Mandy Dyer owns and runs a dry cleaners and when her ex boyfriend walks in she hopes he wants to rekindle their romance. But no, he wants help relating to a homicide investigation. Now Mandy’s desire for amateur sleuthing means she will get involved and maybe put herself in danger.

Enjoyed this well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Good quirky characters in a well paced novel. We need to find out who had died, why and where has he been the last few years. Lots of questions need answering.

Rating: ★★★★☆
Review:

Wash, Fold & Die by Dolores Johnson is an engaging, fast-paced mystery that had me hooked from the very first moments of the audiobook! The introductory music immediately set the tone, and the narrator’s lively delivery — complete with sighs and background sounds — made it feel like I was watching a movie unfold in my mind.

Mandy, our dry-cleaning heroine, gets pulled into a homicide case in a way that feels surprisingly natural despite the unlikely pairing. I loved how the story wasted no time diving right into the heart of the mystery. Mandy’s witty, slick comments kept the story light even while dealing with a serious subject, and Betty — a no-nonsense older woman with serious main-character energy — was an absolute standout.

Though Wash, Fold & Die is part of a series, I appreciated how easily it stands on its own. The author did a wonderful job making this accessible to newcomers without overwhelming exposition. Mandy’s independence, quick wit, and refusal to back down (even when the detective tries to sideline her) made her such a compelling character to root for. The ending had me on the edge of my seat, delivering a satisfying and suspenseful wrap-up.

My only minor critiques are about the audiobook production: while the narrator’s general performance was stellar, the male character voices didn’t land as naturally. Also, I would have loved a bit more insight into Mandy’s personal backstory — especially around her divorce and the brief romance with Stan — to deepen my connection to her character.

Overall, Wash, Fold & Die is a fresh, fun mystery that’s perfect for readers looking for a lively amateur sleuth with heart. I’ll definitely be picking up more from this series!

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was the first I read in the series and I was able to keep up without feeling like I was missing something from not reading the one before.
The characters were interesting. Good amount of information given to be able to know enough about them.
The story itself was decent. I didn’t suspect who the killer was, so that was good.
The narrator was ok, definitely need to do something about the ale characters because when she spoke as them it was quite annoying.

Otherwise not too bad. Will probably read others in the series

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

This was a really fun book. This is my first Mandy Dyer book and I might have to look at the other ones because I had a lot of fun with all the different characters and how well they were written about. I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a great job.

I'm also not mad that it was a happy ending with Mandy getting back together with Stan.

I enjoyed this book. It doesn't matter in what order you read these books, as they work as stand alone mysteries, just read them as they are a lot of fun. In this book Mandy tried really hard to stay out of the investigation, despite being curious and the police asking for help. However being friends with the widow and the employer of the only person a witnesses will talk to (well sort of but as that would spoil a number of funny and interesting sections I won't say anymore), everybody turns to her for help and as a listener I am glad they did. The mystery was unusual but I liked the fact the police came to her to identify there victim rather than the unusual amateur sleuth stumbling over the body. Her job was the perfect opening and then the story was off and running. I had come to the same conclusion as Mandy as to who was responsible but it was fun being proved right. I like the characters and having listened to a few books in the series feel like the regulars are becoming like old friends. I can't wait to jump into the next mystery.

When Detective Stan Foster turns up asking to talk to her, Mandy thinks he is finally going to ask her out. Unfortunately he just needs help identifying a dead body and he hopes Mandy knows who it is from just his laundry tag number. The number was used to identify a man Mandy had a crush on when she was growing up but he went missing years ago and Mandy knows for a fact his wife had had him declared dead. He died in a part of town where the only witnesses was a homeless man. A man who can't or won't talk to the cops. He also happens to be friends with one of Mandy's employees and she turns to Mandy to act as go between. It doesn't help the man's widow has become a good friend during the years he was missing and she can't face learning the truth about where he has been all this time on her own. Mandy despite trying to stay out of it has no choice but help her friend especially as the more she learns the more she questions if she ever really knew the man.
I liked the narrator. She does some good voices both male and female. All of which helps to bring the characters to life and create and entertaining listen.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

If you love a cozy mystery with quirky characters, I recommend this audiobook narrated by Emily Ellet. This is book 4 in the series and I’ve not read any of the previous books so it works well as a standalone.
A dry cleaner turned amateur sleuth is the perfect set up for a who-dunnit. Fans of Finley Donovan will find this series just as likeable.

What I’ve discovered is that even though this is an older series, the audiobook is just coming out. Giving fans of this genre a chance to listen to this series.

Recommend this for its place in the genre and the narrator was fantastic.

Mandy Dire runs a laundry mat and she was surprised to have her ex come in and help with a case. Stan the ex doesn’t seem to want Mandy’s help but needed it. Mandy is very talented with understanding clothing.
Jeremiah went missing seven years ago a man wearing Jeremiah’s shirt was just found by the police.
Rosalyn was Jeremiah‘s wife and she became so much friendly with Mandy sharing how Jeremiah isn’t the man that Mandy thought he was.
It takes a while for the action to take place. This is a wordy book, with a lot that really doesn’t have to do with the story and that was annoying to have to listen and wait for the action to take place so if you are somebody who prefers more action and less talk. This book is not for you it takes forever. It’s to really get going with the mystery for me. It wasn’t worth it. It was predictable. I really had higher expectations for this book.

This was a cozy mystery with an interesting set: a dry cleaner. This book was just a little slow and uninteresting in spots. The narrator didn’t do well at the man’s voice and it was distracting from the story.

A cozy mystery, did not read previous books in the series - easy to get the picture of characters. I will say it had weird moments of describing the one black character where it did not do the same for what I presume is the white characters

Wash, Fold, and Die is the fourth book in what's quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery series. With each new installment, I enjoy getting to know the central characters more. I listened to the audiobook and couldn't stop, such a fun and engaging experience. The narrator, Emily Ellet, is absolutely perfect and brings the story to life in the best way. I'm already looking forward to the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for letting me listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

Audiobook Review of Wash, Fold and Die

This cozy mystery was such a fun and charming read! It follows Mandy, a dry cleaning shop owner, as she helps solve a murder. Like most books in this genre, it’s pretty clean granted there’s a mild hint at a sexual situation and some implied violence, but nothing too intense. I do believe the primary demographic for this book would be much older audiences so I wouldn’t recommend it to younger readers.

Since this is part of a series, I didn’t have the full context of Mandy’s character development, but I think readers who’ve followed the series will really enjoy seeing her grow. Overall, it’s a cute addition to the series.

I've not listened to any of the other books in this series, but didn't feel that was an issue at all. It's a classic cozy, humourous with a hint of romance. Given that I didn't know until after I'd finished (and did some author research) that this book was originally published in 1999, I think it has aged well, because at no point did I feel that this wasn't a contemporary listen.

Enjoyable, and interested in seeking out other books in the series.