Author Diane Vallere | About
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Miss Scarlet in the study with a knife? no, that's just diane.
national bestselling author diane vallee
About Diane Vallere:
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.
full bio

diane vallere's FULL BIO:

Diane Vallere is a mystery writer of over forty books. Both her Material Witness Mysteries and Costume Shop Mysteries (published by Penguin Random House) were national bestsellers and Lefty-Award nominees for best humorous mystery. She also writes the Madison Night, Killer Fashion, Sylvia Stryker, and Mermaid Sister mysteries for Polyester Press. She has contributed short stories to several anthologies, most recently MURDER-A-GO-GO’s: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of the Go-Go's (Down & Out Books).

Diane served as president of both local (Los Angeles) and national boards of Sisters in Crime and remains an active member. For her legacy project for the organization, she conceived of and edited the Agatha Award-winning essay collection PROMOPHOBIA: Taking the Mystery out of Promoting Crime Fiction, published in 2022.

Diane has attended Malice Domestic Mystery Convention, Bouchercon, Left Coast Crime, New England Crime Bake, Writers Police Academy, and Homicide School for Writers. She served as co-chair of California Crime Writers Conference. Her newsletter, The Weekly DiVa, has an active following, focusing on girl talk, book talk, and life talk.

Diane is a graduate of The College of William and Mary with a BA in Fine Arts and has spent over twenty years working in the retail fashion industry in buying, management, planning, and sales. As a buyer, she combined creative thinking with analytical analysis. She was responsible for writing the creative media campaigns for the clearance division of a major luxury retailer along with drafting and implementing the long-term strategic plan. She has worked as the assistant store manager for the original location of a 100-year-old luxury retailer, and in her career has worked closely with visual merchandising to imagine and execute theme events through displays, fashion trends, and shopping incentives.

Diane was born in eastern Pennsylvania but has lived in Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles, California. These days, she is back in eastern Pennsylvania, where she spends her days working on her next fun, fashionable mystery while munching on pretzels. 

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endorsements

ENDORSEMENTS/WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: ​

"...the book is enriched by the author's cleverly phrased prose and convincing characterization. The surprise ending will satisfy and delight many mystery fans. A diverting mystery that offers laughs and chills." -Kirkus Reviews

"an impressive cozy mystery from a promising author." -Mystery Tribune
"A really funny mystery with a chicklit feel." -Susan M. Boyer, USA Today Bestselling Author of Lowcountry Bordello
"Designer Dirty Laundry shows that even the toughest crime is no match for a sleuth in fishnet stockings who knows her way around the designer department. A delightful debut." -Kris Neri, Lefty Award-Nominated author of Revenge For Old Times' Sake
"Combining fashion and fatalities, Diane Vallere pens a winning debut mystery...a sleek and stylish read." -Ellen Byerrum, National Bestselling author of the Crime of Fashion mysteries
"Vallere once again brings her knowledgeable fashion skills to the forefront, along with comedy, mystery, and a saucy romance. Buyer, Beware did not disappoint!" -Chick Lit Plus
"Fashion is always at the forefront, but never at the cost of excellent writing, humorous dialogue, or a compelling story." -Kings River Life
"A captivating new mystery voice, Vallere has stitched together haute couture and murder in a stylish mystery. Dirty Laundry has never been so engrossing!" -Krista Davis, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Diva Runs Out of Thyme
"In Designer Dirty Laundry​, author Diane Vallere stitches together a seamless mystery. Samantha Kidd is a witty heroine that you will root for as she fashions a fresh stylish start in her hometown of Ribbon, Pennsylvania." ~Avery Aames, Agatha Award-Winning Author of The Long Quiche Goodbye
"Samantha Kidd is an engaging amateur sleuth." -Mysterious Reviews
"It keeps you at the edge of your seat. I love the description of clothes in this book...if you love fashion, pick this up!" -Los Angeles Mamma Blog
"Diane Vallere takes the reader through this cozy mystery with her signature wit and humor." -Mary Marks, NY Journal of Books
"PILLOW STALK is an intricately plotted and well-written book, I really enjoyed the story. I can't imagine decorating a house in the style from Doris Day's movies but it makes fine reading." -Fresh Fiction
"If you are looking for an unconventional mystery with a snarky, no-nonsense main character, this is it. Madison is a strong leading lady who lands in lots of quirky situations. Instead of clashing, humor and danger meld perfectly, and there's a cliffhanger that will make your jaw drop." -RT Reviews
"A terrific mystery is always in fashion--and this one is sleek, chic and constantly surprising. Vallere's smart styling and wry humor combine for a fresh and original page-turner--it'll have you eagerly awaiting her next appealing adventure. I'm a fan!" -Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of The Other Woman
"All of us who fell in love with Madison Night in PILLOW STALK will be rooting for her when the past comes back to haunt her in THAT TOUCH OF INK. The suspense is intense, the plot is hot and the style is to die for. A thoroughly entertaining entry in this enjoyable series." -Catriona McPherson, Agatha Award-winning author of the Dandy Gilver Mystery Series
"Diane Vallere has woven a multifaceted story disguised as a cozy little mystery that starts out rather predictably but soon draws the reader into Madison's mid-century modern fantasy world of fashion, movies, friendship, loyalty, and violence. Vallere s descriptions of the colors, textures and artifacts of the era bring back vivid memories for those of us who actually lived through it. Although we encounter all the usual subjects, there are plenty of surprises to keep us guessing all the way to the end. And what an ending! Ms. Vallere drops an atomic bomb in the last few pages that will make every reader want to read her next book just to witness the fallout." -NY Journal of Books

“An engaging new series with an intelligent, resourceful heroine.”—Sofie Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of the Magical Cats Mysteries
 
“There’s a new material girl in town…[A] resourceful and gutsy sleuth.”—Krista Davis, 

New York Times bestselling author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries
 
“Vallere weaves a tapestry of finely knit characters, luxurious fabrics, and…murder.”—Janet Bolin, national bestselling author of the Threadville Mysteries
 
“With delightfully engaging characters and riveting mystery, it is a series I am looking to see more of!”

—Open Book Society

“Both madcap and moving, A Disguise to Die For has the right amount of humor, poignancy, and danger for a most irresistible whodunit. Highly recommended!” -Naomi Hirahara, Edgar® Award–winning author of the Officer Ellie Rush Mysteries
“A fresh, funny voice, irresistible characters—and oh, the costumes! No disguising the fact that Diane Vallere’s new cozy is a winner.” -Lucy Burdette, national bestselling author of the Key West Food Critic Mysteries
“An unpredictable mystery that serves to both entertain and spark creativity in readers, who may don a costume just for the joy of it.” -Kings River Life Magazine
“The book has depth and the plot is solid. The dialogue between the characters is fluid and the story is fast paced. The murderer(s) is hidden among a myriad of potential suspects and isn’t easily figured out...fantastic.” -Sleuth Cafe
“Meet Margo Tamblyn, the newest, savviest, smartest heroine to join the cozy mystery world. Weave in a quirky cast of characters, a fascinating setting, a fast-paced plot, and yummy recipes, and you have a thoroughly appealing whodunit that will keep you guessing all night long.” -Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of A High-End Finish
"The mystery in Crushed Velvet is interesting. There are bunches of red herrings and lots of new discoveries and the mystery goes along." -I Wish I Lived In a Library

"With the twists, action and humor you cannot go wrong with this book. The delightful character Polyester Monroe will have to wishing you were in the town with her." -Babs Book Bistro
"Vallere stitches an intrepid heroine together a nicely layered plot that fits well with the fabric imagery. The secret of the velvet makes for a clever surprise. Fans of Jenn McKinlay’s Hat Shop novels may also enjoy this small-town cozy." — Amy Alessio, BookList

"This story had me hooked from the first page, I couldn't put it down. It's a cozy mystery fun, engaging, full of twists, the plot and the mystery are well developed and the characters are really cute." -LibriAmoriMiei

"There are lots of cozy mysteries out there with almost anything you can think of, but if you want an exciting, entertaining read with characters you will want to know more about, I highly recommend you add Crushed Velvet to the top of your reading list." -Booklady's Booknotes

"This may only be the 2nd book but it reads like it has been around forever!"-Storeybook Reviews

This story was fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked the first book in this series and this installment was just as good. I look forward to more of Poly's adventures.-Melina's Book Blog

"Crushed Velvet was a catchy and quick read, and Poly is the perfect protagonist - sharp as a pin with more tricks up her sleeve than a fabric store has notions." -The Girl With Book Lungs

"Author Diane Vallere has blended together realistic and likable characters, dialogue that is snappy, snarky, and witty, and a mystery plot with more twists and turns than rick-rack, to fabricate a marvelous weave in Crushed Velvet. I was on pins and needles until I found out whodunit." -Jane Reads
"...excellent writing, humorous dialogue, or a compelling story." -Kings River Life

"...a multifaceted story disguised as a cozy little mystery..." -NY Journal of Books
Agent

agent representation:

John Talbot

Talbot Fortune Agency

www.talbotfortuneagency.com

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