Spying in High Heels (ISBN 0843957352)

Author knows nothing about Los Angeles!:
This book would have been good for its genre if the author knew anything about Los Angeles. I'm not sure why she set her story there, since she lives in San Francisco and it is obvious that she has never even looked at a map of LA. She goes into great geographical detail, giving driving directions and mentioning well-known LA landmarks and streets, but it is all completely wrong. Does no one do any editing these days? These errors ruined the story, they were so annoying. All she had to do was look at a map. Is this so difficult? I can now empathize with a reviewer who complained about another author who set her book in Seattle and got everything wrong. Here are only three, out of many, examples that anyone from the LA area (potentially hundreds of thousands of readers for Gemma Halliday) would know are absolutely incorrect: 1. Pages 77-80. The character, Maddie, lives in Santa Monica and goes to her nearest Starbucks. This would only be a few blocks away, since they are everywhere in LA. She gets a call from her Mom to go to a Bridal place and then takes the 101 to get there in 10 minutes. The 101 freeway does not run anywhere near Santa Monica. The closest it gets is over in the Valley, miles away. It would be impossible to get from Santa Monica to anywhere on the 101 freeway. 2. Pages 100-104. Maddie goes to see her best friend, Dana, at her apartment in Studio City. They are then going to disguise themselves and drive to a seedy motel in North Hollywood (which is huge and not every area is as sleazy as the author makes it out to be). The route they take to North Hollywood from Studio City would take them miles out of their way. The author has them going up the 405, over the hill and into the Valley. They then take the 101 East to the 134 East and get off at Lankershim. First of all, Studio City is already in the Valley and is adjacent to North Hollywood. It would make more sense to just drive up Laurel Canyon Blvd. Second, the 405 does not go anywhere near Studio City, so it would be impossible to hop onto it from there. Finally, the only exit onto Lankershim is going West on the 134, not East. I drive this freeway every day, so I know. 3. Page 251. "At exactly 4:02 I was circling the block between Fairfax and La Brea on Hollywood Boulevard for a parking place...." The major streets of Fairfax and La Brea in West Hollywood and Hollywood (respectively) are separated by about 8 to 10 blocks, I can't remember the exact number they are almost a mile apart. You cannot "circle the block" between them. Also, that section of Hollywood Boulevard is completely residential, with the exception of a Jewish temple and an Episcopal church. Otherwise, it is all apartment buildings. What business is she going to go to? I know that many people will think I'm being too picky, but wait until an author starts talking about your city and places you drive every day, getting everything completely wrong, and you'll know how annoying that is and how it can ruin a potentially good book.

fun fun fun:
I read this one and Killer in High Heels and loved them both. Congrats to Gemma....you've accomplished something great! These are so much fun to read! WRITE FAST GIRL! Looking forward to more!

Embezzlement, Murder, and Humor:
Maddie Springer is a children's shoe designer in L. A. Her boyfriend, Richard Howe, an attorney, has gone missing, along with $20 million in embezzled funds. Maddie can't believe he is involved, but the longer he's missing, the more she wonders. When Maddie stumbles upon a murder, Jack Ramirez, a sexy cop, works with Maddie to help uncover the embezzlement. She's also aided by her best friend Dana who is a bit sex-crazed. They end up in various hilarious adventures. Can Maddie catch the killer before the killer sets his/her sights on her? I loved this hilarious romantic chick lit mystery. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Maddie is such a fun-loving protagonist. I found it hard to put down. I was also laughing out loud many times. My husband kept asking me what was so funny! I thought the author did a great job of creating characters, setting, and plot. I kept wondering who the killer/embezzler was. I didn't figure it out until right before everything was revealed. I highly recommend this book.

Great start for this series!:
Maddie Springer is a twenty-something woman trying to earn an honest living so she can support her shoe habit. She's currently dating Richard, a lawyer, and thinks their relationship is heading somewhere. That is until she learns that one of his clients has embezzled $20 million dollars and Richard may be his accomplice. She's not sure what to think as Richard goes missing and his client's wife is found dead in her pool. Maddie decides to take matters in her own hands and starts an investigation of her own. She quickly learns that Richard isn't the man she thought he was as her digging uncovers his secrets. During her investigation, she meets cute Detective Ramirez and sparks fly. The only problem is, Detective Ramirez has a warrant for Richard's arrest. Can Maddie prove that Richard is innocent? Good start to what I'm sure will be a great series.

Cute summer read:
If you are looking for light reading then this book is a good choice. The characters are not well developed but I still found the book to be entertaining. This was an okay summer read.