Spying in High Heels
by Gemma Halliday

Spying in High Heels, the first book in Gemma Hallidays’ High Heels Mysteries had been on my wish list for some time. So when I finally received it, I couldn’t wait to start reading, and even bumped a number of books on my to-read list so I could dive in ASAP. And I’m glad I did, because I loved Spying in High Heels and could not put it down. In fact, I liked it so much that I’ve already got the second book in the series Killer in High Heels waiting for me at home.

Maddie Springer is almost living the perfect LA life… She has a great job as a shoe designer – if only it weren’t children’s shoes that she was designing. She has a great boyfriend – except she can’t seem to find him. Eager to discuss a matter of utmost importance with him, Maddie takes it upon herself to track down her missing boyfriend, and inadvertently stumbles upon a murder in the process. Her efforts to locate her boyfriend keep her crossing paths with sexy Detective Ramirez, who is investigating the murder and wishes Maddie would just get out of his way.

Maddie is a little bit Stephanie Plum and a little bit Carrie Bradshaw all rolled up into one fun, and entertaining package. Her best friend Dana is a hilarious addition to the story, and Detective Ramirez fills the hot, broody male quota. Halliday’s writing is smart and the story zips along quickly and easily. Spying in High Heels is a funny and fast paced adventure in amateur sleuthing that you won’t be able to put down, and an excellent start to a new series!

by Gemma Halliday

This was by far my favorite of the mystery series that I read over the summer and features LA shoe designer, Maddie Springer, as the protagonist. Gemma Halliday has managed to get the perfect mix of intrigue, humor, and romance in all four of the books in this series so far. What appeals to me most is that Maddie is so believable as someone who doesn’t really want to be investigating these things but gets pulled into it anyway. And she’s not great at it. If there’s anything I hate, it’s a main character who’s a Mary Sue. Maddie’s as far from that as you can get and, yes, she does remind me a bit of Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum despite the differences between them. Although, at least Stephanie figured out early on that she shouldn’t go around leaving her fingerprints at the crime scene. Book #4 and I’m still waiting for Maddie to learn that lesson. Of course, as with every book series I fall in love with, there’s a lovable bunch of secondary characters who I can’t wait to see again when the fifth book comes out in January.