Handbags and Homicide

Starred review from May 12, 2008
Howell's winning debut introduces Haley Randolph, a self-described “crazed, obsessive, handbag whore,” whose designer bag addiction has put her into mega–credit card debt. After Haley loses her accounting job with a prestigious Los Angeles law firm because of suspected embezzlement, she takes a part-time job during the Christmas season at Holt's Department Store, where she connects with Ty Cameron, the store's gorgeous young owner. When Haley becomes a murder suspect after finding the corpse of Holt's despised assistant manager, she resolves to find the true killer. Haley's amusing narrative voice energizes the crime solving and canoodling (“Oh my God, what was I thinking? I couldn't have sex with Ty Cameron to keep my job—I could under other circumstances, of course—but not for a job at Holt's”). Reminiscent of Reese Witherspoon's character in the Legally Blonde
films, Haley evolves from a total airhead into a semi-airhead without breaking a nail. A cool cliffhanger will leave readers eager for Haley's next adventure.