Stilettos and Scoundrels by Laina Turner-Molaski
Publisher: Laina Turner-Molaski
Publish Date: February 23, 2010
Paperback, 326 pages (also available as ebook)
Fiction, Mystery
ISBN: 978-0982607893
My Review:
Why I read this book: The premise sounded interesting and the cover is eye-catching along with the title.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed Stilettos and Scoundrels, it's chicklit-ish mixed with mystery and a lot of fun.
I think one of my favorite things about this book was Presley's going back to her home town when she hasn't seen a lot of her high school friends in years. Seeing them again after all this time has passed was really interesting. Who doesn't have a bad-boy friend that has turned police officer (I have had several) and the high school hunk who isn't quite as hunky anymore - these are all fun things to witness. I think the chicklit element of the book shone through with Presley's fascination bordering on obsession with name-brands and of course shoes. So if you enjoy chicklit books, this one will be enjoyable to you. If you don't there is enough else going on in the book to entice readers of just about any genre.
I enjoyed the small town element and realizing small-town Illinois is just like small-town North Carolina. I could relate to so many things about the town of Alkon. I loved it. I'm not a big-city girl so while I read lots of books featuring the big cities, I love the ones that focus on small towns. And let's face it, a small town where everyone knows everyone makes a great setting for a murder.
I had a lot of fun with the murder plot. It seems like just about everyone had a motive or a secret and that made the book great for me. It moved along at an interesting pace and I liked Presley's involvement in it. Plus the added interest of Dirt, the former bad-boy now turned sheriff and the other bad-boy, Cooper who has a brief history with Presley who is in charge of security for the Senator and you have some interesting sparks flying.
Reading Stilettos and Scoundrels was like siting down with your best friend after you had been apart and catching up on all the gossip. It is just that fun. I think this book would make an amazing beach/lake read for the summer, it's engaging, it's fun, it has entertaining characters and a great mystery all rolled into one pretty pink package. So give Dr. Turner-Molaski a try, I don't think you will regret it.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
About Laina Turner-Molaski (from her website)
Who am I? It kind of depends on the day. I am a human compendium of
unrelated things. I used to think I was just weird, had shiny ball
syndrome and couldn’t focus, scattered, you name it. Then I decided it
was OK to be all over the place as long as each avenue I wanted to
explore had meaning and purpose or was fun. So I embrace the fact I am a
college professor (Go
Capella), a writer of fiction and non-fiction,
promoter of other authors, human resource professional,
business consultant, and all around
interesting person (according to my closest friends).
About Stilettos and Scoundrels
Presley Thurman, a sassy, thirty-something red-head, was looking to
reinvent herself. She didn't allow the fact she was recently fired to
bother her - she was ready to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a
writer. Presley is a lover of shopping and Starbucks, and even though
she sometimes had bad taste in men, she always had great taste in
clothes. Not looking back on corporate America, Presley decided to
follow her dream. With her feisty nature and a spirit to not "sweat the
small stuff," she was ready to tackle any challenge (even if she had no
idea how she would pay the bills). When her friend Trevor offered her a
job with his online magazine to interview public figures, she jumped at
the chance. However, the new job turned into something unexpected when
the U.S. Senator she was slated to write about was murdered - in her
home town! Presley was excited - she hadn't seen so much buzz since the
spring sample sale at Saks. She was ready for this adventure, even if it
didn't seem to fit neatly into her life. She couldn't pass up the
opportunity to be in the middle of the buzz. Presley was determined (not
to mention curious) to find the killer and write her story. After all,
she couldn't afford her shoe habit without a job and she was certainly
not one to shy away from danger. The only thing standing in her way was
an old high school fling, Cooper Sands, head of the Senator's security.
He was not actually standing in her way, but because of his good looks,
he was the biggest distraction and one she was having the hardest time
overcoming. Cooper felt it was too dangerous for Presley to look for a
killer and tried to distract her with reliving the past; which Presley
found more dangerous than any killer. While she attempted to resist
Cooper's good looks and charm, Presley was able to discover the
Senator's wife, Helen, had been having an affair... with her best
friend's boyfriend! Did Helen kill the Senator? Or was it the Senator's
love of gambling that got him killed? And what was Cooper's secret tie
to the mob boss Garrison Palazzo? Presley was betting her favorite pair
of Manolo's she will find the killer... but will time run out!
FTC Information:
I received this book from the publisher through Pump Up Your Book Promotions for a honest review. I have Amazon
links on my review pages but I do not make any money from
these because of NC laws. I put them solely for people to
check out the books on a retail site.
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