A Dress to Die For

Mandy Dyer #3

by Dolores Johnson

Everything has come out in the wash for artist Mandy Dyer since she inherited Dyer's Cleaners. Her divorce is behind her, her future is secure, her heart is healed. Mandy's friendship with Kate Bosworth, proprietor of an antique clothing store, dates from their halcyon days of working at street fairs and dreaming great dreams. And the dress Kate wants Mandy to clean hails from another era too, a genuine 1920's Fortuny. Kate calls the creation in blue the find of her a ten -dollar purchase worth thousands. Its real cost is her life.

Within days Mandy finds Kate murdered in her ransacked apartment, and the memory haunts her. Worse, so does the killer, evidently looking for the Fortuny. Now Mandy is searching flea markets and garage sales to unravel the mystery of where Kate found the dress. But the clues to Kate's death are as slippery as silk--until Mandy realizes that like Kate, the threads of past and present are weaving her destiny. And it's time to face a hard truth, a chilling betrayal...and a murderer's rage.

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

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 8, 1998

About the author

Dolores Johnson is a journalist who has worked on newspapers in Oregon, California, Wyoming and Colorado, but she always wanted to write and sell a murder mystery. She tried writing books about an investigative reporter and a newspaper editor, but it wasn't until she wrote a book about a dry cleaner, using her background as a free-lance writer and field reporter for American Drycleaner, that she met with success.

Series:
* Mandy Dyer Mystery

Reviews

[Alya · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨️ ARC REVIEW ✨️

A Dress to Die For by Dolores Johnson
( Mandy Dyer Book #3 )
Publication date: April 15th 2025

This was a easy quick listen, the mystery follows Mandy Dyer; owner of Mandy Dyer Cleaners-- sets out to solve her close friend's murder; Kate-- When Kate comes across a dress at a market that turns out to be a "prized" dress worth $5,000 Kate takes it to Mandy to clean, however Kate doesn't come back to pick it up

This cosy mystery was a a fun listen and even though I haven't read the first 2 it was still easy to follow, however I did feel that maybe if I had read the first 2 I would know more in terms of character development but as a far as the mystery goes this can be read as a standalone

Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for the ALC

[Holly Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book 3 in the Mandy Dyer dry cleaning mysteries. After the murder of her friend Kate Mandy sets out to find her killer. With finding a home for Betty "the bag lady" so she doesn't have to share her one room apartment with anyone but, Spot her cat, and all the running around she does looking for clues to solve Kate's murder, it's a wonder Mandy gets any work done...Lol Will she find the answers? or will the killer find and silence her first?

[Janet R. Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little murder mystery.

[Johanna García F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, massive thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ALC!

What a fun read! (Well, listen.) Shortly after starting the audiobook, I realized two things: first, this book was originally published almost three decades ago, so I’m guessing the audiobook is a new release. And second, it’s part of a series, sort of. There are eight books in the Mandy Dyer series, but I believe they can be read as standalones quite easily. You may not know all the characters right away, but I got enough context that I never felt lost.

Our main character, Mandy, is the owner of Dyer's Cleaners, and she finds herself needing to solve a new mystery after her close friend is murdered, over, as Mandy suspects, a very special vintage dress she got for only $10. After this incident, a series of events unfold in Mandy’s life as she tries to figure out what really happened to her friend.

I was tremendously hooked, and let me tell you, I wasn’t expecting it. I enjoyed this book so much that now I really want to dive into the full series. The plot was fun and engaging, the main character was likable, the mystery was well written, and honestly, I loved reading a story set a few decades back.

My only complaint, I must say, is that Mandy loves and cares enough about Kate to go enormously out of her way to solve her case and give her some kind of justice, yet she didn’t seem to know much about what was going on in her life. And while that could realistically happen, I kept questioning their relationship throughout.

Overall, a four-star read. I loved it, and I’d definitely like to dive into the whole series!!

[Erin Brings · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dress to Die For
By Dolores Johnson
Narrated by Emily Ellet

Published April 15,2025

This was my second book from the Mandy Dyer Mysteries series, and I AM HOOKED. I cannot wait to ready more from Dolores Johnson. Originally published in 1998 but now available in audiobook version. We Have Mandy who inherited a dry cleaner. Mandy’s fried Kate Bosworth who owns an antique clothing store and brings Mandy a dress, but this dress she got for $10 cost her her life. Mandy is back on the case because honestly she is a better sleuth than the police. Mandy gets deep into trying to find the killer by searching yard sales and flea markets.
I love the narrator of Dolores books it really brings Mandy to life. I feel like im right there beside her investigating trying to figure out who killed her friend Kate and could be on the run still. If you like mystery. Cozy mystery, mystery thriller type books then this series is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC audiobook. All opinions are my own.

[JoAnn Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mandy's acquaintance, Kate, the proprietor of a vintage clothing store, acquired a dress of significant value. Upon delivering the dress, Mandy discovered Kate deceased, clutching a red scarf. Trouble ensued when Mandy reported the dress to the authorities. Several men visited the dry cleaners seeking the dress, and upon failing to locate it, they vandalized Mandy's home, alarming her cat and her guest—Betty the Bag Lady, who was seated on the fire escape. While investigating, Mandy opted to take Betty shopping at the Flea Market after enlisting her assistance. At the Flea Market, Mandy encountered numerous former acquaintances, and Betty was subsequently attacked. The pieces of the puzzle did not align until Nat published an article regarding a murdered mountain recluse. Ultimately, Mandy and Nat emerged as the ones to resolve the situation. However, this ordeal led to the deterioration of her relationship, as she was compelled to keep secrets from him.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've become very fond of this series. I have read them in order. I've owned them for a good while but didn't pick one up to read until I needed a book to take with me and it was the first one I grabbed. I'm so glad I did.

Mandy Dyer is an awesome character. She can be a bit on the clueless side but she basically is a very caring person. I like that Mack, her older male employee, takes the place of a father and looks out for her. Betty the Bag Lady adds some humor to the books. She is rather cunning and in this book she got Mandy to take her in off the street through guilt. I can see my doing that and then wondering how I'll get rid of her. The mysteries are spot on. In this book Mandy's friend Kate gets murdered right after she finds a designer dress worth some really big bucks. I admit that I was a little surprised at the murderer, although I should have seen it coming.

[Myprivatebookclub · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read. Mandy is a very curious person, who happens to be in the middle of several murders, which she feels obliged to follow up on her own. Meanwhile, we follow her personal life, which is equally interesting - her mother, her ex husband, her love life, the bag lady.
I enjoyed listening to this book, as characters seem genuine and well thought of. Now that this ia actually a series, there is also room for development and smoothing out.
The mystery itself is solved effectively by a dry cleaners professional, so it speaks for its own complicity.
I admire Mandy's curiosity, which gives her the energy to go from a meeting to another until late in the night and also meet dangerous people and still try to keep her own life in check. Mandy is skilled.

[Bailey Douglass · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A Dress to Die For is a cosy mystery from the 90s, being released on audio for the first time this April.

This book is the third installment in the Mandy Dyer series. I wasn't familiar with the series and hadn't read any of the books that come before this one, but was still able to enjoy the story. That being said, it seems like the lead detective is going through an arc that would be fun to follow through the whole arc, so I'd recommend starting with the first one if you're going to embark on this journey.

In this book, Mandy's friend buys a unique vintage dress, brings it to Mandy's dry cleaner, and then dies. Mandy investigates! Tough to say much more in a book like this without spoilers, but overall the book was cute and also lots of things happened that wouldn't happen if this book were written today (phone books were referenced!) I had fun listening to this book and it was nice to have the retro twist.

Thank you to Brilliance Publishing for an advance listening copy for an unbiased review.

[JenJenReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Dress To Die For and loved getting to know more about Mandy and the rest of the characters. Each one brought something unique to the story, and I found myself invested in their journeys. My only complaint is that it felt too short. I could have easily spent more time with these characters and their adventures.

Overall, I’m absolutely loving this series and I can’t believe that I didn’t discover it sooner. Can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Pooj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dress to Die For is a mystery novel following Mandy as she discovers her friend Kate murdered after buying a gorgeous vintage dress. We see her investigation into the murder and getting caught up in small town drama.

