Styled for Murder
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Hairstylist Marla Vail flushes out a killer when murder disrupts her mother’s home renovation plans in this stylish cozy mystery.
When hairstylist and savvy sleuth, Marla Vail, gets a frantic call from her mother that there’s a dead body in her shower, Marla realizes this wasn’t part of the home renovation plans. The victim turns out to be the project manager, who had an untrustworthy reputation in town. Disgruntled customers, unpaid suppliers, and the design company’s staff are among the suspects. Which one of them wanted the foreman to pipe down about their shady dealings?
Meanwhile, the lead investigator sets his sights on Marla’s stepfather, Reed, who’s keeping secrets from his family. Reed has a past connection to the victim and won’t come clean about what he knows. As Marla drills deeper, she’s showered with suspicions, but nobody’s willing to leak any information. She needs to hammer down the prospects, or time will drain away and the murderer will strike again.
To flush out the culprit, Marla taps into her pipeline of resources. Can she assemble the clues and demolish the alibis to nail a killer? Or has someone designed the perfect murder? Recipes Included!
“Best of 2021” Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine
Bronze Award Winner in the 2022 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards
Finalist in the 2022 American Fiction Awards
Finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Awards
“A charmingly funny whodunit!” Woman’s World
Customer Reviews
Styled for Murder Earns 5/5 Shower Faucets…Engaging and Clever Fun!
Interruptions come in all forms, but “There’s a dead guy in our shower. You have to come right now,” plea from her mother, unfortunately, is not one Marla Vail is unaccustomed. She’s been entangled in many a suspicious death, spurred on by those close to her being hounded by the police, and finding herself in more than a few perilous predicaments. Life as a hairstylist in Florida is more than perms, cuts, and dye jobs; it’s also been murder. The frantic call from her mother can’t be ignored, and she learns the victim, who her mother hired for a remodel, has a disreputable reputation verified by co-workers, suppliers, and customers. Even her step-father had some issues with the victim he’s suspiciously reluctant to share. Twists. Turns. Couldn’t put it down excitement!
Nancy J. Cohen’s writing style is expertly descriptive with clever banter and well-developed characters, and adding the ups and downs of being a daughter, sister, wife, step-mother and new mother, business entrepreneur, pet owner, and good friend to the mix, each story is clever and entertaining. This seventeenth story in her Bad Hair Day Mystery series is no exception with its “out of jurisdiction” issues, additional mishaps and murder, and her step-father having undeniable means, motive, and opportunity making it difficult to navigate the investigation and the local detectives. The drama also includes side trips into a local garlic festival, scams and thefts, various family dynamics, and surprising personal changes primed to be explored in the next book. You’ll wonder what bonuses would be included in a series about a hairstylist and homicides…recipes, of course, always recipes. Nancy includes three easy-to-follow recipes from her Family Brunch Menu: Zucchini, Eggs and Cheese (recipe), Smoked Salmon, Bagels and Cream Cheese, Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole (recipe), Sliced Tomatoes and Onions, and Peach Cobbler (recipe). Delicious! Don’t miss any of it!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from the author. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.