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High Heels #4
Alibi in High Heels
#1 Amazon, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling series! Will death on a Paris runway ruin fashion week?Baguettes, bodies, and haute couture galore! Shoe designer turned amateur sleuth, Maddie Springer, is at it again, this time in fabulously fashionable Paris. When Europe's designer de jour, Jean Luc LeCroix, invites Maddie to show her creations at Paris Fashion Week, Maddie's sure she's died and gone to heaven. That is until Jean Luc's top model is actually found dead on the runway, stabbed with a familiar stiletto heel. Sure someone is trying to frame her, Maddie enlists the help of her friends, including the sexy Detective Jack Ramirez, to uncover a daring jewel heist, a devious blackmailer, and even a few skeletons lurking in the closets of those closest to her. But as the evidence mounts, Maddie becomes the prime suspect, and Ramirez is stuck between a badge and a cute blonde with a tendency for trouble. Will he stand by her as she attempts to track down an international killer, or will this be the case that finally comes between them? One thing's for sure, if Maddie doesn't uncover the real killer soon, she may be saying her final adieu. This story does not contain any graphic violence, language, or sexual encounters. Its rating would be similar to PG-13 or what you would find on a Hallmark Channel movie or TV series.What critics are saying about Alibi in High "Alibi in High Heels is a clever and stylish addition to Gemma Halliday's laughter-infused Maddie Springer series."~ Chicago Tribune"Halliday is on top of her game, and readers will love Maddie's new adventure."~ Booklist"I started Alibi in High Heels around 2 pm and read non stop until 11 pm when I finished it. The writing was so engaging and so fun that I did not want to put this book down. This is a 5 star book that I HIGHLY recommend to Janet Evanovich fans who are looking for a new author to try that they will LOVE!!! Alibi in High Heels is the best book that I have read in a while, and I can't wait to read more books by Gemma Halliday."~ Fresh Fiction"Maddie Springer is like a cross between Paris Hilton and Stephanie Plum, only better. The dialogue is snappy and the suspense beautifully interwoven with Ms. Halliday's unique humor. This is one HIGH HEEL you'll want to try on again and again "~ Romance Junkies
447 pages, ebook
First published February 1, 2008
About the author
Gemma Halliday
89 books1,888 followersGemma had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She worked as a film and television actress, a teddy bear importer, a department store administrator, a preschool teacher, a temporary tattoo artist, and a 900 number psychic, before finally selling her first book, Spying in High Heels, in 2005 and deciding to be a writer.
Since then, Gemma has written several mystery novels and been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Reader's Choice award and three RITA nominations. Her books have hit both the USA Today and the New York Times Bestseller lists.
Gemma now makes her home in the San Francisco Bay area where she is hard at work on her next book.
Since then, Gemma has written several mystery novels and been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Reader's Choice award and three RITA nominations. Her books have hit both the USA Today and the New York Times Bestseller lists.
Gemma now makes her home in the San Francisco Bay area where she is hard at work on her next book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
February 27, 2008
I gave “Alibi in High Heels” three stars for one reason: Jack Ramirez. I can't stand that character and his relationship with the main character, Maddie. For four books now, my dislike for his character has grown to the point where he is the only reason why I didn't give the book five stars. I LOATHE him. He is such a jerk to Maddie... he has treated her like an incompetent child from the first book and not only has he not changed, he’s gotten worse as the series goes along. And Maddie is STILL with him even though at one point in “Alibi”, he is compared to a caveman in his treatment of her and their relationship.
I know, I know. Ramirez is just a character in the book, but I’ve known men like him and I couldn’t stand them either.
I cannot figure out if the author thinks Ramirez is a good fit for Maddie. In almost every scene that Ramirez is in, he is insulting Maddie’s intelligence and profession, and demanding that she jump when he says to, and God forbid she do anything without his expressed permission. And Maddie justifies his behavior by saying that he does all that because he “cares” about her.
The rest of the story was on par with the rest of the series. I enjoyed Maddie getting out of California and getting to see Europe – even if only to clear her name. My love for Felix continues to grow… I hope he gets even more of a presence in the next book in the series. The mystery was solid and Maddie’s relationships with her Mom, Ms. Rosenblatt, and Dana continue to be fleshed out and were very enjoyable.
I really, really hope that the author gets rid of Ramirez… he is the only thing that keeps me for enjoying this series to the five star level. If the author doesn’t, I might have to make the decision between skipping over the scenes with Ramirez or quitting the series altogether.
MILD SPOILER:
I didn’t like the ending of the book – I almost threw the book across the room in disgust.
I know, I know. Ramirez is just a character in the book, but I’ve known men like him and I couldn’t stand them either.
I cannot figure out if the author thinks Ramirez is a good fit for Maddie. In almost every scene that Ramirez is in, he is insulting Maddie’s intelligence and profession, and demanding that she jump when he says to, and God forbid she do anything without his expressed permission. And Maddie justifies his behavior by saying that he does all that because he “cares” about her.
The rest of the story was on par with the rest of the series. I enjoyed Maddie getting out of California and getting to see Europe – even if only to clear her name. My love for Felix continues to grow… I hope he gets even more of a presence in the next book in the series. The mystery was solid and Maddie’s relationships with her Mom, Ms. Rosenblatt, and Dana continue to be fleshed out and were very enjoyable.
I really, really hope that the author gets rid of Ramirez… he is the only thing that keeps me for enjoying this series to the five star level. If the author doesn’t, I might have to make the decision between skipping over the scenes with Ramirez or quitting the series altogether.
MILD SPOILER:
I didn’t like the ending of the book – I almost threw the book across the room in disgust.
September 17, 2023
The publisher's blurb, reprinted at the top of this Goodreads page, does an excellent job of summarizing the story without any real spoilers, so do read it if you haven't already, and then I'll add a few comments.
In the debut of this series, the one with the curiously misleading title Spying in High Heels, our first-person narrator Maddie Springer saves herself from near-certain death by grabbing the only thing at hand--a stiletto shoe--and stabbing her attacker in the neck with it. Her would-be killer dies instead and Maddie gets a bit of media attention for her exploit.
Now she has the chance of a lifetime to get into the big time, in the fashion world that is, by designing the shoes the models will wear in Jean Luc LeCroix's show during Fashion Week in Paris. So Maddie's in Paris, all expenses paid, booked into the hotel where the models are staying, and she's working with them in Jean Luc's tent, which is part of the sprawling fashion show. That's where Gisella, the top model, is murdered in exactly the same way, a stiletto heel to the neck.
The blurb has it slightly wrong--Maddie becomes prime suspect almost immediately, and her picture shows up in tabloids all over Paris as "the couture killer." She's recognized again and again wherever she goes; Inspector Moreau questions her and warns her she's a suspect, but he doesn't put her behind bars. Her mother and Mrs. Rosenblatt traveled to Paris with her, but for more support she manages to get her best friend Dana into the fashion show as a model (for me, more like a pinch than a blow to believability--we've come this far with Maddie's sudden rise in the fashion world...).
So two kinds of comedy ensue, a continuation of previous books in the series, as Maddie interacts with her mother and Mrs. Rosenblatt and goes on a desperate quest with Dana to unmask the real killer. Motives are wildly unclear, and tabloid free-lancer Felix Dunn jumps into the mix too; it turns out he's actually in love with Maddie, and we get comedy of awkwardness too.
Only then does Ramirez show up, and despite the way the blurb puts it, that's a total surprise to Maddie. She didn't enlist his help--one of the others (her mother if I remember right) called him. I see from the other reviews that opinions of Ramirez run all the way from terrible to wonderful. Well, I didn't have much trouble accepting him as he is--a solid, dependable Los Angeles homicide detective--but he's way out of place in Paris, isn't he? And yet somehow (Maddie doesn't know how so neither do we) he collaborates with Moreau and even with a homicide detective in Milan (more murders, you see, always with the stiletto to the neck).
I took a star away from book #2, Killer in High Heels, mostly because of the difficulty of believing Ramirez working with the police in Las Vegas, but I was having so much fun with Maddie in Paris as the notorious Couture Killer I couldn't bring myself to give this one less than four stars. And it becomes obvious that Ramirez is very serious about Maddie. Romantic crises on top of everything else in her new life!
Obviously, with Maddie and Ramirez it's the romance of opposites attracting, and in this case maybe needing each other for some kind of balance. The sincerity that underlies the comedy in this series might indeed run afoul of the attitudes other reviewers have noted--overly controlling on his part and overly accepting on hers. Or her independent spirit might, over tempestuous years, set him straight. I'm inclined to bet on the latter. We'll see--this series is far from over.
In the debut of this series, the one with the curiously misleading title Spying in High Heels, our first-person narrator Maddie Springer saves herself from near-certain death by grabbing the only thing at hand--a stiletto shoe--and stabbing her attacker in the neck with it. Her would-be killer dies instead and Maddie gets a bit of media attention for her exploit.
Now she has the chance of a lifetime to get into the big time, in the fashion world that is, by designing the shoes the models will wear in Jean Luc LeCroix's show during Fashion Week in Paris. So Maddie's in Paris, all expenses paid, booked into the hotel where the models are staying, and she's working with them in Jean Luc's tent, which is part of the sprawling fashion show. That's where Gisella, the top model, is murdered in exactly the same way, a stiletto heel to the neck.
