Mayhem in High Heels [Mass Market Paperback]

Gemma Halliday (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2009 | Series: High Heels

Maddie's planning a wedding, but with a killer on the loose, "'til death do you part" might come a lot sooner than she thinks!

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Halliday resumes the story of Maddie Springer, shoe designer and amateur sleuth, a week before her marriage to hunky Los Angeles police detective Jack Ramirez. When she finds her wedding planner facedown in frosting with a knife sticking out of her back, she knows that to leave on time for their honeymoon, she needs to help Jack solve the case. Her two best friends step in not only to help find the killer but also to serve as her new wedding planners. In between dress fittings and pedicures, Maddie and her crew visit everyone associated with the victim’s personal and professional life. Meanwhile, the guest list grows longer, and a tropical-themed ceremony coalesces, complete with giant tiki heads. As every lead turns into a dead end, Maddie’s big day seems doomed. Funny and appealing, Halliday’s hapless detective is a pleasure to watch as she somehow manages to solve another mystery. --Maria Hatton

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 303 pages
• Publisher: Making It (January 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843961090
• ISBN-13: 978-0843961096
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay, but . . ., February 13, 2009

By 

Jane Myers Perrine (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mayhem in High Heels (Mass Market Paperback)

I have enjoyed all the HIGH HEELS books. In fact, if this had been the first one, I probably would have enjoyed it much more than I did, but Ms. Halliday has spoiled me. To me, this one seemed as if the writer were on autopilot, not really polishing the humor as she had in previous books in the series.

And I agree about the guest list. On the same page, it's mentioned the invitations have gone out--then she starts cutting the list. Certainly her own mother knows she can't afford 400 guests. Yes, I know this is a humorous novel, but the reader stops to wonder because the humor isn't grounded and has little motivation. Also, I couldn't believe the wedding was so soon--and she hasn't tasted the cake or chosen place cards or had the final fitting of her wedding dress? And certanly her friends know what she wants for her wedding, so when they completely change the bridesmaids' dresses--WHAT?

All in all, Ms. Halliday has stretched for the humor that seemed to flow so easily (and I know humor isn't easy)in the earlier books. This felt like the last in a series, as if the author is looking ahead, anxious to start something new.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Romance with grit, suspense and murder, December 20, 2008

By 

Michele L. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mayhem in High Heels (Mass Market Paperback)

Maddie Springer is getting married in this last installment in the HIGH HEELS series by Gemma Halliday to the hot, sexy homicide detective Jack Ramirez. When her wedding planner is found murdered all mayhem breaks loose. Will Maddie's wedding day be flan or flambé?

MAYHEM IN HIGH HEELS is a hilarious, suspenseful murder mystery. It is brimming with all the key characters from the HIGH HEEL series. Maddie Springer is anxious; hiccups ensue, as she tries to locate a killer after her stylish wedding planner, Gigi, is murdered. Maddie's fiancé Ramirez is in charge of the case. As the two of them work against time to solve the murder, bets are made, and they learn that their love for one another runs deep. Maddie's best friends Dana and Marco assist her with her wedding and unraveling the murder mystery much to her apprehension. What a hilarious pair of friends, but they are true friends in every sense of the word!

I love how Gemma Halliday intertwines laughter and romance with grit, suspense and murder. Her characters have incredible depth, which makes you feel like you know them on a personal level. Her story, MAYHEM IN HIGH HEELS, sparkles with charm unlike any other murder mystery. Each story in this series is exceptional and adds edgy style to today's romance mystery genre. This madcap tale of an offed wedding planner with romance and suspense contains more laugh-out-loud antics than a Peter Sellers, Pink Panther movie!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hopefully It's Over?, July 22, 2009

By 

Butterscotch (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mayhem in High Heels (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm hopeful this is the last book in the High Heel series, because the characters have run their course and become quite .. boring. Unfortunately, you have a main character - Maddie Springer - that continues to pursue murder suspects despite the fact that her fiancee - Jack Ramirez - is a police detective who continually warns her off the case. The whodunit this time is about a wedding planner who was offed in some icing. The wedding planner - Gigi- happens to be Maddie's wedding planner, so Maddie has a personal interest in the case and knowing who killed her. The mystery itself is pretty generic, and we follow Maddie up and down streets and freeways that only people from Los Angeles will be able to identify with - the descriptions of the setting (i.e. street names, freeways, etc.) are too exact. Anyway, the main problem with the book is that Maddie and her fiancee Ramirez are an extremely poor match; he constantly refers to her as a bimbo and generally thinks she's not very smart. Great catch, right? And Maddie has agreed to marry Ramirez while she secretly harbors a crush on Felix Dunn, and investigative tabloid reporter. Her 'better' match is actually Felix but ... he's going to have his own series according to the information at the end of the book. I hope Maddie and Ramirez sail off into the sunset and never return - their stories are weak and the writing isn't great. There are some amazing cozies out there - despite the inviting cover this isn't one.