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From Publishers Weekly
What if a radical plastic surgery makeover changed its subject's personality for the worse? Byerrum asks in her playful third Crime of Fashion mystery. Street-smart D.C. fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian meets über diva Amanda Manville (a former ugly duckling whose appearance on TV's The Chrysalis Factor made her a supermodel overnight), while covering Amanda's new clothing line for the Eye Street Observer. Amanda's tendencies to slap assistants and take credit for her sister Zoe's designs are no big sin compared to the death threats Amanda receives daily—and she asks Lacey to investigate. After a murder occurs, Lacey's sheltered mother and sister drop in, putting the brakes on Lacey's romantic weekend with protective cop Vic Donovan and making the case a family affair. A revolving door of quirky characters like donut-scarfing "death-and-dismemberment" reporter Harlan Wiedemeyer keep the plot skipping happily along, and inside jokes about Burberry accessories in Washington are snicker-worthy. The unsurprising conclusion is a bit silly, but the read is as smooth as fine-grade cashmere on an autumn day in the Federal City.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
As makeover madness sweeps the nation's capital, reporter Lacey Smithsonian interviews TV show makeover success story Amanda Manville. But with Amanda's beauty comes a beast in the form of a stalker with vicious intentions—and Lacey may be the only one who can stop him.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.6 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chick lit mystery? I'm a guy. Love the series., Oct 5 2005
By M. J. Brewster "Mort" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Hostile Makeover: A Crime of Fashion Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)
So they're calling Byerrum's series "chick lit mysteries." Well, I'm a guy and I like chicks, I like lit, and I love this series. Okay? Deal with it. (I even like Washington, DC, believe it or not, and I'm a New Yorker.) Byerrum really gets this place and the whole weird Washington atmosphere of government conspiracies that sound real but turn out to be fantasy, and the stuff that sounds like stand-up comedy but turns out to be real. And she makes it funny and sarcastic and suspenseful too. She writes great funny women characters, at least to me, but then I'm a guy, I only date funny women, what do I know? (Who wouldn't want to date Lacey Smithsonian, she's smart, witty, looks great in a devastating suit, and knows how to use a weapon. What's not to like?) Any guy who's sat through an episode of "Extreme Makeover" will wonder what would happen if the latest made-over reality TV diva turned out to be a killer witch on wheels, and that's where this one takes off. "Killer Hair" was a knockout, "Designer Knockoff" was even better, and "Hostile Makeover" hits it out of the park. This one gets two thumbs up from me. Guys, read the funny parts (there's plenty of 'em) to your girlfriends, this chick-lit mystery will make you a chick magnet.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
TV makeover diva gone bad, April 25 2006
By Dawn Dowdle "Mystery reviewer" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Hostile Makeover: A Crime of Fashion Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)
Lacey Smithsonian is interviewing Amanda Manville, reality TV makeover success story turned model. Apparently all the makeover surgeries turned her sweet personality into that of a diva gone bad. All Amanda wants to talk about is the death threats she's received. She requests Lacey's help in stopping the stalker. Lacy doesn't take much stock in the existence of a stalker. That is until Amanda is killed.She and her boyfriend Vic Donovan are planning a getaway weekend until Lacey's mother and sister descend upon her. How can she investigate Amanda's murder, survive her relative's visit, and keep Vic from meeting then?
With Amanda's unpopular personality, the list of suspects is quite long. How can Lacey weed out the real killer without putting herself in danger or her family since they keep tagging along?
I really like Lacey. She's so down to earth and fun. I like her vintage clothing, too. Her quirky family and relationship with Vic spice things up as well.
I live not far from DC, and Ms. Byerrum has the fashion tone of Washington down to a T. The tidbits always add to the story.
Lacey's friends and co-workers are great additions to the story as well.
I highly recommend this book and the whole series.
Check out: [...]
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's okay, Nov 20 2005
By Butterscotch - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Hostile Makeover: A Crime of Fashion Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)
This is the third book in the `Crimes of Fashion' series and, in comparison to the first two - Killer Hair and Designer Knockout - was the weakest in terms of storyline and characters. Hostile Makeover puts fashion journalist Lacey Smithsonian on the trail of a killer when a supermodel, Amanda, is shot in her presence and Lacey's car is used in the getaway. This book felt more contrived and less mysterious than the other two in the series. True, these are simple mysteries to begin with, but Lacey Smithsonian was definitely dull in this story, especially in the beginning chapters. The storyline took several chapters to actually begin and, when it did, it seemed completely implausible. Lacey interviews Amanda for a fashion article and, 10 minutes into the interview, Amanda recruits Lacey to find her killer. At this point, Amanda isn't even dead and her attitude is off-putting and insincere. The other problem with this book is with the `romance' between Lacey and her sorta-boyfriend Vic Donovan. Vic has finally relocated to DC from Colorado, but is longer a cop. His job (as a cop) could actually add dimension to the mysteries Lacey encounters but for some reason the author puts Vic in the sidelines and a different career. Plus, the couple is still not `together' which is pretty unusual and ridiculous to read through. This book isn't the best in the series but is still readable.
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