Author, Diane Vallere-Celebrating 5 YEARS! All of her books in one place! #Giveaway #Samanthapalooza

To Celebrate the 5 Year Anniversary of Samantha Kidd Humorous Mystery Series by Diane Vallere Great Escapes Book Tours is hosting #Samanthapalooza!

Designer Dirty Laundry (Samantha Kidd Mystery Series) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Polyester Press (June 5, 2012) Paperback: 274 pages ISBN-13: 978-0984965304 E-Book ASIN: B0088IEQPQ

    Meet Samantha Kidd.

Ex-buyer turned trend specialist turns amateur sleuth! She designed her future with couture precision, but finding the fashion director's corpse on day one leaves her hanging by a thread. And when the killer fabricates evidence that puts the cops on her hemline, even a chance run-in with hot shoe designer Nick Taylor can't keep her life from unraveling. She trades high fashion for dirty laundry and reveals a cast of designers out for blood. Now her job, her love life, and her future are put on hold as she tries to expose a diabolical designer before getting marked down for murder.

Buyer, Beware: A Samantha Kidd Humorous Mystery Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Polyester Press (March 5, 2013) Paperback: 258 pages ISBN-13: 978-1939197016 E-Book ASIN: B00BPD587G

    Samantha Kidd: Bag Lady?

Out-of-work fashion expert turned amateur sleuth Samantha Kidd is strapped. But when the buyer of handbags for a hot new retailer turns up dead and Samantha is recruited for the job, the opportunity comes with a caveat: she's expected to find some answers. With shoe designer Nick Taylor off in Italy, she turns to a sexy stranger for help (with humorous results!). But as the walls close around her like a snug satin lining, Samantha must get a handle on the mystery or risk being caught in the killer's clutches.

The Brim Reaper: A Samantha Kidd Humorous Mystery Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Polyester Press (December 3, 2013) Paperback: 266 pages ISBN-13: 978-0984965342 E-Book ASIN: B00H03A1MW

    Former fashion buyer Samantha Kidd is in over her head

With no job prospects on the horizon, former fashion buyer Samantha Kidd convinces boyfriend and shoe designer Nick Taylor to give her a job in his showroom, but when a collection of vintage Hollywood costumes comes to town, it brings a hat box full of hype. Close friend Eddie is in charge of the exhibit and calls on Samantha for help, but all too soon hype turns to homicide. Brimming with good intentions, she loops in the cops, but after one too many cloche calls, she's knee-deep in mystery. If she can tear the lid off the investigation, it might mean a feather in her fedora. And if she can't? She might get capped.

Some Like It Haute: A Samantha Kidd Humorous Mystery Cozy Mystery 4th in Series Polyester Press (January 6, 2015) Paperback: 248 pages ISBN-13: 978-1939197108 E-Book ASIN: B00RME4N6O

    If you can't stand the heat, get off the runway.

Fashion expert turned amateur sleuth Samantha Kidd is in the hot seat. After agreeing to help her ex-boyfriend’s former girlfriend with a runway show, her post-break-up life turns explosive. She recruits Dante, a smokin’ hot photographer, to turn up the heat on the investigation (and help her get over Nick), but even the third degree won’t expose an angry arsonist. With a crash course in sizzle, Samantha’s curiosity leads her into another inferno, and this time she either faces the fire or gets burned.

 
Grand Theft Retro: A Samantha Kidd Humorous Mystery Cozy Mystery 5th in Series Polyester Press (May 17, 2016) Paperback: 228 pages ISBN-13: 978-1939197269 E-Book ASIN: B01E1UHPV6

    Samantha Kidd is about to go retro.

When Samantha Kidd's job at Retrofit Magazine leads her into the fashionable archives of seventies style, she's prepared to report on patchwork velvet and platform shoes, but she never expected to uncover the theft of a major collection of samples from runway shows that took place before disco died. When the guilty party threatens Samantha's family and friends, her priority shift into protection mode. The investigation heats up faster than fondue over sterno, and all too soon Samantha learns that while beat goes on, there's no guarantee that she'll go on with it.

 
Pearls Gone Wild: A Samantha Kidd Humorous Mystery Cozy Mystery 6th in Series Polyester Press; 6 edition (December 31, 2016) Paperback: 218 pages ISBN-13: 978-1939197283 E-Book ASIN: B01MD0U8XS

   

Amateur sleuth Samantha Kidd’s life is finally on track. It’s her normally cultured friend Cat whose life has lost its luster: eight months pregnant and abandoned by her husband the week before Christmas. She ropes Samantha into helping at her boutique, but a string of jewelry thefts threatens her business. And when Cat’s husband is found strangled with pearls inside the shop, the last thing she’s concerned with is profit. Samantha tries to get a bead on the killer, but when the suspects all clam up, she’s left tangled in knots. Add in an unexpected proposal, a flirtatious friend, and a brand new detective, and this is bound to be Samantha’s wildest adventure yet.

Cement Stilettos: A Samantha Kidd Humorous Mystery Cozy Mystery 7th in Series Polyester Press (June 13, 2017) Print Length: 255 pages ASIN: B06ZY1B1TR

    Forget the cannoli. Take the shoes!

When newly engaged amateur sleuth Samantha Kidd discovers the body of a mafia princess dead in fiancé and shoe designer Nick Taylor’s showroom, her questions are so numerous she’d need a bookie to keep track. The victim’s ties to local organized crime are unexpected. Nick’s apparent vow of silence makes Samantha question the vows in their future, and despite past promises, all bets are off. Wise guys and leopard ladies keep her busier than a consigliere during tax season, and if she can’t keep her head above water, she’ll end up sleeping with the fishes.

About The Author

I’m a former fashion buyer turned mystery writer, trading fashion accessories for accessories to murder. I was bit by the mystery bug as a kid reading Trixie Belden, Connie Blair, and The Three Investigators. Now I’m writing three series: the Style & Error Mysteries, the Mad for Mod Mysteries, and the Material Witness Mysteries.

Author Links Webpage: http://www.dianevallere.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/DianeVallereAuthor GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4739022.Diane_Vallere 

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Masking for Trouble by Diane Vallere #Halloween #CozyMystery

Summary:
Halloween conjures up big business for Margo Tamblyn’s costume shop, Disguise DeLimit, but this year, the holiday comes knocking with serious trouble. Venture capitalist Paul Haverford plans to rezone historic downtown into a glitzy commercial area which would push out local business. Margo is set on saving her family’s store, especially after a nasty run-in with the chain-store tycoon, but after Haverford’s body is discovered during a spooky party at the derelict Alexandria Hotel, Margo finds herself dressed as the police’s prime suspect.
 
Anxious to clear her name, Margo begins hunting down anyone who might have wanted Haverford dead. Between all of his malicious maneuverings, the murdered mogul had buckets of people anxious to see him gone. Now, Margo will have to use every trick in the book to find a cloaked killer—before someone else winds up wearing a death shroud...

My review:
I was interested in this book for a two-fold reason. The first of which it was marked as a Halloween book which the title being a play on word. Secondly, it was a mystery book minus all of the gore that I so hate.

I enjoyed the character, Margo, who was quirky with her daily costume changes. This was not only because she owned a costume shop but because it was her mere personality. She was in essence a part of Halloween and Halloween was a part of her. This made her very likable in my mind. As the story moved along though, I felt she should have been in a detective outfit most of the story. She would have passed for one much more than the actual detective in the story.

I liked the ending but was a bit bogged down to get there. Her so-called romance with one of the characters seemed to stretch out too far for me and I was a bit disappointed it did not speed up. However, her ignorance of the matter did not make sense to the rest of her investigative style. Maybe the term, "love is blind" fit in this case.

Getting back to the ending, I personally would have liked to see a little bit more hint to whom it was but then, it might have ruined the story.

At the end of the book were Halloween recipes and costume ideas that could be found throughout the book. This was a nice addition!

Overall, I give this a 4 star and look forward to reading more from this author.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author for free. The review here is 100% my own opinion and may differ from yours.
This review is also part of the Great Escapes Book Tours.
~M.M. aka Naila Moon

Where to find the author:

Amazon
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