Handcuffs & High Heels by J.M. Edwards

“Handcuffs & High Heels” is a generally good murder mystery in terms of plot and the main character. Private investigator, Ruby Wisdom, has been hired to check into a philandering husband but when that same man is found dead in a seedy motel wearing nothing but fur-lined handcuffs and leopard-print high heels, Ruby must work quickly to find the truth before her client is arrested for the murder. Ruby Wisdom is a good protagonist. She’s smart and sassy with a fun vocabulary and the mystery elements are well-paced and entertaining. However, I had two complaints about this novel: (1) all the men seemed to be either philanderers and/or dim-witted which I feel is shallow character crafting and; (2) Ms. Edwards makes too many mistakes with the names of her characters, mentioning one character when she really means another. It was, at times, very confusing and pulled me out of the story. Overall, I think that Ms. Edwards has a promising mystery series that wants only for more outside editing.

*Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of this novel with a request for an honest review.*