Handbags & Homicide

Handbags and Homicide (A Haley Randolph Mystery) by Dorothy Howell ~~

Witty, smart, and always chic-to-die despite a less than glam checking account balance, Haley Randolph has it all--Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Coach, Burberry--and she'd kill for the newest Louis Vuitton handbag. It seems she's not the only one. When someone's passion for designer purses leads to murder, Haley goes shopping for a killer to clear her name...
According to Haley Randolph, you can never have enough handbags. She has one for every occasion, but that doesn't mean she won't go to any lengths to get the latest Louis Vuitton. Unfortunately for Haley, her life goes from glam to grim when her passion for fashion outlasts her credit cards, and she's forced to work during the holiday season at Holt's--a mid-market department store that doesn't even stock designer labels much to her horror.
Looking for a bit of shopping inspiration, Haley abandons the sales floor and sneaks into the stock room to get a first glimpse of Holt's ultra-fab holiday promotion--a one-of-a-kind selection of handbag styles. But instead of the newest Vuitton, Haley discovers her boss is the ultimate fashion victim. He's face-down in lingerie--stone-cold dead.
According to the security tapes, Haley was the only person in the stockroom before, during, and after the murder. With everyone in the store eyeing her like last season's Marc Jacobs, Haley turns to the hunky Ty Cameron, who heads up the store's loss prevention unit, to help her investigate the murder.
In a race to clear her rep, Haley's knowledge of hot trends will take her from the sales floor to the boardroom to the gritty streets of L.A.'s Garment District. Now, Haley must find a killer with impeccable fashion taste...and get her hands on that perfectly checkered Louis Vuitton bag before time runs out... (From Amazon)

For a second I thought this book was being written about me and my love for all things Louis & Prada :) Minus taking a second job to feed my obsession of course. Poor Haley has an addiction to the finer things in life - namely designer handbags. And in order to feed her obsession (and to help pay for it) she takes a second job working at a department store - in gasp - retail! One night Haley stumbles across the body of her boss in the stockroom. As well as being the prime suspect in this murder, she's also put on leave from her "real" job in a law firm - accused of embezzling money. While working to clear her name in both cases, Haley is determined to solve both murders. Not to mention dealing with her boss - who is very cute and available??? A true cozy mystery. Filled with fun and enough hints to keep you guessing until the end. A great start to a new series.