REVIEW: Spying in High Heels by Gemma Halladay

JaneBook Reviews / C Reviews / C Reviews Categorychick-lit / law-enforcement / mystery / unplanned-pregnancy3 Comments

Dear Ms. Halladay:

I know this letter isn’t fair because I picked up your book thinking you were another author, Gemma Bruce. In my defense, you were in the romance section, but I think your book is better classified as a chick lit whodunit with all the accoutrements of the chick lit book. All the brand names are present: Jimmy Choos, Dolce and Gabana, Prada, Gucci.

Appearances are very important to Maddie:

My ash blond hair was still tucked into a flattering half twistà¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬”a few flyaways but the messy look was in, right? I pulled out a tube of Raspberry Perfection lip gloss and applied a thin swipe across my lips, ignoring the obscene gestures from the guy behind me.

Unfortunately, Maddie Springer’s dilemma is one that makes her look like a fool. Before I get to the plot, let me just summarize the book in one sentence. Maddie isn’t sure whether she wants to sleep with the hot cop because she isn’t sure whether she is pregnant by her married boyfriend who she may still have feelings for. Um, can we say TSTL? How is it even a contest?

But even as I listened to Dana cuss him out, I couldn’t help a teeny tiny part of me from hoping that maybe Richard had an explanation for all this. And that wasn’t just the denial talking. I knew Richard. Okay, so there were a few aspects of his life I wasn’t privy to, but deep down I knew the man.

Maddie Springer is a successful children’s shoe designer in LA who turns into Magnum PI to find out where her married boyfriend went along with $20 billion in embezzled funds. She digs through his private confidential files (making my stomach clench! lol), compiles a list of bimbo-ish suspects, accuses several innocents of being guilty and ducks taking her pregnancy test during the whole time, even when she is contemplating the hotness of the cop (who did appear hot).

But at least she looks good investigating the disappearance of Richard, while trying to find out who murdered Richard’s boss.

So I put on my kick-butt clothes. Black DKNY cargos, ice-blue baby T, and my prize black two-inch Jimmy Choos with the rhinestone details.

This story does feature Ramirez who is a somewhat competent detective (when Maddie is constantly showing up and messing things up) but he is really a sidekick to the main story which is Maddie and her search for Richard and her fear or pregnancy and her conflicting emotions regarding Ramirez. Ramirez is really just a placeholder to provide conflict in Maddie’s life.

The good parts are that the story moves quickly and Maddie has moments of humor, but for a reader who is about chick lit’ed out, this was a disappointing read. C.

Best regards,

Jane

Jane

Jane Litte is the founder of Dear Author, a lawyer, and a lover of pencil skirts. She self publishes NA and contemporaries (and publishes with Berkley and Montlake) and spends her downtime reading romances and writing about them. Her TBR pile is much larger than the one shown in the picture and not as pretty. You can reach Jane by email at jane @ dearauthor dot com

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