The Chanel Caper (Strong, Savvy Women...And The Men Who Love Them Book #2)

A Blake Weston Cozy Mystery

Nora Ephron meets James Bond. Or is it the other way around?

Blake Westin is a smart, savvy, no BS New Yorker. Her darling (damn!) husband, Ralph Marino, is a très James Bond ex-cop and head of security for a large international corporation.

When Blake buys a faux Chanel bag from a sidewalk vendor, her problems start—but don’t end—with a mugging. They escalate to an encounter with a gun-toting jailbird, an iPhone obsessed Afghan war lord, a diamond-bedecked janitor, and a show down with a beautiful woman who might—or might not—be deadly.

Meanwhile, Ralph is about to hit the Big Six O and he’s not happy about it. Neither is Blake. Especially now that she suspects Ralph might be cheating on her.

At this tense time in their relationship, Blake and Ralph are forced by Ralph’s über-neurotic billionaire boss to work together to solve a murder, bust up a deadly international criminal conspiracy—and save Ralph’s job.

"Does it sound odd to call a murder mystery light and delightful? Ruth Harris gives us quotable quotes one after another making this reader laugh out loud over and over again. I truly have nothing negative to say about this novel. Reading this novel was an exercise in self-indulgence best done with your favorite glass of something rare or much loved snack infrequently eaten (I did both). If you like light and funny cozy mysteries with wonderful heart, pick this one up today." —RabidReadersReviews

A NOTE TO READERS FROM RUTH: For a long time I’ve wanted to write about a long-term marriage. In The Chanel Caper, Blake and Ralph have been through it all—the break ups and makeups, the squabbles, the spats and the stand-offs. Even so, after twenty-six years of living together (and driving each other crazy), they are still holding hands in the movies. And they still have the hots for each other!

Add to the mix the fact that I’m a news junkie and love to write about the social and cultural atmosphere of the time in which a book is set. The Chanel Caper takes place in the fall of 2008 when the global financial system faced collapse. From Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff to bankers in five thousand dollar suits flying their private jets to Washington to scrounge for bail outs, the financial crisis of 2008 was a richly ironic background for my story of murder and suspense.

Other characters in the story were inspired by headlines, news stories and current events:

• a washed-up Martha Steward wannabe trying to make a come back with the help of a red balconette bra
• a one-eyed, one-legged Afghan warlord who doesn’t speak a word of English
• an über neurotic, germ-ophobic billionaire freaking out as the stock market plummets and his net worth goes down—and down
• a flack-jacket-wearing gung-ho war zone reporter with a humongo pair of 36 DoubleD's
• NYC’s ubiquitous sidewalk vendors of faux designer label bags, sunglasses and scarves
• the city’s vast selection of ethnic restaurants and foods.
• news reports about the deadly consequences of counterfeit drugs
• the rise of the Chinese economy and the glam and glittering city of Shanghai
• trendy gurus and hot self-help fads

Add in Bollywood movies, the world's best shade of red lipstick + one drop-dead fantastic way to deal with a cheating husband and you'll know why I had fun writing The Chanel Caper. I hope you have fun reading it!

Ruth Harris is a million-copy New York Times bestseller and winner, Romantic Times "Best Contemporary." Her books have been translated into 19 languages, published in 25 countries around the world, and were prominent selections of leading book clubs including the Literary Guild and the Book Of The Month Club.

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