Killer Hair

The first book in any series has a lot of work to do. It has to introduce the detective, their milieu, the people who occupy their lives on a daily basis, and the hook of the series. This one, staring Lacey Smithsonian (no relation), had a doozie of a set-up. Lacey works as a fashion columnist in Washington D.C., the city that fashion forgot. In the starter, good friend Stella ropes Lacey to investigate the death of a fellow beautician. This leads her to a madam under investigation, a messy divorce and a few more bodies. Does Lacey solve it, of course. How, by noticing the small details in clothing and hair that reveal character. A good start to a fun series.

I did not think I would like this Crime of Fashion Mystery because it seems to focus on fashion, but there is so much more to the story! Lacey Smithsonian is stuck with the fashion advice column at a Washington DC newspaper. When a young hair stylist at the salon Lacey frequents dies, her own stylist urges her to investigate the supposed suicide. Plenty of suspense mixes with a touch of romance, and a liberal dose of political humor. Plus Byerrum's frustrated reporter Lacey gives fashion tips that poke fun at the fashion industry. Loved it. If you like Elaine Viets, you'll want to give this series a try.

I do love a good fashion byte! Lacey Smithsonian, no really thats her name, is a fashion columnist for The Eye Street Observer in DC. I've read some reviews that compare this series to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Well thats just not true at all! But Ms. Byerrum all in all didnot do to bad with the first book in this series. It was a slow start but somewhere in the middle it starts to pick up. I adore the leading lady and it's filled with some pretty quirky characters! The fashion bytes and the Crimes of Fashion column are the best part of the book, but the mystery isn't too shabby either. I would recommend this book to mystery fans or anyone who likes a good scandal! Just please dont wear pink to testify!!

Lacey is smart and funny and feminine. She is honest about herself
without being overly self-depricating. She does dance around that
annoying tendency that so many heroines have of becoming spitting mad
for little to no reason at her love interest, but doesn't fall
completely in.

Overall, Killer Hair is a fun, quick read, and a nice setup for the
series. I'll be reading more Crimes of Fashion in the future.

Cosy(ish) murder mystery set in Washington. The lead character's a fashion writer on a local paper, and the scenes set in the news offices play out rather more interestingly than the actual plot. Also, as is often the case, the surrounding cast is rather more interesting than the main character. Tends to linger overmuch on long descriptions of what Our Heroine's wearing (she has wacky fashion sense based on 1940s styles).

Having lived in Washington, DC for the past decade, this mystery book was a delight since I recognized and even frequented some of the places mentioned in it. Absolutely loved the 1940's fashion addiction, and the unique spin of the fashion reporter as the investigator.

Living in Alexandria, VA, I often enjoy reading books that take place in the DC area. Killer Hair was truly entertaining. I thought the "Fashion Bites" were cute and creative. A good start to a new series.