Designer Dirty Laundry

Samantha Kidd Mystery #1

by Diane Vallere

This is an alternate/new cover for ISBN 9780984965304
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Samantha Kidd, ex-buyer turned Trend Specialist, designed her future with couture precision, but finding the Fashion Director's corpse on day one leaves her hanging by a thread. When the killer fabricates evidence that puts the cops on her hemline, Samantha’s new life begins to unravel. She trades high fashion for dirty laundry and reveals a cast of designers out for blood. Now this flatfoot in heels must keep pace with a diabolical designer before she gets marked down for murder.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Chick Lit, Humor, Mystery Thriller

Paperback

First published June 2, 2012

About the author

Diane Vallere is the national bestselling author of several mystery series. She edited the Agatha Award-winning essay collection Promophobia: Taking the Mystery out of Promoting Crime Fiction. Diane majored in art history at the College of William and Mary and worked in luxury retailing before reigniting her love of fiction. She currently lives in Pennsylvania where she spends her free time discussing classic movies or curled up with a book. Find out more at: www.dianevallere.com.

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Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

What do you do when you show up for the first day of your new job and find your new boss dead? Well I would turn around and run as fast as I could, but not Samantha Kidd. She faints while someone else calls 911. Then she becomes the prime suspect due to the killer’s master set up. Not the new life she imagined for herself…she has no choice but to turn her fashion trending talents into sleuthing talents before she loses everything.

Such as entertaining read. I immediately fell head over heels for Samantha Kidd. Everything was stacked against her and she did not give up. She had no idea who to trust and was being hounded by a mortgage company to verify her employment and the police who were determined to find her guilty. Her inner dialogue and outer antics were hilarious.

The story is very well written with a tight plot and a quick pace. There were several potential suspects and I was completely surprised when the killer was revealed. Seems Samantha and I missed the same clues 🙂

I really enjoyed the fashion/department store backdrop. The author brings her life experience into the story and it shows her passion for the field.

This story will put a smile on you face and maybe even have you laughing out loud!

I am excited to continue reading this series. Is there romance on the horizon for Samantha? What is next on the job front? I can’t wait to find out.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha Kidd has given up a prestigious job in the fashion industry to move back to her home town in Pennsylvania to work as the trend specialist for a local department store. But her dream job turns into a nightmare when she finds her boss dead in the elevator before she can even start. Before the police can show up, the body is gone. What’s happening?

Having read some of Diane’s other books, I was glad to finally go back to her debut novel. As I expected, it’s a lot of fun, with many twists, although Samantha does seem to do at lot of reacting to things. There are a few things that could be smoother, but that’s a minor issue over all. The characters are great, and make it hard to figure out the villain before it is revealed, although all the pieces fall into place. Plus we really get to see some growth in Samantha.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was debating whether to give this fun mystery 4 or 5 stars. When I found myself thinking back on several of the clever lines in the book and smiling to myself, I knew it was a 5. I read this lighthearted mystery over two evenings, because I was so caught up in the fast-paced adventure that there was never a point at which I wanted to put it down. Samantha Kidd is a great character, so I'm glad it's the start of a series. It reminded me of Susan Kandel's mystery series: fun characters and a bit of fashion/chick lit mixed into the mystery.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha Kidd held the title of senior
buyer of ladies designer shoes when she
was working at Bentley’s in New York.
She was not happy there so left her job
and decided to buy her parents house as
they moved away for their retirement.
Samantha and her cat Logan are staying
in her parent’s house until her mortgage
clears.
Now Samantha is to become the trend
specialist at a family retailer in her
hometown. This is located in eastern
Pennsylvania in a small town of Ribbon.
Samantha was hired by Patrick from
Tradava. He hired her while she was
getting into her car in the parking lot of
the town’s food store.
Day one at Tradava proves trying. She
becomes aware that Patrick has never
told the company that he has hired her as
the trend specialist. Then she runs into a
familiar shoe designer, Nick Taylor’s that
she knew from her former New York job.
Then they find Patrick dead in an elevator.
The EMT with his gurney said he died of
a heart attack.
Samantha faints. When she comes around
She discovers no one can find a body!!
What is going on here??
Next Samantha finds herself set up for
murder by the killer. Who can she trust??
Samantha decides to put her problem
solving skills she used in her New York
job to work on her current situation.
A very well plotted story with characters
involved in fashion designing. All the
characters are well fleshed out. They
are have backstories which will keep the
reader guessing until the final word.
I felt this was a fast paced, fashion
informative, suspenseful and a sinister
well planned undertaking.
This is book # 1 in the Samantha Kidd
Mystery Series.

[Amber Foxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha Kidd leaves her sixty-hour-a-week job as a buyer for a major New York store to work as a trend specialist for a store in her old home town. Her first day on the job, things start going wrong. Within minutes, she sees her new boss lying dead in an elevator. In a light mystery like this, the author has to walk a fine line between trivializing death and loss, and writing humor around it rather than about it. Samantha’s reaction to her boss’s death is human, appropriate for the level of connection she had to him. It’s an effective beginning which made me care about both the main character and the mystery.

As a narrator, she’s likeable and energetic, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. Her personal story is engaging—in one career move she is both starting over and coming home. She’s better cut out for being a trend expert than a detective, but her motive for trying to take on that role is solid. It would be a spoiler if I told you more, but she couldn’t possibly have a higher personal stake. In an amateur sleuth story, I find it more believable when the amateur is highly motivated like this, and when she isn’t always good at detecting—doesn’t completely outsmart the professionals. In her determined effort figure out who committed the crime and why, Samantha makes progress but also misses major clues and makes a few near-fatal mistakes.

Though a couple of details in the final resolution of the mystery stretched my suspension of disbelief, the plot kept me turning pages, curious what would happen next. I was rooting for Samantha to notice those clues she overlooked. Even though I’d picked up on them, I still didn’t know whodunit, only that these things were clues to something. Overall, this book is tightly crafted. The characters are colorful but not caricatured, and the romance subplot shows promise for the series. I enjoyed the setting in the fashion industry. It’s fun when a protagonist has profession about which I was previously ignorant, and I learn something about it in the course of the story. A cozy mystery with good characters is like a well-made dessert with quality ingredients. Indulge yourself in this one: it’s a delightful treat.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book on my Kindle for a long time, and I don't know why I am just now reading this book! I have the next few, so you know I'll be reading those soon.

This book was quite delightful, and since I am on the author's email list, I hear her voice coming through Samantha Kidd.

Samantha is one hot mess! She has been hired to work for a department store as a trend stylist, but no one seems to know about her. It doesn't help that her new boss is murdered on her first day, and Samantha is in the hot seat being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I followed along but didn't figure out the killer before Samantha...not even an inkling. There are some red herrings sprinkled throughout, and sometimes it was hard to know who to trust.

I loved all of the fashion details. While I am not a fashionista, I am always interested in knowing more.

Can't wait to read more of this series and see what Samantha is up to next.

[Diane Vallere]

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[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humor abounds in this delightful book, the first in this series. Samantha Kidd was a shoe buyer but is now turning her eye towards becoming a trend specialist. Moving to her old hometown and starting a new job is all part of her career plan. Finding the body of the man who hired her and was to be her boss wasn't! She becomes the prime suspect in his murder because she has no proof that he really hired her and the store has no paperwork either. With the help of shoe designer, Nick Taylor she starts to get her life back together and find out what is behind the murder. Love these characters and the fashion background they are in. They are fun, wacky and very real. The fashion background will keep you laughing as you see what Samantha goes thru for her love of it and the murder plots are uniquely twisted. A joy to read!

[Linda Fast · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received Designer Dirty Laundry free from Goodreads First Reads. The book was pretty good, fast paced and hard to put down.
The book begins with Samantha Kidd retuning to her hometown to start a new job at a fashion house. On her first day of her new job she discovers her new boss dead who actually has been murdered. As she tries to uncover who murdered him she becomes a target herself and also a murder suspect to the town police. I enjoyed reading this very much. Thank you to Goodreads and Diane Vallere.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Diane Vallere weaves designer duds and a devious murder into a cozy mystery that delights, with results that will keep you topstitched to every page. I’m definitely looking forward to more of her books!

[Diane Vallere]

She expected the fashion industry to be ruthless. She wasn't prepared for it to turn deadly.

Designer Dirty Laundry is the first book in the feel-good Samantha Kidd mystery series. If you like witty protagonists, clever dialogue, and fashion-forward drama, then you'll love this chic story!



EXCERPT

When you wear fishnet stockings to the grocery store, people tend to stare. Women look at you like you’re affiliated with the sex trade. Men pretend they’re not staring, doing so all the while. It’s probably because they’re thinking the same thing.

The last time I wore fishnets to the grocery store was weeks ago. It was then I met the man who changed the course of my life. Because of him, I’d traded in the title of senior buyer of ladies designer shoes at Bentley’s New York to become the trend specialist at Tradava, the family-owned retailer in Ribbon, Pennsylvania. I’d given up an apartment in Manhattan to buy the house where I grew up. And now, because of him, I sat in a police station explaining my actions to a homicide detective.

I still couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it all started to go wrong.

​A week earlier . . .

I changed clothes six times, then ultimately settled on the fashion uniform of black: satin motorcycle jacket cinched at the waist over a lace camisole, pegged pencil skirt, fishnets, and stilettos. Elsa Klensch meets Catwoman. Patrick, the fashion director and my new boss, was bound to approve. I topped off my look with a finishing blast of Aqua Net, powered up with coffee and a donut from a newspaper kiosk by my house, and headed to work earlier than I remember ever going to work before.

“I’m Samantha Kidd,” I announced to the Latina woman behind the Loss Prevention desk at the store. “Patrick’s new trend specialist. Do you know if he’s here yet?”

​“He’s here, but he didn’t say anything about you.” She picked up the phone and dialed an extension. When no one answered, she hung up.

“Visitors gotta sign in.”

“But I’m not a visitor. I’m staff. Today’s my first day.”

“You got ID?”

I reached into my handbag and pulled out a quilted leather wallet, then held it open to show my driver’s license through the plastic window.

“I meant a store ID.”

“No. Not yet, anyway.”

“That’s a New York license,” she said.

“You’re right, I moved. But it’s me, see?” I held the wallet up to my face and smiled at her in the way only a half crazy person brimming with caffeine and adrenaline over starting a new job might. She reached her hands up and gathered her long, wavy, brownish-orange hair on top of her head then wound it around several times until it resembled a doorknob. The whole time she kept eye contact with me but didn’t smile back.

She handed me a clipboard and a red ballpoint pen. Samantha Kidd, I wrote with a flourish. Trend office, 7:37. I snapped my wallet shut and put it in my handbag then hopped out of the way of a flatbed filled with merchandise and headed into the store. Aside from security and shipping, the store was quiet.

I wasn’t a morning person. It was day one of a new job and a new life. Full of potential. My early arrival had less to do with my natural inclinations and more to do with my need to make a good impression. I was determined to be the best trend specialist Patrick had ever hired.

I wandered through the shoe department on my way to the elevators, pausing by a round marble fixture that displayed a purple suede platform pump. My index finger traced over the black and white designer label that decorated the sock lining.

“Of all the shoes, in all the stores, she had to walk up to mine,” said a husky voice behind me. I turned and faced the man whose name was stitched onto that label. The man I’d once fantasized about during a layover in Paris. The man I’d almost kissed after a business dinner that involved a good deal of Sauvignon Blanc and a serving of lemon meringue pie. My judgment is not to be trusted around lemon meringue.

​Nick Taylor was a shoe designer. His showroom was charged with electricity, hot looks, and devastating style. His shoe collection wasn’t bad, either. He was one of the few people I thought I’d miss after leaving Bentley’s, that is, until I caught him flirting with the buyer from Bloomingdales and realized the only special thing we had was a gross margin agreement.

“You’re a long way from New York,” I said. “What are you doing at Tradava?”

“Same thing as you, probably.”

​“I doubt that. I’m here to start a new job.” I cocked my head to the side and crossed my arms, the plum-colored laptop bag that hung from my shoulder now banging against my hip.

​“First day? Let’s get you into practice.” He stood directly in front of me and held out his hand. “I’m Nick Taylor. Shoe designer and all around good guy.”

I pursed my lips and took in his dark curly hair and his brown eyes, the exact shade of the three root beer barrels I ate in the car after finishing the donut. I met his outstretched hand with my own.

“Samantha Kidd. Former shoe buyer. Former angry New Yorker.” I pumped his hand twice to emphasize the word "former." “Current trend specialist for Tradava on the cusp of a new life.”
​
He pulled me in, converting our handshake to an embrace. I lost my balance and fell against him. “I thought I might never see you again,” he whispered in my ear. “So, Tradava?” He looked to his left and right as if making sure no one was listening. “From the big city to the small town. I knew you’d land on your feet, but I didn’t expect you to land here.”

“You make it sound like I vanished into the night,” I replied, blowing at a strand of hair that had gotten stuck in my lipstick. My cell phone buzzed from the depths of my handbag, and I pretended not to hear it.

“You did vanish in the night. Out of my life, out of my dreams . . . ” He reached out an index finger and freed the lock of hair. A trace of red lipstick transferred to his fingertip. “And now I find you haven’t even missed me. That hurts.”

“So you took it upon yourself to stalk me. Good to know.”

“C’mon, everybody needs at least one stalker in their life. It’s good for the ego,” he said.

Nick Taylor had captured the eye of more than one female at Bentley’s, and rumors of his love life often permeated the otherwise work-heavy market weeks. More than once I’d wondered what would have happened if I’d given in to my post-pie impulse to kiss him after that innocent business dinner last May.

“You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing at Tradava this early?”

“I have some outstanding business with the shoe buyer,” he said. “The only time he had available was this morning.”

​“Did security make you sign in?” I asked, nodding toward the back hallway.

​“Sure. They make everybody sign in before the store is open.”

​The elevator bell sounded. The doors attempted to open, then jerked shut. Nick stabbed the button with his index finger, and the doors repeated their spastic motion. I had the other option to take the stairs but with a breakfast of highly concentrated sugar, fat, and root beer barrels coursing through my veins, that wasn’t going to happen.

​The doors jerked open again, and I jammed the laptop between them. They beat an irregular rhythm against the plum nylon case but left a resulting opening large enough for my fingers. By now I had exerted more energy than I would have on the stairs, but I was determined to get on the thing.

I quickly changed my mind.

​In the elevator was a well-dressed man. His jet-black hair was held perfectly in place with pomade, and his mustache was neatly trimmed. He wore a taupe suit with a violet windowpane pattern, a brown and purple paisley ascot knotted around his neck, and a crisp white shirt that no doubt had been laundered and starched by a team of professionals. Even though his body lay crumpled on the floor, the shirt was barely wrinkled.

Patrick.

My new boss.

I yanked the laptop out from between the doors. When I stood back up, the room spun. I put a hand out to steady myself and lost my grip on the computer bag. It fell from my shoulder and landed on its side.

My knees buckled, and I followed the laptop to the floor.

*****

Discover the series at dianevallere.com!

[C-shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel was part of the "Style and Error Boxed Set," along with a related short story, "Just Kidding." _Designer Dirty Laundry_ was very silly and lots of it didn't make sense. I enjoy Diane Vallere's style of writing for pure escapist fiction, but this one was just too dumb, with a protagonist who acted idiotic. She was supposed to be a style maven, yet constantly ate fattening junk food and had trashy housekeeping habits. Somehow she managed to have handsome men attracted to her, even though she had few redeeming qualities. She constantly failed to make even semi-intelligent decisions about anything, perpetuating the vagueness of the story line.

[Diane Vallere]

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[Agnieszka · Rating 1 out of 5]

All you need to know about this book is summed up in this passage:
Was my judgment completely in left field, or was I getting closer to figuring out who killed Patrick? I didn’t know but now didn’t seem like the time to question my instincts. After all, I’d recently bought a fuchsia fedora for seventy-five percent off and there was no lemon meringue in sight. Clearly, my judgment was fine. (p. 146)

If it were not for the stipes on the cover I've given up on this book within the first 20 pages. I'm glad I can tick off this task from a challenge but wish it were not that much slugging through a story I didn't care for and a character I thought immature and annoying. The plot want much more to my liking especially as it was too realistic to suspend belief but not realistic enough to take it seriously and a mystery with plenty of red herrings but no viable clues to the solution.

