Review: Dyed and Gone by Beth Yarnall

Summary
Hairstylist Azalea March is looking forward to a wild weekend in Las Vegas with her friends. Oh, sure, they’re supposed to be there on business, attending the biggest hair show on the west coast, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a little fun.

But fun quickly turns to drama. On the first morning of the show, Dhane, the biggest celeb of the hair-styling world, is found dead. As it turns out, Azalea’s friend Vivian not only knew Dhane, but the tale she weaves of how they met is faker than a showgirl’s uh…assets. When Vivian confesses to the murder and is arrested, Azalea knows there’s no way she could have done it and suspects Vivian may be trying to protect someone. But who?

Azalea now has to convince Alex, the sexy detective from her past, to help her prove Vivian’s innocence and comb through clues more twisted than a spiral perm. But the truth is stranger than anything found on the Las Vegas Strip, and proving Vivian’s innocence turns out to be more difficult than transforming a brunette into a blonde.

Review
Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right? Well, if you had the sort of weekend these three did, I don’t think you want to be heading back anytime soon. Down in the dumps dealing with her man woes, Vegas couldn’t have come at a better time for Azalea March. Ending her marathon of depressing movies along with impulsive shopping to soothe her woes, her two friends Vivian, her business partner and Juan Carlos were determined to yank her out of her funk. Heading for Vegas for the weekend wasn’t going to just be about fun, since they were hairstylists, they were heading there for the biggest hair show event of the year. Little did they know what they were in store for...

While enjoying themselves at the convention, they encounter the biggest celeb of the hair world Dhante. To Azalea and Juan Carlos’s surprise, he and Vivian seemed to know each other very well. Wondering why this is the first they were hearing about the pair knowing each other, she tells them a story that just doesn’t seem to add up. Later that day, tragedy strikes when Dhante is found dead but their world gets turned upside when Vivian is linked to the murder. Knowing that there is no way her best friend could be involved, she goes from hairstylist to detective to try and solve this case that uncovers secrets that leads down a dangerous path to solve the case.

I honestly had my doubts in the beginning of this book but as the book progressed, I didn’t want to stop reading. When I saw the cover, my thoughts were that this was going to be a cutesy sort of book but I was really impressed with the quality of her writing and overall structure of the book. I thought the overall plot of the story was one that not only was entertaining but it was engaging as each layer of the story was revealed to give the reader new information that kept them guessing. She gives you just enough to detail that keeps you guessing without being predictable. The star of the book, Azalea, never lost her shine. She was fun to read, especially with her relationships with the other characters in the book with their witty banter makes you chuckle as you follow along. There are a couple of side stories in the book with a little romance that add a little sweetness to the book but overall I think you will enjoy this delightful whodunit!

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles 

Book Information
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Publication date: 3/25/2014
Pages: 400