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Down and Out in Beverly Heels
From brunch in Bel Air to homeless in Hollywood…
Former actress Meg Barnes used to have it all: tony Beverly Hills address, Amex Black card, Manolos for every day of the month. Not to mention a career as a popular TV detective that made her glittering life possible. But her lifestyle of the rich and famous has turned into a reality show for d-listed starlets. Lost in her Louboutins, she has one man to thank: her con man of a husband.
Handsome FBI agent Jack Mitchell knows a suspect when he sees one—even if she’s as beautiful and gutsy as Meg. Meg’s ex “made off” with half of Hollywood’s wealth in an epic real estate scam. And Jack thinks Meg may have been involved.
Determined to prove her innocence Meg teams up with her quirky, movie-mad best friend to track down her fugitive husband and exact justice. But getting her life, and her career, back on track is harder than auditioning for Spielberg. Especially when her life is threatened. Meg has to trust Jack, the man who may want her behind bars…or as his leading lady for life.
Former actress Meg Barnes used to have it all: tony Beverly Hills address, Amex Black card, Manolos for every day of the month. Not to mention a career as a popular TV detective that made her glittering life possible. But her lifestyle of the rich and famous has turned into a reality show for d-listed starlets. Lost in her Louboutins, she has one man to thank: her con man of a husband.
Handsome FBI agent Jack Mitchell knows a suspect when he sees one—even if she’s as beautiful and gutsy as Meg. Meg’s ex “made off” with half of Hollywood’s wealth in an epic real estate scam. And Jack thinks Meg may have been involved.
Determined to prove her innocence Meg teams up with her quirky, movie-mad best friend to track down her fugitive husband and exact justice. But getting her life, and her career, back on track is harder than auditioning for Spielberg. Especially when her life is threatened. Meg has to trust Jack, the man who may want her behind bars…or as his leading lady for life.
310 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
148 people are currently reading
605 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Leigh Scott
66 books154 followersKathryn Leigh Scott is an author/actress.
Her novels: September Girl (2019); Jinxed (2015); Down and Out in Beverly Heels (2013); Dark Passages (2012)
Recent nonfiction: Last Dance at the Savoy (2016); Now With You, Now Without (2017)
Kathryn has appeared in Blacklist with James Spader (2019); Woody Allen's A Rainy Day in New York (2019), soon-to-be-released The Eleventh Green (2019) with Campbell Scott, and Three Christs with Richard Gere and Juliana Margulies. She's also appeared in Hallmark Channel's Broadcasting Christmas (2016), Lifetime's A Wedding to Die For (2017), and has a recurring role as George Segal's girlfriend Miriam on The Goldbergs.
She wrote Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood (2012), and appeared in a cameo role in the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton film Dark Shadows (2012). She is recording the audiobooks of all 32 Dark Shadows novels by Marilyn Ross, published 1966-1970.
Kathryn grew up on a farm in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Upon graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kathryn landed the ingénue lead in the classic Gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows (ABC, 1966-1971), and starred in the 1971 MGM feature House of Dark Shadows. Kathryn played four roles in the series: Maggie Evans, Josette du Pres, Lady Kitty Hampshire, and Rachel Drummond. Kathryn wrote Dark Shadows Memories to coincide with its 20th anniversary, and Dark Shadows Companion as a 25th anniversary tribute.
Kathryn launched Pomegranate Press, Ltd., to publish books about the entertainment industry, including guide books, biographies, textbooks and coffee table art books. She wrote The Bunny Years (the 25-year history of Playboy Clubs told through the women who worked as Bunnies), which was sold to Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer. She also co-produced a two-hour special for the A&E Network and a one-hour documentary for BBC-1 and Canadian TV, based on the book. Pomegranate has published over 50 nonfiction titles, including Scott's books Lobby Cards: The Classic Films (Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Coffee Table Book) and Lobby Cards: The Classic Comedies, both of which were published in the UK by Bloomsbury. She published a trade paper edition of the hardcover biography Coya Come Home, with a foreword by Walter F. Mondale.
Kathryn's theatrical credits include a lengthy run with James Stewart in Harvey in London's West End. She has appeared in many television series and miniseries, including the "Who Watches the Watchers" episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Barbara Taylor Bradford's Voice of the Heart, as Dan Travanti's wife in Murrow, as George C. Scott's mistress in The Last Days of Patton, as Philip Marlowe's girlfriend in Chandlertown, and as a series regular with Brian Dennehy in Big Shamus, Little Shamus. Feature films include Providence, The Great Gatsby, Brannigan, The Greek Tycoon, Assassination, 187, Parasomnia, and Dr. Mabuse.
Kathryn maintains homes in Los Angeles and New York.
