Killer Image by Wendy Tyson

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for Wendy Tyson's debut, Killer Image.

Image consultant Allison Campbell is one of the best in the business. When a local congressman approaches her about his daughter, though, Allison may have met her match. Maggie McBride is a fifteen-year-old with an attitude. What's more, her goth appearance and her stubborn personality are the exact opposite of the image her father would like to show the public. As a rule Allison doesn't work with teens but Hank McBride isn't one to take no for an answer. Maggie and Allison butt heads from the get go and the job seems like a hopeless one but when Maggie becomes a suspect in a high profile murder, Allison can't help but feel she owes the girl something. 

When I started reading this one, I kind of expected it to be a bit light and fluffy. It most definitely - and thankfully - was not. I was in the mood for something much darker and Killer Image turned out to be a great fit for the mood.

It might seem odd that an image consultant would become wrapped up in a murder investigation, but Tyson made it work. I mean we've seen sports agents become investigators (Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar books) and caterers forced to poke their noses into crimes (Diane Mott Davidson's Schulz series) so why not an image consultant, right? Allison is hired to work on Maggie's image right around the same time a prominent divorce attorney is murdered in his home. They all live in the same area and the attorney in question even represented Allison's own ex father-in-law in his divorce, which leads to Allison being questioned as well. Like I said, Tyson made it work. Killer Image is incredibly well plotted - the story unfolded in a logical manner and Tyson also kept me guessing.

The beginning chapters were a bit concerning: there are quite a few characters at the very outset and there are a number of elements throughout the story that seem to be unconnected when first introduced. I wondered how Violet's story in particular would play out and fit into the overall plot beyond simply showing why Allison didn't take on children as clients. I have to say, though, I was really pleased with how the whole of the book turned out. I hope this is a first in a series as I would love to see more of Allison Campbell and First Impressions.

Rating: 4/5

To see more stops on the tour, check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Wendy Tyson and her work visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.