The Camilla Randall Mysteries Series

Snarky, delicious fun! A laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Perennially down-and-out socialite Camilla Randall a.k.a. "The Manners Doctor" is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. Usually with more than a little help from her gay best friend, Plantagenet Smith. After Camilla's celebrity ex-husband’s ironic joke about her “kinky sex habits” is misquoted in a tabloid, New York etiquette columnist Camilla Randall’s life unravels in bad late night jokes. Nearly broke and down to her last Hermes scarf, she accepts an invitation to a Z-list Writers’ Conference in the wine-and-cowboy town of Santa Ynez, California, where, unfortunately, a cross-dressing dominatrix plies her trade by impersonating Camilla. When a ghostwriter’s plot to blackmail celebrities with faked evidence leads to murder, Camilla must team up with the dominatrix to stop the killer. Meanwhile, a wannabe writer who happens to be a hot L.A. cop just may steal her heart. "Twisted chick-lit noir with a side of funny!" "This book is hysterically funny AND accurately depicts the Santa Ynez Valley. Anne Allen gets it right, down to the dollar bills stuck on the ceiling of the Maverick Saloon. It was so fun to read as she called out one Valley landmark after another. Allen got the local denizens right, too" "This feisty tale trips along like an A-list hooker in high heels, street-wise and chic."

Snarky, delicious fun! The Camilla Randall mysteries are a laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Perennially down-and-out socialite Camilla Randall a.k.a "the Manners Doctor" is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. Usually with more than a little help from her gay best friend, Plantagenet Smith. Sherwood Ltd. takes aim at the world of small press publishing and all things British. It's a madcap tale of intrigue, romance and murder set near the real Sherwood Forest in the English Midlands. After discovering a dead body near the dumpster where she's been diving for recyclables, down-on-her luck socialite Camilla Randall escapes to England, enticed by the charming Peter Sherwood—a self-styled Robin Hood who offers to publish a book of her etiquette columns at his unorthodox publishing company.  But murder and disaster follow her. She lands in a gritty criminal world—far from the Merrie Old England she envisions. The staff are ex-cons and the books are seriously kinky. Hungry and penniless, Camilla camps in a Wendy House built from pallets of porn while battling an epic flood, a mendacious American Renaissance Faire wench, and the mysterious murderer who may be Peter himself.  Sherwood Ltd. is the second in this humorous mystery series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. "Anne Allen is also masterful at keeping the plot twisting and turning; and making sure all those details make sense by the end." "It’s a laugh-out-loud funny modern take on the Robin Hood legend, set mainly in Lincolnshire, UK, and I found the local detail to be excellent." "It's an hilarious lampoon of crime fiction, publishing and the British in general. Anne Allen gets our Brit idioms and absurdities dead to rights."

Snarky, delicious fun! The Camilla Randall mysteries are a laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire. Perennially down-and-out socialite Camilla Randall is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. Usually with more than a little help from her gay best friend, Plantagenet Smith. This prequel to the Camilla mysteries romps through the glitzy 1980s, when 19-year-old Camilla loses everything: her fortune, her gay best friend, and eventually her freedom.  When she's falsely accused of a TV star's murder, she discovers she's made of sterner stuff than anyone imagined--herself included. In typical Anne R. Allen fashion, the plot twists and turns from one hilarious misadventure to another, leading to a finish sure to catch the reader by surprise. "…while laugh-out-loud funny, it carries a message about how we view ourselves and how others' views of us may conflict, yet make us grow." "An engaging Hollywood caper set during the 1980's pits a fashionable New York debutante against a hard-nosed reporter who's had a bad day. I don't even know what to classify this book as -- thriller, romance, comedy, drama, whodunit, who's going to do it -- it has everything!” "Fans of Marian Keyes will love Camilla!"

Comedy with a conscience. A laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Perennially down-and-out socialite Camilla Randall a.k.a. "The Manners Doctor" is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. Usually with more than a little help from her gay best friend, Plantagenet Smith. Doria Windsor, the uber-rich editor of Home decorating magazine loses everything, including her Ponzi-schemer husband, when their luxury wine-country home mysteriously goes up in flames. Homeless, destitute, presumed dead and branded a criminal, 59-yr-old Doria has a crash course in reality…and a second chance at love. Meanwhile, reluctant sleuth Camilla Randall is facing homelessness too, as Doria's husband's schemes unravel and take down innocent bystanders along the way. When the mysterious—and dangerously attractive—Mr. X. turns up at Camilla's bookstore looking for clues to the death of a missing homeless man, Camilla joins in the search.  With the help of brave trio of homeless people and a little dog named Toto, Doria, Camilla and Mr. X journey to unmask the real killer and reveal the dark secrets of Doria's "financial wizard" husband.  Anne. R. Allen weaves her usual blend of archetypal images (this time from The Wizard of Oz) with unique and wacky characters, hilarious situations, and laugh-out-loud one-liners that all somehow come together and make perfect sense at the end.  No Place Like Home is the fourth of the Camilla Randall Mysteries, but can be read as a stand-alone novel. "Snarky, quirky, and hilarious!" "A warp-speed, lighthearted comedy mystery, No Place Like Home offers lasting laughs beneath which a message resounds – Being homeless is scary" "Don't miss this wild and wacky ride from the gorgeous Morro Bay and the Edna Valley wineries to the Big Sur coastline. It's a real hoot!" "Allen's genius comes through as she opens a window on the world of the homeless showing the reader a sensitivity toward these people who have lost everything, often through no fault of their own."

The Camilla Randall Mysteries are a laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Downwardly mobile bookstore owner and etiquette expert Camilla Randall is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong. But she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way.  Music blogger Ronzo never dreamed that giving an unfavorable online review to the Leftenant Froggenhall band would destroy his life. But he can only escape the band's gruesome persecution and threats to his loved ones by faking his own death and living as a homeless dumpster-diver.  He's forced to hide his blossoming relationship with bookstore owner Camilla Randall to keep her safe from the band's vengeful clutches. Not easy when they're together every day, as Ronzo's unexpected tarot-reading skills keep Camilla's failing Morro Bay shop afloat.  When a mysterious Irish poet shows up dead on a tarot client's beach, it's up to secret lovers Camilla and Ronzo—and the tarot cards—to find the killer. Hopefully before the homicidal Froggenhalls arrive in Morro Bay. Luckily Buckingham the cat is on the case, ready to fight the bad guys, tooth and claw. *** "There is a depth and freshness about Anne Allen's work that makes for a pleasing surprise!" Poet Janice Konstantinidis "Tremendous fun, wittily satiric and highly recommended." Nigel J. Robinson  "A perfect blend of wild and wacky characters spouting hilarious dialogue while finding themselves in unpredictable and unexpected situations." Paul Alan Fahey, Rainbow award-winning author of The Mother I Imagined, The Mom I Knew. "Lots of fun! Anne R. Allen is a hugely talented writer, and her Camilla Randall series never fails to entertain." Claude Forthomme, senior editor, Impakter magazine.  "Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys romance, and crime suspense, with a lethally satiric edge." Dr. John Yeoman, author of How Did the Author Do That?

It's a laugh-out-loud mashup of romantic comedy, crime fiction, and satire: Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Perennially down-and-out socialite Camilla Randall--a.k.a. "The Manners Doctor"--is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. Usually with more than a little help from her gay best friend, Plantagenet Smith. This comic novel—which takes its title from the most famous Shakespearean quote that Shakespeare never wrote—explores how easy it is to perpetrate a character assassination whether by a great playwright or a gang of online trolls. In this hilarious episode Camilla makes the mistake of responding to an online review of one of her etiquette guides and sets off a chain of events that leads to arson, attempted rape and murder. Plantagenet, vacationing in England, is accused of the murder and nobody but Camilla's shady former boyfriend—fresh from prison—can save him. Camilla and Plantagenet are caught between rival factions of historical reenactors who are fiercely pro- and anti-Richard III. And there's a mysterious cat. Who knows more than he's letting on… Although this is #5 in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone "Laughs and social commentary abound in this global adventure. Camilla Randall, a down-on-her luck-socialite-turned-etiquette-expert, takes on review cyberbullies while her friend Plantagenet hunts down the ghost of Richard III. "Anne R. Allen has given us a hilarious satire that pokes fun at some dark topics." "Anne Allen is masterful at keeping the plot twisting and turning; and making sure all those details make sense by the end." "On the surface, it's a frothy romance-cum-suspense story…but underneath, it provides a perceptive insight into the mad world of modern publishing and the subculture of Internet lunatics." "Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time for the 21st Century." "Laughs and social commentary abound in this global adventure. Camilla Randall, a down-on-her luck-socialite-turned-etiquette-expert, takes on review cyberbullies while her friend Plantagenet hunts down the ghost of Richard III." 

The Camilla Randall Mysteries are a laugh-out-loud mashup of crime fiction, rom-com, and satire. Dorothy Parker meets Dorothy L. Sayers. Perennially down-and-out socialite Camilla Randall--a.k.a. "The Manners Doctor"--is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but she always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way. Usually with more than a little help from her gay best friend, Plantagenet Smith. In this stand-alone episode, Camilla befriends socialite Mickie McCormack, who's going through a painful divorce. Mickie has been Googling her old boyfriends in order to reconnect and "remember who she used to be." Unfortunately every one of those boyfriends soon ends up dead. Is the serial killer Camilla's old boyfriend Dr. Bob? Or one of Mickie's old boyfriends? And can Camilla's old boyfriend Captain Rick Zukowski of the L.A.P.D. protect her and her cat Buckingham from being fed to the sharks before she solves the mystery?