This was a very cozy mystery that I was able to finish in one sitting. It felt like a classic amateur detective novel and allowed the reader to try and figure out the mystery along with Mandy, I would recommend this book for adults who read Nancy Drew as a child. 4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic murder mystery

I love this book. The plot was very unpredictable. But it really grabbed my attention and didn't let go till I finished the book. I hope there is another book, as I would like to find out more about Mandy's relationship about Stan. There is another book to read, but I believe that it's the first book in the hopefully new series. Enjoy the book. I sure did.

[Sarah Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

It may just be because this is part of a series and I haven’t read any of the other novels in said series, but there was a serious lack of character development. As such, there were many male characters that blended together. In addition, there were obvious parts of the plot that the main character did not pick up on, which makes for an infuriating read, as the reader asks herself “Why are you so dense and missing this?!” All in all, not a good read.

[Linda Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realise that this was Book 3 in a series, but it did work as a standalone. Mandy Dyer’s friend Kate is murdered and Mandy gets involved in sleuthing. The male characters were confusing. I did not enjoy listening to this audio. The narrator’s voice was fine for the main character, but the other voices were difficult to listen to, especially all the males. And Betty’s voice was very loud and aggressive.

[Crystal Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how the vintage dressmaking world was woven into the mystery—it gave the whole thing a fresh, fun vibe. And the narrator? Perfection. She brought the characters to life in a way that had me grinning one minute and gasping the next.

The story had just the right mix of cozy charm, fashion flair, and suspenseful twists. It felt like catching up with a clever best friend who just so happens to be solving murders on the side. I was totally hooked from the first chapter.

[Meg Staggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This one was fine. I liked the first one best. There were some points of this that felt scattered all over the place, and not in a way that made sense.

It kept me intrigued but the ending was so abrupt. We didnt get any real resolution or wrap up. That was disappointing, especially after such a lengthy investigation.

[susan barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent writer

It is delightful to read a book well written. Delores Johnson has the gift, in my opinion. Very intriguing story, lots of well defined characters, deep yet light. Much enjoyed. Will recommend to friends.

[A. Lorna Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I read the first three of these out of order (whoops) but still enjoyed it despite that. Quick, cozy mystery and the MC doesn't annoy me like in a lot of similar stories!

[Judym]

This is a cozy mystery series that is set in Denver. It was a quick, easy read.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another good story. There are enough characters to make you suspicious of many of them. Good going, Dolores Johnson!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

arc audiobook that was really cute. not usually a cozy mysteries fan but I dug this one

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did enjoy this murder mystery I wish I got more at the end.

[Mary (Biblophile) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another enjoyable Mandy Dyer mystery. As usual, Mandy can't leave well enough alone and gets herself involved in the investigation when her friend Kate is murdered for presumably the Fortuny dress she bought for a bargain. Betty, the Bag Lady, is again featured in the story and adds some humor. A quick read.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cozy series. I enjoyed this series … the characters are fun, and funny…. the plot has a lot of twists… I really read this series and devoured it a few years ago… have to get back to see if there are new books…. I definitely recommend Mandy for fun - and excitement.. and hopefully many new books.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book to be well written and very entertaining. I love the characters, especially the addition of the bag lady. There was a romantic interest that left you yearning for more. The main character's occupation of owning a dry cleaners was unique and the plot was intricately woven enough to keep the reader guessing.

[Margaret]

Enjoyed this book - liked the character of Mandy and the addition of Betty the bag lady added some interest. There were enough "friends" and characters in the book to keep me guessing for a while. Liked the dry cleaner setting. I would definitely read another book by this author. :)

[Sarah A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable cozy mystery featuring Mandy Dyer of Dyer's Dry cleaning.
This has a nice steady pace with enough complexities and twists to keep me very interested and feeling challenged without being overwhelmed.
I look forward to reading more in this series.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. This one seemed more gory to me than the last 2 and i am hoping the romance part if this one doesn't end as it really was cute here.

[Bedford Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had its funny parts. Reminded me of Evanovich. I would read another one in this series if I was looking for a light hearted quick read.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh- did not really read it, could not hold my interest and found some typo/glitches in the first 5 pages