Purses and Poison

This is the second in the Haley Randolph mysteries and it was as amusing as the first. This is an ideal book to read while watching older children in the pool or supervising outside activities. It was a fun summertime read and I am sure many readers will find Haley's shopping addiction in one of their best friends.

Haley Randolph is the funniest amateur sleuth to come along since...well, ever. This book was laugh out loud funny, just as the first book was. The only disappointing thing is that Dorothy Howell doesn't have twenty more books out there just waiting for me!

Haley is at it again. She still is working at the low budget Department store to make money for her purses she has to have! I loved the cover of this book too. It was very eye - catching. I did have a little trouble keeping up with the "men" in her life though. But, I give her full credit for not letting up on finding out the truth of who murdered the model. She has more energy than I do , that's for sure. Kudos to Haley and to the author, Hannah Howell. Can't wait for the next book.

I reviewed Dorothy Howell's first book "Handbags and Homicide" and really liked it. It had an ending which made me eager for the next book in the series. She didn't let me down. Everything I said about her first book is true about this one. Haley is still someone I wouldn't want to work with. She's still self-centered and impulsive and obsessed with designer handbags. And for some reason I still like her - maybe even better than before. There's two murders, two detectives rapidly losing their patience, a truckload of cat food and a missing person. Haley's love life is going nowhere fast and she's finding mysterious notes on her windshield. And the icing on the cake - she's mistaken for a porn star which causes even more havoc. The ending needs another chapter. She did it again!!

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