THE BRUSH-OFF: A Hair-Raising Mystery

Sassy hair stylist Reyn Sawyer makes a hilarious debut in this zany mystery, the first in a promising series from Bradley. When Reyn's friend and mentor, Ricardo, beauty salon mogul of San Antonio, is murdered with the sharp end of one of Reyn's styling brushes, Reyn shoots to the top of handsome detective Jackson Scythe's suspect list. More to avenge Ricardo's killer than to exonerate herself, Reyn decides to do some snooping on her own. From drag queens to aging socialites, Reyn learns that no one is above suspicion as she and best friend/sleuthing partner Trudy Trujillo look for clues at Ricardo's old haunts—not an easy job with Scythe dogging their every step. In their quest to find Ricardo's killer, the ditzy pair raid a private entertainment club, threaten a psychic, break into the victim's house and accuse one of San Antonio's most prominent women of having Ricardo's illegitimate child. Although the action can be cartoonish at times, such as when Reyn accidentally overuses some hair products on a client, the dialogue is snappy and the characters are likable. Fans of cozies, screwball comedies and Sarah Strohmeyer's Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series will savor this fun, albeit predictable, ride. (May)