Trouble Becomes Her (Sally Harrington Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Laura Van Wormer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005 | Series: Sally Harrington Novels

Sally Harrington's back -- and this time she's found a dead body in the trunk of her rental car, a lovesick college intern on her doorstep and a group of crazy assassins hot on her heels. And did we mention the mob . . .

On first blush, things are turning out wonderfully for Sally Harrington: she's landed a dream job at DBS News in New York, her relationship with her old beau, Doug, is showing signs of resurrection. Even her dog, Scotty, seems happy about spending weekdays in Manhattan and weekends back in Connecticut.

But life is about to get complicated. Fast. Sally's the star witness in a sensational Hollywood murder trial and her new boss at DBS is pressuring her to use her "in" to produce a special news series on the case for the network during sweeps week. Though not particularly anxious to antagonize the same mob organization that nearly killed her once already, Sally is determined to testify at the trial and advance her career.

Complete chaos ensues when the news assignment throws Sally back into contact with out-of-control actress Lilliana Martin and Sally's oversexed ex, Spencer Hawes. To make matters worse, her boss, anchorwoman Alexandra Waring, has suddenly disappeared. But when Sally finds a dead body in the trunk of her rental car, a lovesick college intern on her doorstep and a group of crazed assassins hot on her heels, chaos takes on a whole new meaning.

Everyone around Sally is asking her to pretend she didn't see the things she saw or know the things she knows. But Sally is only going to do what Sally thinks is right. Too bad -- that's why trouble's never far behind.

Mystery. Mayhem, Men. And women. Welcome to the world of Sally Harrington.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Television journalist Sally Harrington (heroine of Van Wormer bestsellers Expos‚ and The Last Lover) is once again hard at work juggling everything from dog care and mobsters to her demanding boss and various admirers in this humorous, fast-paced romantic suspense novel. As the story begins, Sally's boss, Alexandra Waring, hands Sally the task of producing a big special for DBS News on the Presario crime family, a plum assignment with strings and danger attached. Sally, as it happens, already has a history with important members of the family. Her connection is legal as well as personal: she is slated to be a witness at an upcoming murder trial involving the Presarios. Sally's sangfroid is tested by the body found in the trunk of her car, an assassination attempt and her seemingly impossible assignment, but she is an irrepressible and likable heroine. Van Wormer combines Manhattan chic with Godfather menace and Hollywood glitz to create an exotic playing field on which Sally is completely at home. Add a dozen or so well-drawn characters to the mix including the aging head of the Presario clan, a movie star looking for love, a mysterious federal agent and a starstruck college intern and things never get dull. This is a satisfying page-turner, distinguished by the liveliness of Sally's first-person narration. Its November publication date makes it too late for beach season, but it could occupy an evening or two by the fire just as well. Author tour.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In Van Wormer's third Sally Harrington novel, the former small-town reporter is now working as a producer and assistant to the anchor at DBS News headquartered in New York City. It's such a great place to work that they've even provided day care for her adorable mutt. She's assigned an exciting new project, a true-crime miniseries revolving around a case to which she is intimately connected, a show that will catapult her into the ranks of TV's highest rated news producers. Of course, there are complications: a dead body in the trunk of her rental car, a boss in hiding, gunshots fired at her bulletproof office window, a huge round bed in her sublet, and numerous former lovers re-entering her life. The action really heats up when Lilliana Martin, movie star and daughter of an organized crime family, shows up at Sally's rural Connecticut home with boxes of photos and family memorabilia, but Sally, consumed by all the love interests in her life, never seems to realize the danger she's in. Van Wormer's frothy blend of glitz, glamour, and romantic suspense will thrill her fans but may prove confusing to readers who aren't familiar with Sally's exploits from Expose (1999) and The Last Lover [BKL S 1 00]. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Mira (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778321568
• ISBN-13: 978-0778321569
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,740,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Quick Reading Order Lists:

"The Alexandra Chronicles": 1)Riverside Drive 2)West End 3)Any Given Moment 4)Talk 5)Exposé 6 )The Last Lover 7)Trouble Becomes Her 8)The Bad Witness 9)The Kill Fee 10)Mr. Murder 11)Riverside Park

"The Sally Harrington Mysteries": 1)Exposé 2)The Last Lover 3)Trouble Becomes Her 4)The Bad Witness 5)The Kill Fee 6)Mr. Murder

The "Stand Alone" Novels: 1)Benedict Canyon 2)Jury Duty 3)Just for the Summer

Best-selling author Laura Van Wormer has been a force in fiction since the publication of "Riverside Drive" in 1988. She is the author of thirteen novels. Her engrossing plots, memorable characters and insider knowledge of the media professions have won praise from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, and People.