I suppose it could be interesting for people interested in fashion and the industry - there are many descriptions of clothing, styles, people, tools and other details showing how much the author loves everything fashion though that's absolutely not my cup of tea.

[Sandra Nedopričljivica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book as the grand-prize winner of the Mysteries with Humor Sweepstakes contest and I'm grateful.
For me, this was just a fashion chick-lit with a little mystery.

[Mysterytribune · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diane Vallere, a 20-year retail fashion veteran, has a new debut coming up for release on June 5, 2012 which, in a nutshell is a funny cozy mystery centered around a fashion director's murder. We reviewed this story, Designer Dirty Laundry, and what comes next is our take on the book.

A Brief Summary:

Samantha Kidd, ex-buyer turned Trend Specialist, designed her future with couture precision, but finding the Fashion Director's corpse on day one leaves her hanging by a thread.

When the killer fabricates evidence that puts the cops on her hemline, she trades high fashion for dirty laundry and reveals a cast of characters out for blood. The flatfoot in heels becomes sort of a private-eye and goes about unlocking the identity of the killer. In her race for solving the mystery, she must keep pace with a diabolical designer before she gets marked down for murder.

Our Take:

An entertaining and fun cozy mystery…

This book reminded us a lot of the Death On Demand cozy mystery series by Carolyn Hart. The narrative is written from Samantha's perspective and in a sense, the story is similar to the detail memoir of the lead character.

Hoping to make a new start, she moves to a small town from New York and starts a job in a local fashion company only to encounter a corpse in the elevator on her first day of work; a corpse which later disappears and makes people skeptical about her.

From this bang in the beginning of the novel, some small events happen which at the end imply that the female heroine is being framed up.

There is a lot of fashion talk in the book, as this is an area in which the author has significant expertise, and while she goes about finding clues as who is the killer, the reader gets to know about the big buckets of activity in the fashion value chain and some industry trends.

Overall, an impressive cozy mystery from a promising author.

(There is more at http://www.mysterytribune.com or @mysterytribune)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read. Reminds me of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. I will be following up with the next book in the series!

[Ambs ❤❤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tough read for me for two reasons. 1. I'm not that into fashion, so I think a lot of the content and appeal was lost on me. 2. Samantha Kidd could just not stay out of trouble and it was getting frustrating. I do have to admit that other than a few grammar errors I found, the book was written quite well.

As far as the potential love interests go, I was always leery of Nick and wanted her to get with Eddie so badly. In the end, she didn't end up with either. They left hints that she might be with Nick, but I doubt I'll read the next in the series just to find out. As for Eddie, there was no wrap up on him, which was a complete bummer - he did stick by her the ENTIRE book.

[Evelyn Grabas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Talk about convoluted - the title of this book should be the description of that word.
If trendy styles are what was described in the book, I know I will opt to be untrendy. Plus the fact that runway clothes are not meant for everyday wear. Fishnet stockings are and high couture clothing are not meant for around town and grocery store shopping.
Now add to that the following:
Samantha's parents were not aware that she was buying their house. So, why did they send mail to her at that address?
As to the mortgage company, checking employment shown on your application is done BEFORE the loan closes and the money is disbursed, not after. So that whole premise is asinine.
I could go on and on, but, really, to what end. In fact, the whole story is inane.
Don't know about anyone else, but I'll pass on this series.

[Nancy Silverman · Rating 5 out of 5]

For every woman who's first thought the moment she's invited somewhere is; 'What to wear?' this book and this author is an absolute must read. Designer Dirty Laundry is sheer delight. Witty, fast,flirtatiously fun and always fashionable. Ms. Vallere has an outfitted her new mystery series with style, class and the type of laugh out loud fun you'll want to share with friends.

[Barbara Sheppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Diane Vallere weaves designer duds and a devious murder into a cozy mystery that delights, with results that will keep you topstitched to every page. I’m definitely looking forward to more of her books!
A quick read that was entertaining and fun.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a very delightful read. It is hard to put down. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you start this roller coaster of a book, you have to finish it in one sitting! Surprise ending is definitely not expected!

