Dead Gorgeous

I received a copy of DEAD GORGEOUS by Elizabeth Flynn from Lion Fiction from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.  It is part of the “A Mystery for D. I. Costello” series.  It is the second book.  I hadn’t read the first book – I will have to look for it now – but this definitely works as a standalone novel.

Considering this is the story of a dead model, Kristy Manners, the book was exceptionally fun to read.  D. I. Angela Costello is a lovable character, with quirks and an appetitie for the truth.  The truth involves prosititution and drug addicition, which I was surprised to find in Christian fiction.  Yes, the morals of the story do shine through, and yes, it was realistic.  The world is a dark place, so we must appreciate those who help make it lighter. 

This is a topnotch mystery.  I grew up with the Mandie Shaw mysteries in junior high, read some Agatha Christie in high school, and then fell in love with the Veronica Mars show.  I was looking for a new mystery fix and this did it for me.  Plus, it involved the fashion world, which isn’t often covered in literature, at least not in the type of books I normally read.