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Hollywood Headlines #1
Hollywood Scandals
From #1 Amazon, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Gemma Halliday comes a female reporter with a stalker, a hot bodyguard with a problem, a dead body, a little romance, and a lot of laughs!Tina Bender is the gossip columnist at the infamous L.A. Informer tabloid. She knows everything about everyone who's anyone. And she's not afraid to print it. That is, until she receives a threatening note, promising, "If you don't stop writing about me, you're dead."Suddenly finding out who's who in Hollywood has become a dangerous game of cat and mouse—one that Tina can't afford to lose! Now not only is Tina being benched by her managing editor (Felix Dunn from the High Heels Mysteries) and saddled with a hot bodyguard crimping her style, but she's also fighting a bubbly blonde newbie reporter for her own story! Add in a crew of eclectic tabloid reporters, an adventurous octogenarian aunt, one hilariously hapless trip to the "happiest place on earth," and an online romance heating up her life, and Tina has her work cut out for her uncovering which tabloid darling wants her cancelled for good. Is it the spoiled tween TV show starlet with secret, Pippi Mississippi? The raging rock star in rehab with a temper? Or the movie producer on trial for inappropriate advances? All Tina knows is that when the threats turn into an actual dead body, the clock is ticking to find out which juicy piece of Hollywood gossip is worth killing over...before she becomes its next victim! **RITA AWARD NOMINEE** What critics are "This first book in Halliday's new Hollywood Headlines series is a fun story with intriguing characters and a good mystery. The action is fast paced, the hero is delightful and the heroine is spunky and independent but smart enough to know when she needs help."~ RT Book Reviews "Fresh, funny, and has just enough heart to balance the snark."~ All About Romance "Gemma Halliday's witty, entertaining writing style shines through in her new book! I look forward to seeing lots more of Tina as this series continues. A fun read!"~ Fresh Fiction
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
319 people are currently reading
1987 people want to read
About the author
Gemma Halliday
95 books1,893 followersGemma 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews
July 22, 2011
This was another freebie through the Nook, and honestly, I was surprised by how good it actually was! It was an amazingly fast read, which I love, and kept me on my toes (another surprise!). I don't know if I want to read the whole series, as I really loved the character in this one, and they change up the main characters in each of the books, but I may give it a try. This is a great summer read, as well as you could def finish this at the beach, for sure!
April 8, 2011
This book is fun-- plain and simple. It has funny, quirky characters (I just love the aunts!) that make you laugh. It's a quick and easy read. I generally reserve 5 stars for truly fantastic books (so I don't give them often), so 4 stars to me is still a very, very good read. I definitely recommend it. I think I read somewhere that this is going to be part of a series. If so, I am very much looking forward to the next installment.
Warning to Kindle users, however. It seems that the editing on the Kindle version fell through the cracks, so to speak, about 80% or 90% of the way through the book. All of a sudden all of the quotation marks disappear! It made the last part of the book a bit of a challenge to read. :-)
Warning to Kindle users, however. It seems that the editing on the Kindle version fell through the cracks, so to speak, about 80% or 90% of the way through the book. All of a sudden all of the quotation marks disappear! It made the last part of the book a bit of a challenge to read. :-)
February 3, 2011
I really quite enjoyed this book. This was my first by Ms Halliday, I found it hilarious. To the point that I literally had to set the book down a few times to wipe the tears from my eyes.
Having a rather negative opinion of tabloid magazines and paparazzi, I wasn't sure I'd like this, since the main character is a tabloid writer. But I was quickly won over, and proceeded to get The Perfect Shot, book 2 in this series, and as soon as the third in the series comes available at B&N (I'm a nook gal), I'll be getting that one as well. (Last time I checked, it wasn't up yet.)
Very fun. And the aunts... Oh, they about killed me, they were awesome.
Having a rather negative opinion of tabloid magazines and paparazzi, I wasn't sure I'd like this, since the main character is a tabloid writer. But I was quickly won over, and proceeded to get The Perfect Shot, book 2 in this series, and as soon as the third in the series comes available at B&N (I'm a nook gal), I'll be getting that one as well. (Last time I checked, it wasn't up yet.)
Very fun. And the aunts... Oh, they about killed me, they were awesome.
August 19, 2010
Nice. But a little predictable.
September 28, 2010
This book has it all: humor, mystery, suspense, PG romance and Hollywood gossip! (the cover is very misleading). This book made my laugh out loud. I love the author's humor. The main characters were great. The heroine, Tina Bender, gossip columnist for one of the Hollywoods tabloids, is spunky and entertaining. Add in a hunky bodyguard and some blind 'n' deaf aunts, and you have an enjoyable, humorus story. I will definetly be reading other books by this author. I was teetering on 4 stars, but decided on 5 since this book really made me laugh and I downloaded it free from Barnes and Noble. How great is that!?!
January 9, 2018
Easy but fun read. Not a lot of depth to the story but the characters were relatable and it is a great stress reliever.
April 2, 2018
3.5. Had to round up since I’m a big fan of both Disney and cozy mysteries with quirky characters. And this had both. The final clash between Tina and the bad guy was great.
October 6, 2020
Cute start to a new series. Could easily have been one of the Maddie Springer High Heels stories. Some cross over characters make for a fun read.
November 5, 2024
Wtf did I just read, review will be in german caus I read it that way and then just translated
Well, at the beginning I found everything that reminded me that I was reading a book from 2009, maybe Funny or a product of the time. She rides a pink motorbike, a Hello Kitty lunchbox, generally a quirky character with purple highlights who doesn't like blonde women with big breasts and calls all of them stupid Barbies, she wears Converse, a shirt that says "Yes, they're real" or "If you can read this, you're too close", the guy has a goatee, the general comments about the celebrities in the press, the gay friend in the hair salon who pretty much fits every stereotype.
The storyline was the problem, because it's not a romance, not even close. You don't know anything about the guy, he has pretty much no personal stuff except that he's a vegetarian because he tells her about it twice and spoils her appetite, they talked a few times, she slept in his bed and then she wanted to kiss him. Their online conversations were like 12 year olds chatting for the first time, it was always just: how are you, how was your day, never anything about him. We never found out anything about her either, so she somehow learned journalism and lives with her aunt. That's it.
So she is threatened by someone, she does her own investigations where she: sneaks into a studio, talks to an actress who is just sitting there alone, no manager or any people who work there see a stranger on the set, don't believe her when she says she doesn't have a computer because "even an African tribal chief has a computer these days". Then she imitates a dead person to get back into the studio, smuggles stuff into a prison to a guy who is not only accused of child pornography but also admits to watching it and is convicted. Then she sleeps in his bed and puts her jeans back on and sleeps like that. She recommends that the new girl simply record people instead of taking notes, and the new girl says that's not immoral. Let's ignore the fact that it's actually totally illegal. Then after one of them dies, her comparison is, well, I feel more guilty right now than when I got two parking tickets for my aunt's car. She breaks into a house, the bodyguard follows her, and then suddenly her boss is there too. The boss who hires the new girl keeps looking at her breasts and then lets them distract him. Hello, Mr. In 2009, apparently computers didn't have passwords either. Her bestie's reaction when he hears that she talked to the police, mind you, while it's known that she's writing about a court case, is "be careful, otherwise nobody will talk to you or tell you secrets. At the end we scatter the ashes of the dead in Disneyland, we have a hostage situation and a villain monologue, and at the end she is saved because a bullet from a weapon bounces off her metal sword, which is just decoration because her 80-year-old aunt used to fence at the Olympics when she was younger. Then at the end, because she solved two murders, she gets a raise. What I don't get is that all the side characters criticize what she writes, except the aunt and Cal, and the things she writes and lies about are really harsh and can ruin lives. And at the end it is never addressed and she ends with I love Hollywood. So why add valid criticism? I won't even start on the aunt who burns all the food and never listens to anything.
a few quotes were also wild
"Why this girly food?" "Isn't that pretty politically incorrect for a feminist like you?"
"Sue me because I don't dress like a c and a zombie"
"Too much matcha to use the pink razor blades in the bathroom" Those are other people's razor blades???
"Murder in the retirement community, isn't that a story for you?" says the aunt on the day the neighbor was murdered in her apartment
Also am anfang fand ich alles was mich dran erinnert hat, dass ich ein Buch aus 2009 lese etwader funny oder ein Produkt der Zeit. Sie fährt ein pinkes motorrad, eine hellokitty brotdose, allgemein ein quirky Charakter mit lila strähnchen der blonde Frauen mit großen Brüsten nicht mag und sie alle dumme Barbies hält, sie trägt Converse, ein shirt auf dem steht "Ja die sind echt" oder "wenn du das hier lesen kannst bist du zu nahe dran", Der Typ hat ein kinnbart, Die allgemeinen kommentare über die promis in der presse, der schwule kumpel im friseur salon, der so ziemlich jeden steriotypen erfüllt.
Die Storyline war das problem, als das ist kein Romance, nicht mal nahe dran. Man weiß nix über den Typen, er hat so ziemlich keine persönlichen Sachen nur dass er Vegetarier ist weil er ihr 2 mal was davon erzählt und ihr den appetit verdirbt, die haben ein paar mal geredet, sie hat in seinem bett geschlafen und dann wollte sie ihn küssen. Deren online konversationen waren so was von 12 jährige chatten zum ersten mal, es war immer nur so: ja wie gehts wie war dein tag, nie was über ihn. Über sie hat man auch nie was erfahren, also sie hat irgendwie jurnalismus gelernt und lebt mit ihrer Tante. Das wars.
Sie wird also von jemanden bedroht, sie macht ihre eigenen ermittlungen bei dene sie: in ein studio sich schmuggelt, mit einer schauspielerin redet die einfach so alleine da sitzt, kein manager oder irgendwelche leute die dort arbeiten die eine fremde person am set sehen, glaubt ihr nicht, dass sie keinen computer hat weil "selbst ein afrikanischer stammeshäuptling besitzt heutzutage einen computer". Dann imitiert sie einen Toten um nochmal ins Studio zu kommen, Schmuggelt zeug in ein gefängnis zu einem Typen der nicht nur wegen kinderpornaographie angeklagt wird sonder das auch zugibt zu schauen und verurteilt wird. Dann schläft sie bei ihm im bett und zieht sich aber die jeans wieder an und schläft so. Die empfiehlt der Neuen einfach die Leute aufzunehem statt mitzuschreiben, dann meint die neue ist das nicht unmoralisch. Ignorieren wir mal dass das eher total illegal ist. Dann nachdem die eine stirbt ist ihr vergleich dazu, naja ich hab mehr schuldgefühle grad als damals als ich auf dem auto meiner Tante 2 strafzettel bekommen hab. Sie bricht in ein Haus ein, der body guard folgt ihr, dann ist aufeinmal auch ihr chef dort. Der chef der die neue anstellt, dauernd auf ihre brüste schaut und sich dann auch davon ablenken lässt. hallo hr. In 2009 hatten anscheinend computer auch keine passwörter. Die reaktion von Ihrem bestie als er hört, sie hat mit der polizei geredet, mind you während bekannt ist dass sie an eienm gerichtsfall schreibt, ist pass auf sonst will keiner mit dir reden und dir geheimnisse erzählen. Wir verstreuen am ende die asche der toten im disneyland, haben dort ne geiselnahem und ein villainmonologe, und am ende wird sie gerettet weil eine jugel aus einer waffe an déinem metall schwert abprallt, das dort nur deko ist weil ihrer 80jährige tante mal als sie jünger war bei olmpia fechten war. Dann am ende weil sie 2 morde aufgeklärt hat kriegt sie ne gehaltserhöhung. Was ich nicht checke, alle side charaktere kritisieren was sie schreibt, außer die tante und cal, und die sachen die sie grad schreibt und erlügt sind halt schon hart und können leben ruinieren. Und amm ende wird das nie angesprochen und sie endet mit ich liebe hollywood. Dann warum valide kritik einfügen. Von der Tante fang ich nicht mal an, die alles essen verbrennt und nie was hört.
ein paar zitate waren auch wild
"Warum dieses girlyessen" "ist das nicht ganz schön politisch unkorrekt für eine Feministin wie sie?"
"Verklagen sie mich doch, weil ich mich nicht wie ein c und a zombie anziehe"
"zu sehr matcho, um die pinkfarbenen Rasierklingen im bad zu benutzet" Das sind fremde Rasierklingen ???
"mord in der seniorensiedlung, ist das nicht eine story für dich" sagt die tante am tag als die nachbarin in ihrer wohnung ermordet wurde
Well, at the beginning I found everything that reminded me that I was reading a book from 2009, maybe Funny or a product of the time. She rides a pink motorbike, a Hello Kitty lunchbox, generally a quirky character with purple highlights who doesn't like blonde women with big breasts and calls all of them stupid Barbies, she wears Converse, a shirt that says "Yes, they're real" or "If you can read this, you're too close", the guy has a goatee, the general comments about the celebrities in the press, the gay friend in the hair salon who pretty much fits every stereotype.
The storyline was the problem, because it's not a romance, not even close. You don't know anything about the guy, he has pretty much no personal stuff except that he's a vegetarian because he tells her about it twice and spoils her appetite, they talked a few times, she slept in his bed and then she wanted to kiss him. Their online conversations were like 12 year olds chatting for the first time, it was always just: how are you, how was your day, never anything about him. We never found out anything about her either, so she somehow learned journalism and lives with her aunt. That's it.
So she is threatened by someone, she does her own investigations where she: sneaks into a studio, talks to an actress who is just sitting there alone, no manager or any people who work there see a stranger on the set, don't believe her when she says she doesn't have a computer because "even an African tribal chief has a computer these days". Then she imitates a dead person to get back into the studio, smuggles stuff into a prison to a guy who is not only accused of child pornography but also admits to watching it and is convicted. Then she sleeps in his bed and puts her jeans back on and sleeps like that. She recommends that the new girl simply record people instead of taking notes, and the new girl says that's not immoral. Let's ignore the fact that it's actually totally illegal. Then after one of them dies, her comparison is, well, I feel more guilty right now than when I got two parking tickets for my aunt's car. She breaks into a house, the bodyguard follows her, and then suddenly her boss is there too. The boss who hires the new girl keeps looking at her breasts and then lets them distract him. Hello, Mr. In 2009, apparently computers didn't have passwords either. Her bestie's reaction when he hears that she talked to the police, mind you, while it's known that she's writing about a court case, is "be careful, otherwise nobody will talk to you or tell you secrets. At the end we scatter the ashes of the dead in Disneyland, we have a hostage situation and a villain monologue, and at the end she is saved because a bullet from a weapon bounces off her metal sword, which is just decoration because her 80-year-old aunt used to fence at the Olympics when she was younger. Then at the end, because she solved two murders, she gets a raise. What I don't get is that all the side characters criticize what she writes, except the aunt and Cal, and the things she writes and lies about are really harsh and can ruin lives. And at the end it is never addressed and she ends with I love Hollywood. So why add valid criticism? I won't even start on the aunt who burns all the food and never listens to anything.
a few quotes were also wild
"Why this girly food?" "Isn't that pretty politically incorrect for a feminist like you?"
"Sue me because I don't dress like a c and a zombie"
"Too much matcha to use the pink razor blades in the bathroom" Those are other people's razor blades???
"Murder in the retirement community, isn't that a story for you?" says the aunt on the day the neighbor was murdered in her apartment
Also am anfang fand ich alles was mich dran erinnert hat, dass ich ein Buch aus 2009 lese etwader funny oder ein Produkt der Zeit. Sie fährt ein pinkes motorrad, eine hellokitty brotdose, allgemein ein quirky Charakter mit lila strähnchen der blonde Frauen mit großen Brüsten nicht mag und sie alle dumme Barbies hält, sie trägt Converse, ein shirt auf dem steht "Ja die sind echt" oder "wenn du das hier lesen kannst bist du zu nahe dran", Der Typ hat ein kinnbart, Die allgemeinen kommentare über die promis in der presse, der schwule kumpel im friseur salon, der so ziemlich jeden steriotypen erfüllt.
Die Storyline war das problem, als das ist kein Romance, nicht mal nahe dran. Man weiß nix über den Typen, er hat so ziemlich keine persönlichen Sachen nur dass er Vegetarier ist weil er ihr 2 mal was davon erzählt und ihr den appetit verdirbt, die haben ein paar mal geredet, sie hat in seinem bett geschlafen und dann wollte sie ihn küssen. Deren online konversationen waren so was von 12 jährige chatten zum ersten mal, es war immer nur so: ja wie gehts wie war dein tag, nie was über ihn. Über sie hat man auch nie was erfahren, also sie hat irgendwie jurnalismus gelernt und lebt mit ihrer Tante. Das wars.
Sie wird also von jemanden bedroht, sie macht ihre eigenen ermittlungen bei dene sie: in ein studio sich schmuggelt, mit einer schauspielerin redet die einfach so alleine da sitzt, kein manager oder irgendwelche leute die dort arbeiten die eine fremde person am set sehen, glaubt ihr nicht, dass sie keinen computer hat weil "selbst ein afrikanischer stammeshäuptling besitzt heutzutage einen computer". Dann imitiert sie einen Toten um nochmal ins Studio zu kommen, Schmuggelt zeug in ein gefängnis zu einem Typen der nicht nur wegen kinderpornaographie angeklagt wird sonder das auch zugibt zu schauen und verurteilt wird. Dann schläft sie bei ihm im bett und zieht sich aber die jeans wieder an und schläft so. Die empfiehlt der Neuen einfach die Leute aufzunehem statt mitzuschreiben, dann meint die neue ist das nicht unmoralisch. Ignorieren wir mal dass das eher total illegal ist. Dann nachdem die eine stirbt ist ihr vergleich dazu, naja ich hab mehr schuldgefühle grad als damals als ich auf dem auto meiner Tante 2 strafzettel bekommen hab. Sie bricht in ein Haus ein, der body guard folgt ihr, dann ist aufeinmal auch ihr chef dort. Der chef der die neue anstellt, dauernd auf ihre brüste schaut und sich dann auch davon ablenken lässt. hallo hr. In 2009 hatten anscheinend computer auch keine passwörter. Die reaktion von Ihrem bestie als er hört, sie hat mit der polizei geredet, mind you während bekannt ist dass sie an eienm gerichtsfall schreibt, ist pass auf sonst will keiner mit dir reden und dir geheimnisse erzählen. Wir verstreuen am ende die asche der toten im disneyland, haben dort ne geiselnahem und ein villainmonologe, und am ende wird sie gerettet weil eine jugel aus einer waffe an déinem metall schwert abprallt, das dort nur deko ist weil ihrer 80jährige tante mal als sie jünger war bei olmpia fechten war. Dann am ende weil sie 2 morde aufgeklärt hat kriegt sie ne gehaltserhöhung. Was ich nicht checke, alle side charaktere kritisieren was sie schreibt, außer die tante und cal, und die sachen die sie grad schreibt und erlügt sind halt schon hart und können leben ruinieren. Und amm ende wird das nie angesprochen und sie endet mit ich liebe hollywood. Dann warum valide kritik einfügen. Von der Tante fang ich nicht mal an, die alles essen verbrennt und nie was hört.
ein paar zitate waren auch wild
"Warum dieses girlyessen" "ist das nicht ganz schön politisch unkorrekt für eine Feministin wie sie?"
"Verklagen sie mich doch, weil ich mich nicht wie ein c und a zombie anziehe"
"zu sehr matcho, um die pinkfarbenen Rasierklingen im bad zu benutzet" Das sind fremde Rasierklingen ???
"mord in der seniorensiedlung, ist das nicht eine story für dich" sagt die tante am tag als die nachbarin in ihrer wohnung ermordet wurde
October 19, 2017
Tina Bender is a gossip columnist for The Informer, a daily Hollywood paper that thrives on all the juicy details of Hollywood. Tina spends her days at work and her evenings at home with her elderly aunt.
Tina is about to write about one the largest scandals taking place in Hollywood when she receives an anonymous voice message making a threat on her life. Tina takes this message to her editor. Tina insists it’s probably a prank. The editor calls someone in to be her bodyguard.
Having written recently about a producer picked up for child pornography, a teen actor photographed with marijuana, and a rock star in rehab, she is unsure who is sending the threats. The home she shares with her aunt is ransacked. A murder occurs.
While the storyline is heavy, the book is filled with humor. The characters are well developed and likable. We see a bond growing between Tina and her bodyguard. This book is a great read. If you love cozy mysteries, this book is a must-read.
August 16, 2016
I previously read a book from Gemma Halliday which I enjoyed and had taken the opportunity of a discounted price to get the Hollywood headline set which stayed in the TBR shelf for a while
That was a short and sweet romantic comedy, definitely more light-hearted than dramatic, and there's even one event in the book which I found all the more disturbing that it felt glossed over and not taking seriously .
I liked the characters, the plot, the investigation, the overall tone and writing
A fun and very pleasant reading moment
That was a short and sweet romantic comedy, definitely more light-hearted than dramatic, and there's even one event in the book which I found all the more disturbing that it felt glossed over and not taking seriously .
I liked the characters, the plot, the investigation, the overall tone and writing
A fun and very pleasant reading moment
Read
January 25, 2011#1 Hollywood Headlines series - romantic mystery
DNF (did not finish)
This is a light, comic romantic mystery -- OK but not grabbing me enough. These days if I don't love it, I quickly move on to the next book.
DNF (did not finish)
This is a light, comic romantic mystery -- OK but not grabbing me enough. These days if I don't love it, I quickly move on to the next book.
September 4, 2012
Tina çok eğlenceli bir karakterdi.:) Dedikodu köşesi için ideal tip tişörtlerini de çok begendim. Teyzelere hiiç lafım yok zaten çok tatlıydılar:) Her yaştan rahatlıkla okunabilir cinsellik yok denecek kadar azdı.
January 22, 2016
I enjoyed the High Heels Mysteries by Gemma Halliday more than this book. But it was still a relaxing, enjoyable read.
July 27, 2016
This was a fun read. Tina is hilarious!!!
August 14, 2018
Das Cover ist bunt, schrill und fällt sofort ins Auge - wenn man den Titel nicht kennt, würde man nicht darauf schließen, dass es um Mord und Totschlag geht. Es zeigt aber super, was den Leser erwartet, nämlich ein gemütlicher Cosy-Krimi.
Trotzdem kommt die Spannung nicht zu kurz. Das liegt auch an der unerschrockenen Art der Journalistin Tina Bender. Sie bekommt Drohungen, weil sie anscheinend in ihrer Kolumne jemanden auf die Füße getreten ist. Denn eins muss man sagen: Gerüchte ziehen sie magisch an.
Das fand ich auch gut umgesetzt, denn zwischendrin liest man immer das, was Tina Bender schreibt bzw. veröffentlicht. Und dabei lässt sie sich nicht einschüchtern. Allerdings muss auch sie einsehen, dass es besser ist, mit einem Bodyguard loszuziehen.
Und dieser ist natürlich nicht nur ausgesprochen stark, sondern auch attraktiv. Die Wendungen in diesem Bereich sind dann sehr vorhersehbar, was mich allerdings nicht gestört hat. Es ist eben ein Cosy Krimi mit ein bisschen Liebe :)
Gemeinsam machen die Beiden sich auf die Suche nach dem Drohanrufer und stolpern dabei auch über Leichen, wobei Mord und Totschlag nicht unbedingt im Mittelpunkt des Buches steht. Es geht viel mehr um das Rätsel des Anrufers. Das hat mir gut gefallen, denn dadurch fällt das Buch etwas aus dem klassischen Muster.
Insgesamt ist das Buch eine nette Unterhaltung für Zwischendurch, auch wenn es jetzt nicht unbedingt etwas ganz besonderes ist. Durch den lockeren Schreibstil und die sympathische Protagonistin wurde ich aber gut unterhalten. Für den Sommer genau das richtige Buch, da man nur wenig mitdenken muss und es auch gut mal ein paar Tage zur Seite legen kann und trotzdem sofort wieder drin ist.
Von mir gibt es deswegen 4 Sterne!
Trotzdem kommt die Spannung nicht zu kurz. Das liegt auch an der unerschrockenen Art der Journalistin Tina Bender. Sie bekommt Drohungen, weil sie anscheinend in ihrer Kolumne jemanden auf die Füße getreten ist. Denn eins muss man sagen: Gerüchte ziehen sie magisch an.
Das fand ich auch gut umgesetzt, denn zwischendrin liest man immer das, was Tina Bender schreibt bzw. veröffentlicht. Und dabei lässt sie sich nicht einschüchtern. Allerdings muss auch sie einsehen, dass es besser ist, mit einem Bodyguard loszuziehen.
Und dieser ist natürlich nicht nur ausgesprochen stark, sondern auch attraktiv. Die Wendungen in diesem Bereich sind dann sehr vorhersehbar, was mich allerdings nicht gestört hat. Es ist eben ein Cosy Krimi mit ein bisschen Liebe :)
Gemeinsam machen die Beiden sich auf die Suche nach dem Drohanrufer und stolpern dabei auch über Leichen, wobei Mord und Totschlag nicht unbedingt im Mittelpunkt des Buches steht. Es geht viel mehr um das Rätsel des Anrufers. Das hat mir gut gefallen, denn dadurch fällt das Buch etwas aus dem klassischen Muster.
Insgesamt ist das Buch eine nette Unterhaltung für Zwischendurch, auch wenn es jetzt nicht unbedingt etwas ganz besonderes ist. Durch den lockeren Schreibstil und die sympathische Protagonistin wurde ich aber gut unterhalten. Für den Sommer genau das richtige Buch, da man nur wenig mitdenken muss und es auch gut mal ein paar Tage zur Seite legen kann und trotzdem sofort wieder drin ist.
Von mir gibt es deswegen 4 Sterne!
March 6, 2025
I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and although Tina's actions made for a fun and often humorous character, I am not sure I liked or agreed with her ethics or thought she made for a good role model. I really liked the interactions with the two aunts, and thought they could very easily get there own series. What a hoot! There was a lot of name dropping in this book and I don't just mean celebrities, it was fun recognising character names from another series by this author. Glad I don't live in Hollywood were your life is under a microscope and everything you do is fair game, it does make for an interesting and unusual story. I loved the whole Disney scene and thought it was worth reading the book just for that part. The mystery guy in her life was obvious but I was no where near being right on the killer.
For Tina the gossip columnist for the L.A. Informer tabloid nothing is off limits. That is until she becomes the story. When she starts getting death threats her boss hires her a body guard and she has three days to find out who is behind it before she promises to report it to the police. When things turn violent with a bomb going off and someone close to Tina dies, Tina will stop at nothing to find out why she has become a target all before she becomes the next headline.
For Tina the gossip columnist for the L.A. Informer tabloid nothing is off limits. That is until she becomes the story. When she starts getting death threats her boss hires her a body guard and she has three days to find out who is behind it before she promises to report it to the police. When things turn violent with a bomb going off and someone close to Tina dies, Tina will stop at nothing to find out why she has become a target all before she becomes the next headline.
May 22, 2025
THOUGHTS: This started out fun with great characters that sometimes made me laugh–or wince. Tina is a gossip column writer for a Hollywood paper. She has a lot of “friends” (i.e. informants) and a lot of enemies. When she gets a death threat, the paper hires a bodyguard for her. One she doesn’t want–but the guy is a hunk, so maybe she can deal. And she lives with her elderly aunt who is a bit…challenging. And an elderly neighbor who complains a lot. When her neighbor is killed in Tina’s home, things get real for Tina.
The storyline was decent, the characters really fun, and the ending really good. But…the spelling, grammatical, timeline issues in the book really stopped me cold more than a few times. And that’s what cut the number of stars. I was tempted to give it a 2, but I really did like the ending, though I will say it was a total surprise because we weren’t given any idea of this possibility early in the story.
Recommended with reservations.
The storyline was decent, the characters really fun, and the ending really good. But…the spelling, grammatical, timeline issues in the book really stopped me cold more than a few times. And that’s what cut the number of stars. I was tempted to give it a 2, but I really did like the ending, though I will say it was a total surprise because we weren’t given any idea of this possibility early in the story.
Recommended with reservations.
June 2, 2025
What a glorious read! There is nothing like a little ball of energy with a Strawberry Shortcake purse and a pink scooter for transportation. Tina Bender is a fantastic heroine who lives and breathes her lifestyle of scandals in Hollywood.
The characters here are all beautifully created and add so much to the wonderful nature of this endearing romantic mystery. The bodyguard romance trope is masterfully done here. You will laugh, sometimes almost cry and often times cheer as you read this entertaining blast.
This is my first foray into the writing of Gemma Halliday and I wasn't disappointed. I can't wait to read book two. This is a fantastic book and should be a must read for anyone who enjoys a fun mystery. That it reads like Access Hollywood only helps make this a stellar effort.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mr. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
The characters here are all beautifully created and add so much to the wonderful nature of this endearing romantic mystery. The bodyguard romance trope is masterfully done here. You will laugh, sometimes almost cry and often times cheer as you read this entertaining blast.
This is my first foray into the writing of Gemma Halliday and I wasn't disappointed. I can't wait to read book two. This is a fantastic book and should be a must read for anyone who enjoys a fun mystery. That it reads like Access Hollywood only helps make this a stellar effort.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mr. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
September 1, 2020
Hollywood Scandals (Hollywood Headlines, #1) by Gemma Halliday
Tina is a writer for a "Gossip Magazine". She is feisty, fun and loves her job, life is good. Then she gets a death threat, unless she stops writing about someone. She teams up with a body guard and a few other writers to try to solve this mystery.
A fast paced story with likable characters, humor, mystery and murder. A classic "who-done-it" writing style, set in Hollywood, keeping you guessing until the end. Overall I found Hollywood Scandals quite enjoyable and feel those who enjoy a cozy murder/mystery will enjoy as well.
Tina is a writer for a "Gossip Magazine". She is feisty, fun and loves her job, life is good. Then she gets a death threat, unless she stops writing about someone. She teams up with a body guard and a few other writers to try to solve this mystery.
A fast paced story with likable characters, humor, mystery and murder. A classic "who-done-it" writing style, set in Hollywood, keeping you guessing until the end. Overall I found Hollywood Scandals quite enjoyable and feel those who enjoy a cozy murder/mystery will enjoy as well.
March 24, 2021
I loved this book. Tina is a riot. She is a a strong woman that does not want any help. After she received a threat on her voice mail, her boss, Felix, stepped in and got her a temporary bodyguard. When Tina first met Cal, the rent-a-goon, her words, not mine, sarcasm was scattered everywhere. She did not need or want a bodyguard. Tina was stuck with one, if she wanted to continue to go out and do her job.
Tina also had a friendship via IM. She would confide in this person, ManInBlack72. There was definitely a You’ve Got Mail, thing going on in the book. Laugh out loud humor.
I could just see the characters from the descriptions in the book. There is lots of details about even small things.
I could not put the book down.
Tina also had a friendship via IM. She would confide in this person, ManInBlack72. There was definitely a You’ve Got Mail, thing going on in the book. Laugh out loud humor.
I could just see the characters from the descriptions in the book. There is lots of details about even small things.
I could not put the book down.
March 7, 2019
Cozy with a few twists to keep it interesting
Tina Bender is a reporter with the LA Informer, a gossip rag that is print and on-line so staying ahead of the competition is Tina's main focus.
Tina's octogenarian aunts, Sue & Millie are great supporting cast members in this series along with Tina's Swear Pig her boss Felix insists on using at the office. Being assigned a bodyguard, Calvin Dean, is a challenge to Tina's independence and has a romantic potential component.
Written in 2009 this has some old technology to get used to in a fun way.
Tina Bender is a reporter with the LA Informer, a gossip rag that is print and on-line so staying ahead of the competition is Tina's main focus.
Tina's octogenarian aunts, Sue & Millie are great supporting cast members in this series along with Tina's Swear Pig her boss Felix insists on using at the office. Being assigned a bodyguard, Calvin Dean, is a challenge to Tina's independence and has a romantic potential component.
Written in 2009 this has some old technology to get used to in a fun way.
August 2, 2019
I gave this 3 stars because I enjoy the way Gemma Halliday writes. I did not however like the main character Bender. I get that its Hollywood and she's a gossip columnist but I just never grew to like her. Yes she's funny, sarcastic and irreverent. She's also selfish and inconsiderate of anyone around her. I just couldn't relate to her at all. The bodyguard Cal was a good guy but again it just didn't click for me. Plus the you've got mail was extremely obvious but also a little cute. That being said I will not be reading more in this series.
May 2, 2021
I received this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This book had me laughing literally out loud. Tina Bender is unapologetically true to herself and shows the gumption most of us only dream about. The author includes Aunt Sue and Aunt Millie who are hysterical and make me want to be just like them when I'm in my 80s. Tina is a writer for a gossip column that focuses on celebrity lives. She taunts the wrong person and unwittingly becomes a target for one person who is offended by Tina's column. Let the humor begin!!!!!
September 26, 2021
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shes a reporter and is getting death threats. her boss hired a body guard. she lives with her aunt who has a memory problem and keeps burning the food. the neighbor was in the house when it got broken into and killed
she solves a murder no one knew about, they thought he had od'd and it was his wife who killed him to get more acting parts
the body guard had been emailing her, and she really liked him but didnt know thats who he was. they met and she was happy it was him
i would read more of this series
shes a reporter and is getting death threats. her boss hired a body guard. she lives with her aunt who has a memory problem and keeps burning the food. the neighbor was in the house when it got broken into and killed
she solves a murder no one knew about, they thought he had od'd and it was his wife who killed him to get more acting parts
the body guard had been emailing her, and she really liked him but didnt know thats who he was. they met and she was happy it was him
i would read more of this series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2021
Fun twist on a cozy mystery.
Our ourple-haired heroine gossip columnist was a nice departure from the usual career choices in cozy mysteries. The secondary characters offer lots of future story lines and subplots. The gossip headlines were hilarious but I thought the use of two deaf-dizzy aunts has been done to death. It would have been more fun if the aunts were clever, smart mouths with lots of history.
Our ourple-haired heroine gossip columnist was a nice departure from the usual career choices in cozy mysteries. The secondary characters offer lots of future story lines and subplots. The gossip headlines were hilarious but I thought the use of two deaf-dizzy aunts has been done to death. It would have been more fun if the aunts were clever, smart mouths with lots of history.
May 13, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick fun read. The characters were great! Marco and Felix were my favorite people in the High Heel books, so glad they were brought into this book. And I’d love to hang out with the aunts for awhile. Looking ahead, I see the rest in the series follows other staff members, while I’m looking forward to reading the books, I was hoping for more Bender stories.
February 15, 2024
This is an entertaining cozy type of mystery with suspense and action. I didn't like some things about Tina, the female lead, very much at all especially in the first half of the book. And parts of the book were slow moving. But it was an entertaining cozy mystery with a very happy ending. (Also, the Audible version is very well done.)
July 15, 2022
Wonderful!
Quirky, but fun to read. Lots of action and interesting side characters. I found it hard to put down. (Nice to read something that doesn't feel it needs detailed sex scenes too)
Quirky, but fun to read. Lots of action and interesting side characters. I found it hard to put down. (Nice to read something that doesn't feel it needs detailed sex scenes too)
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