Dying Brand (An Allison Campbell Mystery) (Volume 3)
By: Wendy Tyson
Rating: 4.5 of 5
While this is the third installment in this series by Wendy Tyson, “Dying Brand” is the first book I have read by the author. I often start series midway in order to judge how readable a book is stand-alone or if it is necessary to read all of the books of a series in order to enjoy the book. I was able to read this book fairly easily as a stand-alone but I really recommend reading the prior two books first. It is pretty obvious that there are relationships and characters whose depth would be enhanced by knowing their pasts.
The book was a fairly classic mystery. It is not a funny type of cozy mystery. It is serious and deals with some serious issues. Allison is the primary sleuth in this story and, in addition to solving the whodunnit, she is dealing with relationships and trying to make decisions about what she wants from life. There are things that happen in the story to test those relationships and her preconceived notions of what her future will be like. She also learns some hard truths about past relationships which shock and dismay her. These are the things that drive her to trying to discover the truth about a murder.
Vaughn is her assistant, both in her business as an image consultant and as her research and cohort in solving the crimes. He has his own relationship hurdles which confront him. I think one of the more compelling reasons to read the prior books is to understand more about Vaughn and his twin brother. His twin is paralyzed and Vaughn feels responsible for it. After reading the book, it isn’t clear to me why but I am sure the answer lies in the prior novels.
The mystery was one that I did not completely solve, though there were elements that I did figure out towards the end. The plot made sense and the characters were well rounded. The book is a serious mystery with very dramatic elements. The book is an adult mystery and I would recommend it for young adults and up. This is not a book I would give to a younger teenager as some of the situations might not make sense to them. I really enjoyed reading the story and plan to read the two prior books in the future.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Henery Press, via Netgalley.
While this is the third installment in this series by Wendy Tyson, “Dying Brand” is the first book I have read by the author. I often start series midway in order to judge how readable a book is stand-alone or if it is necessary to read all of the books of a series in order to enjoy the book. I was able to read this book fairly easily as a stand-alone but I really recommend reading the prior two books first. It is pretty obvious that there are relationships and characters whose depth would be enhanced by knowing their pasts.