Killer Image by Wendy Tyson (thoughts)

I've been in the mood for mysteries lately and I chose to read this one thinking that it would be a lighter read.  What I actually got was so much more and I am delighted to say that I enjoyed this book more than I would have ever guessed!  It just goes to show you (and by you I mean me) that I shouldn't judge books by their covers.

In Killer Image, Allison Campbell is an image consultant which is basically a fancy way of stating that she helps people make over their lives.  Need self confidence?  She can help with lifestyle changes, new clothing/make-up, and a healthy dose of self esteem.  Allison seems to have her life completely together but under the pretty facade she has many of her own problems.  She takes on a new job against her better judgement when an upcoming senator basically bullies her into working with his troubled daughter.  Maggie isn't your typical teenager and brings along with her more trouble than even Allison can handle.  But it will be up to Allison to stand by Maggie's side when Maggie is accused of murder.  Will Allison be able to clear Maggie's name?  And why does it seem like Allison's past is coming back to haunt her?

I love when a book takes me by surprise and Killer Image did exactly that!  From the very beginning of this book the author managed to pull me into Allison's past history of dealing with a different troubled young girl.  It was easy to see that it wasn't going to have a happy ending to it since Allison was obviously still trying to get over her past but the way the author weaved it into the storyline really pulled me in.  She managed to take two different storylines and intertwine them in a way that really strengthened this book as a whole.  I was totally invested in both storylines and wanted to know how it would all end.  In fact, I NEEDED to know how it would all end so that I could find out who the killer really was.  The author did a really great job of keeping me guessing while trying to figure out who the killer could possibly be.  It really made this book stand out for me because I was so deeply entrenched in the mystery that I just couldn't put this book down.  I know that I've mentioned it here a million times but I'm always a sucker for a story with a dark and gritty atmosphere.  And this book had that in spades at certain times.  I also like when the characters have secrets and can't always be trusted.  The author did a really good job with all of the characters in this book both main and secondary.  They were completely fleshed out and I loved that we didn't always know their motivations behind their actions.  It just added to the mystery of the book for me!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am eager to read more by this author.  It looks like this is going to be the first book in this mystery series and I will definitely be willing to read the second book.  This book had basically everything that I am looking for in a mystery:  action and suspense, lots of suspects, and a dark atmosphere that sucks you in!  I'm so glad that I got the chance to read this book because I've found a new author to follow.  This is a book that I would not hesitate to recommend!

Bottom Line:  A mystery that instantly captured my attention and kept it throughout!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher to read as part of a TLC book tour.  My thoughts are my own!

**As an aside, my one and only complaint with the entire book was that they changed the cover!  I adored the cover that they originally were using but this one just doesn't do it for me as much.  So if you are a cover addict like me, please don't miss this one because it is definitely worth your time!