Wash, Fold, and Die

Dry cleaner Mandy Dyer can't tell a lie without itching all over, which makes it difficult to keep secrets from homicide detective and one-time boyfriend Stan Foster. When the only clue to a murder victim's identity is the laundry mark on his shirt, Stan reluctantly seeks Mandy's help; with her expertise they determine the man is Jeremiah Atkins, an artist who went missing seven years ago. Despite Stan's plea to leave the investigation to him, it doesn't take long before Mandy is helping Jeremiah's wife, Rosalie, find out why he came back to town--and who killed him. The action is tame and Johnson (with the fourth in her Mandy Dyer series after A Dress to Die For) doesn't leave much to the reader's imagination, but the narrative is enlivened by a motley crew of characters: loud-mouthed former bag lady Betty; homeless Honest Abe, complete with stovepipe hat; chain-smoking waitress Maxine; amorous ""bimbo"" Suzie Q; and wise-cracking crime reporter Nat. After Mandy seeks the helpful ear of her co-worker Mack, she tells us, ""Only trouble was that he voiced his opinion frequently instead of letting me arrive at my own conclusions."" This may well echo a reader's complaint about this tightly plotted who-done-it. (Oct.)