Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Wash, Fold, and Die
Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Dolores Johnson
Class/Genre: Mystery
Series: Mandy Dyer # 4
Dell, Oct 1999, $5.99, 276 pp.
In Denver, homicide detective Stan Foster visits his ex-girl friend Mandy Dyer to ask for her help on an investigation he leads. He asks Mandy about a laundry mark on the shirt of a dead person found shot in a downtown alley. The victim had no identification or anything else to name him. Mandy, the owner of a dry cleaning business, recognizes the symbol as that most likely used by her deceased Uncle Chet.
Searching her uncle’s records, she concludes that the mark belonged to artist Jeremiah Atkins, who vanished without a trace seven years ago. A quick check reveals Jeremiah’s wife Rosalie is not home. Stan escorts Mandy to the morgue where she identifies the corpse as being Jeremiah. When Rosalie returns from a skiing weekend, she has no alibi for the time of the murder. Knowing how the police suspected her of killing her spouse seven years ago, Rosalie turns to Mandy to help her. The marshmallow Mandy reluctantly agrees even as she knows Stan will be irate to learn she is involved in an investigation again.
The fourth amateur sleuth tale starring Mandy Dyer continues in the tradition of the previous three novels. WASH, FOLD, DIE is a fresh tale that centers on a mysterious person who turns up dead. Mandy is a reluctant detective who pleads with her associates to go to Stan. However, the soft-hearted Mandy still helps them even when they ignore their own promises to her. The mystery is entertaining and the assortment of reoccurring characters brings warmth and depth to the novel. Sub-genre fans who read a Dolores Johnson novel know they may visit the cleaners, but are not being taken to the cleaners.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
If you enjoy this website, a link would be appreciated. |