This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future

I listened to this review copy as an audiobook. 3.5/5
I really enjoyed the story, and the characters grew on me as the book progressed. This is the fifth instalment in this series, but the first I have come across, so I had a bit of catching up to do. Luckily, it works well as a stand alone story, although there is some alluding to previous events.
The plot was fairly predictable and the main character's actions and thought processes were slightly frustrating at times, but it still held a certain cosy charm. My favourite characters were Mandy's mother and Betty- they complemented each other well!
My main problem was with the narration of any male character- they all sounded alike and unlike any man that I have ever heard speak!
If you can get past the narrator's lack of versatility, this is fun series that even teaches you a little about dry cleaning- I am looking forward to seeing what Mandy gets up to in the next story!

Mindy Dyers runs a laundry business and they also do alterations. So when a bride comes to her with her grandmother's wedding dress she doesnt guess that the bride is going to marry her ex-husband. On top of that, when Mindy goes to deliver the dress the bride dies so now Mindy is one of the main suspects as there is a clear motive according to the cops.
I love reading cozy mysteries because there is always a balance of fun and wholesome characters and there are crazy culprits. This book was equally good with a news reporter best friend, a detective boyfriend, a fatherly figure who is caring and an employee who is going to lengths to find proof.
The mystery was kind of easy but it was creepy at the same time and I was worried for Mindy. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I am excited for the next book.

Cute and cozy mystery, although in the middle of a series I didn’t need to read them in the order to know what was going on. So I would consider it a stand alone. Was very fun to listen to

Homicide and Old Lace by Dolores Johnson is a lighthearted cozy mystery with an intriguing premise and charming setting, but it didn’t fully land for me. I listened to the audiobook version, which added some warmth to the story thanks to a capable narrator who captured the quirky tone well.

The plot centers around a tailor-turned-sleuth who finds herself tangled in a local murder. While I appreciated the unique backdrop and some of the humor sprinkled throughout, the pacing felt a bit uneven, and the mystery itself lacked the tension and depth I look for in a thriller.

It’s a gentle read with a sprinkle of suspense, perfect for fans of cozy mysteries who enjoy character-driven stories and a touch of small-town charm. Just don’t go in expecting a high-stakes thriller or complex investigation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

Very cute cozy mystery. I enjoyed that even though I had not read any of the other books in the series I was able to jump right in like it was the first book! Trouble sure does find Mandy, and this book was no different!

I didn't realize this was the 5th in the series when I picked it up, but it worked well as a stand-alone. Mandy, the owner of a dry cleaning shop, apparently has a habit of getting involved in murders. This time she has agreed to clean and alter her ex-husband's new bride's wedding dress. But when she delvers it to the hotel on the day of the wedding, she ends up a suspect in the bride's murder. Being the amateur sleuth that she is, she decides she has to get to the bottom of it, even if her boyfriend, Detective Stan Foster, wants her to stay far away.

We've got plenty of suspects, clues, and red herrings. The people surrounding Mandy are appropriately quirky, especially her mom and her employee, Betty, who get in all kind of trouble. I did get annoyed at how often Betty was described as a former bag lady and not listened to. Like, yes, I get it, she used to be a bag lady, but she seemed pretty loyal to Mandy and eager to help. Mandy seems to think she herself is the only capable, intelligent person

The whodunnit wasn't surprising, but there was enough misdirection to keep things interesting. Mandy, of course, puts it all together in the end. And the book even leaves us with a clothes cleaning tip.

I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job. She made each character distinct and made the chaos believable.

This was enjoyable to listen to! When I first started, I did not know this was not the first book in the series but luckily it does well as a standalone with only a few mentions of previous murders that Mandy solved, just enough that I am intrigued to see exactly what happened now that I know Mandy does a good job solving these cases, though has quite the unfortunate penchant for stumbling over corpses and being a suspect of those murders before finding the real culprit just in the nick of time.

This time it is the Olivia, the fiancé of her ex husband Larry (who is a real piece of work and I am glad Mandy divorced him!). You have several suspects, plus a few well meaning busybodies, like Mandy's mother snooping in corners to also help solve the case, and a police detective (Stan) a sometimes date with Mandy but also looking to find the murderer. And yes, there are a couple dead bodies, but there is humor (like being held up by Bic lighter!) and helpful and interesting side characters (like Betty, the former bag lady) helping Mandy, with sometimes wayward effects but also just what she needs to solve it before she goes from suspect to victim herself! I would give too much away as there are some good red herrings and twists to enjoy. Though of course Mandy will have her happy ending, at least until she stumble over the next murder victim! Makes me wonder if she should open a detective agency in her dry cleaners store.

The narrator does a wonderful job in bring Mandy to life and I had a lot of fun listening to this audiobook!

This was a fun cozy mystery. I liked the main character and the supporting characters as well. It was an easy listen and fun to follow along and try to guess who the killer was. Sometimes a bit funny and also mysterious. Great book.

While I adored the narrator and think she did an absolutely amazing job, I just don’t think this book was for me. It was a cute, clean, cozy mystery with Murder She Wrote vibes but I just don’t think it hit at the right time for me

I normally don’t read books out of order, but I didn’t realize this book was part of a series. It worked well as a standalone book if you haven’t read the rest of the series.

Mandy is sharp and energized. I loved the cast of characters in this book from Mandy’s dramatic mother, her surly coworker, her obnoxious ex, among others. There were lots of little breadcrumbs and a few red herrings to keep things interesting. Overall a fun and quick read. The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #BrilliancePublishing for an ALC.

Book 5 in the series, yet new to me and I didn’t feel like I was lost in the way some series don’t work as a standalone, there were plenty of look back moments, and I’d quite like to catch some more of the series.

A really cozy mystery, Mandy was giving me Jessica Fletcher energy. When she’s just minding her business running her dry cleaners she takes on the cleaning and alteration of a wedding dress, not for just any old bride though, this is the bride to be of Mandy’s ex husband 🫣 a bride that winds up murdered on her wedding day, the weapon? The scissors that Mandy has just been using.

Super sleuth Mandy is hot on the case to find the killer and clear her own name. Brilliant side characters. Great fun.

I really liked the narration on this title, the narrator made each character easily distinguishable and brought them all to life.

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

Dolores Johnson crafts a charming and suspenseful cozy mystery in Homicide and Old Lace, a story that effortlessly blends intrigue with a touch of humor and heart. Reminiscent of a classic Hallmark mystery, the novel follows Mandy, a relatable and quick-witted protagonist who finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. When her ex-husband’s new fiancée turns up dead, Mandy becomes the prime suspect—and must race against time to clear her name and unmask the real killer before she becomes the next target.

Johnson does an excellent job of balancing tension with warmth, populating the story with a delightful cast of supporting characters who add both depth and charm. The small-town atmosphere and steady pacing make for an engaging read that cozy mystery fans will thoroughly enjoy. Homicide and Old Lace is a well-written, entertaining whodunit with series potential—and readers will undoubtedly be eager to spend more time in Mandy’s world.

Returning to Mandy Dyer's world was like slipping into a comfy sweater. It is cozy, familiar, and just what I needed. Homicide and Old Lace was a fun, light-hearted mystery with enough twists to keep things interesting without ever getting too heavy. These books are perfect palate cleansers between darker or more intense reads, and I really appreciate the cozy charm and easy entertainment. Looking forward to the next one! 3.25

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the chance to listen to this title.

Mandy Dyer is just out here trying to run a respectable dry cleaning business. Press a few pants, steam some wedding dresses, maybe avoid ex-husband drama like any sane person. Instead, she gets booked for what can only be described as the world’s most cursed wedding gig. And by cursed, I mean she ends up hand-delivering a bridal gown to her ex-husband’s new fiancée… and then finds the bride dead minutes later. Stabbed. With her scissors. Which she had literally just been using.

Welcome back to cozy mystery land where somehow, even running a dry cleaner turns you into a full-time murder magnet.

This is book five in the "Mandy Dyer" series, but let me tell you something: I jumped in cold and was instantly fine. The vibes are classic "Murder, She Wrote" meets small business owner with a knack for finding corpses. Mandy isn’t a trained investigator, but she’s got common sense, nosy relatives, and the survival instinct of a woman who's been dragged into far too many murder scenes for someone who just wanted to alter some hems.

Her mom and Betty (former bag lady turned full-time meddler) absolutely steal the show. The way these two cause absolute chaos with their amateur investigation attempts had me howling. I love an unhinged mom-friend duo who think they are solving crimes but are mostly adding new problems. Their hijinks basically scream "we’ve watched too many true crime documentaries and now think we’re qualified." Are they helpful? Questionable. Are they hilarious? Absolutely.

Of course, no cozy mystery is complete without red herrings, break-ins, suspicious side characters, and a cat who's constantly spooked by everything. There’s a bit of everything here: another murder victim, multiple suspects, ex-husband drama, scared cats, missing boyfriends, and a mom who cannot mind their own business for five seconds. It’s messy in the way that only cozy mysteries can pull off.

The mystery itself? Actually solid. Even though I clocked the killer early on, there were enough side plots and misdirection to keep things moving. And as always with cozies, the joy is in the ride, not just the big reveal. Mandy puts it all together nicely in the end, using her dry cleaner brain to solve crimes better than half the police department.

The pacing dips in a few spots, but nothing that derails the fun. Honestly, I was charmed the entire time. The vibe is pure comfort chaos, which is exactly why I’m now fully committed to going back and starting from book one.

And huge shoutout to Emily Ellet for the narration. She nails every voice, makes the chaos feel grounded, and brings these quirky characters completely to life. She IS Mandy Dyer.

Four stars for murder, meddling moms, dry cleaning crimes, and a cozy mystery that does exactly what you want it to. I’m absolutely in for the rest of this series.

Whodunity Award: For Turning “Till Death Do Us Part” Into A Wedding Day Deadline

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for early access to the audiobook. Emily Ellet’s narration made this cozy mystery even more fun to listen to!

Homicide and Old Lace by Delores Johnson is a cozy mystery originally released in 2000. A new edition and audiobook release is coming out this month! I received an ARC of the audiobook to review. To begin with, I liked the protagonist Mandy, the owner of a dry cleaning shop, who has a propensity to involve herself in murder investigations. Mandy is taken aback when her ex-husband's new bride comes to her shop for help with her wedding dress. Her stress level quickly escalates when the big wedding day ends in murder, rather than marriage with Mandy at the scene of the crime.

If you like to watch Murder She Wrote, or other cozy mystery series you won't go wrong with this one. This book is the fifth in the series, but I was able to jump in without a lot of confusion. Emily Ellet's narration helped distinguish each character and was well paced.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for allowing me to have an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. This is book five in this unusual series which I am just loving. who knew cleaning clothes could be so compelling, well not actually cleaning clothes because Mandy is too busy investigating a murder to clean clothes but you know what I mean. The author continues to come up with unusual and unique ways to get Mandy involved. I really like the characters, in this book Mandy's mother and ex bag lady Betty team up to run there own investigation, with mixed and as a consequence some funny results. Not sure if they are a help but together they certainly are entertaining. The mystery was good and I had no idea who was the murder but Mandy put it together nicely. There was a lot going on, with two deaths, a number of break ins, scared cats, missing boy friends, ex relationship drama and meddling relatives but put although and you have a clean cosy mystery that is delightful. I can't wait for the next book.

When Mandy steps in for a sick employee, she has no idea that she would be altering a dress for her ex husbands new fiancee. Unable to get out of delivering the dress on the big day, Mandy just hopes she can get in and out before too many people recognise her as the ex of the groom. Unfortunately that plan goes out the window when the bride is found dead, stabbed with scissors Mandy had moments ago used. Once her mother learns of the death, she drops event thing and comes to her daughters aid by teaming up with one of Mandy's staff. Can they find the proof? Mandy may but have to do damage control herself and find the killer before the dynamic duo or even herself gets arrested.
I like the narrator. I hope she sticks with the series because she does such a good job of bringing the characters to life, that I can't imagine anybody else doing a better job.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review

Homicide and Old Lace is part of a cozy mystery series following Mandy, a dry cleaner turned amateur sleuth, as she gets herself inadvertently involved in solving murder cases. In this book, Mandy delivers a wedding dress to her ex’s new fiancée on their wedding day. And minutes later, the bride to be is found murdered in her hotel room. This kicks off the usual cozy mystery shenanigans, complete with red herrings, a plethora of suspects, and a grumpy cat.

If you like cozy mysteries, this one is a solid pick. I didn’t realize this wasn’t the first book in the series, but I didn’t feel like I missed a ton. There was some backstory I didn’t have, but it was easy to pick up on character relationships and there were no spoilers for past mysteries as far as I could tell. This read does make me want to check out the rest of the series!

Mandy is asked to clean and alter a wedding gown but when she delivers it she discovers the bride to be has been killed. Mandy comes under suspicion because the groom is her ex husband Larry.

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Great and often quirky characters in this well paced murder mystery. Mandy needs her sleuthing skills to prove her own innocence and identify the real killer. A fun ride, enjoy.

This series definately improves as it goes, but keep in mind it is still definately a cozy. I was surprised she didn't do a more thorough search when there were indications of a break-in, since if she was so sure nothing was taken away... Anyway, the characters have gotten more depth and the author has made the challenges they face more difficult. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens the next book.