Elaine Viets (born 1950) is a Midwestern American newspaperwoman and mystery writer.
Life and career A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Viets has a degree in journalism and became a longtime popular media figure in St. Louis. She was a regular columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 25 years, her columns focusing mostly on local issues and human-interest fare. She also hosted the local light-news television program Viets Beat, for which she won Emmy Awards in 1989 and 1990. After moving to Washington, D.C. and leaving the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Viets wrote a syndicated column carried by United Feature Syndicate and later by United Media.
She also began writing mystery novels and eventually left the newspaper business almost entirely to become a full-time novelist. Viets first drew on her professional experience to produce four novels set in St. Louis and featuring fictional St. Louis newspaper columnist Francesca Vierling (and exciting speculation over which characters might represent real-life Post-Dispatch figures).
By the time she had written the last of these, Viets had relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1997, which became the locale for her next novels, the Dead-End Jobs series. Viets researches these books herself by taking the same sort of low-level dead-end jobs—telemarketer, shop clerk, and so forth—as the series' protagonist, Helen Hawthorne.
Viets, married for over 30 years to author and actor Don Crinklaw, is active in the trade organizations Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She is a board member of the Mystery Writers of America. In 2004, she was nominated for three Agatha Awards. In 2005, she won awards presented for Best Short Story at two notable mystery conventions: an Agatha Award at Malice Domestic Ltd and an Anthony Award at Bouchercon, both for her story Wedding Knife.
On April 11, 2007, Viets's fellow contributors to The Lipstick Chronicles reported that Viets had suffered a stroke. According to a subsequent update, Viets is recovering well and is again creating mysteries based on real life and the people who live it.
She appeared one the very first episode of Mythbusters during the "Biscuit Bullet" story.
Publications
Francesca Vierling, Newspaper Columnist #TitlePublication DatePublisherISBN1Back Stab1997Dell2Rubout1998Dell3The Pink Flamingo Murders1999Dell4Doc in the Box2000Dell
Dead-End Job #TitlePublication DatePublisherISBN1Shop Till You Drop2003Signet2Murder Between the Covers2003Signet3Dying to Call You2004Signet4Just Murdered2005Signet5Murder Unleashed2007Signet6Murder with Reservations2007NAL Hardcover7Clubbed to Death2008NAL Hardcover8Killer Cuts2009Signet9Half-Price Homicide2010NAL Obsidian10Pumped for Murder2011NAL Obsidian11Final Sail2012NAL Obsidian12Board Stiff2013NAL Obsidian13Catnapped!2014Obsidian14Checked Out2015NAL Premier Mystery Series15The Art of Murder2016NAL Berkley
New American Library
Premier Mystery Series
Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper #TitlePublication DatePublisherISBN1Dying in Style2005Signet2High Heels Are Murder2006Signet3Accessory to Murder2007Signet4Murder with All the Trimmings2008Signet5The Fashion Hound Murders2009Signet6An Uplifting Murder2010Obsidian7Death on a Platter2011Obsidian8Murder Is a Piece of Cake2012Obsidian9Fixing to Die2013Signet10A Dog Gone Murder2014Signet
Angela Richman, Death Investigator #TitlePublication DatePublisherISBN1Brain Storm2016Thomas & Mercer
Brilliance Audio
Kindle2Fire and Ashes2017Thomas & Mercer
Brilliance Audio
Kindle3Ice Blonde2018JABberwocky Literary Agency
Kindle4Death Grip2021JABberwocky Literary Agency
Kindle
Anthologies and collections TitleContentsPublication DatePublisherISBNImages of St. LouisIntroduction2000University of MissouriBlood On Their HandsRed Meat2003Berkley Prime CrimeHigh StakesSex and Bingo2003Signet The World's Finest Mystery and Crime StoriesRed Meat Sex and Bingo2004Forge Chesapeake Crimes IWedding Knife2004Quiet StormShow Business is MurderBlonde Moment2004Berkley Prime CrimeDrop-Dead BlondeKiller Blonde2005SignetAlfred Hitchcock Mystery MagazineAfter the FallJanuary/February 2006Many Bloody ReturnsVampire Hours2007Ace BooksAlfred Hitchcock Mystery MagazineDeath of a Condo CommandoMay 2009Vampires in LoveVampire Hours2010Barnes & NobleCrimes by MoonlightThe Bedroom Door2010Berkley Prime CrimeAlfred Hitchcock Mystery MagazineMain SqueezeNovember 2015Happy Homicides 2: Thirteen Cozy MysteriesRed Meat2016Spot On Publishing KindleDeal with the Devil and 13 Short StoriesThe Seven2018Crippen & Landru
Other books TitleCoauthorPublication DatePublisherISBNUrban Affairs: Tales from the Heart of the City1988Patrice PressViets Guide to Sex, Travel and Anything Else That Will Sell This Book1993Patrice PressSt. Louis: Home on the RiverQuinta Scott1995Towery PubHow to Commit Monogamy: A Lighthearted Look at Long-Term Love1997Andrews McMeel PublishingHow to Survive the Happiest Day of Your Life1997Dh Audio (audio cassette)Censored Viets1996Wildstone Audio (audio cassette)
Related publications
References
External links Elaine Viets' website Southern Scribe interview with Elaine Viets Crescent Blues interview with Elaine Viets Writerspace interview with Elaine Viets