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Luce and Wilde Hollywood Mystery #1
The Case of The Stained Stilettos: A Luce and Wilde Hollywood Mystery
When legendary Hollywood actress Dana Montgomery throws a party, murder is on the menu.
Combine Dana's husband, actor and womanizer Blaine Jeffries, her son, Mark Lathem, Mark's fiancée, Mark's ex-girlfriend, her current fiancé, the District Attorney, the Chief of Police, two homicide detectives, some Hollywood hotshots, and a butler with a backstory.
Add Mercy Wilde, the couture-wearing, stiletto-sporting private investigator, her husband, suave Beverly Hills attorney Joseph Luce, and her mother, award-winning actress Francesca Wilde.
Mix in a couple of inappropriate crushes, a few fragile egos, an addiction or two, and a cast of Hollywood's "beautiful people."
What possibly could go wrong? Plenty, of course. It's Hollywood!
Join Luce and Wilde as they investigate murder in Tinseltown. The Case of The Stained Stilettos is the first in the Luce and Wilde Hollywood Mystery Series.
Combine Dana's husband, actor and womanizer Blaine Jeffries, her son, Mark Lathem, Mark's fiancée, Mark's ex-girlfriend, her current fiancé, the District Attorney, the Chief of Police, two homicide detectives, some Hollywood hotshots, and a butler with a backstory.
Add Mercy Wilde, the couture-wearing, stiletto-sporting private investigator, her husband, suave Beverly Hills attorney Joseph Luce, and her mother, award-winning actress Francesca Wilde.
Mix in a couple of inappropriate crushes, a few fragile egos, an addiction or two, and a cast of Hollywood's "beautiful people."
What possibly could go wrong? Plenty, of course. It's Hollywood!
Join Luce and Wilde as they investigate murder in Tinseltown. The Case of The Stained Stilettos is the first in the Luce and Wilde Hollywood Mystery Series.
292 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 23, 2020
"The Case Of the Stained Stilettos: A Luce and Wilde Hollywood Mystery," is a wonderful, delightful, and exceptionally well written mix of the Old Hollywood of the forties and fifties (the golden age) and the Hollywood of today (2020). It is the type of book, that will satisfy lovers of the old Hollywood with glamorous stars like Clark Cable and Carole Lombard, Bogard and Bacall, and Errol Flynn and Oliva de Havilland and the new generation with such stars as Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson.
At the very center of the story is Mercy Wilde, a beautiful, classy, private detective who wears Stilettos to both murder scenes and Hollywood parties, but has the sense to take them off when she is kicking ass on a basketball court. She is tough, yet sexy... Playful, yet brilliantly analytic and madly in love with her debonair husband, Joseph Luce, who is a Defense Attorney and together they investigate crimes. Joseph, no fool, is also madly in love with Mercy.
Mercy’s sister, Lucienne, is an LAPD homicide detective and whereas she might not be as well dressed and stylist, she is just as pretty running around in sneakers, cagey pants and a sweat shirt as she arrests criminals at an impressive rate, and has the highest percentage of convictions in the whole LAPD.
The mother of both these supercharged women is Francesca Wilde, an award-winning actress whose talent and beauty are legendary in tinsel town, and though over forty she is still in high in demand and on the cover of all the entertainment tabloids.
When Francesca's friend, another legendary Hollywood actress, Dana Montgomery, throws a party, murder is on the menu, and because of their mother's celebrity both Mercy, Lucienne, and Joseph are also invited, along with a 'who's who' in Hollywood.
Mercy and Joseph (Luce and Wilde) investigate the murder, with help from Lucienne, and along the way we are introduced to an array of fantastic characters, and it was fun for me to figure out who theses characters might be based on in real life.
I did not figure out who did it to the very end when it was revealed, but it was a fun ride all along with witty dialogue, two adorable cats, fragile egos, glamorous settings, and an extremely well developed plot. Melissa J. L. Smith, a veteran Hollywood insider, has written a book I highly recommend. This is the first in a series, and already I can't wait for the second book.
At the very center of the story is Mercy Wilde, a beautiful, classy, private detective who wears Stilettos to both murder scenes and Hollywood parties, but has the sense to take them off when she is kicking ass on a basketball court. She is tough, yet sexy... Playful, yet brilliantly analytic and madly in love with her debonair husband, Joseph Luce, who is a Defense Attorney and together they investigate crimes. Joseph, no fool, is also madly in love with Mercy.
Mercy’s sister, Lucienne, is an LAPD homicide detective and whereas she might not be as well dressed and stylist, she is just as pretty running around in sneakers, cagey pants and a sweat shirt as she arrests criminals at an impressive rate, and has the highest percentage of convictions in the whole LAPD.
The mother of both these supercharged women is Francesca Wilde, an award-winning actress whose talent and beauty are legendary in tinsel town, and though over forty she is still in high in demand and on the cover of all the entertainment tabloids.
When Francesca's friend, another legendary Hollywood actress, Dana Montgomery, throws a party, murder is on the menu, and because of their mother's celebrity both Mercy, Lucienne, and Joseph are also invited, along with a 'who's who' in Hollywood.
Mercy and Joseph (Luce and Wilde) investigate the murder, with help from Lucienne, and along the way we are introduced to an array of fantastic characters, and it was fun for me to figure out who theses characters might be based on in real life.
I did not figure out who did it to the very end when it was revealed, but it was a fun ride all along with witty dialogue, two adorable cats, fragile egos, glamorous settings, and an extremely well developed plot. Melissa J. L. Smith, a veteran Hollywood insider, has written a book I highly recommend. This is the first in a series, and already I can't wait for the second book.
November 22, 2020
To start, I must compliment the author, Melissa J. L. Smith, on the depth of the characters in “The Stained Stilettos.” (There are so many authors named “Melissa Smith” that it is easier to find her by using the middle initials.”
It is obvious that the women in this book stand toe-to-toe with their male counterparts, even on the basketball court. Smith takes great care to give each character his/her strengths and flaws to make them realistic, even though they live among the rich and famous.
The novel is easy to read, and both the plot and characters are believable. The quick-witted banter often brings the “screwball comedies” of the 1940s to mind. I easily could see the characters being played by Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Surely, Smith based private investigator, Mercy Wilde, partly on Kathleen Turner from “Body Heat.”
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a break from real life. It is a great escape! I am looking forward to the next installment of “A Luce and Wilde Hollywood Mystery” series.
It is obvious that the women in this book stand toe-to-toe with their male counterparts, even on the basketball court. Smith takes great care to give each character his/her strengths and flaws to make them realistic, even though they live among the rich and famous.
The novel is easy to read, and both the plot and characters are believable. The quick-witted banter often brings the “screwball comedies” of the 1940s to mind. I easily could see the characters being played by Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Surely, Smith based private investigator, Mercy Wilde, partly on Kathleen Turner from “Body Heat.”
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a break from real life. It is a great escape! I am looking forward to the next installment of “A Luce and Wilde Hollywood Mystery” series.
November 21, 2020
Normally, I admit that I shy away from anything labeled “Women’s Fiction,” but I’ve read every book I have during quarantine. I picked up my wife’s cop of The Case of The Stained Stilettos.
Yes, two of the leads are detectives who are sisters, it’s definitely not “girly-girl” with the hot cars and basketball thrown in.
The Los Angeles scenery pops, and I honestly did not figure out “whodunit” until Joseph Luce (who drives a classic McLaren F1) and Mercy Wilde (Lamborghini Veneno) told me!
Yes, there’s fashion and romance, but not so much as to make it “too chick-lit.” I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Yes, two of the leads are detectives who are sisters, it’s definitely not “girly-girl” with the hot cars and basketball thrown in.
The Los Angeles scenery pops, and I honestly did not figure out “whodunit” until Joseph Luce (who drives a classic McLaren F1) and Mercy Wilde (Lamborghini Veneno) told me!
Yes, there’s fashion and romance, but not so much as to make it “too chick-lit.” I thoroughly enjoyed it!
November 21, 2020
I loved The Case of The Stained Stilettos, A Luce and Wilde Hollywood Mystery. It was recommended by a friend because I usually can solve the “mystery” long before the protagonist does.
But not this time…
The book is a quick read, filled with interesting “Hollywood-type” characters. But they’re far from cookie-cutter. Each character has a full rollout so the reader not only knows the “way” they are, they also know “why” they are the way they are.
There are more twists and turns than Sunset Boulevard and the detectives don’t just pull an answer out of thin air.
I enjoyed the book very much and am looking forward to the next in the series.
But not this time…
The book is a quick read, filled with interesting “Hollywood-type” characters. But they’re far from cookie-cutter. Each character has a full rollout so the reader not only knows the “way” they are, they also know “why” they are the way they are.
There are more twists and turns than Sunset Boulevard and the detectives don’t just pull an answer out of thin air.
I enjoyed the book very much and am looking forward to the next in the series.
November 22, 2020
A quick review of THE CASE OF THE STAINED STILETTOS…buy it…read it…don’t wait! LOL.
But seriously folks, this is a fun book. There’s a murder. There’s Hollywood glitz. There’s couture, cool cars and cats. What more could you want?
Well, there are characters…really good characters. I liked them all, warts and all. And there’s a dinner party that I’d love to be invited to. And the Tinseltown setting is fun!
The dialogue is clever, and the killer is…well, you have to find that out yourself.
I recommend THE CASE OF THE STAINED STILETTOS by Melissa J. L. Smith to anyone who wants to spend an afternoon with characters who quickly become old friends.
But seriously folks, this is a fun book. There’s a murder. There’s Hollywood glitz. There’s couture, cool cars and cats. What more could you want?
Well, there are characters…really good characters. I liked them all, warts and all. And there’s a dinner party that I’d love to be invited to. And the Tinseltown setting is fun!
The dialogue is clever, and the killer is…well, you have to find that out yourself.
I recommend THE CASE OF THE STAINED STILETTOS by Melissa J. L. Smith to anyone who wants to spend an afternoon with characters who quickly become old friends.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews