Styled for Murder

 
  • Publisher: Orange Grove Press
  • Series: The Bad Hair Day Mysteries , 17
  • Release Date: Nov. 16, 2021
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Available Formats: eBook and Paperback
  • Digital: 978-1-952886-21-8
  • Paperback: 978-1-952886-22-5

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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!


Awards & Accolades:

Best Book 2021 Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine
Bronze Award Winner in the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards
Finalist in the American Book Awards
Finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Awards
Finalist in the IAN Book of the Year Awards
Finalist in the CIBA Awards
Nominated for the Eric Hoffer Award
Nominated for the RONE Award by InD’Tale Magazine

Best Book 2021   Bronze AwardRPLA Finalist         


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Reviews

“It’s a pleasure to see a sleuthing story evolve where the protagonist is just as vested in her business, family, and community interactions as she is in her investigation. Cohen’s ability to bring these disparate facets to life in a story that moves between personal concerns and social and community change, weaving the “perfect murder” scenario into these interplays, makes Styled for Murder an intriguing read. This makes for a cozy mystery powered by Marla’s special blend of savvy and perceptions as a home remodel project goes seriously awry.” Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“A charmingly funny whodunit unfolds when hairstylist and savvy sleuth Marla Vail gets a frantic call from her mother saying she found a dead body in her bathroom during a remodel. The victim turns out to be the project manager, who had a reputation for shady dealings. When Marla’s stepfather, Reed, becomes a suspect, Marla digs deeper for clues. Now, she’ll have to put all the pieces together to nail down the truth!” Woman’s World Magazine

“Nancy Cohen weaves a magnificent mystery with hints and clues interspersed throughout for the reader to find. The suspects are varied and unique, each with a motive of their own. With a murderer tying up loose ends, can anyone be safe until the truth comes to light? The reader will get close to the edge of their seat riveted by the story and eager to solve the mystery and keep Marla from harm. A fun and fascinating mystery.” Cara Cieslak, InD’Tale Magazine

“Unlike other amateur sleuths, Marla has an inside track with the local police department—she’s married to a respected police detective, who values her uncanny ability to flesh out clues the authorities often miss. This time, however, the crime took place outside of Dalton’s jurisdiction, and the lead investigator isn’t particularly good at sharing information. Marla doesn’t let a little thing like that deter her and she starts her own investigation. “Styled for Murder” is the seventeenth in Nancy J. Cohen’s Bad Hair Day mystery series. It’s a well-plotted cozy with likeable characters and a surprise ending fans will love! I did.”  Susan Santangelo, Suspense Magazine

“Marla’s complicated relationships with her family continue to be fascinating and relatable. Everyone’s lives would be easier if they would just talk openly about their feelings and fears, but few are willing to be that vulnerable. The discoveries Marla makes will impact the future of her and her family, and readers will be happy to go along for the ride in this always entertaining, vibrant mystery series.” Cynthia Chow, Kings River Life Magazine

“The author takes an entertaining path to the big reveal and manages to throw in just enough deceptive clues to keep the reader second-guessing. I appreciated the Florida setting and how Cohen made the suspects more than just one-dimensional distractions on the journey to the discovery of the real murderer. Cohen fans and those sure to become her fans will love this whodunit.” Barbara Oliverio, Readers’ Favorite

“OMG! I loved the story. The characters are fabulously realistic, the setting is gorgeous, and the mystery is fantastic. I loved all the red herrings, the twists and turns as secrets were revealed. My rating for Styled For Murder by Nancy J. Cohen is five stars. This book is the first of Nancy J. Cohen’s that I have read, but I hope to read more. I highly recommend Styled For Murder.” Jen at Baroness’ Book Trove

“Readers will love any and all of the books in this series. You will love the relationships throughout the books, the jobs that everyone has and you will want to hang out with Marla everywhere she goes!” Missi M., Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

“A fun read full of surprise twists, family moments, and an ending to warm your heart. Sure to delight cozy fans.” Jessica Robbins, Books A Plenty Book Reviews

“Although it seems like there is a lot going on, Nancy J. Cohen does a wonderful job of bringing all these plotlines together for a satisfactory ending. This was another entertaining and enjoyable story that I recommend to those who enjoy a well plotted and written cozy mystery.” Carla Johnson-Hicks, Carla Loves to Read

“The pace is steady and the characters interesting. There are multiple suspects aside from Reed and no simple explanation fits the crime. It’s not easy to guess at the killer and that kept me engaged. If you’re a fan of this series, you will be surprised at Marla’s ingenuity in fitting in baby, work, and sleuthing. New to this series? You can enjoy this book without having read the earlier books, though I always recommend you start at the beginning of a series. Regardless, if you enjoy cozy mystery, I’m sure you will like this one. Don’t forget the recipes!” Christa Nardi, Christa Reads and Writes

“Ms. Cohen finds a nice balance herself in Styled for Murder. She blends the daily life of her characters with a challenging mystery to solve.  I did like that there was a plethora of suspects and the way Marla worked her way through them. She wasn’t able to figure things out though before more deaths occurred. Those deaths depleted her suspect list but WOW! that final twist was absolutely killer. The guilty party was a total surprise.” Lori Caswell, Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book

Styled For Murder was a fun romp through the pitfalls of home renovation. Of course, most of us will never find a dead body in our bathroom, delays, shoddy work, and difficult people is the norm. I had a lot of smiles and chuckles as I investigated the death and there were plenty of culprits that could fit the bill.” Sherry J. Fundin, Fundinmental

“Hair salon owner and stylist Marla Vail’s mother and step-dad have the worst luck. Their bathroom remodel came with a dead guy and a necktie in the partially finished shower. An actress, a scholarship pageant, and a festival provide more twists and turns than an updo, keeping sleuth Marla Vail on her toes. Styled for Murder is a wonderful addition to Cohen’s Bad Hair Day Mystery Series.” Muddy Rose Reviews

“Everyone’s favorite sleuthing hair stylist is back on the case in Styled for Murder. Fans of the series will love how Marla once again dives in to show the police how to solve a murder. She’s got plenty of suspects this time, too. Is the killer the owner of a seemingly unscrupulous home renovation business, one of their disgruntled subcontractors, or even her new father-in-law? An entertaining read with enough clues and red herrings to keep mystery fans happily flipping pages.” Terry Ambrose, Mysteries with Character

“This is the 17th book in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries and they keep getting better.  It’s a fast-paced mystery that I found totally captivating. There were so many culprits to choose from. I picked two and neither one was the guilty party. I didn’t put it altogether until near the end when Marla figured it out. I’ve read this series from early on, so it’s a total joy to watch Marla go from a single woman to a wife and now a mother. I feel as if she’s an old friend… A fun, light-hearted mystery set in Florida is a fun escape from reality. I enjoyed every minute of it.” Yvonne Hering, Socrates Book Reviews

“Marla’s change in circumstances from earlier stories, now a mother, with responsibilities pulling her in different directions adds a new element to the series.” June Price, Sunhusky’s Daisy Reads 2

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2021 by Nancy J. Cohen
 
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