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Crime of Fashion #3
Hostile Makeover
As makeover madness sweeps the nation's capital, reporter Lacey Smithsonian interviews TV show makeover success story Amanda Manville. But with Amanda's beauty comes a beast in the form of a stalker with vicious intentions—and Lacey may be the only one who can stop him.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
11 people are currently reading
577 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Byerrum
24 books323 followersEllen Byerrum was a Washington, D.C., news reporter, now a novelist and playwright. In the interest of research, she also earned a Virginia private investigator's registration. She has written comic mysteries, a thriller, a middle grade mystery, and a children's rhyming picture book.
Most recently, she published the 1940s prequel to her Crime of Fashion Mysteries, THE BRIEF LUMINOUS FLIGHT OF THE FIREFLY, starring Mimi Smith, a young woman from out west who goes to Washington, DC to do her part for the war effort.
Her Crime of Fashion mysteries star a savvy, stylish sleuth: Lacey Smithsonian, a reluctant fashion reporter in Washington D.C., "The City Fashion Forgot."
Lacey would rather be working "hard news," but her nose for nuance, eye for a great story, and talent for getting into trouble make her the right reporter for the Crimes of Fashion beat. In her vintage suits and killer heels, she trips over fashion clues, fabulous shoes, dangerous women, drop-dead men, and of course the occasional corpse (who wouldn't be caught dead dressed like that).
Most recently, she published the 1940s prequel to her Crime of Fashion Mysteries, THE BRIEF LUMINOUS FLIGHT OF THE FIREFLY, starring Mimi Smith, a young woman from out west who goes to Washington, DC to do her part for the war effort.
Her Crime of Fashion mysteries star a savvy, stylish sleuth: Lacey Smithsonian, a reluctant fashion reporter in Washington D.C., "The City Fashion Forgot."
Lacey would rather be working "hard news," but her nose for nuance, eye for a great story, and talent for getting into trouble make her the right reporter for the Crimes of Fashion beat. In her vintage suits and killer heels, she trips over fashion clues, fabulous shoes, dangerous women, drop-dead men, and of course the occasional corpse (who wouldn't be caught dead dressed like that).
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 12, 2020
This is the first book in the series that I’ve read and I enjoyed it. I liked the characters and the mystery was good. For some reason it seemed to be a slow read for me even though it was interesting. #readforkimberly
April 8, 2016
Not too bad, I rather like the story. What bothers me a bit is that I still don't feel that I really KNOW Lacey. Not like I know Stephanie Plum, Precious Ramotswe and lots of other female sleuths whom I've faithfully followed for years. Those I can easily identify with, but not with Lacey. Perhaps it's me ...
Or could it be the name, Smithsonian? Like an unintendedly Armenian sounding accident of a good, honest English name.
I do enjoy the snarky fashion comments like the one about bland Burberry. It helps that beige looks awful on me. ;)
For the record: I guessed the killer from his/her/its first appearance. I hardly ever do. There are Agatha Christies I've read twice and didn't remember the killer.
Or could it be the name, Smithsonian? Like an unintendedly Armenian sounding accident of a good, honest English name.
I do enjoy the snarky fashion comments like the one about bland Burberry. It helps that beige looks awful on me. ;)
For the record: I guessed the killer from his/her/its first appearance. I hardly ever do. There are Agatha Christies I've read twice and didn't remember the killer.
June 10, 2008
This is the third in her Crime of Fashion mystery series. Chick lit meets mystery with tons of wit, snide humor, sarcasm and fun. I've enjoyed all three books. This one centers around an ugly duckling turned supermodel through an extreme makeover, who predicts her murder right before it happens. Lacey (our journalist/herione) gets drug into finding out (through her amazing fashion clues) who did it.
July 11, 2025
Stumbled on this book by accident in a used bookstore and found a hidden gem. Pleasantly surprised to find it’s a series. Charming, mysterious, and fun.
September 18, 2009
Not going to win any awards of excellence... but it's a fun, easy read with fairly good writing. Someone who knows about Colorado, Washington D.C., and 1940s culture will appreciate this series on a deeper level than those with little or no knowledge. I only have one criticism- enough with the eyebrows already! (It's a pet peeve of mine when authors overuse the image of eyebrows arching to describe intrigue or surprise).
June 19, 2020
I reaaally love this book so muchhh! ♥️ I remember using this one on my first commissioned book review when I was in 12th grade. I love how I was able to exactly imagine the execution of the scenes in my head. I love the twist at the end! Who would've thought that a mystery story could be fashion-themed?
Still looking for the crimes of fashion adventures (the physical copy of the books) of Lacey Smithsonian ♥️.
Still looking for the crimes of fashion adventures (the physical copy of the books) of Lacey Smithsonian ♥️.
November 14, 2018
Read out of order. Very entertaining.
