Danger in High Heels

High Heels #7

by Gemma Halliday

Maddie Springer is all about fashion. So when her best friend Dana's movie star boyfriend, Ricky Montgomery, becomes a contestant on the ballroom dance reality hit, Dancing with Celebrities, she is over the moon at the thought of visiting the sparkly, spandexy costumes on the set. That is until Ricky's dance partner is found dead in his dressing room... in the nude! Suddenly the police suspect him of murder, Dana suspects him of cheating on her, and the reporters at the L.A. Informer, Hollywood's most notorious tabloid, have dubbed him "Dancing Death". Now it's up to Maddie to clear his name as she wades through a misfit cast of reality show dancers to find out just who has a grudge again the show's star... and who is in danger of taking their final bow next!

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Chick Lit, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, Cozy

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2012

About the author

Gemma had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She worked as a film and television actress, a teddy bear importer, a department store administrator, a preschool teacher, a temporary tattoo artist, and a 900 number psychic, before finally selling her first book, Spying in High Heels, in 2005 and deciding to be a writer.

Since then, Gemma has written several mystery novels and been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Reader's Choice award and three RITA nominations. Her books have hit both the USA Today and the New York Times Bestseller lists.

Gemma now makes her home in the San Francisco Bay area where she is hard at work on her next book.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a light read to counterbalance all the non-fiction I have been reading, so I turned to Maddie Springer and the gang once again. In this installment, Maddie's BFF Dana's boyfriend is on a Dancing with the Stars-style competition show and Dana is jealous/insecure about all the time he is spending with his dance partner. So Maddie and Dana drop by the studio and end up in another murder investigation. Boyfriend is now a suspect and its up to Maddie and Dana to clear his name.

This was a lot of fun to read and it's good to see Maddie mature. She does have an uncomfortable time realizing that as a wife/mother with single friends, she sometimes can't relate to her friends, but still supports them. Also she has a moment or two being insecure in her mothering skills, but that is normal for a new mom.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰

Another will written murder mystery romantic family and friends relationships adventure thriller novel by Gemma Halliday (High Heels Mysteries book seven). Maddie Springer is at a dance 💃 practice for a TV 📺 show when a lady 🚺 is killed. Maddie with friends investigates while her mother-in-law babysits the twins. Ramirez her husband and police detective is not happy but Maddie finds two killers. I would recommend this series and author for a fun romantic mystery too readers of mystery novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa read books 📚. 2023

I read my first High Heels Mysteries novel in 2017 from the local library it is my break. Happy reading in 2023

[Renee Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible! It's amazing how Ms. Halliday brings. Murder, crime , and ,laughter together.

This rating was chosen because I thoroughly enjoyed the humor wrapped in with the mystery. Maddie is the perfect amateur detective, who tries not to interfere in her new husband's cases. She just wants to help her friends...and she's good at it. I hope that this series is around a long time and continues to grow. I highly recommend this book. It hits all the right points for a good book.

[Siv30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

מאדי בחופשת לידה לאחר לידת תאומים. היא הולכת עם חברתה דיינה לאולפן הצילומים בו ריקי - החבר של דיינה משתתף בצילומי התוכנית רוקדים עם כוכבים, ושם שוב נחשפת גופה.

מאדי, מבטיחה לרמירז שלא לחקור בנושא, אבל היא נגררת לחקירה במטרה להציל את ריקי.
בחלק מהזמן, היא משאירה את התאומים עם בייביסיטר ובחלק מהפעמים לוקחת אותם איתה, לכל מיני מקומות מפוקפקים.

כרגיל, מאדי משקרת לרמירז, פועלת מאחורי גבו עד שהתעלומה נפתרת. רק שהתעלומה הפעם לא כל כך מעניינת וכך גם הפתרון הוא לא איזו הברקה. בקיצור ספר נחמד אבל לחלוטין בינוני בסידרה הזו.

[Dale Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun mystery in this series. Maddie brings us along with her and the gang as she solves more hollywood homicides. Ms. Halliday's novels continue to hit the mark.

[Sassychassy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didnt like this one quite as much as the previous ones but it was still a super fun read. Love this series!

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Closer to 4.5 stars, but alas, Goodreads doesn't allow us 'half stars' in selecting a grade!

This may not be the 'best', highest quality book you'll read this year, but it'll probably be among the most mood-boosting fun---and fun is such a sadly underrated quality in novels these days. Even if you found the last couple of entries in this series slightly lacking, I'd urge you to give this one a try. I actually think it might be my very favorite: breezy, smoothly paced and surprisingly unputdownable. And while the mystery won't exactly have Agatha Christie writhing in envy, it's better plotted than most of the 'cozies' I've recently devoured. The main character is inherently likable and root-worthy even if, like me, you can't quite relate to her obsession with fashion. :) (Even as I'm typing this review, I'm wearing tattered sweats that would have poor Maddie cringing in agony!) Finally but perhaps most importantly, I just really adore Gemma Halliday's writing style---there's this vibrancy, warmth and breezy wit that makes her books so undeniably enjoyable. Many of the other cozies I've tried are oddly flat and stilted, but these books are so lively, bursting with humor and joy without being remotely 'cheesy.'

Just to make this review more measured and a tad less fangirly, I should mention that I did have a couple of minor complaints: most of the suspects are closer to over-the-top caricatures than believable people, and this installment features quite a lot of Maddie's best friend, Dana, who's not an especially lovable or compelling character to me. Fortunately, I love the book's tone and style so much that these complaints ceased to matter. I'm surprised by how much I'm already looking forward to the next installment!

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I am so happy Maddie didn't find the body this time. But as always is the one that is stuck in the middle somehow in finding others. Poor pitiful Dana. Miss I Never Put Anything That Is Not Natural In My Body!!! OMG I wonder how that turned out. And the massive headache she must have had afterwards. Ricky's part was a wild ride and how that turned out in the then was so wonderful, but at least it should have been told to the police, but I will leave that to not be a spoiler. I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE FELIX BACK. I can see Callum Blue playing him if this went to a TV series. He would be the perfect age for it. He yummy in Dead Like Me and is from London. Marco as a nanny was too funny, but when he went out with Maddie to the place that Kat worked, I just laughed so hard. How he had never seen one before, and how he just stopped, that was so funny. But the funnest thing was when Maddies mom was offering to buy her jeans for under $20 a pair and had a coupon, I thought I was going to lose it. And then mom got hooked on eBay and then Faux Dad got her a Smart Phone, so she could bid anywhere. Which really came in handy at one point. But most of all, Jack is always so HOT...he and Maddie are a perfect fit.
Keep them coming Gemma.

[Michelle now at StoryGraph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't get past chapter four after I discovered that Maddie, a character I'd grown to love through the earlier six books in this series was actually a breastfeeding-hater... a reflection of the author, a suppose. A true disappointment when this had been such a hilarious, fun, enjoyable and unexpected series, thus far. Oh well...

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!

[♔Ms. Devotee Reviews♔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I've been waiting to read this for a while now. By the time I finally got to read it, I was disappointed. The plot was kind of basic and nothing really note-worthy of. The books before this one in the series have much better plot and I was sadly let down by this new installment.

[Jules (Never enough time to read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again it is just another easy to read Maddie adventure, with all the usual characters plus the new baby twins.

I'm not exactly sure why I like these books as much as I do, but they are a favourite mine when I just need something light and fluffy to read.

[Robert Bussie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will having twin newborn babies keep Maddie and her sidekick Dana out of another murder mystery? If you said Yes, then you have not been keeping up with this series. LOL. Actually, I was worried that the babies would slow the series down and either turn it into a sitcom of baby jokes or ignore them all together. However, writer Gemma Halliday, has weaved them into the story very nicely.

Maddie and Dana are out to solve another murder, however this time it is personal. Dana's boyfriend is the prime suspect. The story starts out a little bit slow, but picks up steam early on. The references to pop culture like Dancing With the Stars and Maddie's mom being an Ebay expert are hilarious. But what really makes this story shine is the evolution of Dana. She has gone from a bubbly exercise health nut to being a broken hearted wreck. This shows realism in a series that really stretches reality in the name of fun.

The narrator Caroline Shaffer does another Amazing job bringing the characters to life with her voice skills.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Danger in High Heels, Maddie Springer and her husband LAPD Homicide Detective Jack Ramirez are now the parents of 3 month old twins Livvie and Max. Maddie's best friend, Dana Dashel, needs her help when her actor/boyfriend Ricky Montgomery, is suspected of murder. Ricky has been participating on the show Dancing With Celebrities. His dance partner, Irina, has been found naked and dead in his dressing room! Also, costumes from the network's show have mysteriously gone missing. With babysitting help from her mom and Marco, Maddie and Dana start investigating. This is a fun series and I enjoyed book 7!

[Nola · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINALLY! He pops out the ring! I found it really funny every time Maddie came home, the babies would start crying (so funny!) and especially Marco reaction when he was taken to "Glitter Galaxy". His reaction, PRICELESS! Please let this not be the last book. I spent two years trying to find a way to get all the books after reading Killer in High Heels free in the iBook store. I was so happy when I found them.

[Meagan Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not get past chapter two with the excessive use of gender roles. Baby described as a “screaming bundle swaddled in a pink blanket. With a pink body suit on. And pink booties. And a pink, wool hat. I prayed it was Livvie... Thankfully we had a female.” Barf. Not going to read something with this cheap shot attempt of humor.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I love Maddie I am quite disappointed with how her marriage is going so far. I hated that she was lying to Ramirez and she was throwing her babies at her mother. I hope this changes in the next book because I know Maddie is not usually like this.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are cozy mysteries with emphasis on the cozy and sometimes they go too far in that direction. This entry in the series was a good story with an interesting plot and the cozy kept mostly in the background. Overall, a good choice for reading at the beach this summer.

[Karl Hakimian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only was this an enjoyable mystery with all the usual miscreants involved, but it had a nice heartwarming touch with both the family dynamics and the friendships. It was a good mystery with plenty of humor and excitement.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always fun to follow along on Maddie and Dana’s wacky investigations. But not enough Marco in this one. At least there was tabloid boy.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kind of liked how Halliday plays on current pop culture (of when it was written) with vampires (a previous novel) and now Dancing with the Celebrities.

4 out of 5 stars

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Maybe taking a short break from these…but great to pass time on a plane

[Patricia Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

what I asked for

After reading some intense mysteries I wanted to read a mystery that was well written and fun. I found it!

[Amy Dong · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seriously Ricky wouldn't just give his alibi for the dumbest reason. And then gave it away in the lamest way. Other than that this book was ok. I liked Maddie and her friends even more in this one. And her relationship with Ramirez is making more sense. While taking her twins along to investigate seems irresponsible I did like that they aren't completely forgotten. And the mom issues with guilt of leaving them and other people liking them better felt like a nod to real life in a crazy book.

[Elizabeth Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie has settled into married life pretty nicely.

Maddie has had her twins in this story and hanging out with her friends trying to adjust as they are single and dont want to hear about babies all the time.

Maddie is asked by Felix to look into a matter for background info mainly. Maddie would like to do a bit more investigating but agrees to leave it to the tabloid reporter.

Dana is still dating Ricky Montgomery, every girls heartthrob. One day as Maddie and Dana are visiting Ricky there suddenly is a murder and Ricky is the prime suspect.

Ramirez gets the murder case and has Maddie promise him that she will not become a sleuth in this and try to solve it regardless that it is her best friend boyfriend who is charged.

Maddie goes against her hubby wishes and looks into the murder with her gang.

An enjoyable read with familiar characters like Marco and Maddie mom in the story. Even though it is Maddie and murder the plot kept me reading as the storyline is different from previous stories. It nice to read Maddie from single to married to motherhood and some of the struggles like lack of sleep.

I am a Maddie fan and will continue to read this series.

[Kay Dee (what is your storygraph name? mine is in my bio. join me!) Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

i reread this series because some of the newer ones came on sale recently for 99 cent and i bought them.

i like this as a candy book meaning it's a fun quick read. the murder mysteries are not that easy to solve with lots of suspects. the amateur detective and crew -Maddie, Dana, & Marco are fabulous and funny. the scary tough guy cop is dangerous and sexy. plus her mom and her mom's best friend are funny as well as insightful (they give ya clues if you look for them.)

what i don't like is how Maddie keeps putting herself in danger by going to check out clues or people who she suspects are KILLERS by herself. she gets hit on the head A LOT. when you reread almost an entire series you can see she does this in each book. like OK in the first 3 books i get the stupidity but in books 7-9 she does this as well. she does this even AFTER sexy cop Ramirez tells her not to in EVERY single book. he warns her to not investigate. then when he gives up on that he says do not go anywhere alone. but does she listen??? nope and how many times can one get concussions or knocked on the head almost to point of a conclusion without getting some serious damage. it affects athletes; they have made movies about it.

so besides that huge annoyance i enjoy the book series. definitely a read alike for Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plumb series, Sarah Strohmeyer's Bubble series, Lisa Lutz's Spellman series, and Leslie Langtry's Greatest Hits series. BTW i got these readalikes from Novelist and Amazon recommendations like a long time ago. they were absolutely correct about them being readalikes. i enjoyed all of these series.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Maddie Springer books but sometimes I just want to tell her "don't go there, Maddie." But I don't think she would listen to me any more than she does her homicide detective husband, Jack Ramirez. Maddie (and the twins) go with friend Dana to visit her movie star boyfriend, Ricky, on the set of "Dancing with Celebrities," where he and his partner appear to be the most likely to win. Maddie goes off to feed the babies and when she returns it appears that said partner has been found dead, in Ricky's dressing room, naked. Suspicion obviously falls on Ricky and Dana begs Maddie to help figure out what really happened. Dana is even more distraught because, she thinks, she believes, despite Ricky's protests, that there was something going on between the dance partners. As with all Maddie Springer high heels books, lots of clues, miscues, red herrings, and all the rest take place. Dana, usually the healthiest person around, has gone on eating binges and going out in public in, of all things, orange Crocs. Oh, no! The humor, the mystery, the great relationships between all the characters is there, as usual. And in the end, the mystery is solved and the right person is proved to be the killer.

[Anna Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, witty, sexy and sassy. A read that's sure to please!

She's at it again... and that's not a bad thing!
I picked up my first Gemma Halliday book as a freebie from
amazon some months ago, and from that first book, that first taste
of the sassy Maddie Springer, I was hooked!
I'm generally a hardcore romance/erotica reader, but Mrs.Halliday's Maddie Springer/High Heels series is one I can nevepass up. Maddie is spunky, sassy, and everything you could ever want in a heroine. Her hubby, the hotter-than-sin Detective Jack Rameriez, is a hero we all wouldn't mind getting to know better, and who could forget supporting characters like Mrs. Rosenblatt with her neon mumu's, Maddie's fashion challenged mom, and of course my favorite, Marco! I'm already waiting for the next installment in the series to hit the shelves!

If you're looking for a hilarious story that's still quite the mystery to solve, pick up Danger In High Heels, or any of the other books in the series. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

[Pattianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dander in High Heels - High Heel Mystery Series #7 (Jack and Maddie)

Maddie Springer is all about fashion. So when her best friend Dana's movie star boyfriend, Ricky Montgomery, becomes a contestant on the ballroom dance reality hit, Dancing with Celebrities, she is over the moon at the thought of visiting the sparkly, spandexy costumes on the set. That is until Ricky's dance partner is found dead in his dressing room... in the nude! Suddenly the police suspect him of murder, Dana suspects him of cheating on her, and the reporters at the L.A. Informer, Hollywood's most notorious tabloid, have dubbed him "Dancing Death". Now it's up to Maddie to clear his name as she wades through a misfit cast of reality show dancers to find out just who has a grudge again the show's star... and who is in danger of taking their final bow next!