Purses and Poison-Dorothy Howell

Purses and Poison
Dorothy Howell
Kensington, Jul 2009, $22.00
ISBN: 0758223765

She comes from a life of wealth and privilege and would do just about anything to buy a $2,000 Judith Leiber handbag. She is on very good terms with her parents and is a fashionista who would love to have stylish designer brands in clothing and jewelry. Instead twentyish Haley Randolph works for minimum wage at Holt's Department Store while attending classes at the local college. Her goal is to own a wardrobe she could be proud of.

Her sort of boyfriend is store owner Ty Cameron who stands her up at times as he seems always to be busy working. At the employee’s luncheon and fashion show advertising the store’s new attire, Haley notices one of the models is sick. Haley volunteers to replace her and shortly after a fashion model who was Ty’s ex girlfriend Claudia Gray is found dead. The police determine the victim was poisoned. Haley vows to find the killer as her mom’s catering is the source and since she went missing for a time, she knows she is a suspect.

This book is a hoot with the heroine’s amusing asides re fashion and her efforts to obtain a hand bag that is the real thing that leads her into all sorts of trouble including with the police. Ironically in spite of her quest, Haley is not a vacuous beauty as she is clearly is intelligent though fixated somewhat. She uses her brains to investigate the homicide as she knows she is at the top of the suspect list. Fans will enjoy her escapdes as she is as obstinate to obtain the designer handbag as she is to obtain the killer’s identity.

Harriet Klausner