Killer Hair: A Crime of Fashion

I have passed this around two writers critique groups, and told total strangers about it in the bookstore.

If you're looking for a light read, not much blood and gore, and characters that make you laugh (one believes Washington DC men are victims of a plot that blocks pheromones, rendering men unattracted to the women in town) you'll appreciate Ellen Byerrum's launch of Lacey Smithsonian. This is a hoot!


Really unique, funny mystery   November 30, 2003
Beach blanket reader (Rehoboth Beach, DE)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

My girlfriend was bugging me to read this book cause she loved it, and it's getting great reviews on a bunch of mystery websites, so I did and I actually really liked it. It's really not like a lot of amateur detective-type mysteries where some gourmet chef or something turns out to be this incredible Sherlock Holmes supersleuth. Lacey Smithsonian is a reporter who's gotten sort of suckered into being a fashion reporter (but she sort of hates it), and now she gets herself sucked into investigating this suicide-but-might-be-murder, totally against her better judgment, but she eventually figures out that she's the only one (along with her crazy hairstylist) who clicks on the fashion clues that the DC cops could care less about. And the Washington DC stuff is really sharp and right on (Yikes, I used to live there!). By now she's in too deep anyway, and her main crush is an ex-police type who ought to be pretty helpful in a murder investigation but is mostly cute and clueless. Lacey is kind of a sweet smartass chick who's lots smarter and funnier than most of the guys around her (duh, does that sound like me and my friends' lives or what? Probably yours too). If you like funny mysteries that are more like what life is really like for real women, check this one out.


Stiletto Wit Skewers Washingtonian Sneaker-Wearers   December 2, 2003
Denise DeVries (40 miles from nearest Walmart, VA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Don't try to read this book on the subway. You'll either miss your stop while reading, or even start some conversations with the eye-catching cover and title.
Here's a mystery for the intelligent reader with a better-than average vocabulary. Besides having an obvious inside knowledge of the capital city, the author shows an attention to research and detail. ...and nuance, of course. Who doesn't admire that kind of sensitivity? (Not to mention the ability to use and pronounce French words.)

This book is not for the humor-impaired, but it can be enjoyed by the unstylish. I recommend applying a little extra mascara before reading, just to keep from feeling intimidated.


Got me!!   October 26, 2004
Beth Botsis (Northern Virginia)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

A premiere success! Ellen Byerrum's characters are colorful, hip, and quirky (in a very good way). She is fabulous at bringing color and detail into this fun mystery read which is true to her personal wit. There are some humorous subtleties directly targeting those who live and work in the DC "world", which caused me at times to break out in delighted bursts of laughter while reading. It was over much too soon. There's something about a mystery novel that manages to fool me at the final conclusion that I just gotta love. I'm nearing the end of Ellen's second book in the Lacey Smithsonian series and finding it just as delightful. Brava Ellen!