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Handbags and Homicide (Haley Randolph Mysteries) [Paperback]

Dorothy Howell (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Haley Randolph Mysteries June 1, 2009
Witty, smart, and always chic-to-die despite a less than glam checking account balance, Haley Randolph has it all--Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Coach, Burberry--and she'd kill for the newest Louis Vuitton handbag. It seems she's not the only one. When someone's passion for designer purses leads to murder, Haley goes shopping for a killer to clear her name...

According to Haley Randolph, you can never have enough handbags. She has one for every occasion, but that doesn't mean she won't go to any lengths to get the latest Louis Vuitton. Unfortunately for Haley, her life goes from glam to grim when her passion for fashion outlasts her credit cards, and she's forced to work during the holiday season at Holt's--a mid-market department store that doesn't even stock designer labels much to her horror.

Looking for a bit of shopping inspiration, Haley abandons the sales floor and sneaks into the stock room to get a first glimpse of Holt's ultra-fab holiday promotion--a one-of-a-kind selection of handbag styles. But instead of the newest Vuitton, Haley discovers her boss is the ultimate fashion victim. He's face-down in lingerie--stone-cold dead.

According to the security tapes, Haley was the only person in the stockroom before, during, and after the murder. With everyone in the store eyeing her like last season's Marc Jacobs, Haley turns to the hunky Ty Cameron, who heads up the store's loss prevention unit, to help her investigate the murder.

In a race to clear her rep, Haley's knowledge of hot trends will take her from the sales floor to the boardroom to the gritty streets of L.A.'s Garment District. Now, Haley must find a killer with impeccable fashion taste...and get her hands on that perfectly checkered Louis Vuitton bag before time runs out...

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Howell's winning debut introduces Haley Randolph, a self-described crazed, obsessive, handbag whore, whose designer bag addiction has put her into mega–credit card debt. After Haley loses her accounting job with a prestigious Los Angeles law firm because of suspected embezzlement, she takes a part-time job during the Christmas season at Holt's Department Store, where she connects with Ty Cameron, the store's gorgeous young owner. When Haley becomes a murder suspect after finding the corpse of Holt's despised assistant manager, she resolves to find the true killer. Haley's amusing narrative voice energizes the crime solving and canoodling (Oh my God, what was I thinking? I couldn't have sex with Ty Cameron to keep my job—I could under other circumstances, of course—but not for a job at Holt's). Reminiscent of Reese Witherspoon's character in the Legally Blonde films, Haley evolves from a total airhead into a semi-airhead without breaking a nail. A cool cliffhanger will leave readers eager for Haley's next adventure. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Haley Randolph is a designer-handbag addict. To support her habit, she supplements her job as a finance clerk at Los Angeles law firm Pike Warner with a position at Holt’s, a middling department store. Things go awry when, in the space of a few days, she discovers the Holt’s assistant manager murdered in the storeroom, and stands accused of embezzlement at Pike Warner. To clear her name on both counts, Haley investigates her coworkers with the help of Jack, a sexy PI. She also develops a crush on Ty Cameron, the young scion of the Holt’s chain. Howell, who under the pen name Judith Stacy has written 22 historical-romance novels, now takes on the mystery genre with the first in a series featuring quick-to-learn new sleuth Haley. A twist on the traditional whodunit, this light mystery makes up for a lack of gripping suspense with lots of humor and style. --Aleksandra Walker --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Kensington; Reprint edition (June 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0758223757
  • ISBN-13: 978-0758223753
  • Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dorothy Howell has sold 28 novels to three major New York publishing houses. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages with sales approaching 3 million copies worldwide.

She currently writes for two publishing houses, in two genres, under two names.

Dorothy writes the hilarious fashion sleuth Haley Randolph mystery series, available from Kensington Books. Foreign rights to the series have sold in the U.K., France, Poland and Thailand. The books are available in hardcover, paperback, large print and e-book formats.

