Designer Dirty Laundry [Paperback]

Diane Vallere (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2012

Samantha Kidd, ex-buyer turned Trend Specialist, designed her future with couture precision, but finding the Fashion Director's corpse on day one leaves her hanging by a thread. When the killer fabricates evidence that puts the cops on her hemline, she trades high fashion for dirty laundry and reveals a cast of characters out for blood. Now this flatfoot in heels must keep pace with a diabolical designer before she gets marked down for murder.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...the book is enriched by the author's cleverly phrased prose and convincing characterization. The surprise ending will satisfy and delight many mystery fans. A diverting mystery that offers laughs and chills."-Kirkus Reviews

"There is a lot of fashion talk in the book, as this is an area in which the author has significant expertise, and...the reader gets to know about the big buckets of activity in the fashion value chain and some industry trends. Overall, an impressive cozy mystery from a promising author."
-Mystery Tribune

...the book is enriched by the author's cleverly phrased prose and convincing characterization. The surprise ending will satisfy and delight many mystery fans. A diverting mystery that offers laughs and chills --Kirkus Reviews

There is a lot of fashion talk in the book, as this is an area in which the author has significant expertise, and...the reader gets to know about the big buckets of activity in the fashion value chain and some industry trends. Overall, an impressive cozy mystery from a promising author. --Mystery Tribune

About the Author

Diane Vallere is a 20-year retail fashion veteran with a taste for murder. She started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since.

Product Details

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: Polyester Press; 1st in the Style & Error Mystery Series edition (June 5, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984965300
• ISBN-13: 978-0984965304
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,521,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a textbook Capricorn, I write mysteries, and I love fashion, which means I can turn you into a character and make it look like you don't know how to accessorize.

I write two series, the Style & Error Mystery series, kicked off with DESIGNER DIRTY LAUNDRY (June 2012) and the Mad for Mod series, starting with PILLOW STALK (October 2012). I also have short stories available: "Just Kidding" (a prequel to DESIGNER DIRTY LAUNDRY), "Identity Crisis" in FISH TALES: The Guppy Anthology, and "Independence Day" in the WG2E All for Indies Viva La Valentine Anthology.

Find out more about me at www.dianevallere.com, follow me on twitter @dianevallere, or say hi on facebook. Telepathy works, too. Sometimes.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun June 13, 2012

By gmt

Format:Paperback

Diane Vallere takes us into the world of designer clothes, department store life, and murder. And it isn't the murder of being the first in line for the biggest department store sale of the year. When Samantha Kidd reports for work at her new job as a trend specialist at an upscale department store, she expects her new job could be a challenge. She didn't expect the challenge would be to prove she didn't murder her new boss. Some employees might be tempted to slay their bosses, but on their first day? "Designer Dirty Laundry" is a fast-paced, enjoyable read with great characters and lots of humor. Set aside some time to read this uninterrupted--you won't want to put it down.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Designed to Satisfy July 16, 2012

By Gayle Bartos-Pool

Format:Paperback

Diane Vallere's debut novel, Designer Dirty Laundry, hit the runway recently and is a total trendsetter. Her style alone is worth the read, but there is a terrific plot stitched together with subtle clues that kept this reviewer guessing until the mask was finally stripped away from the real killer at the end.

Vallere's fashion sense makes this book visually appealing as she sets up the story of Samantha Kidd, a fashion buyer working in New York City who moves back to her hometown to find herself. She has been offered a job at the trendiest store in town by one of the top designers in the country. The grand old man of design approached her outside of the store and all of their meetings were slightly sub-rosa, so when she goes to work the first day, nobody is expecting her. And when she sees her new boss's body slumped in the elevator, Samantha and Nick Taylor, a high-ticket shoe designer, are the only witnesses. This fashionista has a quick wit like when she finds herself in the local police station and she comments on how "the morning had left me more vice squad than fashion police." This is a fun gal.

But there is no body and the police start thinking Samantha is just a nut, because she has seen a body that nobody can find, an emergency technician who wasn't there, a laptop that's missing, and has a job nobody can verify was ever offered. Samantha starts thinking, "Nobody had warned me that crimes of fashion were to be a part of my job."

She meets a young guy at work who seems to take an interest in her story. She had actually helped him out back in their high school days and he never forgot, but his help might not be the kind she needs.

The boss does seem to be missing, and it might have something to do with a fashion contest that is going on at the moment to pick the next fashion trendsetter. Both Patrick, the missing boss, and an older design maven, Maries, were set to judge the competition. But when Samantha starts checking into the finalists in the competition, some of the people have more skeletons than clothes in their closets.

Then Patrick's body is discovered in the Dumpster behind the store on the same night Samantha was locked in the store and somebody slips her a note that says they are setting her up for the murder.

Vallere's witty heroine keeps the mood light even if the next thing you read has Samantha Kidd in danger right up to her lace-trimmed neckline. Here's a girl who's fashion sense is her life and it just might mean her death.

A very good read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read July 11, 2012

By cjfergie

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This novel grabbed my attention in the first chapter. Samantha Kidd stumbles upon a dead body and ends up the prime suspect for his murder. This designer turns detective to clear her name but the more she investigates, the more involved she seems to become. With all the twists and turns you will quickly finish this book. I hope Diane Vallere brings fun, quirky Samantha Kidd back to life in another novel soon.

Pillow StalkI've already pre-ordered Ms Vallere's next novel Pillow Stalk.