For Better or Hearse

Everyone knows that planning a wedding can be murder, but when top D.C. wedding planner Annabelle Archer finds an old nemesis hanging by a bridal veil in a hotel ballroom, she's shocked to discover that wedding planners can be murdered as well! Carolyn McCrabe was D.C.'s grande dame of wedding planning and made more than a few enemies in her day, but because many of the hotel staff saw Carolyn and Annabelle arguing only minutes before the aging diva's demise, Annabelle is immediately pegged as the prime suspect. Determined to shake the suspicion from their beloved colleague and friend, Annabelle's flirtatious assistant Kate, flamboyant caterer Richard, and the always–fabulous hairdresser Fern team up to investigate other suspects. But when another wedding planner is found murdered––strangled by a curling iron cord at an industry party––Annabelle realizes that she might not only be a suspect, but a crazed killer's next victim as well.

The murder of a particularly difficult mother-of-the-bride has cast a pall on wedding planner Annabelle Archer's latest triumph -- and suspicion falls heavily on her sometime-business partner and friend Richard Gerard. Annabelle knows that even her trusted wedding emergency kit won't be able to salvage their careers if she and Richard can't find the real culprit.

It's no easy task since the slain matron was perhaps the most hated socialite in D.C., but Annabelle navigates through the city's colorful wedding industry and powerful social scene on the deadly trail of a killer. Always the bridal consultant and never the bride, she's seen her fair share of bouquet tosses. But there's no telling what surprises a ruthless killer will throw her way if she gets too close.

On Haley's first day on the job, she finds the chief of security--who was performing Haley's background check--bludgeoned in her office. Naturally, the police peg Haley as their prime suspect, so she'll need to shop around on her own for some guilt-proof clues. Especially since some of the other recent hires at the company also have something to hide…

One of her new co-workers leads a double life--as in two wives and two sets of children. Another makes secretive, unexplained trips out of the country. Between her many investigations, the new high-pressure job, and her just-moved-in boyfriend, there's almost no time for the most important thing in Haley's life: maxing out her credit card.

According to the security tapes, Haley was the only person in the stockroom before, during, and after the murder. With everyone in the store eyeing her like last season's Marc Jacobs, Haley turns to the hunky Ty Cameron, who heads up the store's loss prevention unit, to help her investigate the murder. Now her knowledge of hot trends will take her from the sales floor to the boardroom to the gritty streets of L.A.'s Garment District as she searches for a killer with impeccable fashion taste. . .

"A winning debut. . .a cool cliffhanger will leave readers eager for Haley's next adventure." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Fashionistas take note: Dorothy Howell's delightful Handbags and Homicide dangles shopping to die for and a murder in store in a breezy debut mystery as sure to please as a Notorious handbag." --Carolyn Hart, author of Death Walked In

When Haley arrives at the Holt employee luncheon and fashion show, she spies a sick server hiding in a back room. Deciding to help out, Haley grabs a uniform. The catered array of food and personalized fruit bouquets from Edible Elegance is a hit until top fashion model Claudia Gray is found dead in the ladies room. Now, it's going to take more than a Chanel sample sale to ease Haley's panic once she learns Claudia's been poisoned. For someone thinks murder is the height of fashion--with Haley's name on the label.

"A quick read with lots of humor." --Booklist

"A solid mystery." --Publishers Weekly

"Haley Randolph is a hoot. There is no way to get through Howell's latest without laughing out loud at least once a chapter." --Romantic Times

Everyone knows Haley was once jealous of Courtney, and Courtney was about to launch a spectacular line of designer bags. And, well, there weren't any witnesses when Haley actually found the body. Since she doesn't look good in prison stripes, Haley will have to get to the bottom of this mystery. Finding the killer won't be easy. . .and getting rid of this curse may mean going against everything a real fashionista stands for. . .

"Frothy. . . The well-crafted plot offers plenty of red herrings." --Publishers Weekly

A gal with a serious Ben & Jerry's habit and credits including a tome entitled "I Was Henry Kissinger's Sex Slave" can't afford to be too picky about employment opportunities. So when Beverly Hills socialite SueEllen Kingsley offers Jaine megabucks to ghostwrite a book of hostess tips, it's time to sharpen the #2s.

So what if Jaine has to take dictation from a rail-thin lady of leisure in a bubble bath, sporting man-made breasts-crafted, no doubt, by her plastic surgeon husband, Hal-that qualify as flotation devices? Pride doesn't feed the cat (and Jaine's furry roommate, Prozac, eats more than the average kitty). A dubious side benefit of this particular job is an up-close, personal view of the amorous exploits of Hollywood's ladies-who-lunch. Apparently, swinging is alive and well in LA. The only bright spot is sixteen-year-old Heidi, a girl after Jaine's own heart. Shy, overweight, and oppressed by her stepmother, SueEllen, Heidi could use a friend as much as Jaine could use an ally.

Jaine still hasn't found a good man--or a way to keep all those sugary snacks from going straight to her hips. But--with a little help from her best friend Kandi--she's finally landed a gig as a sitcom writer! True, Muffy 'n Me (aka "Bewitched with Tits") isn't going to win any Emmys. And her office at Miracle Studios needs a little sprucing up, and a few dozen rat traps. But it sure beats writing boring brochures and bad resumes, so Jaine's not complaining. Until the plot thickens--with murder. . .

Jaine figures the trouble all started when Muffy 'n Me's hottest star, gorgeous Quinn Kirkland, seduced the head writer--whose husband also works on the show. But when Quinn's caught in bed with the barely-legal actress who plays his niece, things really heat up--and his many jealous girlfriends start to figure things out. . .