Melissa J. L. Smith

Melissa J. L. SmithMelissa J. L. SmithMelissa J. L. Smith
  • Intro, Studio Ops & Post
  • Management & Casting
  • Projects & Operations
  • Writing and Producing
  • Marketing & Branding
  • Writing Portfolio
  • The Stained Stilettos
  • Links to booksellers
  • The Expendable Ex
  • The Stunned Stuntman
  • More
    • Intro, Studio Ops & Post
    • Management & Casting
    • Projects & Operations
    • Writing and Producing
    • Marketing & Branding
    • Writing Portfolio
    • The Stained Stilettos
    • Links to booksellers
    • The Expendable Ex
    • The Stunned Stuntman

Melissa J. L. Smith

Melissa J. L. SmithMelissa J. L. SmithMelissa J. L. Smith
  • Intro, Studio Ops & Post
  • Management & Casting
  • Projects & Operations
  • Writing and Producing
  • Marketing & Branding
  • Writing Portfolio
  • The Stained Stilettos
  • Links to booksellers
  • The Expendable Ex
  • The Stunned Stuntman
Welcome to Hollywood!

The Case of THE STAINED STILETTOS

When  a famous actress and her actor husband throw a Bel Air dinner party for  Hollywood glitterati, including a hotshot Beverly Hills attorney, an  intrepid private investigator known for her stilettos, a frenemy or two,  a couple of homicide detectives and the Los Angeles District Attorney,  one thing is certain...

On sale at hundreds of booksellers worldwide

Murder is on the menu!

Hello

There are twists and turns...

...  as private investigator Mercy Wilde and her debonair husband, Beverly  Hills attorney, Joseph Luce, wind their way through a long list of  suspects.

Your hostess for the evening...

Dana Montgomery, Multi-Award-Winning Actress

"Surely,  you can't suspect me of murder, Dahhlling. I could never do such a  thing," says box-office guarantee and fan favorite actress, Dana  Montgomery.

With a woman like Dana, nothing is certain

Dana's confident exterior hides a jumble of insecurity and addiction.

Don't be ridiculous, Dahhling...

"I would never do anything that might result in my having to wear an orange jumpsuit. Nobody looks good in orange."

Uptown girl...

Mercy Wilde, Private Investigator

Mercy  Wilde...devoted wife of attorney, Joseph Luce. Doting daughter of  award-winning Hollywood actress, Francesca Wilde. Proud sister of LAPD  Detective Lucienne Wilde. cat-mom to felines Mack and Mabel. 

Lover of family, designer fashion and solving crime

Also loves food, stilettos, canary diamonds and, did we metion, solving crime?


Murder mysteries are her specialty.

What every woman wants...

Joseph Luce, suave Beverly Hills attorney draws stares

As rich as he is handsome, Joseph always looks perfect, whether in court, driving his McLaren M1 to  his Beverly Hills office, or solving a crime.


The  woman on his arm, his wife Mercy Wilde, is his best accessory. He is the man that every man wants to be and every woman wants to marry.

EGOT...Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony Winner

Francesca Wilde, Award-Winning Actress

The  recipient of a display case full of entertainment industry awards,  Francesca's work often is compared to that of Bette Davis or Meryl  Streep.

Stunning, vivacious bon vivant with serious talent

Francesca's  words of wisdom to her daughter, Mercy, when she married Joseph Luce  was "Keep your maiden name, Mercy.  It's better to be a "Wilde woman  than a Luce woman."

Confidence, thy name is Francesca

Whether counseling her best friend, Dana Montgomery, or guiding Joseph's father, Ethan, back into the dating pool, when Francesca Wilde speaks, it's a good idea to listen.

Character Actor, Drama Teacher, Husband, Notorious Womanizer

Blaine Jeffries, aka "Professor Gorgeous"

Blaine is especially handsome today. His designer jeans fit perfectly.  He leans against his desk in a shirt tailored to show off his remarkable abs. 

He completes the look with his dazzling smile down to his designer boots. The women in his class hang onto each word as if he is speaking "The Gospel of Blaine."

Joseph's father...

Ethan Luce, District Attorney, Los Angeles County

 Ethan  Luce is beginning another term as district attorney. His “William  Powell” wit and charm have made him a potential candidate for Attorney  General. He always declines, citing that Sacramento is too far away from  his family.

Media darling. Brilliant tactician.

A smart, athletic widower, Ethan's reputation as a worthy courtroom  adversary was established early in his career and his way with words has served him well throughout his career. That way with words dissipates, however, when he is in the company of Francesca Wilde, the beautiful actress on whom he has an escalating crush. He hopes to establish a  second "Luce and Wilde" couple in the future.

The youngest detective in LAPD history

Lucienne Wilde, Detective LAPD Robbery-Homicide

Daughter of Francesca WIlde with the best conviction rate at the LAPD. Despite her family's haute couture life, Lucienne is known as "Detective Sensible Shoes." 


Her button-down shirts and khaki pants serve her well as she is the youngest person to have been promoted to detective in LAPD history.

"Homicide hottie" or "Inspector Rothschild"?

Frank Lawshé, Homicide Detective, LASD aka "Detective Brooks Brothers"

Frank Lawshé adds the finishing touches to his  model-perfect head-to-toe “look” … an absolutely correct dimple in the  tie … ideal angle on the pocket square … just the right amount of muss  in his hair to define flawlessness.

While  most men struggle to put together “the look,” for Frank, his fabulous  appearance and being camera-ready are practically embedded in his DNA.
 

Photographed from birth with various parents and stepparents of his  famous extended family, Frank can easily pass as one of the beautiful  people, but he welcomes the anonymity that his position with the Los  Angeles Sheriff’s Department brings.

The best kept secret in Hollywood

Wesley Holley-Smythe, Butler with a Secret Past

People assume Wesley's dedication to Dana stems from unrequited love, but those who know them know better. 

They believe that Wesley and Dana's relationship is more like Alfred and Bruce Wayne, ever-faithful, but nothing more.


The  gossip offers endless speculation. 


But Francesca knows the truth...

Also starring...

Welcome to Hollywood. Meet the suspects!

Mark  Lathem...Dana's son, Blaine's stepson.  Rich, handsome, silver spoon  lifestyle. His sheltered life has taught him how to convey empathy and  concern, but sometimes he is acting. He feels something is missing. He  just does not have the tools to fix it.


Susana  Alfonso...Rich, beautiful aspiring actress. Mark's fiancée. She watches Dana on-screen and wants to be what Dana is..."Legendary."

People with grudges, crushes and trust issues

Beth Luker...Mark's ex from the wrong side of the tracks. Her acting talent often takes a backseat to her silicone implants.


Sal Caggiano...Smart, gorgeous and working his way up from the "wrong zip code" stigma. Mark's best friend.


Carmella Crayton...Basketball star turned journalist. Has landed on the wrong side of a powerful industrialist.

A Few More in the Mix..

Helen and Lindsey Sands...A homeless woman and her young daughter who know what it is to lose everything...except love.


A cast of Hollywood stars, restauranteurs and movie studio powerbrokers.


When one ends up dead, they are all suspects.

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