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High Heels book cover 1
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High Heels
Series · 18
books · 2006-2021

Books in series

Spying in High Heels book cover
#1

Spying in High Heels

2006

L.A. shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. And things only get worse when her boyfriend disappears - along with $20 million in embezzled funds - and her every move is suddenly under scrutiny by the LAPD's sexiest cop. With the help of her post-menopausal bridezilla of a mother, a 300 pound psychic and one seriously oversexed best friend, Maddie finds herself stepping out of her stilettos and onto the trail of a murderer. But can she catch a killer before the killer catches up to her...
Killer in High Heels book cover
#2

Killer in High Heels

2007

L.A. shoe designer Maddie Springer hasn't seen her father since he reportedly ran off to Las Vegas with a showgirl named Lola. So she's shocked when he leaves a desperate plea for help on her answering machine - ending in a loud bang. Gunshot? Car backfire? Never one to leave her curiosity unsatisfied, Maddie straps on her stilettos and, along with her trigger-happy best friend, makes tracks for Sin City in search of her MIA dad. Maddie hits the jackpot, all right. She finds not only her dad, but also a handful of aging drag queens, an organized crime ring smuggling fake Prada pumps, and one relentless killer. Plus, it seems the LAPD's sexiest cop is doing a little Vegas moonlighting of his own. In a town where odds are everything, Maddie bets it all on her ability to out-step a vicious murderer. She just hopes her gamble pays off... before her own luck runs out.
Undercover in High Heels book cover
#3

Undercover in High Heels

2007

Secret affairs, hunky gardeners, and housewives desperate enough to bare it all... welcome to Magnolia Lane, TV's hottest new prime time show. A place where L.A. shoe designer Maddie Springer should be in fashion heaven. That is until the body of a rising young starlet is found dead on the show's set. Now it's up to Maddie to sift through a leading lady with a secret, an actor on the verge of a nervous breakdown, a sexy cyber scandal, and one tabloid reporter who'll stop at nothing to get the story of the century. Not to mention Maddie's hot-cold relationship with the case's familiar lead detective, Jack Ramirez. In a world where secrets, lies, and deception can earn you an Oscar, Maddie plays the role of a lifetime to catch Hollywood's hottest killer. But if she doesn't watch her step, Maddie's fifteen minutes of fame just may be her last.
Christmas in High Heels book cover
#3.5

Christmas in High Heels

2010

\\\ SHORT STORY\\\ Fashion designer turned amateur sleuth Maddie Springer can’t wait to spend the holidays with her boyfriend, LAPD Detective Jack Ramirez. It’s their first Christmas together, and Maddie wants it to be perfect. But between her zany family and wacky friends, Maddie’s having a hard time finding alone time with her man. But come Christmas morning, this is one holiday she’ll be sure remember… naughty or nice!
Alibi in High Heels book cover
#4

Alibi in High Heels

2008

Baguettes, bodies, and haute couture galore! Shoe designer turned amateur sleuth, Maddie Springer, is at it again, this time in fabulously fashionable Paris. When Europe's designer de jour, Jean Luc LeCroix, invites Maddie to show her creations at Paris Fashion Week, Maddie's sure she's died and gone to heaven. That is until Jean Luc's top model is found dead on the runway, stabbed with a familiar stiletto heel. Sure someone is trying to frame her, Maddie enlists the help of her friends, including the sexy Detective Jack Ramirez, to uncover a daring jewel heist, a devious blackmailer, and even a few skeletons lurking in the closets of those closest to her. But as the evidence mounts, Maddie becomes the prime suspect and Ramirez is stuck between a badge and a cute blonde with a tendency for trouble. Will he stand by her as she attempts to track down an international killer, or will this be the case that finally comes between them? One thing's for sure, if Maddie doesn't uncover the real killer soon, she may be saying her final adieu.
A High Heels Haunting book cover
#4.5

A High Heels Haunting

2008

Web designer Kya Badder is as Plain-Jane as they come. So, when she sees an ad for a impractically gorgeous pair of red heels where the model is everything Kya isn't - beautiful, confident and sexy - she can't help buying them. And can't help doing a little strutting around town in them. Suddenly, thanks to her fab footwear, Kya's caught up in a new whirlwind life - a modeling contract of her own, a gorgeous boyfriend, and a life in the fast lane. It's almost as if she's stepped right into that sexy model's life. But when Kya begins having strange dreams and learns that the model died under mysterious circumstances, she learns to be careful what she wishes for, as the killer threatens to strike again. Previously published as “So I Dated an Axe Murderer” in the anthology “These Boots Were Made for Strutting”. "In Gemma Halliday's delightfully clever (Haunted), office worker Kya buys a pair of killer stilettos worn by a supermodel and somehow ends up dating the woman's model boyfriend, Blake, who just might have murdered his ex… fresh, fun and fabulous." - Chicago Tribune "A nice love story with a suspenseful twist!" - All About Romance "(Haunted) will entertain and delight!" - Romantic Times
Mayhem in High Heels book cover
#5

Mayhem in High Heels

2008

Maddie Springer is finally walking down the aisle with the man of her dreams. And she's got the perfect wedding planner to pull it all off in style. Well, perfect, that is, until the woman winds up dead - murdered in buttercream icing. Suddenly Maddie's hope of a dream wedding melts faster than an ice sculpture at an outdoor buffet. And when her groom-to-be is assigned the detective in charge of the case, there goes any chance of a honeymoon. Unless, of course, Maddie can find the murderer before her big day. With the help of her fellow fashionista friends, Maddie vows to unveil the cold-blooded killer. Is it the powerful ex-husband, the hot young boy toy, a secret lover from the past, or a billionaire bridezilla on the warpath? As the wedding day grows closer, tempers flare, old flames return, and Maddie's race to the altar turns into a race against time.
Honeymoon in High Heels book cover
#5.5

Honeymoon in High Heels

2012

Fashion designer Maddie Springer has just tied the knot and is on her way to honeymoon paradise in Tahiti with her hot new husband. Warm sand, cool surf, and a romantic suite all to themselves... what could possibly go wrong? That is until Maddie stumbles on the dead body of a Tahitian dancer, strangled with her own flower lei. Now suddenly her husband is spending more time consulting with the local police than cavorting in their private hot tub for two. If Maddie wants to have a honeymoon at all, it's up to her and her friends to track down the island killer before paradise turns deadly again.
Sweetheart in High Heels book cover
#5.75

Sweetheart in High Heels

2011

Being the wife of a cop isn't all it's cracked up to be. Especially when dead bodies keep ruining your romantic dinner plans. But fashion designer turned amateur sleuth Maddie Springer is determined that her husband's latest case, dubbed the "Sex Shop Murder", will not keep him from celebrating their first anniversary together, which just happens to fall on the most romantic of all holidays, Valentine's Day. She's ready to do whatever it takes to make this night special and distraction-free - even if it means solving his case herself!
Fearless in High Heels book cover
#6

Fearless in High Heels

2011

Fashion designer turned amateur sleuth Maddie Springer is back! Morning sickness sucks. Which is why fashion designer turned amateur sleuth Maddie Springer has spent the last six weeks being a couch potato and Moonlight vampire movie devotee. But when Maddie's best friends finally convince her to venture out, Maddie stumbles on a dead body of a girl who has been bitten on the neck, and life suddenly imitates art in the most deadliest of ways. Now Maddie is smack in the middle of a murder investigation involving a deadly dance club and a coven of Hollywood "vampires". Not to mention navigating the world of baby showers, diaper genies and Lamaze classes with her LAPD Homicide detective husband who would rather his pregnant wife not continue popping up in his murder investigation. Between the hormones, the homicides, and a flurry of fangs, Maddie and her gang work to track down the deadly truth... before the killer bites again!
Danger in High Heels book cover
#7

Danger in High Heels

2012

Maddie Springer is all about fashion. So when her best friend Dana's movie star boyfriend, Ricky Montgomery, becomes a contestant on the ballroom dance reality hit, Dancing with Celebrities, she is over the moon at the thought of visiting the sparkly, spandexy costumes on the set. That is until Ricky's dance partner is found dead in his dressing room... in the nude! Suddenly the police suspect him of murder, Dana suspects him of cheating on her, and the reporters at the L.A. Informer, Hollywood's most notorious tabloid, have dubbed him "Dancing Death". Now it's up to Maddie to clear his name as she wades through a misfit cast of reality show dancers to find out just who has a grudge again the show's star... and who is in danger of taking their final bow next!
Homicide in High Heels book cover
#8

Homicide in High Heels

2014

New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Kindle Bestselling series! It's springtime in California! The flowers are in bloom, the fashion week runways are fierce, and fans of America's favorite pastime are filling the baseball stadiums to root for their favorite team. But when the girlfriend of the L.A. Stars rookie MVP winds up dead at a chic Beverly Hills salon, it's suddenly up to fashion designer Maddie Springer to track down the "Tanning Salon Killer." Armed with the help of her wacky cast of friends and family, Maddie finds herself with a list of suspects that includes the cast of the reality TV show Baseball Wives, a desperate blackmail victim, and an entire baseball team! If Maddie can brave the hot dogs and cat fights, she just might be able to catch a killer...before he strikes again! Other Books in the High Heels Series: #1 Spying in High Heels #2 Killer in High Heels #3 Undercover in High Heels #3.5 Christmas in High Heels (short story) #4 Alibi in High Heels #5 Mayhem in High Heels #5.5 Honeymoon in High Heels (novella) #5.75 Sweetheart in High Heels (short story) #6 Fearless in High Heels #7 Danger in High Heels What critics are saying about The High Heels Mysteries: "A saucy combination of romance and suspense that is simply irresistible." - Chicago Tribune "Stylish... nonstop action...guaranteed to keep chick lit and mystery fans happy!" - Publishers’ Weekly, starred review “Smart, funny and snappy…the perfect beach read!” - Fresh Fiction "A roller coaster ride full of fun and excitement!" - Romance Reviews Today "Gemma Halliday writes like a seasoned author leaving the reader hanging on to every word, every clue, every delicious scene of the book. It’s a fun and intriguing mystery full of laughs and suspense." - Once Upon A Romance
Deadly in High Heels book cover
#9

Deadly in High Heels

2015

New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Kindle Bestselling series! When fashion designer Maddie Springer is invited to help style contestants in the Hawaiian Paradise Beauty Pageant, she jumps at the chance! The fantastic publicity coupled with a weeklong vacation with her best friends Marco and Dana, is a win-win. But trouble follows her to paradise when one of the beauty queens winds up dead. Is it a case of a personal grudge, a jealous contestant...or a jealous lover? Between a pageant director on his way out, a soap star dazzling his way in, a violent anti-fashion protester, and a whole pageant full of competitive beauty queens, Maddie has her hands full sorting through suspects! Luckily for Maddie—or unluckily?—her wacky cast of friends and family, including LAPD Detective Jack Ramirez, are there to help her wade through motives more plentiful than pineapples at a luau. With the televised crowning approaching, the danger escalating, and a killer on the loose, this is one beauty pageant that's about to turn ugly. Other Books in the High Heels Series: #1 Spying in High Heels #2 Killer in High Heels #3 Undercover in High Heels #3.5 Christmas in High Heels (short story) #4 Alibi in High Heels #5 Mayhem in High Heels #5.5 Honeymoon in High Heels (novella) #5.75 Sweetheart in High Heels (short story) #6 Fearless in High Heels #7 Danger in High Heels #8 Homicide in High Heels #9 Deadly in High Heels What critics are saying about The High Heels Mysteries: "A saucy combination of romance and suspense that is simply irresistible." - Chicago Tribune "Stylish... nonstop action...guaranteed to keep chick lit and mystery fans happy!" - Publishers’ Weekly, \starred review\ “Smart, funny and snappy…the perfect beach read!” - Fresh Fiction "A roller coaster ride full of fun and excitement!" - Romance Reviews Today "Gemma Halliday writes like a seasoned author leaving the reader hanging on to every word, every clue, every delicious scene of the book. It’s a fun and intriguing mystery full of laughs and suspense." - Once Upon A Romance
Suspect in High Heels book cover
#10

Suspect in High Heels

2019

#1 Amazon, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling series! Death at an antiques show has this fashion designer turned amateur sleuth on the case again... When Maddie Springer—shoe designer turned amateur sleuth—tags along with her mother to the Antiques Extravaganza road show, the last thing she expects to have to do is pull her mom off of a celebrity appraiser after he calls her prized antique hatpin a phony. But things go from harried to homicide when the same appraiser is found dead just moments later—killed by Mom's hatpin! Now not even Maddie's husband, LAPD Detective Jack Ramirez, can save Mom as the force's two most bumbling detectives are assigned to the case. As if Maddie doesn't have enough on her plate, her best friends, Dana and Marco, enlist her help to plan the most over-the-top Hollywood surprise party ever for Dana's fiancé (who has a little surprise of his own up his sleeve), Maddie's adorable twin toddlers are always up to no good, and the only thing that can calm her fashion-challenged and suddenly-a-suspect mom down are aura cleansing from her favorite Venice Beach psychic, Mrs. Rosenblatt. Whether they help or hurt, Maddie's friends assist her in wading through a slew of murder suspects—none of whom are telling the truth and all of whom have ample motive to want the appraiser dead. Was it the frigid business partner with questionable ethics? The clown-collecting fan-turned-stalker? The auction house owner with a grudge? Or was the appraiser's real business something much more sinister than his TV personality let on…and much more deadly? Maddie and her eccentric gang of unlikely sleuths are under the gun to find out before the real killer strikes again…and Mom takes the fall! The High Heels Mysteries: #1 Spying in High Heels #2 Killer in High Heels #3 Undercover in High Heels #3.5 Christmas in High Heels (short story) #4 Alibi in High Heels #5 Mayhem in High Heels #5.5 Honeymoon in High Heels (novella) #5.75 Sweetheart in High Heels (short story) #6 Fearless in High Heels #7 Danger in High Heels #8 Homicide in High Heels #9 Deadly in High Heels #10 Suspect in High Heels What critics are saying: "Ms. Halliday is the undisputed queen of the genre: she knows how to blend fashion, suspense, laughter, and romance in all the right doses." ~ Fresh Fiction "A saucy combination of romance and suspense that is simply irresistible." ~ Chicago Tribune "Stylish... nonstop action...guaranteed to keep chick lit and mystery fans happy!" ~ Publishers’ Weekly, \starred review\ "A roller coaster ride full of fun and excitement!" ~ Romance Reviews Today Rating: This story does not contain any graphic violence, language, or sexual encounters. Its rating would be similar to PG-13 or what you would find on a Hallmark Channel movie or TV series.
Peril in High Heels book cover
#11

Peril in High Heels

2020

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…
Jeopardy in High Heels book cover
#12

Jeopardy in High Heels

2020

When death hits a contestant on America's favorite game show, fashion designer turned amateur sleuth is on the case! I'll take "What is Murder" for $200 please, Alex? Maddie Springer may know more about fabulous heels than tough trivia, but she's thrilled when her hairdresser-to-the-stars stepfather, Fernando, earns a spot on a celebrity edition of American's favorite game show. But she's not so thrilled when, after taping ends, one of the other contestants dies, the media are suddenly everywhere, and one reporter in particular is threatening to not only point the finger at Fernando, but also expose his biggest secrets to the world! The victim was Doggy Z, a famous rap artist turned recreational marijuana supporter turned cooking show co-host. And it seems everyone in his life had a reason to want him dead—from the 4 ex-wives he was serially unfaithful to, to his deceptively wholesome looking cooking show co-host, to the network executive seen arguing with Dog just before his death, and even the soap opera star who competed against him on the trivia show. Now it's up to Maddie to sift through the suspects and figure out just which person the rapper may have wronged enough to want him dead. With the help of her Hollywood BFF, her hot homicide detective husband, and her endearingly meddling mom, can Maddie track down a cold blooded killer... before she finds herself in final jeopardy?
Deceit in High Heels book cover
#13

