Book Review: Goodie One Shoes

By Sandy Amazeen Oct 10, 2011, 2:31 GMT

A Jimmy Choo Sandal. A Manolo Blahnik mule; a Sergio Rossi slide, a Prada sliver-heeled boot. As magic as Cinderella\'s glass slipper. Even when they don\'t fit, they can determine your life-or end it. Emily knows these things because she owns a discount shoe store on the colorful Upper West Side of Manhattan-Emily\'s Place a neighborhood hangout for shoe lovers, where customers could find a sympathetic ear, ...more

One doesn’t have to be shoe obsessed to enjoy this undemanding mystery set in a trendy Manhattan shoe store. Following the breakup of her marriage after discovering husband Larry in bed with another woman, Emily Levine decided to make a new start by doing what she loved and sell shoes. Although they are not yet divorced, Emma enjoys carving out a new, independent life for herself while providing a helping hand to a few women along the way. One of those women was a sweet Chinese girl, Kim Chang who Emma hired despite a lack of proper documentation. Emma viewed Kim as a daughter so learning the young woman had been brutally murdered by a stiletto was devastating.

As Emma strikes up a growing relationship with one of the investigating detectives, she begins pursuing the killer on her own. After the murder of Emma’s maid, it is clear that someone has a serious grudge against her and will continue playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with Emma as the doomed mouse. Clever detective work and a daring plan are put into action to identify the killer before they strike again but Emma may pay the ultimate price for her bravery.

You need not know the difference between a Jimmy Choo and a Chanel to get a kick out of this lighthearted mystery where a “woman of a certain age” revels in having her independence and a certain degree of anonymity. The steady pacing and fine character development make for an entertaining read that is abundantly populated by an endearing collection of eccentrics.