‘Killer Cuts’: Murder and mayhem among the tanned rich

   Finding a great new mystery series is like finding treasure to those of us whose favorite authors can’t write fast enough.
   Florida produces its share of good mystery writers. The great John D. MacDonald comes to mind with his classics featuring private eye Travis McGee, books such as "The Long Lavender Look" and "Darker Than Amber." Then of course there’s Elmore Leonard of "Get Shorty" fame. Not to mention Carl Hiaasen, Edna Buchanan, etc., etc.
   Maybe it’s something in the saltwater. Perhaps it’s the reaction of a born writer, living in the semitropics, lulled by the surf, blessed by the sun and thinking that it’s all just too good to be true. Or it could be that beautiful Florida attracts a lot of shady characters who’d prefer to live their criminal lives in pleasant surroundings, and who provide inspiration, if you want to call it that, for some great stories.
   Elaine Viets is my latest author find out of Florida. Though I just discovered her, she has been writing for a while, and I’m looking forward to reading her 11 earlier books. She has two series going, "Dead-End Job" and "Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper." Part of the charm of her books — she writes about regular people.
   "Killer Cuts" (2009, Obsidian), her latest, features amateur detective Helen Hawthorne, the star of Viets’ "Dead-End Jobs" series. Hawthorne is hiding out from a lazy and avaricious ex-spouse, so she takes whatever jobs she can find — this time as assistant to a celebrity hairstylist in his Fort Lauderdale salon.
   Helen is a witness when the stylist tangles with a famous cable TV show host and threats fly. When the TV host turns up dead, Helen sets out to clear her boss of murder, and soon begins receiving threats herself.
   "Killer Cuts" is hilarious, entertaining, peopled with colorful characters right off the streets of South Florida. Viets has worked at the dead-end jobs featured in her books, and her insights into the minds of South Florida’s uber-rich are priceless. After reading this, you’ll never look at the Beautiful People the same way.
   "Killer Cuts" isn’t a psychological study of the criminal mind in the style of P.D. James. The characters aren’t the complicated souls of Elizabeth George’s wonderful English detective series.This is a Florida mystery — sunny, funny and a great read for a beach afternoon.