Her novels: September Girl (2019); Jinxed (2015); Down and Out in Beverly Heels (2013); Dark Passages (2012)
Recent nonfiction: Last Dance at the Savoy (2016); Now With You, Now Without (2017)
Kathryn has appeared in Blacklist with James Spader (2019); Woody Allen's A Rainy Day in New York (2019), soon-to-be-released The Eleventh Green (2019) with Campbell Scott, and Three Christs with Richard Gere and Juliana Margulies. She's also appeared in Hallmark Channel's Broadcasting Christmas (2016), Lifetime's A Wedding to Die For (2017), and has a recurring role as George Segal's girlfriend Miriam on The Goldbergs.
She wrote Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood (2012), and appeared in a cameo role in the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton film Dark Shadows (2012). She is recording the audiobooks of all 32 Dark Shadows novels by Marilyn Ross, published 1966-1970.
Kathryn grew up on a farm in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Upon graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kathryn landed the ingénue lead in the classic Gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows (ABC, 1966-1971), and starred in the 1971 MGM feature House of Dark Shadows. Kathryn played four roles in the series: Maggie Evans, Josette du Pres, Lady Kitty Hampshire, and Rachel Drummond. Kathryn wrote Dark Shadows Memories to coincide with its 20th anniversary, and Dark Shadows Companion as a 25th anniversary tribute.
Kathryn launched Pomegranate Press, Ltd., to publish books about the entertainment industry, including guide books, biographies, textbooks and coffee table art books. She wrote The Bunny Years (the 25-year history of Playboy Clubs told through the women who worked as Bunnies), which was sold to Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer. She also co-produced a two-hour special for the A&E Network and a one-hour documentary for BBC-1 and Canadian TV, based on the book. Pomegranate has published over 50 nonfiction titles, including Scott's books Lobby Cards: The Classic Films (Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Coffee Table Book) and Lobby Cards: The Classic Comedies, both of which were published in the UK by Bloomsbury. She published a trade paper edition of the hardcover biography Coya Come Home, with a foreword by Walter F. Mondale.
Kathryn's theatrical credits include a lengthy run with James Stewart in Harvey in London's West End. She has appeared in many television series and miniseries, including the "Who Watches the Watchers" episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Barbara Taylor Bradford's Voice of the Heart, as Dan Travanti's wife in Murrow, as George C. Scott's mistress in The Last Days of Patton, as Philip Marlowe's girlfriend in Chandlertown, and as a series regular with Brian Dennehy in Big Shamus, Little Shamus. Feature films include Providence, The Great Gatsby, Brannigan, The Greek Tycoon, Assassination, 187, Parasomnia, and Dr. Mabuse.
Kathryn maintains homes in Los Angeles and New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
February 1, 2013
I enjoyed this story of an aging Hollywood actress trying to get her life back on track after her husband's mysterious disappearance. I wish that Meg's TV show was real! It sounds fun!
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
September 24, 2013
Meg Barnes was once a popular actress. She lived the glittering Hollywood lifestyle and had everything she could possibly want. Then she discovers her husband was in fact a con-man who has not only left her penniless he has stolen millions of dollars from investors...and some of them are the Russian mafia.
Now homeless, she finds herself living in her car, desperately trying to maintain her dignity and get her career back...but the FBI are still chasing her husband and if she plans on moving on with her life she'll have to deal with her past.
I look at that cover and I make some assumptions. I expect a ditzy self absorbed Hollywood starlet bumbling around and solving the crime despite being completely clueless. The synopsis confirms those suspicions.
Then I read the first chapters and think, "What! Hang-on, what's going on here?"
This book is awesome. I expected to be killing time, I didn't expect a 5 Star treasure. I was expecting the usual clichés, I got a smart and sassy heroine who manages to hold onto her dignity despite her difficult circumstances. Honestly, I was expecting Meg Barnes to be a bit of a bitch, not a kind woman who looks out for other homeless people.
So much love for this book.
Now homeless, she finds herself living in her car, desperately trying to maintain her dignity and get her career back...but the FBI are still chasing her husband and if she plans on moving on with her life she'll have to deal with her past.
I look at that cover and I make some assumptions. I expect a ditzy self absorbed Hollywood starlet bumbling around and solving the crime despite being completely clueless. The synopsis confirms those suspicions.
Then I read the first chapters and think, "What! Hang-on, what's going on here?"
This book is awesome. I expected to be killing time, I didn't expect a 5 Star treasure. I was expecting the usual clichés, I got a smart and sassy heroine who manages to hold onto her dignity despite her difficult circumstances. Honestly, I was expecting Meg Barnes to be a bit of a bitch, not a kind woman who looks out for other homeless people.
So much love for this book.
December 4, 2014
This book is… OK. It’s got some interesting characters – the more interestingly drawn, have little to do with the plot – and a bit of what feels like authentic Hollywood-insider atmosphere, where it’s just another workplace and not an aspirational dreamworld seen from the outside.
But quite honestly, it’s a clear case of genre fraud. The cartoony cover and the punny title lead you to expect a light dose of chicklit. It quickly turns out instead to be that unedifying thing, a not-very-thrilling thriller, involving bankruptcy, a conman, Russian gangsters, large scale property fraud, kidnappings, murder and amateur sleuthing – except it’s all a lot less exciting than that makes it sound. Just because your protagonist is female and a Hollywood film star doesn’t entitle you to put a pair of upside-down kicking legs on your cover, if you’re going to write about the Russian mafia and international property fraud.
That aside, the heroine is Meg Barnes, and she’s not badly-drawn. I liked that she isn’t a young hot-shot glamour girl but a middle-aged, still glamorous actress who is well remembered for an iconic role in a twenty-year-old TV show, and has worked steadily in a series of guest star roles since. That seemed realistic and relatable to me. In the opening chapter, we’re plunged into high drama with the kidnapping and disappearance of her husband – an immediate indication that this is not going to be the light romp through Hollywood mores that I was hoping for.
The story cuts to a year later, and Meg is destitute and living in her car, though managing to conceal this from most of her friends. It turns out her husband staged his disappearance because he was about to be busted for property fraud, and he somehow managed to fleece Meg of all her money and possessions too. Despite her precarious living conditions, she is attempting a career comeback, and I would have been much more interested in following that as a story. Instead, we are obliged to go along with Meg as she investigates her husband’s disappearance in a fumbling, non-urgent, meandering way, tripping over clues and getting jumped by seemingly-random mysterious antagonists. I have to confess, by the time the plot reached its predictable climax, I was pretty confused and not at all sure who was who and who was supposed to have done what to whom.
A lot of time is spent on scenes that contribute nothing, except perhaps a bit of general atmosphere, and there are really too many peripheral characters that don’t feed into the thriller plot. What was all that about the ex-star bag lady and her down-and-out admirer, for instance? Is she supposed to be a glimpse into the future for Meg if she doesn’t get her act together? Fair enough, except that Meg’s personal story isn’t central enough for this to matter.
Confused is what this book made me feel in the end. I had to keep putting it down and coming back to it, doggedly trying to get through it. As an aside, I started to read Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic to the Stars at around the same time, which is set in exactly the same time and place. Now I thought that Down and Out in Beverly Heels was a much better, more interesting portrayal of Hollywood as a place, and certainly felt more realistic, and I thought that the latest Shopaholic book was a very disappointing addition to that series – but still, I finished Shopaholic to the Stars in a flash and weeks ago, whereas I’ve only just dragged myself to the end of this book. That says something about the storytelling, I’m afraid – for me, at least.
But quite honestly, it’s a clear case of genre fraud. The cartoony cover and the punny title lead you to expect a light dose of chicklit. It quickly turns out instead to be that unedifying thing, a not-very-thrilling thriller, involving bankruptcy, a conman, Russian gangsters, large scale property fraud, kidnappings, murder and amateur sleuthing – except it’s all a lot less exciting than that makes it sound. Just because your protagonist is female and a Hollywood film star doesn’t entitle you to put a pair of upside-down kicking legs on your cover, if you’re going to write about the Russian mafia and international property fraud.
That aside, the heroine is Meg Barnes, and she’s not badly-drawn. I liked that she isn’t a young hot-shot glamour girl but a middle-aged, still glamorous actress who is well remembered for an iconic role in a twenty-year-old TV show, and has worked steadily in a series of guest star roles since. That seemed realistic and relatable to me. In the opening chapter, we’re plunged into high drama with the kidnapping and disappearance of her husband – an immediate indication that this is not going to be the light romp through Hollywood mores that I was hoping for.
The story cuts to a year later, and Meg is destitute and living in her car, though managing to conceal this from most of her friends. It turns out her husband staged his disappearance because he was about to be busted for property fraud, and he somehow managed to fleece Meg of all her money and possessions too. Despite her precarious living conditions, she is attempting a career comeback, and I would have been much more interested in following that as a story. Instead, we are obliged to go along with Meg as she investigates her husband’s disappearance in a fumbling, non-urgent, meandering way, tripping over clues and getting jumped by seemingly-random mysterious antagonists. I have to confess, by the time the plot reached its predictable climax, I was pretty confused and not at all sure who was who and who was supposed to have done what to whom.
A lot of time is spent on scenes that contribute nothing, except perhaps a bit of general atmosphere, and there are really too many peripheral characters that don’t feed into the thriller plot. What was all that about the ex-star bag lady and her down-and-out admirer, for instance? Is she supposed to be a glimpse into the future for Meg if she doesn’t get her act together? Fair enough, except that Meg’s personal story isn’t central enough for this to matter.
Confused is what this book made me feel in the end. I had to keep putting it down and coming back to it, doggedly trying to get through it. As an aside, I started to read Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic to the Stars at around the same time, which is set in exactly the same time and place. Now I thought that Down and Out in Beverly Heels was a much better, more interesting portrayal of Hollywood as a place, and certainly felt more realistic, and I thought that the latest Shopaholic book was a very disappointing addition to that series – but still, I finished Shopaholic to the Stars in a flash and weeks ago, whereas I’ve only just dragged myself to the end of this book. That says something about the storytelling, I’m afraid – for me, at least.
May 23, 2013
Full disclosure, I've know Kathryn Leigh Scott casually for a number of years, and I promised to attend her book signing at Book 'Em Mysteries in South Pasadena a few weeks ago, but couldn't make it. I did pick up the book, however, and I'm glad I did. Part romance, and part mystery--i'm not sure there are quite enough dead bodies and bodice rippings to satisfy the most avid readers of these genres--in fact most of the murders occur off stage and the heroine is only tangentially involved in solving them. But what the book lacks in these ares is more than made up for in the writing, which is first-rate, and the character development which is strong, three dimensional and totally satisfying. After years in the picture business Kathryn has absorbed the atmosphere and the attitudes of film/TV folk and gives a vibrant portrait of a once-prominent actress suddenly reduced to homelessness yet still trying to keep up appearances. The character of Meg is by no means semi-autobiographical, yet Kathryn manages to infuse Meg with enough reality to make the character truly vivid. Well worth a read, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
August 18, 2012
Wow - what a great story! Not so much an outstanding mystery as a great character study and lifestyle of the rich - and not so rich - and famous.
Aside from this author's various Dark Shadows books, I have to say that she is one of my favorite writers. She writes in such as way as you completely lose yourself and feel as though you are living with the characters. In this case, an out of work, out of home actress hoping for her next job.
I took one star away because I felt that, considering the friendship she had with Donna, she should have been more up front and open about her problems and the mystery she was trying to solve. Donna seemed very smart and resourceful and I'm sure this dynamic duo would have worked well together.
I hope there will be another with these characters, but if not, I'll certainly rereading this one again just to escape my humble home and hang with the elite in Hollywood!
Aside from this author's various Dark Shadows books, I have to say that she is one of my favorite writers. She writes in such as way as you completely lose yourself and feel as though you are living with the characters. In this case, an out of work, out of home actress hoping for her next job.
I took one star away because I felt that, considering the friendship she had with Donna, she should have been more up front and open about her problems and the mystery she was trying to solve. Donna seemed very smart and resourceful and I'm sure this dynamic duo would have worked well together.
I hope there will be another with these characters, but if not, I'll certainly rereading this one again just to escape my humble home and hang with the elite in Hollywood!
June 26, 2015
I was hoping this book would be funnier. And the protagonist, Meg, was really TSTL most of the time. She could really get under my skin. Homeless, bankrupt, mooching off a friend in order to even survive and yet she was too good to sit and sign some autographs for a few fucking hours for cash? That scene really pissed me off. And then she was determined to go behind the backs of the cops and find her ex before they did. For what reason? To "confront" him about what he did to her? And then what? It's not like she had a weapon or could detain him or even stop him from taking off again. The cops want to find him in order to arrest him and bring him to justice. But she didn't want to help out with that I guess. She'd rather find him and give him a stern talking to. That'll show him. She's lucky she didn't get herself or anybody else killed. Idiot.
January 15, 2014
I think the author knows a lot about the Hollywood set and how they live and act. There was humor, intrigue, and romance all wrapped into this book. I loved the character Meg Barnes and her quest to find out how she wound up 'down and out' after living the life of a Hollywood star. It's clear the writer has lived and worked in Hollywood.
The thing that struck me the most about this book was I cared about Meg and the other characters and what happened to them. The writing was clear and concise and kept me turning pages. The author is also gifted with describing people and locations. I hope there is going to be another Meg book.
The thing that struck me the most about this book was I cared about Meg and the other characters and what happened to them. The writing was clear and concise and kept me turning pages. The author is also gifted with describing people and locations. I hope there is going to be another Meg book.
May 12, 2014
Enjoyed the book, but occasionally I just wanted to smack the main character. She vacillates between being extremely naive and trusting everyone, and extremely cynical and trusting no one--while real people are rarely consistent, the swings were a bit much for me. Still, an interesting look at Hollywood.
February 16, 2016
From brunch in Bel Air to homeless in Hollywood - really good read of a actress trying to track down her missing husband. Liked this book a lot!
July 24, 2024
A clever title often draws me to a book, but it is far from a guarantee that what follows will be much good.
“Down and Out in Beverly Heels” is one of the exceptions - it's smart, funny and knowing.
Actress Meg Barnes has her best days behind her - she won an Emmy and worked with some of the top stars - but, after her developer (aka embezzler) husband Paul disappears (either dead or on the run) with her money, she's almost unemployable after the resultant reporting on the multiple victims of his frauds.
She's down on her luck and, financially, circling the drain. None of her remaining friends know that she is living in her car. She's a ghost in her previous life.
And, while once there was a smorgasbord of parts to select from, she's reduced to auditioning for minor roles.
I did quite like her refusal to go down:-
“For a homeless person, you’re actually quite a snob.”
“Just down and out, not trashy.”
But, while Paul is missing, there are plenty of people trying to find him and they think Meg is the key. So much so that she decides to follow the few slim clues she finds so that she can get back to a normal life.
The book is partly a mystery but is mostly about Meg, the people around her, and the oddities of her life.
It's a very enjoyable read.
While reading the author's bio on Goodreads I realised that I probably saw Kathryn Leigh Scott on stage back in 1975 when she appeared in 'Harvey' with James Stewart. It was the only time I ever voluntarily bought tickets for a show - give me books every time. It was a memorable experience.
4 Stars.
“Down and Out in Beverly Heels” is one of the exceptions - it's smart, funny and knowing.
Actress Meg Barnes has her best days behind her - she won an Emmy and worked with some of the top stars - but, after her developer (aka embezzler) husband Paul disappears (either dead or on the run) with her money, she's almost unemployable after the resultant reporting on the multiple victims of his frauds.
She's down on her luck and, financially, circling the drain. None of her remaining friends know that she is living in her car. She's a ghost in her previous life.
And, while once there was a smorgasbord of parts to select from, she's reduced to auditioning for minor roles.
I did quite like her refusal to go down:-
“For a homeless person, you’re actually quite a snob.”
“Just down and out, not trashy.”
But, while Paul is missing, there are plenty of people trying to find him and they think Meg is the key. So much so that she decides to follow the few slim clues she finds so that she can get back to a normal life.
The book is partly a mystery but is mostly about Meg, the people around her, and the oddities of her life.
It's a very enjoyable read.
While reading the author's bio on Goodreads I realised that I probably saw Kathryn Leigh Scott on stage back in 1975 when she appeared in 'Harvey' with James Stewart. It was the only time I ever voluntarily bought tickets for a show - give me books every time. It was a memorable experience.
4 Stars.
June 3, 2018
From the cover I was expecting something quite different, but I liked the book and read it more or less in one gulp. Good characterisations, the humour is there but not LOL funny. Thought the picture of Hollywood life and people was probably very accurate. Meg Barnes as a middle aged ex-celebrity was a surprise (that misleading cover again) but real, though her lovely friend Donna was a bit too wonderful, and her other friend Carol was a bit too awful. And why was Carol trying to pair up Meg with FBI Jack? Quite a convoluted plot and I got a bit lost in mortgage and property fraud. Found myself being irritated by Meg trying to solve everything herself and walking into dangerous situations without much thought, or much reason either. But I did enjoy it.
April 13, 2018
Scott/down and out in Beverly. Heels
This story was a hard read, it did not delivered at the beginning making me want to just put the book away as a lost. It did not capture my attention or make me want to read it the beginning of the story about an actress who married a real estate investor who even con her and some of her friends,but skipped out leaving everyone believing she was in on it,but,was con also and lost everything. I read the story through hope it would get better,it didn't. This doesn't mean in my estimate ,the writer was bad, it was this book and story that did not appeal to me.
This story was a hard read, it did not delivered at the beginning making me want to just put the book away as a lost. It did not capture my attention or make me want to read it the beginning of the story about an actress who married a real estate investor who even con her and some of her friends,but skipped out leaving everyone believing she was in on it,but,was con also and lost everything. I read the story through hope it would get better,it didn't. This doesn't mean in my estimate ,the writer was bad, it was this book and story that did not appeal to me.
February 21, 2018
It is worth reading. But the features and physical appearances.of the characters are not defined adequately, so you cannot visualize how they look like. It is difficult to make a guess what kind of physical attraction might be between them. For instance a woman character whom I assumed a middle aged woman turns out to be a very attractive ex model.
March 1, 2018
New Author for me!
Some fun, lots of excitement, but the plot, never clear, was waaaaay too convoluted for me! It took me forever to read it! Not bad tho. Most folks would enjoy it, I'm sure! Enjoy!
Some fun, lots of excitement, but the plot, never clear, was waaaaay too convoluted for me! It took me forever to read it! Not bad tho. Most folks would enjoy it, I'm sure! Enjoy!
June 9, 2024
If I am honest I thought this book would just be a quick read. And it was a quick read as i read it quickly because i enjoyed it so much. I liked the voice of the main protagonist and how she overcame difficulties. Great summer read. Thanks.
July 3, 2017
This is a funny, mysterious book. It was a lot of fun to read. Loved the characters!!
October 1, 2017
Jinxed again
This was a little slow to me in the beginning but it was worth the time. Meg found a wonderful friend in Donna. A typical ending ..
This was a little slow to me in the beginning but it was worth the time. Meg found a wonderful friend in Donna. A typical ending ..
February 9, 2018
Wasn't impressed with plot and entire book was very choppy.
February 26, 2018
Cute
This is a light, fun read. There are some surprises, which makes it a pleasant way to pass time. I really enjoyed it.
This is a light, fun read. There are some surprises, which makes it a pleasant way to pass time. I really enjoyed it.
September 26, 2018
Couldn’t put it down
I finished this book in a day. I love her main character the most. There are some twists I didn’t see coming, and that makes me love a book!
I finished this book in a day. I love her main character the most. There are some twists I didn’t see coming, and that makes me love a book!
November 6, 2018
Great Short Mystery
What a fun read. The story was light, easy to follow, and full of mystery and suspense. I enjoy KLS's books so much.
What a fun read. The story was light, easy to follow, and full of mystery and suspense. I enjoy KLS's books so much.
March 12, 2019
First half sad
April 23, 2019
Didn't want to put it down!
Suspenseful,kept me interested, easy read,finished it,takes a lot to keep me reading,this I looked forward to picking it back up!
Suspenseful,kept me interested, easy read,finished it,takes a lot to keep me reading,this I looked forward to picking it back up!
October 28, 2020
Great boom
Wasn't sure what I would get but I needed something more interesting then the cozy mysteries I had been reading. Interesting and kept me wondering till the end.
Wasn't sure what I would get but I needed something more interesting then the cozy mysteries I had been reading. Interesting and kept me wondering till the end.
August 13, 2022
Like a bad channel 5 daytime drama
April 4, 2018
What a fun book to read! Reminded me of the BBC Agatha Raisin mysteries. Full of lively characters, movie memorabilia and the exciting adventures of all. I had trouble putting the book down in the wee hours of the morning. Thank you Miss Scott!
June 13, 2019
Great read
I enjoyed the book but felt at times it jumped around a little. Other than that I would recommend it.
I enjoyed the book but felt at times it jumped around a little. Other than that I would recommend it.
July 13, 2013
Originally published at Reading Reality
I picked this book because I watched Dark Shadows, even though I knew there wouldn’t be anything about vampires in Down and Out in Beverly Heels, because Kathryn Leigh Scott was part of the cast of my long ago favorite. The “what happens after” connection was enough to make me curious, and I’m glad it did.
Meg Barnes is an “actress of a certain age’ who is so far below barely scraping by in Hollywood that she is living in her classic Volvo. She had one terrific hit TV series, and still gets residuals from lots of shows she did, but her con man husband ran a real estate scheme that seems to have put Bernie Madoff to shame and left her holding the bag, and the blame.
The Volvo, and those residual checks, are all she has left. Too many people think that she knows where “Paul the scumbag” went with everyone’s money or that she was in on his shady deals. Meg doesn’t know anything, and she wasn’t in on it. She lost everything but her pride.
She ran away for a year, but now she’s back. And that’s where the fun begins. Because Meg's back in Hollywood, where all her husband’s victims are, she starts getting threatening notes on her Volvo. She’s followed. And, of course, everyone whispers about the scandal.
She can’t even divorce the bastard, because he’s never been found. He’s presumed dead, but there’s no body. Not his body. Other bodies, people he knew, start turning up.
The FBI is back on the case. But Meg isn’t sure whether the lead FBI agent, Jack Mitchell, wants to investigate her or date her. She’s not quite sure what she wants to do about him, either.
One thing Meg is certain of, this time she isn’t running away. The more threats she gets, and the more times she gets told to back off, the more determined she is to find out what is really going on.
Meg Barnes wants her life back. No matter who, and how hard, she has to fight for it.
Escape Rating B: Down and Out in Beverly Heels is a solidly fun mystery with a lovely helping of a women’s friendship story in the mix.
Meg’s history in Hollywood was nostalgic and entertaining. The way she described the character in her old TV show, I kept visualizing her as Stephanie Powers in Hart to Hart, even though her Jinx character was a magician’s assistant. The image worked for me. I also just plain liked her memories of “Old Hollywood”.
As a character, Meg grows from sort of a wimp to a take-charge can-do person. She does take risks she shouldn’t, but she goes from scared rabbit to finally living her own life. It’s a good character arc and makes her story worth following. Her developing friendship with Donna is great to read about, especially as Donna also grows and comes out of her shell. They help each other!
The mystery had trawlers full of red herrings. Although it was kind of easy to guess that the bastard-hubby wasn’t dead, exactly how he wasn’t dead and why definitely took some figuring. Very slippery. And he was a slime so I’m glad Meg solved her life.
One of the things that made the story better was that the “good guy” the FBI agent, did not save the day. Meg solved her own problems in the end. Heading on the road toward a happily ever after is the reward for a job well done, but the guy doesn’t rescue her, she rescues herself with a little help from a true friend.
I picked this book because I watched Dark Shadows, even though I knew there wouldn’t be anything about vampires in Down and Out in Beverly Heels, because Kathryn Leigh Scott was part of the cast of my long ago favorite. The “what happens after” connection was enough to make me curious, and I’m glad it did.
Meg Barnes is an “actress of a certain age’ who is so far below barely scraping by in Hollywood that she is living in her classic Volvo. She had one terrific hit TV series, and still gets residuals from lots of shows she did, but her con man husband ran a real estate scheme that seems to have put Bernie Madoff to shame and left her holding the bag, and the blame.
The Volvo, and those residual checks, are all she has left. Too many people think that she knows where “Paul the scumbag” went with everyone’s money or that she was in on his shady deals. Meg doesn’t know anything, and she wasn’t in on it. She lost everything but her pride.
She ran away for a year, but now she’s back. And that’s where the fun begins. Because Meg's back in Hollywood, where all her husband’s victims are, she starts getting threatening notes on her Volvo. She’s followed. And, of course, everyone whispers about the scandal.
She can’t even divorce the bastard, because he’s never been found. He’s presumed dead, but there’s no body. Not his body. Other bodies, people he knew, start turning up.
The FBI is back on the case. But Meg isn’t sure whether the lead FBI agent, Jack Mitchell, wants to investigate her or date her. She’s not quite sure what she wants to do about him, either.
One thing Meg is certain of, this time she isn’t running away. The more threats she gets, and the more times she gets told to back off, the more determined she is to find out what is really going on.
Meg Barnes wants her life back. No matter who, and how hard, she has to fight for it.
Escape Rating B: Down and Out in Beverly Heels is a solidly fun mystery with a lovely helping of a women’s friendship story in the mix.
Meg’s history in Hollywood was nostalgic and entertaining. The way she described the character in her old TV show, I kept visualizing her as Stephanie Powers in Hart to Hart, even though her Jinx character was a magician’s assistant. The image worked for me. I also just plain liked her memories of “Old Hollywood”.
As a character, Meg grows from sort of a wimp to a take-charge can-do person. She does take risks she shouldn’t, but she goes from scared rabbit to finally living her own life. It’s a good character arc and makes her story worth following. Her developing friendship with Donna is great to read about, especially as Donna also grows and comes out of her shell. They help each other!
The mystery had trawlers full of red herrings. Although it was kind of easy to guess that the bastard-hubby wasn’t dead, exactly how he wasn’t dead and why definitely took some figuring. Very slippery. And he was a slime so I’m glad Meg solved her life.
One of the things that made the story better was that the “good guy” the FBI agent, did not save the day. Meg solved her own problems in the end. Heading on the road toward a happily ever after is the reward for a job well done, but the guy doesn’t rescue her, she rescues herself with a little help from a true friend.
August 30, 2015
This book was a blind purchase. I liked the look of the cover and didn't even bother to read the blurb.
Personally, as a teenager, I'm used to reading about other teenagers or young adults. It was a different experience reading about a character who was middle aged. The characters themselves were likable.
I liked how Meg grew as a person- she started off as being someone who appeared to have very little knowledge of the world yet as the story developed, she became an outright bad ass. I loved the idea of Jinx, the TV show sounded amazing, definitely something I'd watch!
Donna was another character I really liked, she was the perfect mix of eccentric and lovable. Definitely someone I'd want in my corner if push ever came to shove.
Another notable character was Jack. Although I liked his character, I wish he had a bit more of a storyline (maybe some background?) I wish we could see what he was like before his wife passed or how his feelings for Meg grew - it seems as though they were just randomly thrown together with no actual pull factor except the fact they both found each other attractive?
The character that disappointed me the most was Paul. I was really looking forward to meeting him after all the scandal I'd read surrounding him. But when he actually arrived, he was a bit of a let down. It may just be personal preference but I had hoped he'd be a bit more of a psychopath and have explained things to Meg in a really hurtful manner... things such as why he did all those things to her, what he did with the money, whether he truly ever loved her, whether she was part of a larger plan or he just came across her by chance?
And now we move on to the plot.
I found it to be extremely slow paced however the last few chapters were fab. I did find the talk explaining the fraud committed to be quite difficult to understand but I'll just put that down to my age. I do wish it was a little more fast paced but overall, I didn't guess the plot twist at the end at all and was truly shocked to find out who Paul was planning on running off with. It's solely due to that little bit of unpredictability that this book has received 2 stars.
All in all, it was an ok read but I wouldn't recommend it to my friends and I definitely wouldn't read it again.
Personally, as a teenager, I'm used to reading about other teenagers or young adults. It was a different experience reading about a character who was middle aged. The characters themselves were likable.
I liked how Meg grew as a person- she started off as being someone who appeared to have very little knowledge of the world yet as the story developed, she became an outright bad ass. I loved the idea of Jinx, the TV show sounded amazing, definitely something I'd watch!
Donna was another character I really liked, she was the perfect mix of eccentric and lovable. Definitely someone I'd want in my corner if push ever came to shove.
Another notable character was Jack. Although I liked his character, I wish he had a bit more of a storyline (maybe some background?) I wish we could see what he was like before his wife passed or how his feelings for Meg grew - it seems as though they were just randomly thrown together with no actual pull factor except the fact they both found each other attractive?
The character that disappointed me the most was Paul. I was really looking forward to meeting him after all the scandal I'd read surrounding him. But when he actually arrived, he was a bit of a let down. It may just be personal preference but I had hoped he'd be a bit more of a psychopath and have explained things to Meg in a really hurtful manner... things such as why he did all those things to her, what he did with the money, whether he truly ever loved her, whether she was part of a larger plan or he just came across her by chance?
And now we move on to the plot.
I found it to be extremely slow paced however the last few chapters were fab. I did find the talk explaining the fraud committed to be quite difficult to understand but I'll just put that down to my age. I do wish it was a little more fast paced but overall, I didn't guess the plot twist at the end at all and was truly shocked to find out who Paul was planning on running off with. It's solely due to that little bit of unpredictability that this book has received 2 stars.
All in all, it was an ok read but I wouldn't recommend it to my friends and I definitely wouldn't read it again.
October 1, 2013
A year ago, Meg Barnes had it all. Veteran of a hit TV series, she had a lovely home in Los Angeles, cars, designer clothes, and a new husband, Paul, she loved immensely. But what a difference a year makes. Paul calls her one day and tells her he has been kidnapped and to pay the ransom when she gets instructions. She sends everything she owns but Paul is not returned. Then the truth starts to emerge. Paul is a con man, and he has taken not only all of Meg's money but that of her friends and anyone else he could convince to invest in his real estate schemes.
Meg leaves town, but is now back, trying to get reestablished in her life. She has no home, no possessions, and is determined to not let anyone else know how desperate she is financially. She is living in her car, showering at her gym, getting meals by volunteering at Meals on Wheels. She finally lands a new acting job, and things start to get better in a small way. The worst part is that those who know her seem to suspect that she was in on Paul's plans and not a victim herself. Even her lawyer, Sid and his wife Carol, her best friend in LA, seem to be suspicious of what Meg might know. Sid brings in a FBI agent, Jack Mitchell, who also seems to think Meg is no innocent in what has occurred.
Meg decides that in order to clear her name and get her life back, she needs to find Paul. There are clues around that she starts to follow, and in turn, she realizes that she is being followed by some shady characters. Meg and her new friend, Donna, become detectives and try to locate Paul and bring him to justice. Can they find him before everything explodes?
Kathryn Leigh Scott has written a sprightly mystery which would be characterized as a cozy mystery. She knows the world she writes about, the backlots and acting stages of L.A., having been on the series Dark Shadows herself. The reader is treated to an inside look at the acting industry as well as the way a resourceful woman can survive without money. This book is recommended for mystery readers.
Meg leaves town, but is now back, trying to get reestablished in her life. She has no home, no possessions, and is determined to not let anyone else know how desperate she is financially. She is living in her car, showering at her gym, getting meals by volunteering at Meals on Wheels. She finally lands a new acting job, and things start to get better in a small way. The worst part is that those who know her seem to suspect that she was in on Paul's plans and not a victim herself. Even her lawyer, Sid and his wife Carol, her best friend in LA, seem to be suspicious of what Meg might know. Sid brings in a FBI agent, Jack Mitchell, who also seems to think Meg is no innocent in what has occurred.
Meg decides that in order to clear her name and get her life back, she needs to find Paul. There are clues around that she starts to follow, and in turn, she realizes that she is being followed by some shady characters. Meg and her new friend, Donna, become detectives and try to locate Paul and bring him to justice. Can they find him before everything explodes?
Kathryn Leigh Scott has written a sprightly mystery which would be characterized as a cozy mystery. She knows the world she writes about, the backlots and acting stages of L.A., having been on the series Dark Shadows herself. The reader is treated to an inside look at the acting industry as well as the way a resourceful woman can survive without money. This book is recommended for mystery readers.
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