Deceit in High Heels

2021

A dead psychic, a cold case, and a pair of Hollywood's hottest stars have one fashion designer stepping out of her heels and onto the case! Fashion designer Maddie Springer has always been close to her best friend, Dana. So when Dana's celebrity husband Ricky is chosen for a reading on the Hollywood Psychic TV show, Maddie's thrilled to be at the taping! That is, until the over-the-top psychic, Moira DeVine, suddenly suggests that the accidental death of Ricky's mother years ago was actually murder and promises to name the culprit... right before she herself collapses, dying in front of the viewing audience! While Maddie has her doubts about whether DeVine was really getting messages from the other side or just acting the part, one thing is for sure—she's not acting dead. And the coincidental timing has Maddie wondering if the two deaths decades apart are related. Could a killer actually have been worried that DeVine had uncovered their crime? With the help of her eccentric family and friends, Maddie digs into the cold case that hits perilously close to home, uncovering secret love affairs, con artists, missing money, and even ties to the mob! Between the suburban secrets from years ago and the shady practices of the recently deceased so-called psychic, Maddie has no shortage of suspects. But is she looking for one killer or two? Where are they hiding now? And can Maddie get to the truth before they strike again...and she finds herself designing shoes from the other side?
High Heels Mysteries Boxed Set book cover
#1-5

High Heels Mysteries Boxed Set

2010

New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Kindle Bestseller! Boxed set of the first five award winning High Heels Mystery novels featuring fashion designer turned amateur sleuth, Maddie Springer, including: SPYING IN HIGH HEELS - book #1 L.A. shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. KILLER IN HIGH HEELS - book #2 Maddie straps on her stilettos and, along with her trigger-happy best friend, makes tracks for Sin City in search of her MIA dad. Maddie finds not only her dad, but also a handful of aging drag queens, an organized crime ring smuggling fake Prada pumps, and one relentless killer. Plus, it seems the LAPD's sexiest cop is doing a little Vegas moonlighting of his own. In a town where odds are everything, Maddie bets it all on her ability to out-step a vicious murderer. UNDERCOVER IN HIGH HEELS - book #3 Secret affairs, hunky gardeners, and housewives desperate enough to bare it all... welcome to Magnolia Lane, TV's hottest new prime time show... where a rising young starlet is found dead on the show's set. Now it's up to Maddie to sift through a leading lady with a secret, an actor on the verge of a nervous breakdown, a sexy cyber scandal, and one tabloid reporter who'll stop at nothing to get the story of the century. Not to mention Maddie's hot-cold relationship with the case's familiar lead detective, Jack Ramirez. In a world where secrets, lies, and deception can earn you an Oscar, Maddie plays the role of a lifetime to catch Hollywood's hottest killer. But if she doesn't watch her step, Maddie's fifteen minutes of fame just may be her last. ALIBI IN HIGH HEELS - book #4 Baguettes, bodies, and haute couture galore! Shoe designer turned amateur sleuth, Maddie Springer, is at it again, this time in fabulously fashionable Paris. When Europe's designer de jour, Jean Luc LeCroix, invites Maddie to show her creations at Paris Fashion Week, Maddie's sure she's died and gone to heaven. That is until Jean Luc's top model is found dead on the runway, stabbed with a familiar stiletto heel. Sure someone is trying to frame her, Maddie enlists the help of her friends, including the sexy Detective Jack Ramirez, to uncover a daring jewel heist, a devious blackmailer, and even a few skeletons lurking in the closets of those closest to her. But as the evidence mounts, Maddie becomes the prime suspect and Ramirez is stuck between a badge and a cute blonde with a tendency for trouble. Will he stand by her as she attempts to track down an international killer, or will this be the case that finally comes between them? One thing's for sure, if Maddie doesn't uncover the real killer soon, she may be saying her final adieu. MAYHEM IN HIGH HEELS - book #5 Maddie Springer is finally walking down the aisle with the man of her dreams. And she's got the perfect wedding planner to pull it all off in style. Well, perfect, that is, until the woman winds up dead—murdered in buttercream icing. With the help of her fellow fashionista friends, Maddie vows to unveil the cold-blooded killer, but as the wedding day grows closer, tempers flare, old flames return, and Maddie's race to the altar turns into a race against time. Books in the High Heels Mysteries series: #1 Spying in High Heels #2 Killer in High Heels #3 Undercover in High Heels #3.5 Christmas in High Heels (short story) #4 Alibi in High Heels #5 Mayhem in High Heels #5.5 Honeymoon in High Heels (novella) #5.

Author

Gemma Halliday
Gemma Halliday
Author · 58 books

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.

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