Review ~ DYED AND GONE by Beth Yarnall

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

Dyed and Gone by Beth Yarnall is a hilarious read.  Told in first person, it chronicles a Vegas weekend of hairstylist Azalea March and her two best friends, Vivian and Juan Carlos.  What was supposed to be a weekend of fun, networking, and attending a hair conference turns into a weekend of investigating the murder of one of the biggest names in hair care, when Vivian is accused of the crime.

Yarnall writes a story that the reader is actually able to visualize.  Her descriptions are over the top, but I can actually see them happening; such as people dressed up as anime characters and models dressed up as trees with sky high hair.

I enjoyed reading the book but I felt that the character development of Azalea wasn’t really complete.  She’s a little quirky and has her hang-ups, but I wasn’t really sure why.  Also her relationship with Alex wasn’t really what I thought it was.  I was surprised that they didn’t really know anything about each other although they had went out in the past.

I had a hard time getting into the book in the beginning.  In a timeframe when some people would have given up, I kept reading because of curiosity and the fact that Juan Carlos is the King of one liners.  It was worth it.  The book became entertaining and a real page turner, with me trying to figure out what was going on, whodunit, and why.

Azalea has a heart of gold and her desire to investigate comes from a good place.  Unfortunately, she asks too many questions and becomes a target for the police and the murderer.  I’m looking forward to seeing what Yarnall has planned next for Azalea and her "ragtag band of hairstylists turned detectives".

Rating: 4

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Book Length: 400 pages

Source: Publisher

Reviewed by: Kim

Reading Format: Available in eBook and Paperback

Purchase Dyed and Gone from Amazon or your eRetailers

Places to find Beth Yarnall:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest