Elaine Viets
Elaine Viets 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 twenty-five years,[1] 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.[citation needed] 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.[1]
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.[1] 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 thirty 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.[2] 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
# | Title | Publication Date | Publisher | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Back Stab | 1997 | Dell | ISBN 0-440-22431-4 |
2 | Rubout | 1998 | Dell | ISBN 0-440-61348-5 |
3 | The Pink Flamingo Murders | 1999 | Dell | ISBN 0-440-61351-5 |
4 | Doc in the Box | 2000 | Dell | ISBN 0-440-23620-7 |
Dead-End Job
# | Title | Publication Date | Publisher | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shop Till You Drop | 2003 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-20855-2 |
2 | Murder Between the Covers | 2003 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-21081-6 |
3 | Dying to Call You | 2004 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-21332-7 |
4 | Just Murdered | 2005 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-21492-7 |
5 | Murder Unleashed | 2007 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-22108-7 |
6 | Murder with Reservations | 2007 | NAL Hardcover | ISBN 0-451-22111-7 |
7 | Clubbed to Death | 2008 | NAL Hardcover | ISBN 978-1-615-51534-9 |
8 | Killer Cuts | 2009 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-22854-5 |
9 | Half-Price Homicide | 2010 | NAL Obsidian | ISBN 978-0-451-23154-3 |
10 | Pumped for Murder | 2011 | NAL Obsidian | ISBN 978-0-451-23320-2 |
11 | Final Sail | 2012 | NAL Obsidian | ISBN 978-0-451-23674-6 |
12 | Board Stiff | 2013 | NAL Obsidian | ISBN 978-0-451-23985-3 |
13 | Catnapped! | 2014 | Obsidian | ISBN 978-0-451-46630-3 |
14 | Checked Out | 2015 | NAL Premier Mystery Series | ISBN 0451466322, 9780451466327 |
15 | The Art of Murder | 2016 | NAL Berkley New American Library Premier Mystery Series | ISBN 0451476131, 9780451476135 |
Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper
# | Title | Publication Date | Publisher | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dying in Style | 2005 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-21679-2 |
2 | High Heels Are Murder | 2006 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-21988-0 |
3 | Accessory to Murder | 2007 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-22258-X |
4 | Murder with All the Trimmings | 2008 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-22548-1 |
5 | The Fashion Hound Murders | 2009 | Signet | ISBN 978-0-451-22842-0 |
6 | An Uplifting Murder | 2010 | Obsidian | ISBN 978-0-451-23170-3 |
7 | Death on a Platter | 2011 | Obsidian | ISBN 978-0-451-23524-4 |
8 | Murder Is a Piece of Cake | 2012 | Obsidian | ISBN 978-0-451-23851-1 |
9 | Fixing to Die | 2013 | Signet | ISBN 978-0-451-24098-9 |
10 | A Dog Gone Murder | 2014 | Signet | ISBN 9780451465986 |
Angela Richman, Death Investigator
# | Title | Publication Date | Publisher | ISBN | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brain Storm | 2016 | Thomas & Mercer Brilliance Audio Kindle | ISBN 1503936317, 9781503936317 | |||||
2 | Fire and Ashes | 2017 | Thomas & Mercer Brilliance Audio Kindle | ISBN 1477848800, 9781477848807 | |||||
3 | Ice Blonde | 2018 | JABberwocky Literary Agency Kindle | ISBN 1625673620, 9781625673626 | 4 | Death Grip | 2021 | JABberwocky Literary Agency Kindle | ISBN 9780727890184 |
Anthologies and collections
Title | Contents | Publication Date | Publisher | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
Images of St. Louis | Introduction | 2000 | University of Missouri | ISBN 0826206972, 9780826206978 |
Blood On Their Hands | Red Meat | 2003 | Berkley Prime Crime | ISBN 0-425-19035-8 |
High Stakes | Sex and Bingo | 2003 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-21018-2 |
The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories | Red Meat Sex and Bingo | 2004 | Forge | ISBN 0-765-31146-1 |
Chesapeake Crimes I | Wedding Knife | 2004 | Quiet Storm | ISBN 0-9749-6080-2 |
Show Business is Murder | Blonde Moment | 2004 | Berkley Prime Crime | ISBN 0-425-19652-6 |
Drop-Dead Blonde | Killer Blonde | 2005 | Signet | ISBN 0-451-21444-7 |
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine | After the Fall | January/February 2006 | ||
Many Bloody Returns | Vampire Hours | 2007 | Ace Books | ISBN 978-0-441-01522-1 |
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine | Death of a Condo Commando | May 2009 | ||
Vampires in Love | Vampire Hours | 2010 | Barnes & Noble | ISBN 978-1-435-11852-2 |
Crimes by Moonlight | The Bedroom Door | 2010 | Berkley Prime Crime | ISBN 978-0-425-23563-8 |
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine | Main Squeeze | November 2015 | ||
Happy Homicides 2: Thirteen Cozy Mysteries | Red Meat | 2016 | Spot On Publishing Kindle | |
Deal with the Devil and 13 Short Stories | The Seven | 2018 | Crippen & Landru | ISBN 1936363275, 9781936363278 |
Other books
Title | Coauthor | Publication Date | Publisher | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
Urban Affairs: Tales from the Heart of the City | 1988 | Patrice Press | ISBN 0-935284-65-6, 9780935284652 | |
Viets Guide to Sex, Travel and Anything Else That Will Sell This Book | 1993 | Patrice Press | ISBN 0-935284-72-9 | |
St. Louis: Home on the River | Quinta Scott | 1995 | Towery Pub | ISBN 1881096181, 9781881096184 |
How to Commit Monogamy: A Lighthearted Look at Long-Term Love | 1997 | Andrews McMeel Publishing | ISBN 0836227239, 9780836227239 | |
How to Survive the Happiest Day of Your Life | 1997 | Dh Audio (audio cassette) | ISBN 0886469023, 9780886469023 | |
Censored Viets | 1996 | Wildstone Audio (audio cassette) | ISBN 1882467000, 9781882467006 |
Related publications
- Kramer, Staci (February 1, 1996). "Viets-Post marriage on the rocks? Editor Woo takes over negotiations. (Includes related article on the 'Retain Elaine' party at Pancke House)". St. Louis Journalism Review. 26 (183).
- St. John, Burt (September 1, 1996). "Viets' future with the Post uncertain; she continues to build syndication". St. Louis Journalism Review. 26 (189).
References
- ^ a b c Steve Glassman (2007). Florida crime writers: 24 interviews. McFarland. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-7864-3083-3.
- ^ Ed Gorman, Martin H. Greenberg (2004). The World's Finest Mystery and Crime Stories, Volume 2 World's Finest Mystery and Crime Series (5th ed.). Macmillan. p. 275. ISBN 0-7653-1146-1.
External links
- Elaine Viets' website
- Southern Scribe interview with Elaine Viets
- Crescent Blues interview with Elaine Viets
- Writerspace interview with Elaine Viets
- v
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- Elizabeth George (1988)
- Jill Churchill (1989)
- Katherine Hall Page (1990)
- Mary Willis Walker (1991)
- Barbara Neely (1992)
- Nevada Barr (1993)
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- Jeanne M. Dams (1995)
- Anne George (1996)
- Sujata Massey (1997)
- Robin Hathaway (1998)
- Donna Andrews (1999)
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- Sarah Strohmeyer (2001)
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- Jacqueline Winspear (2003)
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- Tara Laskowski (2019)
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- Margaret Maron (2015)
- Louise Penny (2016)
- Louise Penny (2017)
- Ellen Byron (2018)
- Ann Cleeves (2019)
- Louise Penny (2020)
- Carolyn G. Hart (1988)
- Elizabeth Peters (1989)
- Nancy Pickard (1990)
- Nancy Pickard (1991)
- Margaret Maron (1992)
- Carolyn Hart (1993)
- Sharyn McCrumb (1994)
- Sharyn McCrumb (1995)
- Margaret Maron (1996)
- Kate Ross (1997)
- Laura Lippman (1998)
- Earlene Fowler (1999)
- Margaret Maron (2000)
- Rhys Bowen (2001)
- Donna Andrews (2002)
- Carolyn Hart (2003)
- Jacqueline Winspear (2004)
- Katherine Hall Page (2005)
- Nancy Pickard (2006)
- Louise Penny (2007)
- Louise Penny (2008)
- Louise Penny (2009)
- Louise Penny (2010)
- Margaret Maron (2011)
- Louise Penny (2012)
- Rhys Bowen (2011)
- Catriona McPherson (2012)
- Caroline and Charles Todd (2013)
- Rhys Bowen (2014)
- Laurie R. King (2015)
- Catriona McPherson (2016)
- Rhys Bowen (2017)
- Sujata Massey (2018)
- Edith Maxwell (2019)
- Rhys Bowen (2020)
- Barbara D'Amato (1993)
- Jean Swanson and Dean James (1994)
- Alzina Stone Dale (1995)
- Willeta L. Heisin (1996)
- Willeta L. Heisin (1997)
- Alzina Stone Dale (1998)
- Daniel Stashower (1999)
- Jim Huang (2000)
- Tony Hillerman (2001)
- Jim Huang (2002)
- Elizabeth Peters and Kristen Whitbread (2003)
- Jack French (2004)
- Melanie Rehak (2005)
- Chris Roerden (2006)
- Jon Lellenberg (2007)
- Kathy Lynn Emerson (2008)
- Elena Santangelo (2009)
- John Curran (2010)
- Leslie Budewitz (2011)
- John Connolly (2012)
- Daniel Stashower (2013)
- Hank Phillippi Ryan (2014)
- Martin Edwards (2015)
- Jane K. Cleland (2016)
- Mattias Bostrom (2017)
- Jane Cleland (2018)
- Mo Moulton (2019)
- Christina Lane (2020)
- Robert Barnard (1988)
- Sharyn McCrumb (1989)
- Joan Hess (1990)
- Margaret Maron (1991)
- Aaron Elkins and Charlotte Elkins (1992)
- M. D. Lake (1993)
- Dorothy Cannell (1994)
- Elizabeth Daniels (1995)
- Carolyn Wheat (1996)
- M. D. Lake (1997)
- Barbara D'Amato (1998)
- Nancy Pickard (1999)
- Jan Burke (2000)
- Katherine Hall Page (2001)
- Margaret Maron and Marcia Talley (2002)
- Elizabeth Foxwell (2003)
- Elaine Viets (2004)
- Marcia Talley (2005)
- Toni Kelner (2006)
- Donna Andrews (2007)
- Dana Cameron (2008)
- Hank Phillippi Ryan (2009)
- Mary Jane Maffini (2010)
- Dana Cameron (2011)
- Dana Cameron (2012)
- Art Taylor (2013)
- Art Taylor (2014)
- Barb Goffman (2015)
- Art Taylor (2016)
- Gigi Pandian (2017)
- Leslie Budewitz and Tara Laskowski (2018) (tie)
- Shawn Reilly Simmons (2019)
- Barb Goffman (2020)
- Cindy Callaghan (2018)
Young Adult Fiction
- Penny Warner (2001)
- Daniel J. Hale & Matthew LaBrot (2002)
- Kathleen Karr (2003)
- Blue Balliett (2004)
- Peter Abrahams (2005)
- Nancy Means Wright (2006)
- Sarah Masters Buckey (2007)
- Chris Grabenstein (2008)
- Chris Grabenstein (2009)
- Sarah Smith (2010)
- Chris Grabenstein (2011)
- Penny Warner (2012)
- Chris Grabenstein (2013)
- Penny Warner (2014)
- Amanda Flower (2015)
- Penny Warner (2016)
- Cindy Callaghan (2017)
- Frances Schoonmaker (2019)
- Richard Narvaez (2020)
for Lifetime Achievement
- Phyllis A. Whitney (1990)
- Mignon G. Eberhart (1994)
- Mary Stewart (1996)
- Emma Lathen (1997)
- Charlotte MacLeod (1998)
- Patricia Moyes (1999)
- Dick Francis (2000)
- Mildred Benson (2001)
- Tony Hillerman (2002)
- Barbara Mertz, Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels (2003)
- Marian Babson (2004)
- H.R.F. Keating (2005)
- Robert Barnard (2006)
- Carolyn Hart (2007)
- Peter Lovesey (2008)
- Anne Perry (2009)
- Mary Higgins Clark (2010)
- Sue Grafton (2011)
- Simon Brett (2012)
- Aaron Elkins (2013)
- Dorothy Cannell, Joan Hess and Margaret Maron (2014)
- Sara Paretsky (2015)
- Katherine Hall Page (2016)
- Charlaine Harris (2017)
- Nancy Pickard (2018)
Poirot Award
- David Suchet (2003)
- Ruth Cavin (2004)
- Angela Lansbury (2005)
- Douglas G. Greene (2006)
- Janet Hutchings and Linda Landrigan (2008)
- Kate Stine and Brian Skupin (2009)
- William Link (2010)
- Janet Rudolph (2011)
- Lee Goldberg (2012)
- Tom Schantz (2014)
- Barbara G. Peters (2016)
- Martin Edwards (2017)
- Brenda Blethyn (2018)