Elaine Viets

Elaine Viets is a Midwestern American newspaperwoman and mystery writer.

A native of the working-class white southside of St. Louis, Missouri, the statuesque (almost two meters) Viets became a long-time popular media figure in St. Louis. She was a regular columnist for the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" for twenty-five years, her columns focussing 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, which became the locale for her next novels, the Dead-End Jobs series. Viets researches these books by herself 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. 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' fellow contributors to [http://thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com/the_lipstick_chronicles/2007/04/elaine_viets.html The Lipstick Chronicles] reported that Viets had suffered a stroke. According to [http://thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com/the_lipstick_chronicles/2007/04/elaine_update.html a subsequent update] , Viets is recovering well and is again creating mysteries based on real life and the people who live it.

Publications

Francesca Vierling series

*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 1997
title = Back Stab
publisher = Dell
id = ISBN 0-440-22431-4
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 1998
title = Rubout
publisher = Dell
id = ISBN 0-440-61348-5
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 1999
title = The Pink Flamingo Murders
publisher = Dell
id = ISBN 0-440-61351-5
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2000
title = Doc in the Box
publisher = Dell
id = ISBN 0-440-23620-7

Dead-End Job series

*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2003
title = Shop Till You Drop
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-20855-2
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2003
title = Murder Between the Covers
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-21081-6
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2004
title = Dying to Call You
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-21332-7
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2005
title = Just Murdered
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-21492-7
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2007
title = Murder Unleashed
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-22108-7
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2007
title = Murder with Reservations
publisher = NAL Hardcover
id = ISBN 0-451-22111-7
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2008
title = Clubbed to Death
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-22394-4

Josie Marcus series

*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2005
title = Dying in Style: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-21679-2
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2006
title = High Heels Are Murder: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-21988-0
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2007
title = Accessory to Murder: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-22258-X
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 2008
title = Murder with All the Trimmings: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-22548-1

hort stories and novelettes

*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
editor = Lawrence Block (editor)
year = 2004
title = Blood on Their Hands
publisher = Berkley
id = ISBN 0-425-19924-X
chapter = Red Meat
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
editor = Stuart M. Kaminsky (editor)
year = 2004
title = Show Business Is Murder
publisher = Berkley
id = ISBN 0-425-19652-6
chapter = Blonde Moment
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
editor = Stuart M. Kaminsky (editor)
year = 2004
title = Chesapeake Crimes
publisher = Quiet Storm
id = ISBN 0-9749608-0-2
chapter = Wedding Knife
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
others = Elaine Viets, Nancy Martin, Denise Swanson, Victoria Laurie
year = 2005
title = Drop-Dead Blonde
publisher = Signet
id = ISBN 0-451-21444-7
chapter = Killer Blonde

Other books

*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
others = Viets et al
year = 1988
title = Urban Affairs: Tales from the Heart of the City
publisher = Patrice Press
id = ISBN 0-935284-65-6
chapter =
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
edition = 3rd
year = 1993
title = Viets Guide to Sex, Travel and Anything Else That Will Sell This Book
publisher = Patrice Press
id = ISBN 0-935284-72-9
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
others = Viets et al
year = 1995
title = St. Louis: Home on the River (Urban Tapestry)
publisher =
id =
chapter =
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 1997
title = How to Commit Monogamy: A Lighthearted Look at Long-Term Love
publisher = Andrews McMeel
id = ISBN 0-8362-2723-9
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 1997
title = How to Survive the Happiest Day of Your Life (audio cassette)
publisher = Dh Audio
id = 0886469023
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
year = 1998
title = Censored Viets [UNABRIDGED] (audio cassette)
publisher = Wildstone Audio
id = 1882467000
*cite book
last = Viets
first = Elaine
editor = Quinta Scott (editor)
year = 2000
title = Images of St. Louis
publisher = University of Missouri Press
id = ISBN 0-8262-0697-2
chapter = Introduction

Related publications

*cite journal
last = Kramer
first = Staci
year = 1996
month = February 1
title = Viets-Post marriage on the rocks? Editor Woo takes over negotiations. (Includes related article on the 'Retain Elaine' party at Pancke House)
journal = St. Louis Journalism Review
volume = 26
issue = 183
*cite journal
last = St. John
first = Burt
year = 1996
month = September 1
title = Viets' future with the Post uncertain; she continues to build syndication.
journal = St. Louis Journalism Review
volume = 26
issue = 189

External links

* [http://www.elaineviets.com/ Elaine Viets' website]
* [http://www.southernscribe.com/zine/authors/Viets_Elaine.htm Southern Scribe interview with Elaine Viets]
* [http://www.crescentblues.com/3_3issue/viets.shtml Crescent Blues interview with Elaine Viets]
* [http://www.writerspace.com/interviews/eviets0205.html Writerspace interview with Elaine Viets]

Persondata
NAME = Viets, Elaine
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = American writer
DATE OF BIRTH =
PLACE OF BIRTH = St. Louis, Missouri, United States
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =