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(More customer reviews)Since her brush with death last summer, when she got caught up in a scandal involving a slightly bizarre stabbing incident involving a breast implant and a sexy stiletto - not to mention a hunky detective named Ramirez - twenty-six-year-old Maddie Springer has wanted nothing more than to get back to her old life as an L.A. shoe designer, creating sketches of Spiderman flip-flops and Rainbow Brite jellies for her employer, Tot Trots Children's Shoes; avoid the hundreds of sit-ups that her health-obsessed best friend, Dana, has in store for her; and attempt to forget about Ramirez and the fact that he hasn't called her in over six weeks. Unfortunately, the constant calls from various tabloid reporters - namely Felix Dunn with the L.A. Informer - have made it quite impossible for her to forget her days as an amateur sleuth. And now, as she receives a crazy phone call from her estranged father, Larry, Maddie feels herself being dragged back in to the world of solving crimes. Maddie hasn't seen Larry since the day he took off for Las Vegas with a smoking redhead named Lola, and knows him only by his overly-hairy arms. However, when she gets the call, she grabs Dana and her "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"-wannabe pal, Marco, and heads for Sin City to search for her MIA dad. Within days, Maddie feels accomplished, for she has actually managed to locate her father. Unfortunately, accompanying her estranged dad is an organized crime ring working to smuggle fake Prada shoes into the country, along with a group of fashion forward drag queens looking to make some extra money on the side, and a killer obsessed with one very important thing...seeking revenge. As if that weren't enough, Maddie has just stumbled upon a dirty little secret involving her lover-to-be, Ramirez, and a little undercover moonlighting in Las Vegas. Now, as Maddie begins investigating the various crimes taking place around her, she begins to suspect whether or not she'll be able to keep her title of "Lady Luck," or kiss it goodbye along with one extremely substantial factor...her life.
I'll admit it, I'm not easily taken with chick lit novels that dabble in the crime world. However, Gemma Halliday reeled me in with her debut SPYING IN HIGH HEELS, and has managed to do the same thing with the sequel KILLER IN HIGH HEELS. As with the previous installment, Halliday has presented Maddie as a fun-loving struggling artist looking to make ends meat in a dead-end job that has her creating children's designs for Payless as opposed to styling stillettos for Prada. Her whiny personality, complaints about doing anything physical - namely sit-ups - and penchant for stopping at every drive-thru within a five-mile radius of her apartment for high-calorie shakes, fries, and burgers are entertaining, and make her stand out from the crowd. However, it's the slew of supporting characters who easily make Halliday's efforts memorable. From the 300-pound psychic, Mrs. Rosenblatt, who appears to accompany Maddie's aging mother everywhere; to the over-the-top femininity displayed by the flamboyant Marco; all the way to Maddie's best friend, and resident heat-packing tough girl, Dana; to her matronly-dressed mother who loves to nag. And, of course, we can't forget the irresistible Ramirez whose five o'clock shadow, and ability to swear non-stop in Spanish makes him humorous, as well as eye candy - or, rather, page candy - for the reader, as well as Maddie. Fans of Halliday's debut will love seeing these characters brought to life once more, and will undoubtedly enjoy the introduction of new quirky characters, from Maddie's estranged father, to a handful of his slightly strange Vegas friends. Once more, Halliday has created a can't-put-down tale that will have readers itching for the next installment. A sinful sequel!
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
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When shoe designer Maddie Springer heads to Vegas to search for her missing father, she finds a world of show girls, dead bodies, and a sexy undercover cop who looks mighty familiar.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.
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