"Will they lose Venus Envy?"

Persia and Aunt Florence are struggling to keep Venus Envy open. Why? Bebe Wilcox has opened her own boutique and is hell bent on putting everyone else out of business. She and her workers stop at nothing. They steal and sabotage without so much as a second thought.

Then one of Bebe's pushy saleswomen ends up dead. The "game" has advanced to a new level.

In an attempt to save Venus Envy, Persia and her aunt stage a public falling out. Persia applies at Bebe's Boutique and is hired. Can she snoop around without getting caught? Can she find the stolen goods and enough evidence to put Bebe away and close down her shop for good? Can she do all this before the killer finds out and comes after her?

I like Persia. She is a fun character and very well constructed by the author. She is three-dimensional and her friends and aunt are terrific as well. I love the small-town feel of this book. The boutique is a great setting for the story. The feud between the two boutiques is very believable and there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle
Courtesy Mystery Lovers Corner
Posted October 1, 2006

Summary

There's only one #1...

There's a new makeover maven in town, and she spells big trouble for everyone at Venus Envy. Bebe Wilcox has just unveiled her own boutique, and she won't stop until her shop has put everyone else out of business. Nothing is out of bounds, from stealing fragrance recipes to computer hacking and sabotaging supplies. But when one of Bebe's pushy saleswomen ends up dead, the stakes become much more dangerous. Staging a public falling out with her Auntie, Persia gets hired at Bebe's Boutique and begins snooping for evidence of wrongdoing. But can she find the goods before the killer decides to find her?