One morning, EJ finds a man dead outside of the mall; at first, she thinks he is a homeless man, but then realizes he is one of the gang members she saw hanging out in the mall the day before.  Unfortunately for the local police, and mall security, the bank of cameras has not been working, and EJ, to the displeasure of her boss, something that gives her pause, has called the company to repair them. 

Detective Hellend is on the case, much to EJ’s delight, and relies on EJ to be his contact inside the mall.  Going from store to store, EJ hears a lot of the mall gossip and learns that not only are gangs a growing problem but there may be something much more serious and deadly.  When another shooting occurs, this one much closer to EJ, she turns up her investigation not realizing how close a murderer is to her.

Well-plotted with interesting likable characters, All Sales Fatal is a nice balance between cozy amateur sleuth and police procedural as EJ is so much a part of Hellend’s investigation.  EJ is capable and no nonsense, with a dry wit, and is willing to give her current job her all, even though it is not what she had hoped and thought she would be doing at this stage in her life. 

Her grandfather, playing the part of the Easter bunny, is fun and offers a light-hearted sidekick to EJ’s more serious nature.  There are several things for EJ to uncover with this murder, beginning with the identity of the man and whether the events that led to this man’s death have anything to do with the increased gang activity at the mall or it is just coincidental. 

The higher-up at the mall like and respect EJ and her work and even though this may not be the police force of her dreams, she may be able to build a life in Virginia for herself, with her grandfather and even possibly Hellend.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry