"Fun, unique and compelling mystery"

Dallas O'Connor has a lot of connections in the fashion industry. She works as a stylist for The Store, an expensive, snooty department store. Her best friends are models, agents, photographers, and makeup artists. Her life is chaotic and exciting, although she definitely does not make enough money to compensate for how hard she works. As a stylist, she is responsible for setting up the locations where the photographs for the catalog will be shot, and she also has to put up with cranky divas and demanding bosses, not to mention last-minute scheduling changes that would make a lesser person go insane.

As the magazine approaches deadline, Dallas arrives at work early, where she finds their star model murdered and a stranger standing in front of the body and holding a knife. The stranger turns out to be Raul Domingo, the artist who had painted the back drops. He and Dallas go on the run as they race to find out who killed the model and who now wants them dead as well.

Chloe Green has created a fascinating and fun story. Dallas O'Connor is beautiful, smart, independent, and inclined to rush headlong into danger as she tries to prove her innocence. Told in first person narrative, I was pulled into the compelling plot of Going Out in Style and experienced the fear and excitement along with Chloe and her unlikely sidekick Raul.

The relationship between Dallas and Raul is rather ambiguous at first. Are they friends? Are they soon to become lovers? Is he the murderer? I was very pleased that this book was more than a glorified romance, although I have nothing against them. However, when there is a strong romantic influence, the mystery tends to be minimized and weak. Going Out in Style definitely did not lack in this department.

The mystery wasn't difficult to solve and I had a pretty good idea who the murderer was midway through the book. But don't think that's the end and you should stop reading just because you may or may not have the murderer found out. While Dallas has her suspicions, she must collect clues to prove that she's right. There are many exciting scenes that kept my attention as Dallas escapes one dangerous situation after another. The story truly does not end until the last page is turned and the ending is definitely worth the wait.

Five reasons to read Going Out in Style: 1. Fashion industry is a unique setting for a mystery series; 2. Dallas O'Connor is not unlike most women and her experiences are easy to relate to; 3. attention to detail makes mystery more believable and complete; 4. story is filled with beautiful people, although the most handsome men are often gay, which is a let-down to single straight women everywhere; and finally 5. great beauty tips.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartshorn
Posted October 6, 2002

Summary

Meet Dallas O'Connor, fashion stylist for Texas' premier retail establishment, The Store. In an industry built on illusion, she's the real deal -- a down-to-earth Texas beauty with a talent for creating the gorgeous visions that sell expensive clothes . . . and a real knack for solving mysteries. In her debut case, the savvy Dallas discovers that in the backstabbing business of fashion, jealousy and revenge are suddenly in vogue.