The blurb has it slightly wrong--Maddie becomes prime suspect almost immediately, and her picture shows up in tabloids all over Paris as "the couture killer." She's recognized again and again wherever she goes; Inspector Moreau questions her and warns her she's a suspect, but he doesn't put her behind bars. Her mother and Mrs. Rosenblatt traveled to Paris with her, but for more support she manages to get her best friend Dana into the fashion show as a model (for me, more like a pinch than a blow to believability--we've come this far with Maddie's sudden rise in the fashion world...).
So two kinds of comedy ensue, a continuation of previous books in the series, as Maddie interacts with her mother and Mrs. Rosenblatt and goes on a desperate quest with Dana to unmask the real killer. Motives are wildly unclear, and tabloid free-lancer Felix Dunn jumps into the mix too; it turns out he's actually in love with Maddie, and we get comedy of awkwardness too.
Only then does Ramirez show up, and despite the way the blurb puts it, that's a total surprise to Maddie. She didn't enlist his help--one of the others (her mother if I remember right) called him. I see from the other reviews that opinions of Ramirez run all the way from terrible to wonderful. Well, I didn't have much trouble accepting him as he is--a solid, dependable Los Angeles homicide detective--but he's way out of place in Paris, isn't he? And yet somehow (Maddie doesn't know how so neither do we) he collaborates with Moreau and even with a homicide detective in Milan (more murders, you see, always with the stiletto to the neck).
I took a star away from book #2, Killer in High Heels, mostly because of the difficulty of believing Ramirez working with the police in Las Vegas, but I was having so much fun with Maddie in Paris as the notorious Couture Killer I couldn't bring myself to give this one less than four stars. And it becomes obvious that Ramirez is very serious about Maddie. Romantic crises on top of everything else in her new life!
Obviously, with Maddie and Ramirez it's the romance of opposites attracting, and in this case maybe needing each other for some kind of balance. The sincerity that underlies the comedy in this series might indeed run afoul of the attitudes other reviewers have noted--overly controlling on his part and overly accepting on hers. Or her independent spirit might, over tempestuous years, set him straight. I'm inclined to bet on the latter. We'll see--this series is far from over.
May 30, 2017
אני חושבת שזה הספר הטוב ביותר בסידרה עד כה. מעבר לכתיבה הקלילה והמשעשעת, גם התעלומה אנטליגנטית וגם מערכות היחסים של מאדי עם הסובבים אותה מתפתחות בצורה טובה. למרות שהבחירה לעבות ולעגל את הדמות של פיליקס בצורה שזה נעשה, קצת חסרת אמינות.
מאדי ממשיכה להיות דמות הזויה על סף הדביליות ובכל זאת השלומיאליות הזו עובדת טוב. היא ממש מזכירה את אינספקטור קלוזו מהפנתר הורוד. מערכת היחסים שלה עם רמירז מחזיקה מים והיא באמת לא גולשת לסקס. אם כי היא עיצבנה אותי ואישית אני הייתי רוצחת את מאדי לפני שהייתי ממשיכה ככה.
דיינה נמאסה עלי לחלוטין, הדמות שלה לא תורמת לסיפור מעבר לעובדה היא מאפשרת למאדי לשחרר קיטור ואת המחשבות שלה.
ספר מוצלח מאוד.
מאדי ממשיכה להיות דמות הזויה על סף הדביליות ובכל זאת השלומיאליות הזו עובדת טוב. היא ממש מזכירה את אינספקטור קלוזו מהפנתר הורוד. מערכת היחסים שלה עם רמירז מחזיקה מים והיא באמת לא גולשת לסקס. אם כי היא עיצבנה אותי ואישית אני הייתי רוצחת את מאדי לפני שהייתי ממשיכה ככה.
דיינה נמאסה עלי לחלוטין, הדמות שלה לא תורמת לסיפור מעבר לעובדה היא מאפשרת למאדי לשחרר קיטור ואת המחשבות שלה.
ספר מוצלח מאוד.
January 3, 2012
Well, this book makes it official. I am on "Team Felix". I'm actually imagining future books with Maddie and Felix as a crime-solving couple! Trouble is, I don't think this is what the author intended.
The good--this is Halliday's best mystery plot yet. I didn't guess the murderer at all. That's a first for me and this series. She writes the comedy well, although at times she sacrifices realism for a funny bit. She's developed her supporting characters (Mom, Mrs. R, Dana, Marco, etc) very well. I enjoy them and even missed Marco this time around since he wasn't in it as much. I enjoyed moving the setting to Europe. It made sense, insofar as this series can make sense. I think I've enjoyed the books where she leaves LA (Las Vegas, now Europe) more than the ones set in LA.
The not-so-good--Both Maddie and Halliday are clinging to a relationship that just doesn't work!! It's been clear since the first chapter of the first book that Halliday intends for Ramirez to be Maddie's "happily ever after". But their romance reads more like a parent-child relationship than an adult relationship. Once again, Maddie "sneaks out" and avoids Ramirez's calls so she won't "get in trouble" with him. Once again, Ramirez "forbids" her from doing things she wants/thinks she needs to do. Doesn't that sound more like a parent and a rebellious teen than two adults in love?
If this parent/child dynamic were Maddie's only choice, I might have been okay with it. You could psycho-analyze Maddie's lack of a father during her childhood to justify her choice of a father-figure romantic partner (although I don't read light, funny mysteries to psycho-analyze the characters). But... then Halliday introduced Felix. It seems like Felix was developed as a plot device to cause trouble for the Maddie/Ramirez relationship. The problem is that she developed Felix so well that I find him a much better partner for Maddie!! At one point, Felix makes the argument that I, the reader, have been making--that there is a lack of trust and respect between them. At another point, Maddie mentions that Ramirez is all about black and white, while she is more of a shades of gray person. Felix, too, is all about shades of gray (the tabloid reporter with a heart of gold and a trust fund--how much more shades of gray can you get?). NOW, Maddie does have another choice, and so does Halliday. She can choose to keep Maddie with Ramirez because he is her "bad boy", her "happy ever after", her "hero-rescuer", or she can realize that she's created a better romantic partner for Maddie, buck convention and surprise us!
I'll finish the series (one book to go) but I don't think it will end the way I think it should, and the series of Felix-and-Maddie-crime-solving-couple will have to remain in my head only.
The good--this is Halliday's best mystery plot yet. I didn't guess the murderer at all. That's a first for me and this series. She writes the comedy well, although at times she sacrifices realism for a funny bit. She's developed her supporting characters (Mom, Mrs. R, Dana, Marco, etc) very well. I enjoy them and even missed Marco this time around since he wasn't in it as much. I enjoyed moving the setting to Europe. It made sense, insofar as this series can make sense. I think I've enjoyed the books where she leaves LA (Las Vegas, now Europe) more than the ones set in LA.
The not-so-good--Both Maddie and Halliday are clinging to a relationship that just doesn't work!! It's been clear since the first chapter of the first book that Halliday intends for Ramirez to be Maddie's "happily ever after". But their romance reads more like a parent-child relationship than an adult relationship. Once again, Maddie "sneaks out" and avoids Ramirez's calls so she won't "get in trouble" with him. Once again, Ramirez "forbids" her from doing things she wants/thinks she needs to do. Doesn't that sound more like a parent and a rebellious teen than two adults in love?
If this parent/child dynamic were Maddie's only choice, I might have been okay with it. You could psycho-analyze Maddie's lack of a father during her childhood to justify her choice of a father-figure romantic partner (although I don't read light, funny mysteries to psycho-analyze the characters). But... then Halliday introduced Felix. It seems like Felix was developed as a plot device to cause trouble for the Maddie/Ramirez relationship. The problem is that she developed Felix so well that I find him a much better partner for Maddie!! At one point, Felix makes the argument that I, the reader, have been making--that there is a lack of trust and respect between them. At another point, Maddie mentions that Ramirez is all about black and white, while she is more of a shades of gray person. Felix, too, is all about shades of gray (the tabloid reporter with a heart of gold and a trust fund--how much more shades of gray can you get?). NOW, Maddie does have another choice, and so does Halliday. She can choose to keep Maddie with Ramirez because he is her "bad boy", her "happy ever after", her "hero-rescuer", or she can realize that she's created a better romantic partner for Maddie, buck convention and surprise us!
I'll finish the series (one book to go) but I don't think it will end the way I think it should, and the series of Felix-and-Maddie-crime-solving-couple will have to remain in my head only.
May 27, 2011
omg, this series is getting real old. THey are quick reads and I can easily fall asleep after a chapter (I read when my baby wakes me up for a night feeding and hope that I can easily fall asleep). There's not too heavy of content, so I don't toss and turn when I close the book and try to sleep. It also is not a pageturner, so I can easily read one chapter and go to sleep.
THe main character...ugg, she makes me gag a lot! She is one of those girls that we disliked in high school because she always needed validation, to prove something to other people, but at the same time, can't do anything without needing someone to come rescue her. SHe is just as annoying as Bella from the Twilight series... get a backbone and think about someone other than yourself!!
Again, the author did a weird thing of developing this male character that wouldn't exist and if he does, he is pathetic. This 'couple' have hardly spent any time with each other and she thinks that he might propose at the beginning of the book, when it's just a key to his house. THeir relationship is built on stressful situations and sex. WHat do they really know of each other? I am also unsure what the author thinks of relationships, when a man can constantly be treated so poorly, mistrusted, lied to, cheated on... but his response is to save her again and again and then propose to her??? get real.
THe main character...ugg, she makes me gag a lot! She is one of those girls that we disliked in high school because she always needed validation, to prove something to other people, but at the same time, can't do anything without needing someone to come rescue her. SHe is just as annoying as Bella from the Twilight series... get a backbone and think about someone other than yourself!!
Again, the author did a weird thing of developing this male character that wouldn't exist and if he does, he is pathetic. This 'couple' have hardly spent any time with each other and she thinks that he might propose at the beginning of the book, when it's just a key to his house. THeir relationship is built on stressful situations and sex. WHat do they really know of each other? I am also unsure what the author thinks of relationships, when a man can constantly be treated so poorly, mistrusted, lied to, cheated on... but his response is to save her again and again and then propose to her??? get real.
October 11, 2011
Another great book from Ms. Halliday. I would normally never rate a chick-lit wibook 5 stars, but I did because as far as chick-lit books go this was a favorite. I am finding that I adore any book in which American girls travel abroad. I'm not sure if it's because I want to do it myself so badly or if it's just the escapism to a foreign place, but I just devour these books. Between Anna and the French Kiss and this I was in Paris heaven lately. Maddy is up to her usual antics so lovers of the series will love this book. The humor I've come to love with every Halliday book is present in abundance.
November 9, 2015
This might have been my favorite book in this series (so far!), though I must say that I was slightly disappointed with the ending. Oh well. It still had me in shock and I totally didn't see it coming. And even though I didn't actually WANT to see it coming, I still have to give mad props to the author for making me gasp in surprise and scream, "No!" while in a public place (namely, the gym, that place where Maddie wouldn't be caught, um... dead...), causing lots of heads to turn in my direction. Great job, and a well-deserved five stars for that.
April 3, 2016
i just love these stories. can't wait to read mayhem in high heals. the books remind of of stephanie plum characters.
April 3, 2023
A book that is dumb, forgettable with an annoying lead - Just when I was catching a break from reading about annoying female leads, I ended up reading this one. Leaving the mystery aside, I have not followed the series but I was not able to tolerate the lead character and how she treated her 2 love interests. She thinks the whole world should revolve around her problem and no one gets to have a say. She cheats on her boyfriend and does not think he should make it a big deal (and even kind of blames him?!). The mystery part was forgettable and the writing failed to capture Paris. I don't think I will remember anything from the High Heels series. Does anyone else think Maddie should be arrested for tampering with crime scenes without permission?
December 31, 2013
I've now read the first four books, one after the other, and two questions pop into my mind: why is Maddie such an idiot, and why does Ramirez still bother with her? Through the books her character has repeatedly gotten into dangerous, lethal situations expecting someone else to come bail her out of jail, to stop shooters from killing her and to save her from stalkers/dark back rooms/other sticky situations. She takes no responsibility for her own actions, that in themselves would be more expected from a teenage girl than an adult female, and absolutely does not respect the advice given to her by an intelligent man who is very good at his job as a homicide detective. She does all this while continuing to be a complete and utter moron. Granted, Ramirez is sometimes chauvinistic and very much a macho dude (to the extent of it being too stereotypical at times), but the relationship these two characters have is unrealistic and annoying. In fact, I have no idea how anyone could stand to be with her, since nothing she does seems to be logical or mature.
Especially in this book (Alibi in Heels) it's also rather annoying how the author hasn't done her research properly. Maddie is in Paris, and seems to be unable to find news in English. In fact, every single hotel I've ever been to in Europe (I've been to quite a few) have CNN, BBC, English El Mondo, Al Jazeera and other international channels programmed into the TV sets, so getting news in an understandable language is NEVER a problem. There were other small details that bothered me, but this one was the biggest.
All that being said, I like the mysteries in these books. I enjoy Felix and Dana, who, in my opinion, are the best written characters of them all. I also really like the fact that Maddie is a designer and has an actual creative job instead of being a secretary, an unemployed teacher or some other popular "chick lit occupation".
Especially in this book (Alibi in Heels) it's also rather annoying how the author hasn't done her research properly. Maddie is in Paris, and seems to be unable to find news in English. In fact, every single hotel I've ever been to in Europe (I've been to quite a few) have CNN, BBC, English El Mondo, Al Jazeera and other international channels programmed into the TV sets, so getting news in an understandable language is NEVER a problem. There were other small details that bothered me, but this one was the biggest.
All that being said, I like the mysteries in these books. I enjoy Felix and Dana, who, in my opinion, are the best written characters of them all. I also really like the fact that Maddie is a designer and has an actual creative job instead of being a secretary, an unemployed teacher or some other popular "chick lit occupation".
June 29, 2017
In this installment, Maddie is contracted to provide her original shoe designs for Jean Luc's show at Paris Fashion Week. Her career has been on the move up for a while and this showing would help put her on the radar of fashion insiders outside LA. Unfortunately, one of the models for the show ends up dead in a similar way to how Maddie killed the killer from book one. Needless to say, suspicion falls to Maddie and she goes about trying to clear her name/find the killer. Tabloid reporter Felix Dunn is there as well, in a different capacity than reporter. Felix tries in a variety of ways to get Maddie to see his feelings for her, but she has eyes only for Ramirez, who comes out to Paris to keep an eye on Maddie after the first murder.
This installment was more about Ramirez and Maddie's relationship than finding the killer. There is a major break through on Ramirez's part. I knew the killer the moment they were introduced to the story, but the motives for the killings was left to the last minute. That ending was romantic and emotional. As for the "love-triangle", it really wasn't - there were moments in the book that showed Maddie only wanted Ramirez, despite Felix's overtures. Usually those moments were when Maddie was at a low point or in peril; her first thoughts were always about Ramirez. She had to be reminded by Dana about Felix's feelings for her multiple times.
Deeply satisfying romance, predictable mystery. But still a great time reading because Ramirez.
This installment was more about Ramirez and Maddie's relationship than finding the killer. There is a major break through on Ramirez's part. I knew the killer the moment they were introduced to the story, but the motives for the killings was left to the last minute. That ending was romantic and emotional. As for the "love-triangle", it really wasn't - there were moments in the book that showed Maddie only wanted Ramirez, despite Felix's overtures. Usually those moments were when Maddie was at a low point or in peril; her first thoughts were always about Ramirez. She had to be reminded by Dana about Felix's feelings for her multiple times.
Deeply satisfying romance, predictable mystery. But still a great time reading because Ramirez.
April 22, 2014
I thought this was as good as any of this series so far. Just like the Stephanie Plum novels, these never fail to bring a few chuckles. It wasn't highbrow literature, but sometimes that's ok. A little escapism is great between more serious books.
This had all the highjinks you would expect, as well as Maddie going to jail, this time in Paris! After finally getting some designing work besides kid's shoes, thanks to her notoriety, Maddie has a gig at fashion week in Paris. Of course Ramirez is not too keen on the idea of Maddie going there, because he knows how much trouble she always ends up getting herself into, but ends up relenting and wishing her a safe trip. But before she even gets on the plane, she is run over by........Ms. Rosenblatt, naturally, and has to wear a boot on her broken leg.
When she finally gets to Paris, or course there's a murder right away, and as the murder occurs with a high heel to the neck, Maddie is suspect number 1.
All ends well, naturally, and at the end Maddie and Ramirez turn a corner in their relationship!
Fun if you don't go into it thinking you are reading Shakespeare!!
This had all the highjinks you would expect, as well as Maddie going to jail, this time in Paris! After finally getting some designing work besides kid's shoes, thanks to her notoriety, Maddie has a gig at fashion week in Paris. Of course Ramirez is not too keen on the idea of Maddie going there, because he knows how much trouble she always ends up getting herself into, but ends up relenting and wishing her a safe trip. But before she even gets on the plane, she is run over by........Ms. Rosenblatt, naturally, and has to wear a boot on her broken leg.
When she finally gets to Paris, or course there's a murder right away, and as the murder occurs with a high heel to the neck, Maddie is suspect number 1.
All ends well, naturally, and at the end Maddie and Ramirez turn a corner in their relationship!
Fun if you don't go into it thinking you are reading Shakespeare!!
March 6, 2009
This is the 4th in the series and we find Maddie in Paris for Fashion Week and of course there are dead bodies that she keeps finding.
It is a good series although sometimes I want to bop Maddie on the head for the bonehead things she does and the trouble she gets in to by not listening to anyone.
It is a good series although sometimes I want to bop Maddie on the head for the bonehead things she does and the trouble she gets in to by not listening to anyone.
September 30, 2013
I love the humour of this series but I am so disappointed that over 5 books, the main character hasn't evolved at all as a person who's maybe learned from some of the things she did in the previous books and her way of treating the boyfriend. I also found it unrealistic that she could get away with no consequences for her actions.
December 6, 2014
Probably 3.5 but bumped up because I love this series. It got a little dull in the middle but that may just have been my mood. As ever though it was funny and easy to read.
September 20, 2014
Definitely my least favourite in the series so far, but it was still a really easy read.
June 11, 2016
Love Maddy and the crew.
February 9, 2022
Maddie just seems to get into trouble were ever she goes. Her and Dana are back at it again doing there Lucy and Ethel impression of getting into trouble. However, this book needed more of it. Dana seemed more like a background character in this book when compared to the first three. Lucy without Ethel is not as much fun and neither is Maddie without Dana.
I liked the change of location to Paris and Italy with the fashion show as a background. It definitely fits the personality and Maddie's evolving career. The mystery this time about someone framing her by killing people with a high heel is unique and adds to Maddie's humorous obsession with shoes and fashion.
However, what I did not like is how selfish Maddie has become. After reading a few of the Goodreads reviews about this book it seems that I am in the minority on this point of view. Which is fine, because the great think about literature is that as everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
This is the fourth time Maddie has been in danger including kidnapping, being drugged, beat up, and shot at yet she gets angry when her police officer boyfriend tries to keep her safe. In this book I can understand her trying to clear her name, but the previous two volumes she ignored him and got into very dangerous situations. In this book she even lied to him, tricked him with sex (or there lack of) and went to another country. He has bailed her out of jail and saved her butt several times.
Another big issue I have is that Maddie kissed Felix.... again! Seriously, in the first novel she found out that her boyfriend was married and did not tell her. She knows how much it hurts when someone lies and cheats. Even though she is arguing with Jack and questioning her feelings for him and unsure about her feelings for Felix it does not give her the right to kiss Felix. I would be heartbroken and devastated if my wife kissed another man; I would rather have her talk to me about her feelings.
The ending ended on a cliff hanger, but I can easily guess the answer. Again, I do not know why Jack keeps going back to Maddie.... ok, maybe I do know why. I love my wife so much that I would do anything for her too.
I liked the change of location to Paris and Italy with the fashion show as a background. It definitely fits the personality and Maddie's evolving career. The mystery this time about someone framing her by killing people with a high heel is unique and adds to Maddie's humorous obsession with shoes and fashion.
However, what I did not like is how selfish Maddie has become. After reading a few of the Goodreads reviews about this book it seems that I am in the minority on this point of view. Which is fine, because the great think about literature is that as everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
This is the fourth time Maddie has been in danger including kidnapping, being drugged, beat up, and shot at yet she gets angry when her police officer boyfriend tries to keep her safe. In this book I can understand her trying to clear her name, but the previous two volumes she ignored him and got into very dangerous situations. In this book she even lied to him, tricked him with sex (or there lack of) and went to another country. He has bailed her out of jail and saved her butt several times.
Another big issue I have is that Maddie kissed Felix.... again! Seriously, in the first novel she found out that her boyfriend was married and did not tell her. She knows how much it hurts when someone lies and cheats. Even though she is arguing with Jack and questioning her feelings for him and unsure about her feelings for Felix it does not give her the right to kiss Felix. I would be heartbroken and devastated if my wife kissed another man; I would rather have her talk to me about her feelings.
The ending ended on a cliff hanger, but I can easily guess the answer. Again, I do not know why Jack keeps going back to Maddie.... ok, maybe I do know why. I love my wife so much that I would do anything for her too.
November 28, 2023
part of a boxed set i got for 99 cents
she was walking with her friend and a car comes on the sidewalk and hits her. it was her moms friend. they go to the hospital and she broke her leg so bad she has to be in a cast for 3 months.
but she was supposed to go to paris to show her shoes which are taking off thanks to a porn video that got out . so her mom and the lady that hit her went with her. her cop boyfriend was not happy she would be gone so long but he was always busy working
when she got there one of the models lost a priceless necklace. the next day she was found murdered with the heel of the shoe jammed in her neck, just like what happened to someone else. but she didnt do it and she tried to tell the french police that. the reporter she shared a accidental kiss with in the previous book was there and he got them to let her go. he is royalty, she didnt know that
when her boyfriend found out about the trouble she was in and the reporter was there, he told her he would be on the next plane out there
she went to england and italy, getting in trouble wherever she went. her boyfriend got her out of jail when she found another woman dead with a shoe heel in her neck, but her boyfriend was on his way home. he was really mad at her when he found her kissing the tabloid guy
her shoes never made it on the run way but they made the front page thanks to the tabloid guy
she got roses delivered along with a note to meet someone at the top of the eiffel tower (finally she got to see it!) and it was her boyfriend proposing, of course she said yes!
she was walking with her friend and a car comes on the sidewalk and hits her. it was her moms friend. they go to the hospital and she broke her leg so bad she has to be in a cast for 3 months.
but she was supposed to go to paris to show her shoes which are taking off thanks to a porn video that got out . so her mom and the lady that hit her went with her. her cop boyfriend was not happy she would be gone so long but he was always busy working
when she got there one of the models lost a priceless necklace. the next day she was found murdered with the heel of the shoe jammed in her neck, just like what happened to someone else. but she didnt do it and she tried to tell the french police that. the reporter she shared a accidental kiss with in the previous book was there and he got them to let her go. he is royalty, she didnt know that
when her boyfriend found out about the trouble she was in and the reporter was there, he told her he would be on the next plane out there
she went to england and italy, getting in trouble wherever she went. her boyfriend got her out of jail when she found another woman dead with a shoe heel in her neck, but her boyfriend was on his way home. he was really mad at her when he found her kissing the tabloid guy
her shoes never made it on the run way but they made the front page thanks to the tabloid guy
she got roses delivered along with a note to meet someone at the top of the eiffel tower (finally she got to see it!) and it was her boyfriend proposing, of course she said yes!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2021
This was just what I needed, a light and breezy story. It is fast-paced with some hijinks mixed in. Maddie is going to fashion week with her designer shoes and she couldn't be more excited. Unfortunately, she gets hit by a car driven by her mom's BFF, Mrs. Rosenblatt, and ends up with a boot on her foot. She is off to Paris with her mom and Mrs. Rosenblatt. Shortly after, a model is murdered with one of Maddie's shoes in the jugular (just like she did last time). Obviously, someone is setting her up but who? The police seem to think she is the only suspect so she must clear her name herself. Hijinks! Ramirez comes to help but then he gets frustrated with her trying to do the police's job. Along for the ride is Felix who she finds out is Lord Ackerman. The chemistry is still there between them as he tries to help her figure out who the killer could be but he is still keeping secrets. They share a very romantic kiss and when she gets her senses back, she pushes him away but it's too late Ramirez is there and saw it. In the end, the killer is caught and Maddie and her entourage are safe.
*****Spoiler*********
She gets flowers and a note to meet at the Eiffel Tower and there she is met by Ramirez who proposes marriage!!!!!
*****Spoiler*********
She gets flowers and a note to meet at the Eiffel Tower and there she is met by Ramirez who proposes marriage!!!!!
September 9, 2018
Coco Chanel once said of dressing with accessories: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” That's what I would have advised Gemma Halliday about this book -- look at the extraneous elements of this book and remove a couple. For example, why is our heroine on crutches? We're supposed to believe someone is framing Maddie for murder ... even though someone on crutches is automatically conspicuous. Or the setting: Aren't Beverly Hills and Paris glamorous enough? Why does Halliday send Maddie off on confusing little jaunts to Milan and London?
Murder ... Fashion Week in Paris ... Maddie's love triangle with the cop and the tabloid reporter ... those elements are enough for a good mystery. (And this is well plotted.) It would have been more engaging with fewer distractions.
Murder ... Fashion Week in Paris ... Maddie's love triangle with the cop and the tabloid reporter ... those elements are enough for a good mystery. (And this is well plotted.) It would have been more engaging with fewer distractions.
December 25, 2019
i love high heels, thank!
Scarpe demonia
demonia sko
demonia boty
demonia schuhe
Scarpe demonia
demonia sko
demonia boty
demonia schuhe
August 31, 2020
Maddie bumbles into solving another one. In truth, Maddie does more to get in the way than she does to forward any investigations. This would not be her showing how clever she is so much as how useful she can be flushing out the guilty.
That said, the books are enjoyable. I'm enjoying Maddie as a character as well as Dana, Jack, Felix etc. There's plenty of humor, though a bit more off colored that I would normally read. All in all a quick fun read.
That said, the books are enjoyable. I'm enjoying Maddie as a character as well as Dana, Jack, Felix etc. There's plenty of humor, though a bit more off colored that I would normally read. All in all a quick fun read.
June 7, 2021
The writing felt a lot stronger or I was just more invested. I felt I was in Paris and London with Maddie; I was right on set and in the story with Maddie. Her emotions through the investigation, heartbreak over Ramirez. I was hooked!
I’m also shocked Ramirez still wanted anything to do with Maddie with all her lying and ability to not listen/sneak around.
SPOILER: Ramirez’s proposal was awful. Never tease/string/lead a girl on with that much negative.
4 out if 5 stars
I’m also shocked Ramirez still wanted anything to do with Maddie with all her lying and ability to not listen/sneak around.
SPOILER: Ramirez’s proposal was awful. Never tease/string/lead a girl on with that much negative.
4 out if 5 stars
February 23, 2020
4th in a series about Maddie Springer, shoe designer, who at last gets her chance to show in Paris for Fashion Week. It will, however, separate her from Ramirez, her detective boyfriend, for ten days. Everything's going great till one of the models is murdered and Maddie puts her life in jeopardy to find the killer.
January 6, 2021
Entertaining pulp fiction
Another will written romantic mystery in the series. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story line is complicated with lots of misdirection leading to the unexpected conclusion. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys will written romantic mysteries. Enjoy reading 2019😊
Another will written romantic mystery in the series. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story line is complicated with lots of misdirection leading to the unexpected conclusion. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys will written romantic mysteries. Enjoy reading 2019😊
April 10, 2018
These books remind me a lot of Abby Cooper and Stephanie Plum series. It's a lighthearted easy to read book with enjoyable characters. Don't expect a lot of depth and deep insights because that is just not what this book series is about.
Nice to read something fun and easy.
Nice to read something fun and easy.
January 26, 2022
I read a couple of books from this series and liked them (with reservations), but this book didn't do anything for me. It felt too much like the Stephanie Plum series for me. A heroine who keeps making the same dumb decisions. Basically, retreading old ground. DNF at 15%
March 6, 2017
Are you bleeping kidding me?!?!?!?!?!? THAT's how it ends???? OMG, dying here!!!!!!!
December 26, 2018
Cute moments, but overall it tries too hard for laughs. Library ebook.
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