After graduating from Darien High School in Connecticut Laura spent a year at the University of Arizona before transferring to Syracuse University, from where she received a B.S. in Public Communications from the S.I. Newhouse School and minored in English.

Upon graduation Laura went to New York looking for a job in television but landed a job instead as secretary to the editor-in-chief of Doubleday & Company. "Every day my head was spinning," Laura says. "Everyone from Leon Uris to William F. Buckley, Jr., Victoria Holt to Phyllis Whitney, Edna O'Brien to Stephen King, Arthur and Alex Hailey to Allen Drury were all publishing with Doubleday at that time."

Laura rose through the editorial ranks somewhat specializing in celebrity and mass media-related books. Caught in a deadline crunch one year, Doubleday and 20th Century Fox flew Laura out to the West Coast to create a book based on the hit series, "Dynasty". Upon her return to New York an offer was made to create a book for the rival show, "Dallas". Laura ended up taking the assignment and leaving Doubleday to write her first novel.

The novel ended up taking four years. To keep body and soul together Laura became "The Official Dallas Historian" (!) and created a game for Lorimar based on the show. She then took on "Knots Landing", wrote copy for the back of jigsaw puzzles and created a game.

Finally she finished her first novel, "Riverside Drive", published in 1988, which is currently in its 5th edition. She has been a full time writer ever since.

Laura is a longtime member of the Authors Guild of America, and also (because of "Jury Duty" and the Sally Harrington mysteries) the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Connecticut, New York and Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very special mystery, October 28, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trouble Becomes Her (Hardcover)

Life looks good to Sally Harrington as she now works for DBS News in Manhattan even though she is the key witness at Los Angels' high viz "The Mafia Boss Murder" trial. Sally's boss Alexandra Waring takes her off everything and assigns her to investigate her old mob pals, Presario-Arlenetta, so the show can produce a special. Choosing between mobsters whom she previously alienated and who almost killed her and advancement in the TV news world, Sally selects her career over safety.

Perhaps if she knew what would happen when she agreed to hit New Jersey instead of Atlanta, Sally would have begged off the report. Soon a corpse is found in her trunk and someone tries to kill her. Fighting off males like her former boyfriend and her dazed intern just complicates life, but Sally continues to do what she believes is right even with in your face threats telling her to back off this case.

The latest Sally Harrington romantic suspense thriller (see EXPOSE and THE LAST LOVER) is an entertaining tale that readers will fully enjoy because of the lead character. Sally's narration livens up a powerful story line. The support cast, which includes those at the TV, shows, the mob, and those people in her personal life (especially her dog) enable the audience to understand Sally while also propelling the yarn forward. TROUBLE BECOMES HER is a strong entry in a top series that should make Laura Van Wormer a household name for those fans who cherish a keen story starring a intelligent heroine.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner!!, November 12, 2001

By 

Cori (New Orleans, Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trouble Becomes Her (Hardcover)

I almost hate to pick up a Laura Van Wormer book, because I know that nothing that I have to do will get done until I have finished the book. This time was no exception. I love Sally Harrington, she gets better with every book. Fasten your seatbelts this ride is just as wild as the last two. Enjoy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Trouble certainly doesn't bother her anyway, December 5, 2001

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Trouble Becomes Her (Hardcover)

Sally Harrington enjoys her job at DBS News in New York even if it does involve working weird hours, covering for a boss who is keeping her cancer treatments a secret, and frequent travel. When she's asked to work on a special on a Mafia murder case, Sally has qualms, however. She is expected to be called as a witness in the case. Still, as he boss explains, who better to present the news.

When the police find a murdered body in the trunk of Sally's rental car, the story escalates from simple news to escalating danger. Sally's life is repeatedly threatened, yet she has no clue why anyone would be trying to kill her, nor how she manages to escape. Unfortunately, at this exact moment, Sally's love life explodes. Suddenly she finds herself with a student-intern with a crush, two men who want to reestablish former relationships, and a beautiful movie star who wouldn't mind broadening Sally's love horizons.

Author Laura Van Wormer's writing is spunky and Sally comes across as a character--certain to provide some smiles to the reader. I found it disconcerting, however, that Sally worries more about where her relationships are going than about repeated attempts to murder her. In a mystery novel like this, I would have thought that Sally would have exerted more efforts toward either protecting herself or finding the truth about what is actually happening. In fact, other people provide her with this information without Sally having to take time out of her busy schedule.

TROUBLE BECOMES HER is an enjoyable read that just misses clicking into high gear.