June 14, 2016
Hostile Makeover is the third instalment in the Crime of Fashion Series by Ellen Byerrum published in August of 2005. The is also the second Lifetime Movie that was made based of the book in the series. I wonder why the remaining books werent made into movies, would have loved to watch them.
Lacey Smithsonian - the heroine of the series - works for the paper The Eye Street Observer as a fashion reporter in Washington, D.C. - a city she keeps calling as "The City Fashion Forgot". Lacey snags another opportunity - interviewing the reality TV makeover success story Amanda Manville - which is right up her alley. And straight lands into another mystery - Amanda asks her help in stopping a deadly stalker. Despite Vic's caution - her boyfriend or going to be boyfriend depending on the divorce - she starts her own investigation taking all the help she needs from her friends. Now where does this investigation into Amanda's stalker lead her to? What is behind the big Makeover Madness that nobody want to unearth and could even go to the extent of murder to keep it shushed?
This time around however, Lacey gets to experience first-hand what would happen to be even in the shadow of the infamous office jinx - Harlan Wiedemeyer - starting with the narrow escape she has from the falling Krispy Kreme Donuts sign on Harlan's brand-new Volvo. Harlan was a new The Eye Street Observer reporter who covered the "death and dismemberment" beat for the paper. And he has a crush on Felicity Pickles - the resident food blogger / reporter for the paper. A message left on her answering machine by Marie Largesse - the friendly neighborhood psychic - warning her of some kind of jinx whirling around her head doesn’t make her any happier even though she doesn’t believe in Marie's readings. Her run-ins with the resident weather reporter, Cassandra Wentworth arent any peaceful either. In all the midst of this she has a romantic getaway with Vic Donovan and an impending visit by her mother and sister. Only place she always finds solace is in either Vic's arms when he is with her rather than trying to fight Montana and when she is digging through her Aunt Mimi's bottomless trunk, that is filled with fabulous vintage clothes, fabrics, patterns and fashion memorabilia.
As said above, an easy murder-mystery read tying up all the elements of fashion together beautifully. And the fashion bites and columns by Lacey continue to spur interest in me. Signing-off with the tidbit from Lacey's Fashion Bites that she writes for The Eye.
Lacey Smithsonian's Fashion Bites: Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal; You're the Star; Don't Dress Like the Understudy!
You and I may not have Bette Davis's fabulous wardrobe (courtesy of Orry-Kelly) to help us shed our ugly-duckling shells and reveal our beautiful inner swans. But we can borrow Bette's attitude that says, I'm not the understudy. I'm the star.
Lacey Smithsonian - the heroine of the series - works for the paper The Eye Street Observer as a fashion reporter in Washington, D.C. - a city she keeps calling as "The City Fashion Forgot". Lacey snags another opportunity - interviewing the reality TV makeover success story Amanda Manville - which is right up her alley. And straight lands into another mystery - Amanda asks her help in stopping a deadly stalker. Despite Vic's caution - her boyfriend or going to be boyfriend depending on the divorce - she starts her own investigation taking all the help she needs from her friends. Now where does this investigation into Amanda's stalker lead her to? What is behind the big Makeover Madness that nobody want to unearth and could even go to the extent of murder to keep it shushed?
This time around however, Lacey gets to experience first-hand what would happen to be even in the shadow of the infamous office jinx - Harlan Wiedemeyer - starting with the narrow escape she has from the falling Krispy Kreme Donuts sign on Harlan's brand-new Volvo. Harlan was a new The Eye Street Observer reporter who covered the "death and dismemberment" beat for the paper. And he has a crush on Felicity Pickles - the resident food blogger / reporter for the paper. A message left on her answering machine by Marie Largesse - the friendly neighborhood psychic - warning her of some kind of jinx whirling around her head doesn’t make her any happier even though she doesn’t believe in Marie's readings. Her run-ins with the resident weather reporter, Cassandra Wentworth arent any peaceful either. In all the midst of this she has a romantic getaway with Vic Donovan and an impending visit by her mother and sister. Only place she always finds solace is in either Vic's arms when he is with her rather than trying to fight Montana and when she is digging through her Aunt Mimi's bottomless trunk, that is filled with fabulous vintage clothes, fabrics, patterns and fashion memorabilia.
As said above, an easy murder-mystery read tying up all the elements of fashion together beautifully. And the fashion bites and columns by Lacey continue to spur interest in me. Signing-off with the tidbit from Lacey's Fashion Bites that she writes for The Eye.
Lacey Smithsonian's Fashion Bites: Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal; You're the Star; Don't Dress Like the Understudy!
You and I may not have Bette Davis's fabulous wardrobe (courtesy of Orry-Kelly) to help us shed our ugly-duckling shells and reveal our beautiful inner swans. But we can borrow Bette's attitude that says, I'm not the understudy. I'm the star.
October 4, 2018
Enjoyable mystery with an amateur sleuth who writes a fashion column for a D.C. newspaper. In this one, Lacey Smithsonian tangles with the world of reality television - specifically, the star of a show that takes homely people and, through plastic surgery etc., makes them "beautiful." Of course, this doesn't end well. The plots of this series are well-done, and I enjoy the newsroom banter and the vintage clothing Lacey wears. I recently learned that there are more in this series than i had thought, so I look forward to reading more of them.
January 21, 2012
Nice murder mystery story: murder victim is a woman who underwent radical plastic surgery on a reality show to end up a raving beauty and became a super-model... only to develop a shrewish personality craving attention and insulting everyone around her. The radical life changing surgery has caused more havoc than anyone could possibly have imagined, as the story unfolds.
Setting in Washington D.C. at a small news reporting office. Heroine is Lacey Smithsonian, the fashion column writer, who keeps stumbling across events and gets herself embroiled in dangerous spots. She has a nice sense of who she is and what looks good on her and what she considers toxic to her life.
Peripheral characters include her mother and sister who are weekend tourists from hometown Denver; and her love interest, law enforcement and security alpha male, Vic Donovan.
What I liked was the unerring sense for characterizing people and noticing little things. What threw me off track is the author's stream of consciousness - motor mouth - habit of commenting privately on every single thing and person, ad nauseum. It got to be a little too much information for me. Although I am very impressed at all the impressions this author is able to throw up one after another at full speed... she is a very talented observer and can express her thoughts very well.
Setting in Washington D.C. at a small news reporting office. Heroine is Lacey Smithsonian, the fashion column writer, who keeps stumbling across events and gets herself embroiled in dangerous spots. She has a nice sense of who she is and what looks good on her and what she considers toxic to her life.
Peripheral characters include her mother and sister who are weekend tourists from hometown Denver; and her love interest, law enforcement and security alpha male, Vic Donovan.
What I liked was the unerring sense for characterizing people and noticing little things. What threw me off track is the author's stream of consciousness - motor mouth - habit of commenting privately on every single thing and person, ad nauseum. It got to be a little too much information for me. Although I am very impressed at all the impressions this author is able to throw up one after another at full speed... she is a very talented observer and can express her thoughts very well.
March 15, 2010
Maybe my expectations were too high after I enjoyed the 2nd book in the series so much, but I found this book to be a bit of a letdown. There is nothing really bad about it, it just didn't capture my attention as the previous book in the series did. I once again loved the DC references, and the scenes with the family (what was so bad about mom and sis anyway?) made the end more enjoyable than the beginning. Overall, it was just an ok read, nothing to write home about, and not one I will read again.
August 6, 2011
Another good mystery with great characters. Lacey's family comes to town around the same time that a model who was madeover on national TV, and whose fiance died suspiciously, is threaten. Mandy Manville begs Lacey to find her would-be killer before she dies--or after.
Armed with "Lethal Kick" Smithsonian, her sister, and her nine-iron wielding mother, Lacey hunts down the truth following a set of fashion clues and dealing with her boyfriend's ex-wife at the same time.
Armed with "Lethal Kick" Smithsonian, her sister, and her nine-iron wielding mother, Lacey hunts down the truth following a set of fashion clues and dealing with her boyfriend's ex-wife at the same time.
June 13, 2012
This is a cute series of mysteries featuring a journalist who appreciates '40's fashion & style.I saw this movie on Lifetime & liked it. The writing style is fun & flirty, but I did enjoy the movie more. I appreciate that Byerrum is from the DC area, so I liked going back home for a little bit. I recommend it as a beach read.
December 28, 2013
(12/27/13) Super easy read for those times you just want a quick book. Read it in a night. Average story and average characters. Writing felt very amateurish. Still - it fits the bill if you're going for a fast easy "filler" book.
December 1, 2008
Cute story! Easy read.
June 10, 2009
I liked this and can't wait to see the movie on Lifetime Movie Network in a couple of weeks.
June 30, 2009
The story dragged for me. It took me forever (for me) to get through this book. I have three more books in this series to read but am not in a hurry to get to the next one.
March 11, 2011
The writing is not that interesting, there are a ton of cliches and the characters names are all unbelievable. I'm giving up on this one!
April 18, 2011
I like this series. Simple, nothing fancy but a quick read.
July 6, 2011
This is an interesting and "funny" romp that examines the extremes some people go to in order to find beauty.
November 5, 2011
Fun and funny.
February 18, 2012
Book #28 read in 2009
This was a little better than the last book in the series, but it was still slow going.
This was a little better than the last book in the series, but it was still slow going.
June 15, 2013
Enjoyed this book, it is interesting how fasion and murder get intertwined. Nothing serious here, just a good fun read.
August 12, 2013
Loved it! What a fun series!
August 14, 2014
I like this book
August 20, 2008
Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews