Sally Schmidt
I don’t think “Mazel Tov!” is actually the opposite of “Oy vey” – as Marla’s mother Anita is fond of saying – but whatever the opposite is, that’s what I felt after reading Styled for Murder, the seventeenth book in author Nancy J. Cohen’s Bad Hair Day Mystery series. At the end of Easter Hair Hunt, book #16, I wasn’t quite sure if we would see Marla again or not. She was expecting a baby and many plot points were very nicely wrapped up and all characters were accounted for. So I have to admit that I was a little afraid Marla would ride off into the Mommy Sunset. But Marla is back! Yes, life has changed and she has had to change with it, but we’ve still got the essential Marla that we’ve all grown to know and love. As a fan of the series from the beginning I have enjoyed seeing Marla grow with each book, adapting to and savoring changes in her professional and personal lives. She has always been an efficient, capable businesswoman, and then a loving wife and partner to Dalton and loving stepmother to his daughter Brianna. And while she is now a devoted mother to their son Ryder, motherhood has not changed her fundamentally - she's still pragmatic, detailed, organized, loyal, determined, and stubborn. No flighty, mushy Marla :) As Styled for Murder opens Marla’s response to her mother Anita’s cry for help after finding a dead tile guy in the bathroom they are renovating is rather low-key, but that’s normal for her; panicking is not her style. And from some of her inner thoughts we deduce that Marla is a bit peeved at Anita and her (somewhat) new husband Reed for moving a town or so away. Not out of reach but not just around the corner when Marla could really use some help and advice with Ryder. We enjoy a little humor at Marla’s expense: motherhood is pretty overwhelming at times, juggling family, friends, and the job. And now she has to fit in some sleuthing. She “retired” from investigating when Ryder was born, but this is her mother we’re talking about and she is not about to rest while Anita and Reed may be in danger. Styled for Murder has a wonderful, complex, fast-moving plot with many, many connections – kind of a 6-degrees of separation – and hints and secrets and clues and surprises and twists that you won’t see coming but make perfect sense when you do. The large cast of characters have complicated backstories that make their current behavior and motives consistent and understandable. Dalton and Marla are an old married couple now, but she still loves to eyeball that handsome husband of hers. Ryder is adorable. Brianna is a joy as always. Anita, as always, can be irritating and Reed and his secrecy fits right in. But they are a loving family and they will do whatever it takes to keep each other safe and happy. Marla is still pragmatic and ordered and somehow gets people to open up and talk to her even though what she asks is often very personal and intrusive. Styled for Murder is a thoughtful, well-written book that was impossible to put down. Once again I enjoyed the perfectly detailed descriptions of clothes, hair and accessories – and people – and was delighted to learn something about edible gold (!??!) and copper robberies. There is also a little hint at the end about things to come so I cannot wait for the next book in this always delightful series. Thanks to author Nancy J. Cohen for providing an advance copy for my reading pleasure and honest review. Read it! Read the entire series! All opinions are my own.
Kathleen Costa
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.
Bernadette Cinkoske
In Styled For Murder, the reader finds Marla is now an exhausted new mother who has sworn off investigating - until her own mother calls with a dead man in the shower of their remodel. How can she say no to Mom. This well written mystery has all the charm of the first sixteen, as well as many twists, red herrings and misdirects. I never figured it out even though I was intrigued from the first page and read straight through. I could not put it down.
