Peril in High Heels

High Heels #11

by Gemma Halliday, Kelly Rey

Take one fashion designer, one epic fantasy film being shot in the middle of Nowheresville, and a very real dead body, and you have a hilariously action-packed mystery!

Fashion designer Maddie Springer is a huge fan of the Lord of the Throne books by J.R. Ravensberg. So when her best friend, Dana, gets cast as the lead actress in the upcoming movie version, she's giddy with fandom! Even more so when she's invited for a girls' weekend on the set—currently being filmed in the wilds of Moose Haven, Saskatchewan. Between battling Bobbits, Elven Princesses, and Dragon Queens, Maddie is in heaven. But what starts out as a fangirl's dream quickly turns into something out of a horror movie, when the demanding director of the film shows up dead…stabbed with a prop sword!

It's no secret Dana had her differences with the difficult director, and the local police have her squarely in their sights as suspect number one. Worse yet, no one is allowed to leave the small Moose-obsessed town, and Maddie's meddling mom, hot husband, and flamboyant friend Marco are all threatening to descend! With the locals growing hostile and the police zeroing in on her BFF, it's up to Maddie to figure out who had the director taking his final bow. Problem is, everyone has a motive—from the director's frigid wife, to the young starlet with a secret, the mysterious actor playing the Evil Prince, the producer with an eye on the bottom line, and even the eccentric author, Ravensberg himself. If Maddie doesn't watch her step, this may be one movie without a happy Hollywood ending…

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Contemporary, Cozy

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2020

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

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a long time fan of the High Heels Mysteries series and this new book is another great addition to the series. If you like mystery with a dash of humor this series is for you!

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun series! This book was the best so far in the series! Easy read, good friends, great location, and a murderer that I didn’t expect! Would recommend to anyone who likes a non-violent mystery!

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddie is a huge fan of the Lord of the Throne book series. When her friend Dana lands a part in the movie, Maddie flies up to Canada for a girls’ weekend to visit Dana on set. The movie’s director is quite difficult, and Dana is having trouble with him. When the director winds up dead, Maddie launches into full investigation mode. It doesn’t seem like the moose obsessed locals aren’t happy with the film production. There are many characters that have a motive, but for some reason the police are focused on Dana. Her close family and friends, along with her husband are all threatening to come up to Canada and help solve the mystery. I really enjoyed this cozy mystery!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Gemma Halliday Publishing for a free review copy of this book! It has been awhile since I have had the pleasure to visit Maddie Springer and her best friend Dana for a riveting mystery (I don’t know how I missed the release of book #10)! This series began my love of cozy mysteries and will always have a special place in my heart. That being said, this book did not disappoint. Peril in High Heels brings everything I love about cozy mysteries (wacky characters, compelling mystery, and an irrational distrust that actual detectives know what they are doing) in full force. Peril in High Heels takes place in Canada on the set of Dana’s new movie where Maddie has flown out to visit for a girls weekend. When I first heard this plot, I was afraid that it would mean less appearances by Ramirez - never fear! The usual cast of characters binds together to help clear Dana’s name when it looks like she is on top of the suspect list for murdering the movie’s director. This book kept me guessing with many motives, very little evidence, and just the right amount of red herring to keep this reader on my feet!

[Jennifer Artiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun read!

Mads is at it again! She joins her BFF Dana on set in Canada and the craziness commences. It's Dana's big break but someone has other plans. Maddie reluctantly agrees to get involved in investigating a murder after Dana is accused, of course leading to mystery and mayhem. Loved the plot and the ending!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A light=heated cozy with some action-packed adventures in the woods as Maddie faces off against an agenda-fueled killer.

A girls' weekend in Moose Haven, Saskatchewan, Canada. Dana Dashel's latest movie set location has Maddie Springer's family rushing to their aid when the director, Jasper Frost, is murdered and Dana's the prime suspect.

Book 11 in this High Heels Mystery series.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What starts out as a fun girl's weekend for Maddie visiting Dana on location, turns out to be not only a film disaster, but a murderous event as well. Maddie gets dragged into the investigation as the detective focuses his laser investigative focus on *gulp* Dana! What starts as an epic fantasy film quickly turns into disaster. Luckily (?) Dana's home town fans come to help solve this murder. Considering only one is a policeman, you can probably guess who the blue eye shadow wearing gal and her mumu covered friend are...and of course the man with more fashion savvy than most of Hollywood! :)
Another awesome story of hi-jinks and friends. Lot's of tight spots and inappropriate footwear! That's our Maddie-gotta love it!!

[Meryl Markowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story

It's been a while since we've been with Maddie and her crew of friends and family.
It was like a family reunion for me.
Dana, finally has a breakout role, but the director has been murdered and she's the prime suspect.
It's up to Maddie to figure things out.
With th arrival of Marco and her mom, the hilarity begins.
Add in a lot of red herrings and you will be very surprised who the culprit is.

[Pamela Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's better than a girl's weekend with our favorite fashion designer Maddie Springer and her best friend Dana Dashel who is in a big budget medieval fantasy movie being filmed in Moose Haven, Saskatchewan. Mischief and mayhem follow when Dana becomes the number one suspect in the murder of the temperamental director. Grab a Moose-tini or your favorite beverage and enjoy this Canadian adventure with Maddie and Dana. I received an advance reader copy of "Peril in High Heels" from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving my review. I also purchased a copy to read again later.

[Bonnie J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC in return for an honest review.
My BFF and I took a girl's weekend to Canada and I'm sure glad it didn't turn out like this. Fashion Designer Maddie and her BFF Dana are taking a girl's weekend to Moose Haven, Saskatchewan. Dana is an actress with a leading roll in a Lord of the Rings type movie. The director is an obnoxious man whom everyone cannot stand. One morning he is found dead in his trailer - killed by a prop sword. The local police are sure that Dana did it so Maddie is out to solve this mystery and save her best friend's life. She's not alone. She has help from a myriad of characters. With so many people seeming guilty, this mystery had me stumped until the end. What a great read!

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peril in High Heels should appeal to anyone who likes mysteries, movies or fantasy. With Dana on location in Canada, Maddie heads to Moose Haven for a girls weekend with her BFF! When the movie producer turns up as a corpse and Dana's fingerprints are found on the murder weapon, the weekend is no longer fun. Soon reinforcements arrive from LA. With Maddie, the gang and even Ramirez in Canada, you can bet that the many suspects and possible motives will be examined and the murderer found. Don't miss this book that takes place on the movie set of an epic fantasy by Maddie's favorite author.

[Angela Verdenius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cosy 'whodunnit' with familiar faces, amusing dialogue, and that nice feeling of meeting old friends. I always enjoy each new book in this series.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until this book came out, I didn't realize that I hadn't read the previous one or realized how much I'd missed this series. This was a refreshing and fun cozy mystery! A wonderful distraction that I really needed! Even though it follows the same "formula" of most cozy mysteries, it was still a great read and kept me guessing. Some series books get stale after so many books or get too repetitive with character antics, but not this one! I loved it & hope there are more to come!

I received an ARC from the publisher for purposes of an unbiased review.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

this series is always fun. i think its the great supporting characters.

[Kara Rutledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peril in High Heels (High Heels, #11) by Gemma Halliday and Kelly Rey brings back the beloved character of Maddie Springer who is in heaven watching her best friend Dana star in a film that is an adaption of her favorite book. Things go downhill when the director is found in his trailer . . . stabbed to death with one of the prop swords.

The High Heels Mysteries book series is one of my favorite cozy mysteries. Not only does it have mystery, there is a little romance and a bit of comedy. I have to say that other than Maddie, her husband Jack Ramirez is my absolute favorite character.

What I loved about Peril in High Heels is that there were several red herrings, but I tried to figure out who the killer was early on . . . I was glad to find out that I was correct in my guess, but I couldn't quite figure out the motive. Of course, Maddie gets herself in a pickle and becomes a target herself when she starts asking the right questions around the movie set. I wasn't expecting the person who saved her to be who it was, but I loved the way she was saved as it was totally unexpected.

Since the book was set in Canada, I was worried that Maddie's husband Ramirez wouldn't make much of an appearance in it, but I was pleasantly surprised that he had plenty of story line. With that being said, I felt like there was no reason that Maddie's mom, her friend, and Marcos had to be featured in this story. They just really got on my nerves in this story.

I gave Peril in High Heels (High Heels, #11) by Gemma Halliday and Kelly Rey five out five stars because it was so engaging, action packed, and just fun.

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[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the things I’ve come to love with this series is Ramirez accepting that Maddie is going to investigate. In the beginning of the series, I was annoyed that she didn’t listen and got in the way; but as the series progressed:
A. She got better at her skills
and B. when was told to sit out, she listened more.
C. It’s just who she is now

What I am not a fan of was that her Mom, Mrs. R, Marco and Dana all think they can investigate too. They can’t. Which leaves me annoyed with them as they don’t listen to Maddie.

This novel felt different than the others as it dives into the #MeToo movement, women’s right/acceptance/equality. That’s different for Halliday. Usually she picks something fun and neutral like a baseball game/team or fashion week (nothing about how models were treated in that novel). She has covered movies, tv sets, but nothing about the “politics” regarding them. The closest would be Dana’s eating vs. Maddie's eating habits and workout habits.

I was also surprised as to how easily someone can visit a film set. Even a B movie, no security? That seemed odd. I understand it’s in the middle of nowhere, but one invite of your best friend turns into family and friends showing up crashing the set? Add in murder and the press will flock.

I’ve gotten smarter about Halliday’s tactics when it comes to figuring out who the real murderer is. This time I mulled it over and one of my two guesses was right.

3.5 out of 5 stars, mainly because of the annoyance factor.

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read any books in this series, it's okay to start here, but you really need to start at the beginning to get the entire backstory of Maggie, Dana, and Ramirez. Never a spoiler in my reviews, Maggie Springer is a shoe designer who can't seem to keep away from dead bodies. Where ever Maddie goes, much to the chagrin of Ramirez, a body and a mystery seem to fall into Maddie's lap. Ramirez is her hunky detective husband, and Dana is her BFF. In this episode they find themselves embroiled in a mystery on the set of a movie being filmed in Moose Haven, Saskatchewan, where EVERYTHING is moose. Throw in an author who seems anything but friendly, a questionable bartender, plenty of twists and turns, a ton of snarky humor, and an ending that catches you by surprise, and you have the perfect book that is just plain hard to put down. Fun characters, great story, so go get it now! I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review. I've read all the others, from book one, Spying in High Heels and have NEVER been disappointed.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peril in High Heels is the 11th book in the High Heels Mysteries series by Gemma Halliday. This could probably be put in the "cozy mystery" genre. You could start the series here, but reading some of the previous books will give you a much better sense of these characters and certainly the eccentricities of some of the supporting characters.

Even though I'm not really into shoes or fashion, I enjoy this series because it is light and funny (even though it includes murder). In this book, the LA natives get plunked down on a film set in a small town in rural Canada. it was a nice change of scenery. It also touches on the sexism in the film industry, which will come as no surprise. I liked the focus on Maddie and Dana. Who doesn't want to spend a weekend with just their best friend? Ok, maybe not if the weekend turns out like the one in this book.

[Marcia-Lee Finocchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddie and Dana have a wonderful weekend planned

Another fantastic storyline in this series. Dana has a lead in a movie and Maddie goes along for the weekend. When the producer of the movie is murdered, Dana is the lead suspect! Now the fun begins, the whole troupe show up to help find the killer. A lot of fun reading ♥️♥️♥️

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just gets better and better

I absolutely love this series. Not only do you get a great mystery but a whole lot of laughs. I just love every character. I was totally mistaken as to who the killer was. I had two suspects in mind but was wrong. Excited for more books in this series.

[Karl Hakimian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is certainly clear that Gemma is not a country girl. Her opinion and depictions of rural life is funny in a "I have no clue what rural people do" sort of way. That said, this was an entertaining story with a satisfying ending.

All of the normal susp... err... family and friends were there to help out.

[Rene Averett · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting and fun return

It's been a while since the last High Heels mystery so this is a welcome return. In true fashion, the characters entertain you as the mystery unfolds with enough suspects to keep you guessing. A very enjoyable read.

[benita werntz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a good read. Maddie and Dana are at it again. Can't wait for the next book!!!

Always a good read. Maddie is at it again! Can't wait for the next book. Gemma Halliday books are some of my favorites.

[Rebecca Dowd · Rating 4 out of 5]

FASHION AT IT'S BEST

Have you ever gone somewhere not thinking that reality there is nothing but the one thing you went to see and that's it. Maddie was so glad there was a mystery to solve because it gave something to do.

[Eileen Gernet · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite series

This series is fabulous. The mystery is just complicated enough so I become intrigued yet easy enough to follow the story line.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the series. I highly recommend this one!

[Carole Craddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!!

[Robyn Choate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of laugh out loud moments in this book. This series is always a fun read.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bullwinkle!

Very funny enjoyable read!? How I'm going to go back to the beginning of the series and read the rest. Bullwinkle!

[Georgiann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars