Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Tipping the Valet: A Workplace Mystery - K.K. Beck

Tipping the Valet: A Workplace Mystery
K.K. Beck
Perseverance, Sep 9 2015, $15.95
ISBN 9781564745637

University of Washington student Tyler Benson works as the Lead Service Associate at Elite Valet.  The Seattle Account Manager for the Pittsburgh-based firm Jessica assigns Tyler to the top local account, the downtown exclusive Alba Restaurant for a one-night gala.

However, to his embarrassment, Tyler’s alcoholic dad makes an appearance at Alba’s properly dressed as a drunk in slippers.  At the same a mortified Tyler tries to get his father to leave; a drive-by shooting aimed at techie billionaire Scott Duckworth occurs.  Inadvertently Tyler finds a gun and a corpse in the trunk of a car in Alba’s parking lot.  Things turn odder to bewildered Tyler as cars are stolen, his dad seems to be part of a crime ring and he has no idea where Flavia Torcelli fits in the fiasco though he knows where he wants her to fit.  All that is tame compared to the SPD and the Russian Mafia targeting Tyler though he confused as to why him.

This amusing, frantic suspense is a zany student in peril that any moment seems on the verge of going over the top of Mt. Rainier, but K.K. Beck shows her talent by keeping the storyline focused.  Fans of madcap thrillers will relish the first Workplace Mystery as we root for the beleaguered valet to survive for another novel.


Harriet Klausner

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