I have read many books by the author Diane Vallere from her other series, but had not had the chance until now to read a book from the Samantha Kidd series. Wow am I glad I did@ This is a fun series with really crazy, quirky characters. Poor Samantha left a high-end fashion job in the city to move back to her home town and start over with less stress. She was hired by Patrick at Tardiva as his Trend Specialist. But the interview and all conversations her future boss had with her were in the parking lot of the store. So when she arrived the first day, no one knew she worked there or was hired by Patrick. But to make matters worse, as she is waiting for the elevator with a shoe designer, Nick, who she remembered from buying his product when she worked in NY, the elevator opens and there is her new boss lying on the elevator floor dead. They call the authorities, and when they arrive the body has disappeared with an EMT that showed up before the police.Now they think Samantha is a little off! And there is NO evidence she is even employed at the store, not with Human Resources or anyone in the store at all. But she meets Eddie who takes her by the arm and steers her to a coffe shop. I loved the character of Eddy as strange a surfer dude type that he is, there is a great backstory between Samantha and Eddy. There are so many twists and turns and red-herrings while a designer competition worth $100,000 is going on. Samantha has a very high moral code and feels she must carry one and help with the competition since that is what her dead boss would have had her do. We meet many characters some who aren't who they seem but who murdered Patrick and when she goes around asking questions, could she be next! I loved this book and now I am reading more in this series! I liked it so much that not only did I receive an ARC from the author, but I also purchased the book! The opinions stated here are stricly my own.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha Kidd has made a life-changing decision: trading in her job at a prestigious New York store for a position with a family-owned retailer in her home town of Ribbon, Pennsylvania. She has also given up her Manhattan apartment and purchased (unbeknownst to her parents) her family home. But when she reports for her first day at work, not only is nobody expecting her, but the discovery of her boss's dead body in the elevator puts a crimp on everything. That, and running into Nick Taylor, a shoe designer from New York, that Samantha had had (occasionally) secret romantic dreams. But when the body first disappears and the police consider her a kook, and then reappears, with evidence pointing at Samantha, she has to do some quick investigations to stay ahead of arrest, and prove that she is not guilty...even if it means putting herself in the real killer's sights. This is a rapid-paced story, full of twists and turns and lots of humor. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book and all opinions are strictly my own.

[Marcia-Lee Finocchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fashion World!

Book 1 in this wonderful series about Samantha Kidd. Sam gets an offer to a new job in her hometown of Ribbon, so she ups and guilts her job in New York, buys her parents house, starts a new job and guess what! Yep, a murder, her new boss!

[Mary Barkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read! Enjoyed the main character Samantha Kydd, who managed to get into trouble without even trying. Loved her approach and determination in finding a solution to her problems. Looking forward to reading more books in this series.

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a romp of a read, but I kept yelling at Samantha to stop being a twit and come clean with the cops.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this isn't one of the most cautionary tales of "look before you leap", I don't know what is. After trading in a lucrative job in New York for (what to me appears to be) a step-down careerwise, Samantha Kidd finds herself in the untenable position of "dead boss, no job, big mortgage". Let's just toss into the mix a little "framed for the murder of dead boss" and we're on our way to a hopping mystery where the main character has to be ahead of both the killer and the police. This story was a lot of fun and I am so looking forward to the next romp.

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Siane Vallere book I have read, but it will NOT be the last! I found myself not wanting to put this book down, but that little thing called a JOB, got in the way of reading this book in one sitting. It kept me on my toes the whole time. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, that theory was thrown out the window, only to think I had it figured out again and again. Very much looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series as well as other Diane Vallere books.
Great job keeping it suspensful and entertaining!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who said you can never go home again didn't tell Samantha Kidd!

Not only has Samantha left NYC & her prestigious buyers career but her first day as a trend setter specialist in her hometown department store leads to her being the #1 suspect when her boss turns up dead.

The more Samantha tries to unravel the plans Patrick had while reconnecting with former friends Eddie Adams and Nick Taylor, the more trouble and confusion seem to complicate everything.

Great characters and a steady flow of plot make this a good series to follow. Now to purchase the next book!