Shoulder Bags and Shootings

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 12 APR 2010

A clever, fast-moving plot propels Howell s third mystery to feature L.A. fashionista Haley Randolph (after 2009 s Purses and Poison). Haley really hated Tiffany Markham, her archrival in the purse party business, but she didn t shoot Tiffany and stuff her body in the trunk of a Mercedes belonging to Ada Cameron, the grandmother of Haley s boyfriend and department store owner, Ty Cameron. Discovering who did is a challenge, ditto snaring this season s totally hot Sinful handbag. Can Haley do both and stay out of jail? While Haley s hyperventilating first-person voice can be too much at times ( I perked up in my seat, beyond excited, way past thrilled, bordering on crazed ), the action is smoother than the butter-soft leather of a Prada bag, and the gritty details of working retail are spot-on. Airhead Haley displays appealing grace under fire as she also deals with her stalking nemesis and former boss, lawyer Kirk Keegan.