The Pink Flamingo Murders

We watch Flip this House and other home make over shows. It was amusing to read about the trials and tribulations of home owners with a murder mystery thrown in. I have a few suggestions to make to the author,though, on future books. The herorine is constantly shooting down any ideas that the bosses come up with. I would like to see her come up with something that would work that doesn't involve spending more money. She may discover it's adifferent world when you are the one who is getting shot down. Good book. Very complicated characters.

No one has her finger on the pulse of St. Louis more than Elaine Viets. Her descriptions of St. Louis and its charm and its people--and its quirks--are dead-on. Just when you think there are no new ways to commit murder, Viets shows us there is always a new idea. She throws just enough hints at whom the murderer is to cast suspicion on everyone and lets the reader make his or her own guesses. The Francesca Vierling series is top notch, and this is the best yet. After 200 pages I hated this book...because I knew I was approaching the end. I'm counting the days until the next book is released.

St Louis in all it's quirky individually is back-ground for Francesca to solve the mystery. A wealth of wonderful characters (some reoccurring from previous books) that you really care about and that have personalities. A good mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. Francesca is a wonderful sarcastic, sympathetic character. I hope there are lots more in the series.

This book made me laugh out loud quite a few times. It is light reading. I didn't learn anything, but I didn't want to learn anything. I sure was entertained by it, and that is why I usually read novels. Especially if you are familiar at all with St Louis you will enjoy it. Can't wait to read Elaine's next novel.

How can you resist a novel that begins: "We approved of the first murder. We applauded the second. By the third murder, I think we would have given the killer a ticker-tape parade. But the fourth death, that was different. Now the killer was going after one of our own. People like us."Viets' character Francesca is a newspaper columnist for the fictious St. Louis City Gazette. Half the fun of hanging around with her is the dirty politics, backstabbing and petty jealousies that plague the newsroom. For this ongoing struggle, I'd recommend you read "Backstab" and "Rubout" first, especially if you are compulsive about reading a series in order. However, that isn't necessary to enjoy this novel in which Francesca gets involved with some dedicated rehabbers in her neighborhood...including the control freak who is making a lot of people miserable. The question is just how far will the woman go to make sure the neighborhood becomes a rehabilitated showcase with rapidly increasing property values? Viets does great characters and Francesca is especially wonderful as she tries to discover a murder as well as fighting enemies among the no-clue administration team of the paper. Highly recommended.