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Trimmed to Death
Publisher: Orange Grove Press
Series: A Bad Hair Day Mystery, Book 15
Release Date: Sept. 25, 2018
Genre: Mystery
Available Formats: eBook and Paperback
Digital: ISBN: 9780998531755
Paperback: ISBN: 9780998531762
Hairstylist Marla Vail enters a bake-off competition that’s a real killer when a contestant ends up dead.
Savvy hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Vail enters a charity bake-off contest at a fall festival sponsored by a local farm. While she waits to see if her coconut fudge pie is a winner, Marla joins a scavenger hunt where people playing character roles are the targets. Instead of scoring points with a live person, she finds a dead body planted face-down in the strawberry field. Who would want to cut short the life of food magazine publisher and fellow bake-off contestant Francine Dodger?
Francine is wearing a jacket borrowed from another entrant, food blogger Alyce Greene. With their similar builds, hair colors, and pixie haircuts, the women could have been mistaken for each other from behind. Was it possible Alyce had been the intended target instead of Francine? When another entrant is killed, Marla fears the rest of the contestants might be next.
Marla’s friend, deli owner Arnie Hartman, knows the farm owner’s son. He begs Marla to investigate to help clear the smear on the farm’s reputation. She’s joined by her husband, homicide detective Dalton Vail, in interviewing the bake-off contestants and judges. There’s no shortage of suspects. A celebrity TV chef, food critic, olive oil importer, food truck owner, pastry chef, and cookbook author may be stirring up more than their next recipe. Can Marla unmask the killer before someone else gets trimmed from life?
Recipes Included!
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Hairball Hijinks
Publisher: Orange Grove Press
Series: A Bad Hair Day Mystery, 14.5
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Genre: Mystery
Available Formats: eBook
Digital: 9780998531748
Hairstylist Marla Vail agrees to help find a neighbor’s lost cat and discovers a ransacked house where more than the pet is missing.
Savvy hairstylist and super sleuth Marla Vail visits her friend Tally who just got out of the hospital after a serious car accident. Marla has been caring for Tally’s baby and is sad but grateful to return him to his mother. She and Tally reconcile their friendship that had become estranged before the crash. Happy to have her friend back, Marla is about to leave when a knock summons her to the door. It’s a distraught elderly neighbor who claims her cat is missing. Marla, unable to turn down a person in need, accompanies the lady home. But when Marla enters the house, she realizes much more is missing than a lost feline. The place has been ransacked, and when she calls the police, they inform her the neighborhood has been beset by a series of thefts. Can she find the crooks before they cause another cat’astrophe?
This story comes after Hair Brained, #14 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries.
Bonus One: An interview with Marla
Bonus Two: 5 new recipes!
Bonus Three: A sneak preview of Trimmed to Death
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“I’m always happy for a chance to visit with my old friend Marla Vail. This time it’s a short visit, but just as much fun as always. Hairball Hijinks picks up right where Hairbrained (#14 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries) left off. It’s a fast-paced read with charming characters. It left me with a “feel good” type of feeling. It even includes a nice interview with Marla. It’s a very nice touch and gives the reader even more insight into the character. I loved this book. It has an adorable cat in it, what could be better?” Yvonne at Socrates’ Book Reviews
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