"A fashion reporter investigates death in a salon"

Lacey Smithsonian is a reporter with the Eye Street Observer in Washington, D.C. who writes the Crimes of Fashion column. Recently her column was about the makeover Marcia Robinson got from Stylettos stylist Angela Wood.

Then Angie is found dead at Stylettos. The police say it was suicide. Anyone who knew Angie and knows the facts of her death does not believe it is suicide. Her hair had been cut off with a straight-edged razor. Angie was proud of her hair and suicide or not would not have done this to herself.

Fellow stylist Stella asks her friend Lacey to investigate Angie's death. She feels that since Lacey is an investigative reporter, this should be easy. Lacey tries to say no, but saying no to Stella is not easy.

Lacey runs into Victor Donovan who she knew back in Colorado. Now he's in the area helping his father run his security company. Styletto's is their new customer. There is a lot of history with Lacey and Vic and this new development just confuses her more. The FBI seems to be interested in Lacey's activities and this just makes her more determined to help Stella.

Boyd Radford, owner of Stylettos, is called Ratboy behind his back by the stylists due to his profile. His ex-wife Josephine and their son Beau are not well-liked either.

Then Tammi is found in the Virginia Beach Styletto's with her hair cut off in much the same way as Angie. She was a stylist there.

Vic tries to convince Lacey to back off as he is concerned for her safety. She won't listen and ends up putting herself in grave danger when she finally figures out who the killer is.

I like this new series. Lacey is a great character. The author has done a great job of making her believable and three-dimensional. I am looking forward to reading more exploits of Lacey Smithsonian and hope that Victor Donovan will also be in future books. I always enjoy books set in the DC area since that is where I live. I think it's more enjoyable to read a book when you can recognize locations mentioned in a book. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle
Posted January 4, 2004

Summary

Home of the helmet hairdo and congressional comb-over, Washington, D.C. is a hotbed of fashion faux pas. If anyone should know, it's "Crimes of Fashion" columnist Lacey Smithsonian. She dishes out advice to the scandal-scorched and clothing-clueless, doing her part to change this town— one fashion victim at a time...

Can a bad haircut kill you?
An up-and-coming stylist, Angie Woods had a reputation for rescuing down-and-out looks—and careers—all with a pair of scissors. But when Angie is found with a drastic haircut and a razor in her hand, the police assume she committed suicide over the shear disaster. Lacey knew the stylist and suspects something more sinister—that the story may lie with Angie's star client, a White House staffer with a salacious Web site. Or with a recent string of thefts at the salon. With the help of a hunky ex-cop, Lacey must root out the truth—before she becomes the next subject of a hostile makeover...

Lacey's Fashion Tip of the Day:
Never wear pink to testify. (Lacey has complicated feelings about pink.)