Geschlecht: female
Nationalität: USA
Ausbildung: Bachelor's degree in Journalism
Berufe: former Washington, D.C., journalist, playwright
Organisationen: Sisters in Crime Chesapeake Chapter, Dramatists Guild
Kurzbiographie: Mystery and thriller writer Ellen Byerrum is a former journalist in Washington, D.C., as well as a produced and published playwright. As challenging as it is, she tries not to repeat herself in her writing, and in pursuit of research and keeping things fresh, she studied for and received her private investigator’s registration for Virginia. She has also researched haunted clothing at the Smithsonian Costume Collections, toured a dying velvet factory in Virginia, and interviewed a host of experts for her books. And while looking into beekeeping and honey making for her latest mystery, she got too close and wound up with a bee sting on her nose.

Her latest book, THE BRIEF LUMINOUS FLIGHT OF THE FIREFLY, is the 1940s Prequel to her Crime of Fashion Mysteries, and features a very young Mimi Smith, the “Great-aunt Mimi” mentioned throughout the series. FIREFLY takes place during WWII in Washington, D.C., in the hot and humid month of June 1943.

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CROOK TALES FOR TWO von Ellen Byerrum

Crook Tales for Two is a historical cozy mystery set in New York in 1934 during the Great Depression. Prohibition is over but gangsters are still roaming the streets finding new ways to make money. Esme, once a journalist but now a playwright with her first play about to open on Broadway, sees a man leave a gold watch on the counter of a diner. She is aware of his reputation as a mobster but she knows him and his wife from church so she is determined to return it to him. Unfortunately things don’t go quite as she hoped. She finds herself trapped in a school closet surrounded by gun fire when her hiding place is discovered by a handsome stranger with a gun pointed at her. Who could have predicted her small act of kindness would lead to so much danger, murder, and, yes, even romance?

For the most part, I enjoyed this story. Esme is a feisty, likeable protagonist and I liked most of the other characters especially the theatre crowd. The dialogue is well-done and mostly stays true to the time period. The mystery is interesting but, and this is my biggest problem with the book, for much of the middle of the tale, it gets pushed aside by the play, the romance, and a flu with symptoms very much like the 1918-20 pandemic. And I suspect it’s just me but I felt the book could have been a lot shorter and with a faster pace without all the descriptions of clothes especially all the gowns she wore and the repeated explanation of where she got them. By the end, I just skipped over any references to clothes regardless of who was wearing them. But, as I said, and judging from other reviews, this is more a me problem. Overall, I did enjoy the story and give it 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lethal Black Dress Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review… (mehr)

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lostinalibrary | Jan 21, 2024 |

Killer Hair: A Crime of Fashion (Crime of Fashion… von Ellen Byerrum

I did not think I would like this Crime of Fashion Mystery because it seems to focus on fashion, but there is so much more to the story! Lacey Smithsonian is stuck with the fashion advice column at a Washington DC newspaper. When a young hair stylist at the salon Lacey frequents dies, her own stylist urges her to investigate the supposed suicide. Plenty of suspense mixes with a touch of romance, and a liberal dose of political humor. Plus Byerrum's frustrated reporter Lacey gives fashion tips that poke fun at the fashion industry. Loved it. If you like Elaine Viets, you'll want to give this series a try.… (mehr)

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Catherine_Dilts | 8 weitere Rezensionen | Feb 25, 2022 |

Lethal Black Dress: Volume 10 (Crime of Fashion… von Ellen Byerrum

Lacey Smithaonian is back and commenting on the fashion, or more often lack of it, of the nation's elite. This time, she's at a gala event, the Whitehouse Correspondents Dinner. Her fashion eye spots follow journalist in a copy of the famous Madam X dress, with one exception, the inner lining is a bold green rather than the white of the original. A killer dress that ends up killing the woman wearing it, and only Lacey's EFP leads the police to the killer, a dye known as Paris Green. Still fun after all these books, but this one takes on some darker themes.… (mehr)

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Colleen5096 | 1 weitere Rezension | Oct 29, 2020 |

The Masque of the Red Dress: A Crime of Fashion… von Ellen Byerrum

Been awhile since I visited Lacey Smithsonian, fashion editor of the Washington Eye newspaper, in Washington DC, the land that fashion forgot. This time around, she's doing a story on a community sale of old theater costumes (it seems that DC has an active theater scene, who knew?). A co-worker falls in love with a dramatic read dress and purchases it. Unfortunately, a fight breaks out when the stage manager from the theater tries to get the dress back. It seems that it's rather famous, local actresses wear it to the Helen Hayes (the local Tony's) each year and it should not have been sold. The fight that ensues leads LaTonya, the new owner, gives the dress to Lacey to 'remove the voodoo' with her EFP: Extra Fashionary Perception. The dress proves to carry many secrets. the company that sold it is run by Russian Emerges, which forces Lacey to call in her 'friend' Kepelov, his sister Olga, and his fiance, the psychic Marie. Together, they realize the dress leads to some dangerous places, especially after the bodies start falling.… (mehr)

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Colleen5096 | Oct 29, 2020 |

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