USA Today-Bestselling Author: A handbag-obsessed salesclerk must focus on a homicide instead—if she has any hope of keeping her employee discount… Haley Randolph isn’t exactly a model sales clerk at Holt’s Department Store. But when the corporate office acquires a high-end boutique chain and extends a juicy discount to employees, the fashionista will do anything—maybe even a little hard work—to clinch a Mystique handbag, the season’s absolute must-have, at a heart-stopping price. But when Haley discovers former Holt’s employee Asha McLean shot dead behind the store during orientation training, it turns out there’s more to die for than hot designer deals. Haley can’t fathom why anyone would harm Asha—until she learns that her former coworker was seriously shady. Upon closer inspection, Asha’s duplicitous lifestyle not only earned lots of cash, but plenty of mortal enemies. As authorities question her innocence and business wanes, Haley’s desperate to sack the murderer and save Holt’s in time. Otherwise, instead of rocking a Mystique, Haley might end up full of holes—or worse, locked away in a very unflattering shade of orange . . .

Haley Randolph isn't exactly a model sales clerk at Holt's Department Store. But when the corporate office acquires a high-end boutique chain and extends a juicy discount to employees, the fashionista will do anything--maybe even a little hard work--to keep the part-time gig and clinch a Mystique handbag, the season's absolute must-have, at a heart-stopping price. With the extra duties she's taking on, Haley's positioning herself to be Employee of the Month. But when Haley discovers former Holt's employee Asha McLean shot dead behind the store during orientation training, it turns out there's more to die for than hot designer deals. The ensuing negative publicity could force Holt's to close its doors permanently, sinking the surrounding shopping center--and Haley's job--into oblivion. Haley can't fathom why anyone would harm Asha--until she learns that her former coworker, who secretly lived in Sherman Oaks and owned a mint BMW, was seriously shady. Upon closer inspection, Asha's duplicitous lifestyle not only earned lots of cash, but plenty of mortal enemies. As authorities question her innocence and business wanes, Haley's desperate to sack the murderer and save Holt's in time. Otherwise, instead of rocking a Mystique, Haley might end up full of holes--or worse, locked away in a very unflattering shade of orange.--

HANDBAGS AND HOMICIDE, set in L.A.'s Garment District, is the first book in an exciting new series featuring the hilarious and irresisitible Haley Randolph. When Haley says she’d ‘kill for’ the latest fashions, she doesn’t actually mean it. Of course, she’d quite happily stamp on feet, pull hair and elbow rivals out of the way to get to a new designer bag. But when her boss at Holt’s department store is discovered dead in the store room fingers are pointed firmly at her! If Haley’s going to escape jail (not to mention the orange prison jumpsuits) she must find the murderer and prove her innocence. At least the hunky Ty Cameron seems to be on her side...

A lively exploration of the struggles faced by women in law enforcement and mystery fiction for the past 175 years In 1910, Alice Wells took the oath to join the all-male Los Angeles Police Department. She wore no uniform, carried no weapon, and kept her badge stuffed in her pocketbook. She wasn’t the first or only policewoman, but she became the movement’s most visible voice. Police work from its very beginning was considered a male domain, far too dangerous and rough for a respectable woman to even contemplate doing, much less take on as a profession. A policewoman worked outside the home, walking dangerous city streets late at night to confront burglars, drunks, scam artists, and prostitutes. To solve crimes, she observed, collected evidence, and used reason and logic—traits typically associated with men. And most controversially of all, she had a purpose separate from her husband, children, and home. Women who donned the badge faced harassment and discrimination. It would take more than seventy years for women to enter the force as full-fledged officers. Yet within the covers of popular fiction, women not only wrote mysteries but also created female characters that handily solved crimes. Smart, independent, and courageous, these nineteenth- and early twentieth-century female sleuths (including a healthy number created by male writers) set the stage for Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, Sara Paretsky’s V. I. Warshawski, Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta, and Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone, as well as TV detectives such as Prime Suspect’s Jane Tennison and Law and Order’s Olivia Benson. The authors were not amateurs dabbling in detection but professional writers who helped define the genre and competed with men, often to greater success. Pistols and Petticoats tells the story of women’s very early place in crime fiction and their public crusade to transform policing. Whether real or fictional, investigating women were nearly always at odds with society. Most women refused to let that stop them, paving the way to a modern professional life for women on the force and in popular culture.

The latest novel in a new crafting cozy series in the genre-leading Kensington Cozy Mystery program focusing on the members of a Sewing Studio. Some of the independent shops in this sleepy town are barely hanging on financially—and that includes Sarah’s Sweets, Abbey’s aunt’s bakery. The shop’s advantage—aside from the deliciousness of its products—is the fact that it’s the only bakery in the area. But it looks like that’s about to change. The second wife of a wealthy businessman wants her own bakery—and money is no object. When murder unravels the plans for the competing shop, Aunt Sarah is an immediate suspect—and Hideaway Grove’s merchants are on pins and needles about a big upcoming women’s conference, fearing the organization will cancel their booking because of the crime. Abbey’s doing her best to stay optimistic and stitch some custom tote bags for the attendees, but she’s also concerned with patching up Aunt Sarah’s good reputation. And when it comes to sorting through the possible motives of the victim’s family members and associates, she’s got a few tricks up her sleeve . . .

A feisty fashionista goes shopping for suspects in this witty murder mystery from the USA Today-bestselling author… Haley Randolph’s 25th birthday is just around the corner, and the full-time fashionista is ready to quit her credit card-paying job at Holt’s Department Store. All she has to do is make sure nothing goes wrong with the big party she’s planning at the Hollywood Haven retirement home. But when Haley finds the home’s assistant director sprawled on his bloody office floor, she sees her hope of keeping her job—not to mention the dream of owning a Sassy, the season’s hottest handbag—vanishing before her eyes. Finding the killer is Haley’s only hope . . . but it turns out the list of suspects is longer than her last credit card statement. To make matters worse, Haley’s kind-of-ex-boyfriend Ty is now a suspect in a different murder. Solving two murders while planning the perfect party—and always keeping her sights on a Sassy—won’t be easy . . . especially now that there’s more than one killer ready to select Haley’s final outfit! “A fun, lighthearted whodunit.” —The Mystery Gazette on Beach Bags and Burglaries “A treat for those with a passion for fashion. No doubt this sassy heroine’s in for a long run.” —Kirkus Reviews on Purses and Poison

From USA Today bestselling author Dorothy Howell, a brand new cozy mystery series featuring twenty-something Abbey Chandler and her fellow sewing circle members in the quaint, touristy town of Hideaway Cove. Abbey Chandler needs a new start and a place to escape, so Hideaway Grove, where she spent her childhood summers, seems like a perfect choice. Once there, she takes up a rewarding new hobby--but also gets tangled up in a hit-and-run homicide . . . Abbey has barely arrived in the quaint, quiet town of Hideaway Grove before things turn from blissful to bloody--as the new librarian is mowed down by a car. The only witness on the scene isn't much help, aside from handing Abbey the bag of books dropped by the victim. Even worse, the sheriff's office seizes Abbey's car because of a suspicious dent in the right front fender. While she waits for the problem to be sorted out, Abbey is drawn into a charity sewing project--even though she can't tell a bobbin from a seam ripper. Before she knows it, she's graduating from pillowcase dresses to aprons, setting up a studio in a back room of her aunt's bakery, and making plans to participate in the upcoming craft fair. But through it all, she keeps looking for patterns and possible conflicts in the late librarian's personal, professional, and romantic life. Then a shocking discovery sends her in a new direction, and as the truth begins to unspool, she's got a notion about who's guilty . . .