Working Stiff: A Sofie Metropolis Novel [Hardcover]

Tori Carrington (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sofie Metropolis | Publication Date: September 2, 2008

Sofie Metropolis’s PI business is so successful at finding missing spouses and lost pets and at proving insurance fraud that she’s hired new staff, including her (formerly) layabout cousin. 

There are two men in Sofie’s life: sexy Greek baker Dino, who found a place in her heart—and bed—in Foul Play, and man-of-mystery Jake Porter, whose Australian accent is guaranteed to turn Sofie’s knees to water. 

The week before Halloween, a body disappears from Sofie’s Aunt’s funeral home. It might be a holiday prank, but Sofie’s barely begun to investigate when she’s handed a truly hot case:  prove the innocence of someone already on trial for murder! 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Carrington's entertaining fourth Sofie Metropolis novel (after 2007's Foul Play), the Queens Greek-American PI is on the hunt for an all-dressed-up-and-ready-to-be-viewed corpse that's been snatched from her aunt's funeral home. Sofie is also trying to prove the innocence of Johnny Laughton, a young man from the projects about to go on trial for the murder of his socially upscale girlfriend a year earlier, though her body was never found. Despite a heartbroken secretary, a meddling mother, and vampires and necrophiliacs for neighbors, Sofie pursues both cases with aplomb. Meanwhile, still recovering from the left-at-the-altar fiasco detailed in Sofie Metropolis (2005), she consoles herself in a no-strings fling with Dino Antonopoulos, a pastry shop owner, until Jake Porter, a sexy Australian bounty hunter, upsets her libido. While the plot tends to meander, romance, humor and appealing characters will keep readers happily turning the pages. (Sept.)
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From Booklist

After taking over her uncle’s private-detective agency, most of Sofie Metropolis’ cases have involved cheating spouses or missing pets. This time, however, she must locate a body that has disappeared from her aunt’s funeral home and prove a teen is innocent of the murder for which he is soon to stand trial. Along with her staff, including her cousin Pete and her ever-efficient office manager, Rosie, Sofie solves both cases, but nearly at great personal cost. Complicating matters, Sofie is also interested in two men: the family-approved Greek baker Dino and the mysterious, somewhat dangerous Australian bounty hunter Jake; finally, a misunderstanding leads to a rift with her beloved sister. Steeped in its Queens, New York, setting and the complex dynamics of Sofie’s large Greek-American family, the story still manages to move swiftly, buoyed by Sofie’s first-person narration and by her growing confidence in her detecting abilities. Fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels will enjoy this series, now in its fourth installment. --Sue O'Brien

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765317443
• ISBN-13: 978-0765317445
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,447,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tori Carrington is the pen name of nationally best-selling, award-winning authors Lori Schlachter Karayianni and Tony Karayianni. Their over 50 published novels include titles for Harlequin Blaze, Temptation, Signature Series and Silhouette Special Edition, and their hardcover comedic-mystery series Sofie Metropolis, PI. For more info, visit http://www.toricarrington.net, http://www.facebook.com/toricarrington http://www.myspace.com/toricarrington and http://www.twitter.com/toricarrington

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's really a, December 3, 2008

By 

Susan "loverofbooks" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Working Stiff: A Sofie Metropolis Novel (Hardcover)

3.5 star but I chose to go above rather than below....that's for the hopes that the authors will move FAR AWAY from the Stephanie Plum plot lines and define themselves as well as Sofie in a more original manner.
(My fingers are crossed with Hope.)

The four stars I gave is also for the enjoyment, as well as the frustration I experienced while reading this book. As the reviewer stated, I did want to turn the pages.

Having gotten thru the 14 Plum books, and with the last of them in the not so hot category (read that as I'm ready to peel away from Plum-pun intended), I don't need a clone to take its place. So I will read the next Sofie, but will not spend my hard-earned money and take it out of the library. With any luck at all, the Carrington's will see the error of their ways and GET ORIGINAL...

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Last Sofie Metropolis book for me, September 29, 2008

By 

ellen "ellen in atlanta" (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Working Stiff: A Sofie Metropolis Novel (Hardcover)

I am a Greek American woman. When I see there is a book or a character that I can relate to, I am delighted to support and enjoy.
The Sofie Metropolis series has been a roller coster ride for me. A Greek girl from Astoria Queens who stands on her own feet making a living as a PI (in training) makes for a great premise. Add the Greek factor - Astoria is as Greek a place as you can get this side of the Atlantic - well, it is a premise for a lot of fun...except...this series has been a Stephanie Plum wannabee from page one of the 1st book. A shame because it could have been awesome. Sofie meets a handsome Greek baker, whom she is now having a secret affair...not very believable from my experience of being a Greek in a Greek community, but I liked Dino and said great - now we're getting somewhere...no. It doesn't work out smoothly and is messed up in Working Stiff. The dynamic between Sofie, Dino, and Porter (the Aussie man of mystery) doesn't work as well as Stephanie, Joe and Ranger from the Plum series -
There are more eye rolls in this series and particularly Stiff, you need Dramamine. Every other page it seems. Don't get me wrong - it has a place - just not the only thing. It seems this is the only reaction the characters are capable of...
I appreciate that there are Greek recipes at the end of the books - especially for frappe, (in earlier books) which is a biggie in Greece - not my cup of tea, but it is very Greek. The recipes are a great touch and seem to be accurate.
Sofie Metropolis is a cute premise. Has a lot of potential. But it needs a great deal of attention to make it a viable series with a big following.
It didn't come together for me.
I will peek at future books of this series, but for now, maybe I'd buy paperbacks of this series.
Also the ending of this book has a word in Greek I think supposed to mean 'end' - telos - it is spelled TELOF - a looksee would have been good. It may be refering to something else, but...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who thought dead bodies could be so much fun?, April 2, 2010

By 

S. Gregoire "themightyempress1" (Elkhorn, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Working Stiff: A Sofie Metropolis Novel (Sofie Metropolis Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Sofie's at it again. Only this time her cousins body goes missing and her aunt wants her to find it before news leaks out.
In her normal pattern of chaos and accidental blunders Sofie does this
and more--like catching her boyfriend and sister together--Is this for real? Sending Sofie over the edge. All comes together in a very creepy end. I waiting for a 5th novel.