I loved this "cozy" mystery. I feel like most cozy mystery are centered around food and they jump right in with the murder. But I really loved how this just felt different. We got to be with the main character for a while and I really liked her. I didn't realize this was a re-relist title. I'm really glad it's getting to be read by new reader in 2025.
I can't wait to re the next one, because I've just grown so fond of or fmc.

While I enjoyed this murder mystery I wish there was more ending gave more and a better closure. All and all this was an enjoyable read

I loved this one! It gave me such nostalgia for some reason and felt like a murder mystery I would watch/read as a kid. I am really liking the main character and I appreciate the authors imagination. I will definitely be reading/listening to the rest of the series.

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.

This was a very enjoyable and cozy mystery with a nostalgic 1990’s feel, it even references a phone book! Lol.

While some elements may feel a bit dated, the overall atmosphere is outstanding. It’s great for listeners who appreciate a relaxed mystery.

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!!

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.

I liked the story but the way the narrator voices male characters kept pulling me out of the story—it wasn't all of them, but it was enough that I had to stop. I'll be picking up the ebook/print version of the book because I was enjoying it, I just couldn't quite stick with the audio.

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.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing an e-audio version of this book in exchange for my review.

I also read and reviewed book 2 in this series for Net Galley, and I have enjoyed both books. It's a nice, typical cozy mystery about a women who has inherited a dry cleaning business and all the people and hijinks in their town and in their lives.

It was a shock, though, when I first started reading it, that this book was originally released in 1998. So it feels very old and outdated. Not the end of the world, but it was a surprise.

3 stars.

This was actually really fun. I am not usually a cozy mysteries fan, but I wanted to branch out and try one. I liked the characters and the setting. It was a solid read and perfectly paced.

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.

This is such a cute cozy mystery! I’m usually a horror and thriller reader, but every once in a while I wanna clean my palate with a more lighthearted read and this book takes the cake. I’m still very new to cozy mysteries, so some lines seemed a bit cheesy, but I loved all the characters, and the plot was definitely dark enough to keep my interest.

As for the narration, the narrator did a fantastic job at distinguishing each character from each other. It was at times in the beginning hard to keep the characters straight, but I think I would’ve had more context if I had read the previous two books. But I enjoyed all of the characters and their involvement in this myster.y. The voice of Betty was a little obnoxious, but the narrator in general was lightheaded, fun, and easy and enjoyable to listen to!

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.

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.

This is book 3 in the Mandy Dyer cozy mystery series. Listeners don’t need to read the first entries to enjoy this title but there are several references to those titles so it may help.
The narrator does a great job differentiating between characters and it is an easy light listen.
The plot is engaging and unique.
Unfortunately, the original books was published in 1998 and this new audio release sounds true to the original text. One of the characters who was previously unhoused is referred to as a bag lady and many stereotypes about drugs and alcohol characterize the women. This will likely be distracting for today’s listeners.

I'm really digging the rereleases of the stories
Quick and easy listen
perfect for walking the dogs on these spring mornings. Excited for the remaining books in the series!

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.

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 can’t believe 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.

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

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