Tressed to Kill

Southern Beauty Shop #1

by Lila Dare

First in the brand-new Southern Beauty Shop mystery series

St. Elizabeth, Georgia, offers charm, Southern hospitality-and, most recently, murder. When hairdresser Grace Terhune and her mother, Violetta, gussy up all the high-society ladies attending the town meeting, they find their snobbiest client dead. The police believe the mother-daughter duo did her in. But before things get snarled beyond repair, Grace sets out to clear their names.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Adult Fiction, Southern, Mystery Thriller

294 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Author of the Southern Beauty Shop mysteries, Lila Dare was born in Georgia and has lived in Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. Although she has never worked in a beauty shop, she frequents salons and likes to tell her stylist: “Surprise me.” Maybe that’s why she looks nervous in her photo. She currently lives west of the Mississippi with her husband, two daughters and dog, and misses Southern cooking and friendliness, but not the humidity.

Lila Dare is also Laura DiSilverio, author of the Mall Cop series and the Swift Investigations series.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Tressed to Kill is a decent read, but I found it largely unremarkable. It’s not bad, but not amazing, either. You have your typical small town cast of characters, with the hateful rich woman on the town council who gets offed and the nosy protagonist (who’s only nosing around to protect those she cares about, of course, even though the law enforcement people seem perfectly capable of investigating it by themselves). It seems to be the current trend to give female amateur detectives a bit of a “tough past” as well – broken marriage or relationship, tragic past, etc. Grace Terhune falls into the first category, with a real jerk of an ex who shows up occasionally to rub her supposed unattractiveness in her face. Special Agent Dillon is there to make her feel otherwise, but he is unfortunately rather uninteresting, not to mention the fact that he seems to like Grace’s mother better than he likes her.

As for the mystery, it’s in the usual style of having the protagonist stumble around asking stupid questions and suffering through numerous attempts on her life before she accidentally comes across a key piece of information… and proceeds to challenge the killer without proper backup. I find this a bit tiresome, to be honest, and frankly quite silly. The point of making Grace a divorcee is probably to make her more “identifiable” to modern audiences, but then you turn around and have Grace act in a way that no self-respecting person would? In summary, very unremarkable indeed.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a truly fun southern cozy mystery with a great cast of entertaining characters. I thought it was well written and quite hilarious at times; it was a good, fast read. I look forward to reading more of this series.

[Linda Langford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mystery. The pacing was slow, at times. I enjoyed the main characters.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew to enjoy this book almost immediately and I wasn't sure of that when I began due to the 'beauty parlour' theme. The characters were instantly likeable and the mystery was more complex than appeared at the beginning. I was satisfied with the solution and now am awaiting the next book!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good story!

The gist of the story was a killing of a prominent citizen in St. Elizabeth, Georgia.

Violetta Terhune is the owner of Violetta's Beauty Salon. She has some trouble with Constance Du Bois, and Constance gets stabbed to death! So people think that Violetta killed Connie. Violetta's daughter, Grace knows the truth and sets out to find who did the stabbing!

This story was very well written and has many troubles and problems for Grace to solve before the murderer is found. Both ladies go through a series of mishaps staged to look like they are the murderer.

The book is well worth the time to read and find out how to live in a small southern town all your life. It had funny situations that will make you laugh out loud.

I will recommend it to my family and friends.

[Amy]

I really do enjoy a good cozy mystery and this did not disappoint me. Grace and the group of ladies from the salon were great. I even enjoyed Hank, the ex husband. I have worked in salons and could relate to the closeness of the ladies, and the depth of devotion to your fellow stylists. I love the guessing of who did it. I love the twist and turns the book made on it's way to the final reveal. I will be on the look out for the rest of the series.

[Britney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5.- pretty good mystery. A lot of times when reading cozy mysteries the MC thinks too much of how cute the detective is than worrying about the crime & how to help. This was not the case yes at times I’m like what are you doing but then she would make up for ride moves.
I liked the interaction between all the characters and how they all worked together and were like family.
I will give the second one in the series a try

[Dhfan4life]

I was really looking forward to this book. The cover and the blurb had made it sound like a light-hearted good time and I was really missing that from my cozy books. However upon reading this story I found it to be a lot heavier in tone and mood than I initially thought. I respected and to some degree tip my hat to the author for doing a cozy with such a well rounded story with much going on. And there wasn't a whole bunch of silliness happening save for a few places. But I don't know if it was my mood or what with this book. It just felt like such a heavy read throughout the majority of it to me. And I don't think it helped too much that I barely got much of a sense of who the MC was at all. I swear if it wasn't for her stopping back at her apartment to change, I wouldn't even have had a clue as to what she looked like. I also was rather annoyed with how it seemed like the MC was uber suspicious of her mom's best friend when the woman has known her ALL her life and had hardly even done anything to be suspicious of in the first place. I also was rather annoyed a bit too about how said mom's friend's story about her lost husband seemed to be pushed to the way back burner of everything else. I know it was said what happened to him and his friend was years ago. But it was very primary to the main mystery and yet it was always being kicked to the curb. So in saying all that, I don't think I'll be continuing this series.

But I will rec it to those that love a good mystery set in the south.

[Goose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like the pilot episode of a television series, Tressed to Kill is a good introduction to a promised series of cozy mysteries set around a southern beauty shop. Grace Terhune makes for an interesting main character and all the ladies that work with her at her mother's beauty shop are good distinct characters. However, like a pilot episode I felt there was almost too much being introduced to the reader. Quirky locals, dashing agents, intrepid reporters, and annoying ex husbands fought for space with the actual mysteries being solved. A little editing might have added some needed spark to the book. Still a good first book and I will probably read the second one due to the the believable and strong characterizations of the ladies of the beauty shop, especially Grace.

[Melodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

With all the recent new cozy series, it's been interesting weeding out the good ones from the bad ones.........this is definitely one of the good ones! I enjoy series set in the South, but was a bit hesitant with this one since it's billed as the "Southern Beauty Shop" series. I thought that might detract from the mystery. Wrong! Violetta's served as a great back drop, and the main characters were all instantly likeable. The mystery kept me guessing for awhile, and it ended up having a couple of layers to it. Excellent first outing, Ms. Dare! I'll be waiting for the next one! (And the gravediggers read Barry Eisler books!)

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

With an engaging cast of characters, a Southern setting, and an intriguing murder to solve, Tressed to Kill offers a strong debut for the Southern Beauty Shop Series. Hairstylist Grace Terbune is working in her mom’s salon with in walks haughty Constance DuBois, threatening to shut them down. When Constance turns up dead in the parking lot, Grace inherits a heap of trouble. Never mind that many members of the town would benefit from Constance’s death. It’s her mother who the police target as the prime suspect, and she vows to find the killer to keep their salon in operation as well as to clear her mom’s name. The story kept me guessing until the exciting finale.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace Terhune and her mother, Violetta have a lovely beauty salon that runs out of Violetta's home. For years they have been the place to go for beautiful hair in the little town of St. Elizabeth, Georgia. All goes wrong when prominent citizen, Constance DuBois barges in unexpectedly and demands immediate service. Violetta concedes and when Constance emerges from under the foil, egads. With threats to close down the salon reach all the way to the town's edge it's no wonder Violetta is blamed when Constance meets another foil. That is, at the end of a sword.
Grace must prove her mom's innocence and will soon see she is deep in another mystery dealing with a mysterious disappearance of two men from decades before.
With the two stories building the time spent on each was well done. The characters are well rounded as well as the setting. I could almost smell the nail polish and permanent solution all around me.
I look forward to seeing what is next up for this mom and daughter duo in the second book.

[yasmin footprintsaroundthelibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

southern mystery This is the first book in a new series - A Southern Beauty Shop Mystery. This is a fun read with very likeable characters. Violetta (shop owner), Althea (facial provider), Stella (nail expert), Rachel (high school student gofer), and Grace (stylist and daughter of Violetta). There is also an attractive Special Agent (last name Dillon, called Marshall by Grace). An upper crust lady is killed and everyone is on the trail of the killer not enough interaction and story line build up between characters.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire works with her mother, Violetta, at the beauty shop her mom has started in their home. Constance is the town's rich nosy and bossy woman. She is taking away the building that she owns from Violetta's friend Walter who has a shop there with Civil War memorabilia. Constance goes to Violetta's to have streaks put in her hair but Violetta warns her that it's been too soon since the last time. When it turns out badly, Constance says she will take her shop away from her.

This was a fun read and I enjoyed the characters. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace Terhune and her mother, Violetta of Violetta's salon are prepared to deal with the high society ladies of St. Elizabeth. However, when a tinting job goes wrong through no fault of Violetta, Constance Dubois vows to get the salon closed. Then after a town meeting Grace and Violetta find Constance dead in the parking lot of the town hall and they are suspected of murder. The will of the murder victim has some interesting and unexplained twists.

[Sandra Holladay · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun light read. Still, it had enough tension in it to keep you glued to the pages. Grace, though a bit on the reckless side, didn’t really do anything that made me roll my eyes at the ‘stupid’ actions many MC’s do (while still putting herself in danger). The mystery was well thought out, the writing well done, all the characters interacted well together, and their actions were reasonable. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a random pick from my recent trip to McKay's. It was....eh. It was a lot heavy on the Southern Pride BS. I mean, it wasn't over the top, it was just relentless, talking about the Civil War constantly. One character actually called it the War of Northern Aggression. I live in Georgia and honestly I've only ever heard people call it that in media....not in real life.

Anyway, the mystery was fine. The characters were okay, but nothing special. I won't be continuing the series.

[Susan Moxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beauty shop mystery with organic skin care recipes in the back of the book. A local lady with lots of influence is murdered and there are many people who would love to have seen her dead. So who was brave enough to commit the murder

[Guera25 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfectly cute, frothy cozy mystery. Sure, it's stuffed with implausible sleuthing scenarios and the soppy wish-fulfillment of having three guys vying for Our Heroine, but the plot was serviceable, and the characters weren't teeth-crackingly obnoxious.

[Sandra Merlo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off so well and I liked the setting and characters but, unfortunately, it became to predictable. It was quite obvious what was happening, and that is always disappointing. The book had potential but the plot let me down

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light and fun cozy mystery. Likable characters. It's sort of a Steel Magnolias mystery since it centers around a beauty shop.

[February Four · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a lot of fun! Ingenious way to get around things, and I love how everything fit together in the end.

[Holly Kunz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and fun read! I really enjoyed this start to a great series. I am looking forward to reading more of the series.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5
I enjoyed the book, it kept me entertained but didn’t wow me. I will continue on with the series bc I did enjoy the characters enough to see what develops in the upcoming books.

[Julie Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 likable protag

[Sonye Golden · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story moves very slowly and it is predictable.

[Poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this debut!!!! Characters are well written and work well together - the balance of humor and drama is just right. Have bought the series and cannot wait to continue reading!

[Monica Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to a series. Wonderfully crafted characters.

[Min · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in the Southern Beauty Shop Mystery series, and it was rather fun read that included organic beauty recipes.

Grace Terhune and her mother Violetta run a beauty shop in a small town in Georgia. The action all starts one day when the high society ladies pack the house getting their hair done in anticipation of an important town hall meeting. However, one of the most important ladies in the town (whose appointment in high-end salon was cancelled and, therefore she was forced to "slum it" in Violetta's beauty shop) gets her hair done and her highlights go wrong because she steps out of the shop and messes up the timing. However, she refuses to accept the blame and vows to get the shop closed. By the end of the night, she's dead.

Of course, Grace and Violetta become the primary suspects since there were plenty of people who heard what's-her-name threaten to get their shop closed, and neither of them have solid alibis. To top it off, Grace's ex-husband is on the police force and their divorce was far from amicable, and he would love nothing more than to throw her behind bars.

As is usual with beauty shops, Violetta's becomes a hub of gossip, but then it transforms into a hub for gossip as it as actually closes. A special agent is called in to investigate, and he, too sets his sights on Grace.

The characters in this book were vivid, lively, and extremely likeable. I kept guessing about who the killer was, and the ending did not disappoint. Unlike some mysteries, the red herring character was not overplayed. The subplot involving the docent at the local historical society was really interesting, and it made me actually wish I could visit the place!

This is another cosy series I'll be adding to my regular reading list.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace Terhune is a divorced beautician who has moved back from Atlanta to her childhood hometown St. Elizabeth and currently works at her mother's Beauty Salon Violetta's. As with all small southern towns, everyone knows everybody and as per usual, there is the town Bitch who has pissed everyone off at some point. So, when she's murdered, it's not hard to find suspects.

Except that the police seem to think that it was Grace and Violetta, specifically Violetta. Grace's ex-husband Hank is part of the police force in St. Elizabeth and he is about as intelligent as a box of rocks, so he's no help in clearing her mother's name. Enter, Special Agent Dillon. He's a standard cop-type, nothing really jumps out except for his ability to observe. His silence often speaks volumes, however, it wasn't quite done to his advantage in this book. He wasn't in the story enough for the reader to get a gauge on what he's about.

I like him though and hope we get a little bit more of him in the next book. He's got something about him.

Grace has something to; a certain amount of tenacity that can often lead to TSTL syndrome. I hope this is remedied in the next book.

Overall this is decent first book and this series has potential if Grace stops running around doing dumb things like not calling for backup or letting the right people know what she's up to. I mean even Stephanie Plum is smarter.

Also, we need to get a bigger sense of presence from the side-characters. I knew Althea's story but I didn't necessarily care about how she felt about it because I didn't know enough about her.