Rubout [Paperback]

Elaine Viets (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Dell Publishing Company (1980)
• ASIN: B000N775LC
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

More About the Author

I write my novels with the help of Harry, a striped cat who sleeps by my computer and lashes the keyboard with his tail. He whips me into a writing frenzy.
Harry collaborates on two series, the Dead-end Job mysteries and the Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper series. He's doing a good job -- I just signed a contract with NAL/Signet for two more books in each series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An author to watch in a must read mystery, April 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Rubout (Mass Market Paperback)

Francesca Vierling is elated to be attending the annual Leather and Lace Biker's Society Ball as a guest not as a reporter for the St. Louis City Gazette. In spite of her lover refusing to accompany her, Francesca she still has a good time. However, that changes when high society member Sydney Vander Venter, a surprise attendee is found murdered.

The police believe either one of Sydney's relatives (she was in the midst of a highly publicized, ugly divorce) or one of the bikers (she made several enemies at the ball) killed her. The prime biker suspects turn to Francesca for help. They know about her success in solving a previous case (see BACKSTAB) and feel she can prove their innocence. The amateur sleuth reluctantly begins to investigate who killed the victim.

RUBOUT, the second novel in the Vierling amateur sleuth series, is a fun to read mystery because of the well-developed and very interesting support ensemble. The story line has enough red herrings that interweave with the main plot to please fans of the sub-genre. Francesca is a wonderful character, whose motivations are obvious but honest . Elaine Viets confirms that she is a rising talent whom fans of the sub-genre need to pay attention to because they will obtain their money's worth with her novels.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lot of fun, August 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Rubout (Mass Market Paperback)

I grew up in St. Louis and was familiar with Elaine Viets' funny Post-Dispatch columns about city life, so when I saw she had written a mystery I was eager to see what it was like. I wasn't disappointed. It was fun to read a mystery with references to my home town, and the satire about the newspaper where her heroine works was especially funny since I've worked on newspapers for quite a number of years. My only criticism is that it was fairly easy to figure out who the killer was, but I still enjoyed the book immensely and highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for mystery fans!!, August 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rubout (Mass Market Paperback)

Viets gives us savy, sharp witted Francesca Verling and a great read! An inside look at the world of the newspaper game, suspense and characters to easily become attached to/or despise. They are honest, gritty and her descriptions are priceless!