Dorothy also writes historical romance novels under the pen name Judith Stacy. Her titles include a Harlequin Historical Top Seller for the Year, a No.1 on the Barnes & Noble Historical List, and a RITA Award Finalist. They are available in paperback and e-book formats.

Dorothy is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America.

Visit her on Facebook and at: www.DorothyHowellNovels.com and www.JudithStacy.com.

 

Customer Reviews

32 Reviews
5 star:
 (22)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun new series!, June 27, 2008
I have to say I usually don't spend money for a hardcover for a first in a new series, but the cover looked so appealing, and the story sounded like fun (I'm a designer purse lover myself), so I bought it and am I glad I did. I laughed out loud so many times my husband kept coming into the living room asking me what was so funny!

Haley Randolph is a delight, as is her best friend, Marcie Hanover. Haley's a young gal(twenty-something) that finds herself involved in two police investigations (one a murder). After being placed on a non-paid leave from her day job (at a law firm), Haley takes a part-time job in a department store, and this is where the fun begins. Haley has an addiction to designer purses, and the things she'll do to get one, is just a riot.

I particularly loved the part of this story that dealt with the department store. From the cute owner of Holt's Department store...to the other workers (both nice and nasty ones), Haley's thoughts and comments about different situations she's in or observes is just hysterical. It's rare that a writer can pull off a character like this, IMO. Either they sound like total idiots, or they sound like nasty you-know-what's, but the author has done a wonderful job with Haley. You really will like Haley and root for her as she's put in situations that seem like she'll never be able to overcome.

This mystery, in addition to having lots of fun moments with Haley, is a true cozy mystery. There's plenty of clues and red-herrings, and the story moves along at a good pace. I really had no clue, until the end, who was responsible for the crimes that are committed in this novel.

Dorothy Howell is a wonderful writer. She's written a great mystery...but in addition, the characters she created are fun and refreshingly different than a lot of the characters in cozies. And at the end of this novel, there's an unusual twist with one of the characters, and I'm really anxious to see when this character shows up in the next book in the series.

This book was so much fun that I am going to take it along with me on vacation next month, and read it again. I rarely do this.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny new series!, July 7, 2008
By 
Amy Leemon (North Fond du Lac, WI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   
Haley Randolph is not someone you would want as a friend and you CERTAINLY would not like to work with her! She's completely self-centered, thoughtless and inconsiderate. Her credit cards are maxed out and she has a "troubling miscalculation" in her checking account. She is on administrative leave from her job in the accounting department (WHAT were they thinking??!) at a prestigious law firm. So her only source of income is from her second job at Holt's Department Store.

At Holt's she manages to avoid work as much as possible and it is when she is in the stockroom (after taking a rest on the Laura Ashley Bed in a Bag) she discovers the body of her boss. She manages to call the authorities and keep everything under control - which is the only positive thing she does in the book. Of course, she never imagines that she will be under suspicion from the police for the crime. Of course, she never imagined she would be suspected of embezzlement at her law firm either. But she is.

Even tho Haley is so unlikeable, by the end of the book I actually found myself cheering for her. And that shows what a good author Dorothy Howell really is.

This book is funny and the scenes of the various departments of Holt's are unbeatable.

For a quick, funny read I highly recommend this book.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars GLAM, GLITZ, AND MURDER***** (5 Stars), July 3, 2008
By 
Sandra R. Maike "mailwhiz" (In the Middle of No-where, Ks.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   
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This is a GREAT 1st Novel in a Series!! I'm always anxious about purchasing a hardback when it is a 1st in a series....but this one absolutely hit the spot!! I laughed until I almost cried!! My husband also asked what in the world could be so funny!! Course I was reading it in bed also....not something I normally do!!

Haley is a World Class Shopper....no matter how LITTLE MONEY she has/or is able to get!! Thank Heavens that this is so very funny....and about such important things as designer handbags!! I love them also...I just can't afford them comfortably. I would rather buy more books I guess!!

This is a must read!! I can hardly wait for the 2nd in this series. I hope she doesn't make us wait too long!!
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