer care office was believable. I appreciated Viets's parody of South Florida's upper class culture. Towards the middle, however, I stopped wanting to read the book. I even returned it to the library. It was getting very farfetched, and that's not how I like my mysteries. I lost a lot of respect for Helen Hawthorne's character- the fake ID, the snooping, etc. Her neighbors in the apartment complex got annoying. All of a sudden, there's a teensy tiny plot about the air-headed Elsie getting swindled out of her ring. And then Helen's boyfriend, Phil, puts his PI skills into play. And, in between all this sleuthing, there is a engagement proposal. Waaay too much going on!!!

Just when I thought it would end, and end well, there were a few chapters to go. Ugh! I didn't really need to know about the neighbors in 2C. Apparently, Margery has had problems with every tenant in that apartment. A seemingly nice couple terminates their lease, but do they terminate their good behavior, too? Honestly, this other teensy plot wasn't needed. Oh, let's not forget Margery, who was one of the "good guys" in Helen's life... turns out to be best friends with Marcella, the "Black Widow". Marcella is a vile old woman with a "love em, leave em" mentality. (And when I say "leave 'em", I mean without their lives!!!!)

Sooo, three stars because the parody of rich culture was solid. Three stars for the office culture. Two stars lost for too many subplots being thrown in. An average read!

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