Designer Dirty Laundry (Killer Fashion Mystery Book 1)

Diane Vallere

Jun 2012 · Killer Fashion Cozy Mysteries Book 1 · Polyester Press

About this ebook

Samantha Kidd thought returning to her small-town roots would be a fresh start—until her first day on the job lands her in the middle of a murder. This humorous cozy mystery blends fashion, secrets, and an amateur sleuth who refuses to stay out of trouble.

Former fashion buyer Samantha Kidd thought she had her future perfectly tailored—until she discovers her boss dead on the job. When evidence points the police in her direction, Samantha finds herself trading couture for chaos and designer labels for dirty laundry.

Determined to clear her name, Samantha digs into the cutthroat fashion world she thought she’d left behind. Surrounded by ambitious designers, hidden rivalries, and more than a few sharp elbows, this flatfoot in heels must unravel a deadly plot before she’s framed for murder.

Smart, stylish, and laugh-out-loud funny, Designer Dirty Laundry is book 1 in the long-running Killer Fashion Mystery series—perfect for readers who love humorous cozy mysteries, stylish settings, small-town drama, and amateur sleuths with heart.

Start the series readers call “captivating,” “laugh-out-loud,” and “impossible to put down.” Each book can be read as a standalone, but the series is best enjoyed in order.

Winner of the Get Your Stiletto in the Door Contest

“A captivating new mystery voice… Vallere has stitched together haute couture and murder in a stylish mystery.”

—Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author

“Wonderful read regardless of your fashion sense… entertaining and relatable.”

Ratings and reviews

Frustrating. sorry. Honestly I went back to this book after leaving it at chapter 2 and finished it and the plot line is good. it's just that it's too hokey for me. eg. main character is in dangerous building but asks friend to leave just before she is attacked, now alone. Asked a question, she answers in her mind and what she says never helps.

Samantha was successful in New York’s fashion industry, but Patrick gave her a new start in her hometown as a trend specialist. Her first day at work ended before it started when she found him dead, but the body vanished. Now she has no job, a failing mortgage, and someone is out to get her. Can she use her fashion analyzing skills to solve this mess? This series is off to a good start. The characters are likeable, the plot is well-developed, and the cat has catitude. What’s not to like?

Poorly developed main character whose main purpose was to drag the reader to the end so that the book didn't conclude too soon. Character was so absurd and was used to block plot/mystery progression rather than help mystery to progress along. Very frustrating to read.

About the author

National bestselling author Diane Vallere writes funny and fashionable character-based mysteries. After two decades in luxury retailing, she traded fashion accessories for accessories to murder. As past president of the national Sisters in Crime organization, she edited the Agatha-Award-winning essay collection PROMOPHOBIA: Taking the Mystery out of Promoting Crime Fiction. Diane started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since.