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Haley Randolph #7.5
Fanny Packs and Foul Play
Amateur sleuth Haley Randolph returns in a hilarious novella from mystery author Dorothy Howell.
Fashionista and event planner to the stars Haley Randolph thinks the Thanksgiving Day feast she’s organizing for the wealthy young owners of the Pammy Candy Company at their Calabasas mansion will be easy—until the hostess is pushed to her death from a second floor balcony.
Money-hungry relatives expecting to dish up a share of the candy company profits, an ex-lover, and a family secret make a tempting recipe for murder. It’s a feast of suspects as Haley gobbles up clues that threaten to turn this warm, welcoming occasion into cold leftovers—but with private detective Jack Bishop in charge of the investigation, things heat up fast.
Haley searches for the designer handbag of her dreams—but finds a hot new attorney instead—and a killer who knows revenge is a meal best served cold!
Bonus content! Includes an excerpt from another Haley Randolph mystery, as well as one of the historical romances Dorothy writes under the pen name Judith Stacy.
Fashionista and event planner to the stars Haley Randolph thinks the Thanksgiving Day feast she’s organizing for the wealthy young owners of the Pammy Candy Company at their Calabasas mansion will be easy—until the hostess is pushed to her death from a second floor balcony.
Money-hungry relatives expecting to dish up a share of the candy company profits, an ex-lover, and a family secret make a tempting recipe for murder. It’s a feast of suspects as Haley gobbles up clues that threaten to turn this warm, welcoming occasion into cold leftovers—but with private detective Jack Bishop in charge of the investigation, things heat up fast.
Haley searches for the designer handbag of her dreams—but finds a hot new attorney instead—and a killer who knows revenge is a meal best served cold!
Bonus content! Includes an excerpt from another Haley Randolph mystery, as well as one of the historical romances Dorothy writes under the pen name Judith Stacy.
152 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2014
47 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Howell
78 books272 followersDorothy Howell writes for two publishing houses, in two genres, under two names. She writes mysteries as Dorothy Howell historical romance novels under the pseudonym Judith Stacy.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 29, 2019
Super predictable mystery but, gosh, I love Haley Randolph. She drives me crazy but at the same time remains incredibly endearing.
Also, I'm liking the addition of the hot lawyer with the terrible jokes. I hope he sticks around.
Also, I'm liking the addition of the hot lawyer with the terrible jokes. I hope he sticks around.
August 3, 2015
Haley is an event planner who is hired to do a Thanksgiving extravaganza for the owners of Pammy Candy. Unfortunately the hostess takes a suspicious tumble from the balcony. Introduce new hot guys - Jack and Liam, bedazzled fanny packs and lots of secrets.
This was a fun read (and short at 152 pages). Haley is a fun character with her talent for sleuthing and obsession with finding the perfect handbag, but it is her interactions with others while planning her events and sleuthing that make her intriguing and likeable
This was a fun read (and short at 152 pages). Haley is a fun character with her talent for sleuthing and obsession with finding the perfect handbag, but it is her interactions with others while planning her events and sleuthing that make her intriguing and likeable
November 20, 2016
This was a fun Haley Randolph thanksgiving novella. Quick, easy read and I even fingered the culprit pretty early.
July 11, 2017
Blah. Not much revealed by investigation. Solved by bad guy stupidity with no real clues. More purse obsession than mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2018
A good cozy mystery. Pretty much figured it out from the start, or at least fairly close to the start.
It is fun and funny to travel around with Haley and enjoy her antics, love life and crabbiness. I really thought she used the word "really" too often Not enough to be annoying and it did taper off as the book progressed.
It is fun and funny to travel around with Haley and enjoy her antics, love life and crabbiness. I really thought she used the word "really" too often Not enough to be annoying and it did taper off as the book progressed.
November 11, 2021
I can't stand the main protagonist. She is so annoying. All she talks about are bags and hot guys and I rolled my eyes every time she used the word REALLY. She is ungrateful. She complains too much. The mystery is bleh. Murderer practically gets themselves arrested. I'm sorry but that's just lazy writing. I really don't understand how this book got 4 stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2018
Amusing, light, and Haley's signature self-absorption (with coffee and handbags included), along with the human touch of thoughtfulness that creeps in when least expected. Loved it.
June 1, 2020
More light-hearted murder in a quick, easy-to-read novella.
March 12, 2017
Haley Randolph has managed to be a success at her LA Affairs job as a party planner, and still works part time at her dreaded job at Holts department store. (Although she doesn't spend that much time there in this book.) Her concerns in life revolve around designer handbags, avoiding her mother, investigator Jack Bishop-the hot hot guy with the Barry White voice, and of course her job.
This time she is planning a Thanksgiving feast for a young couple who want to show their appreciation for the workers at the candy company the wife started with her grandmother's candy recipe. Unfortunately, within minutes of the arrival of the client's aunts and cousins from her home town, Haley discovers the woman dead from "falling" off the balcony of her bedroom.
When Jack is in charge of the investigation, he asks Haley to help, and she digs right in. Along the way Haley and best friend Marcy search without finding, the new perfect designer handbag. Haley solves a mystery at Holts of pilfered food from the lunch room, and perfects the art of not listening to her mother's rambling phone calls concerning Thanksgiving dinner and setting her perfect sister up with a date.
Since Haley and Ty (the owner of Holts) had broken up, she was always noticing hot guys and wishing for some boyfriend action for herself. Along the way she meets and resists repeatedly, a hot lawyer named Liam. I loved his character as he pursued Haley with Lawyer jokes! I also loved the surprise ending.
This was a fun and well paced novella that made me want to read more. Fortunately I discovered another book I hadn't read yet! The series makes more sense and frankly is more fun if read in order. So if you are new to the series, congratulations! You have a lot of fun reading to do.
This time she is planning a Thanksgiving feast for a young couple who want to show their appreciation for the workers at the candy company the wife started with her grandmother's candy recipe. Unfortunately, within minutes of the arrival of the client's aunts and cousins from her home town, Haley discovers the woman dead from "falling" off the balcony of her bedroom.
When Jack is in charge of the investigation, he asks Haley to help, and she digs right in. Along the way Haley and best friend Marcy search without finding, the new perfect designer handbag. Haley solves a mystery at Holts of pilfered food from the lunch room, and perfects the art of not listening to her mother's rambling phone calls concerning Thanksgiving dinner and setting her perfect sister up with a date.
Since Haley and Ty (the owner of Holts) had broken up, she was always noticing hot guys and wishing for some boyfriend action for herself. Along the way she meets and resists repeatedly, a hot lawyer named Liam. I loved his character as he pursued Haley with Lawyer jokes! I also loved the surprise ending.
This was a fun and well paced novella that made me want to read more. Fortunately I discovered another book I hadn't read yet! The series makes more sense and frankly is more fun if read in order. So if you are new to the series, congratulations! You have a lot of fun reading to do.
January 10, 2016
This is another short novella of a Haley Randolph Mystery. Haley Randolph has a full time job at L.A. Affairs, an event planning company that caters to the movie stars and rick clientele. Haley is hired to help plan a Thanksgiving feast for a young wealthy couple who owns a nation chain of candy shops. Pammy Candy company is the creative idea of Veronica and Patrick Spencer-Taft. Their cookie/candy recipes have been very popular and the loving couple wanted to thank their family and employees for their success.
Not everyone is happy with Veronica for she falls to her death from the balcony of her new home in Calabasas, California. Haley happens to be their when the murder takes place so she is doing all she can to help the family and her favorite Private Investigator, Jack Bishop. Ms. Howell has a wonderful sense of humor and an easy style of writing and allows the reader to breeze through the story. When I got to the end, I wanted the story to continue. Great read.
Not everyone is happy with Veronica for she falls to her death from the balcony of her new home in Calabasas, California. Haley happens to be their when the murder takes place so she is doing all she can to help the family and her favorite Private Investigator, Jack Bishop. Ms. Howell has a wonderful sense of humor and an easy style of writing and allows the reader to breeze through the story. When I got to the end, I wanted the story to continue. Great read.
February 8, 2017
Read
Finished the book Feb. 7. Needs to be recorded as read. I do not want to write a comment here
Finished the book Feb. 7. Needs to be recorded as read. I do not want to write a comment here
November 5, 2016
A cute cozy about a party event planner playing amateur sleuth to solve a murder – nice story but seemed awful immature to me – or the main characters were of a totally different generation then mine but, still cute, finished in a day! She was way too enamored with purses and, fanny packs just don't hit it at all with me!
November 20, 2016
Great read
If you haven't yet read Dorothy Howell yet you need to can't wait till the next one to come out
If you haven't yet read Dorothy Howell yet you need to can't wait till the next one to come out
April 25, 2017
I'm not normally a fan of novellas but Howell's Haley Randolph series lends it self to a really fun read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews