Customer Reviews

Taken to the Cleaners (Mandy Dyer Mystery)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read a lot of 'cozy' mysteries. TAKEN TO THE CLEANERS was an excellent debut in this genre. The setting is unusual and Mandy Dyer (the lead character) had an interesting voice. I'll definitely order HUNG UP TO DRY.

The Mandy Dyer Mystery series is set in a dry cleaning establishment, a unique place for a "cozy". Mandy has inherited the cleaners from her uncle, which is fortunate since she has had to make her own way in the world since her divorce. She has befriended Betty, the local bag lady, who often stops by for a doughnut which Mandy gladly supplies. One day, however, Betty brings Mandy a suit in a bag which she has found in the garbage down the street. What neither Betty nor Mandy realize is that it is a blood-covered suit with knife tears in it. By the time Mandy discovers this, Betty has left and Mandy fears that the person connected to the crime might try to harm the bag lady. Mandy then tries to find Betty while solving the mystery of the bloody suit. This is an enjoyable and well-written book, with likeable characters and it inspires me to want to read the rest of the series.

A likeable cast of characters and a swiftly-moving plot make for an entertaining read. My only complaint is that I figured out the solution a little too early on... I would rather have had to work a bit more. Still, it was great fun and I'm online right now to see what else is available in the series - I'm going to get them all! Looking forward to reading more Mandy Dyer mysteries.

Mandy Dryer is a complicated character, she has real life problems and situations. The mystery is solvable (before Mandy solves it) not one of those "done by someone who is only mentioned once in passing". The plot has some other characters that sound true to life including a cat that HATES everyone except the one person who hates cats, which sounds like a normal cat to me.

This was a fun book, even though there is a point at which the killer becomes obvious - usually that annoys me, but the story was flowing along so well, I didn't mind this time. It created some anticipation for that big moment when Mandy would figure it all out at the worst possible time. Good, likeable characters right down to the cat and look forward to reading more of the series.

This was not the best nor the most interesting cozy mystery that I have read, but it did have its good points.

Mandy Dyer has inherited the family dry cleaning business upon the death of her uncle, a man who raised her when her man-crazy mother left to follow her latest love interest. One morning, the neighborhood bag lady gives her a suit that she found in the garbage which is covered in blood. Mandy immediately calls the police and is out to catch a killer, that is if the killer does not get to her first.

While the idea of the story was good, I just did not warm up to Mandy as a character. I kept wondering why she was so interested in pursuing the killer herself, despite Denver's finest on the case. I felt the author did not sufficiently explain Mandy's interest in solving the mystery to make the entire book make sense. Maybe I missed something, but I felt that Mandy would have been more interesting staying at home to rant about her ex-husband.

If you have nothing else to read, this will do.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I even learned a thing or two about spot cleaning. I am anxious to read the second book in this series.

I would definitely recommend this book. I found the dry cleaning information very interesting since it is an area very few books have entered.

This book is a good, light and funny read. It is human, it is joyful, it is delightful.

I am sure that she has written more since this book because this book was good enough for a sequel or series.

Mystery fans will enjoy it.

J. Robert Ewbank, author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

A mystery based on the dry cleaning business? Sounds odd, but it works. Mandy Dyer, owner of the business, becomes involved in a murder case and uses her cleaning experience to solve it. She meets interesting characters along the way, including a detective whom I hope will become a romantic interest in Dolores Johnson's next Mandy Dryer mystery. Anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries will like this one - well-written, funny and well plotted.