Star Tangled Murder
Series: Bad Hair Day Mysteries #18
Author: Nancy J. Cohen
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 284
Release Date: March 14, 2023
Summary:
Hairstylist Marla Vail and her husband get tangled up in murder when their Fourth of July visit to a living history village ends with a bang—and a body.
Salon owner Marla Vail and her detective husband Dalton are having a blast visiting a Florida living history village over Fourth of July weekend. But when a Seminole battle reenactment turns up a real dead body, it sets off fireworks among the villagers. One of the cast members has gone off script to murder the town marshal with a tomahawk in his head.
As Dalton gets involved in the investigation, Marla determines to help him solve the case. Her flare for uncovering secrets reveals that everyone in the village is a suspect. Instead of celebrating the holiday with red, white, and barbecues, she discovers secrets, lies, and false avenues. Did the marshal’s murder have anything to do with a lost Confederate payroll, or did his plans to renovate the park light a fuse that he couldn’t snuff out?
In a place where history comes alive, the dead bodies are piling up. Marla would rather be chilling and grilling, but somebody’s mind is on killing. If she’s not careful, her sleuthing might blow up in her face like a faulty firecracker and she’ll become the next victim. Recipes Included!
Interview with Marla Vail
How did you and your author meet?
Nancy came into my Cut ’N Dye Salon to get a perm. While she was waiting for the solution to process, she asked me about my work. She admired my skills because she couldn’t even hold a curling iron without getting her hair tangled. We got to talking about how many people I meet in my profession and how a stylist has to be a good listener. She became a regular customer and loved hearing about my experiences.
Why did this writer decide to feature you in a book?
People confide in their hairdressers, you know? We hear all sorts of stuff from our customers about their lives. We overhear other conversations as well. I’m also in a mobile profession where I can move around town easily, so the stories don’t always have to focus on the salon. I like to think Nancy also chose me for my caring nature. I like to help people, not only in terms of making them look better with good hair, but also in finding justice. It’s my calling in the same way that styling hair comes naturally. I like talking to people and they share their secrets with me.
Do you have any friends or family helping you out?
My husband Dalton is a homicide detective. At first, he warned me off his cases. But he’s learned that I can get people to confide in me more easily than he can as an authority figure. I’ve helped him solve a few of his cases, and he respects my input as long as I stay safe. He knows I won’t back down once I decide to get involved. I’ll ask a friend to go with me to interview a suspect if Dalton isn’t available.
Do you have a regular job and investigate on the side or are you a full time detective?
I barely have any time to eat or sleep between taking care of our one-year-old son, a teenage stepdaughter, and my husband. Plus, I work full-time at my salon, although I’ve mentioned to our receptionist that I need to cut back my hours. Sleuthing is a side interest of mine. I can’t stay out of a case once I’m involved, but it’s become more difficult with a baby at home. Ryder goes to day care, but I still have to squeeze my investigations into a tight schedule.
What is the funniest thing that happens to you or another character in this story?
Nothing very funny happened but a scary incident occurred when someone shot arrows at me and my friend, Susan. You should have seen how fast we could run. That might have made you laugh. We’d been at Pioneer Village talking to the various cast members about their roles. Someone must have taken a dislike to our questions because this happened on our way to the exit. It made us realize that we were on the right track with our inquiries.
Have you solved other cases or is this your first one?
This is my eighteenth case, or more if you count the Halloween murder novella and the cat caper short story. I’d rather things settled down so I could just enjoy my family. Maybe that will happen when Dalton retires in a few more months, although then I’ll worry about how he’ll keep occupied when I’m at work.
Do you have a gift or special talent?
My talent is getting people to confide in me. They’ll respond to me as a sympathetic listener rather than my husband whose approach can be gruff at times. I enjoy being around people and encouraging them to talk. It’s part of my job as a hairstylist. I want to make people feel better about themselves in addition to making them look better with good hair.
Who is the most important individual in your life?
That would be my husband, Dalton. We’ve only been married a few years. It’s a second marriage for both of us, so I was very lucky to meet him. Never mind that I was the prime suspect in his murder case at the time! He’s the best thing that ever happened to me … well, aside from our son Ryder. My life has changed in ways I’d never have expected.
What is your ideal vacation?
Give me the tropics any day. I enjoyed the one cruise we took, discounting the missing dinner companions and the art theft. I’d rather sit in a lounge chair on a beach sipping a tropical drink than being anywhere else, although I’ll admit I haven’t done much traveling. We honeymooned at Dalton’s family ranch out in Arizona, but I prefer the greenery of the east coast. I’ve been a Floridian too long.
If you could change anything about your life what would it be?
I’d have a nanny and a cook. It’s almost impossible to get anything else done when you have an infant at home. Our son consumes our time when he’s not in day care, and I can’t remember the last time Dalton and I went out to dinner alone. Brianna, my stepdaughter, babysits when she can and so do Ryder’s grandparents, but we don’t like to impose on them too much. It’s been tough juggling a career with family responsibilities and trying to fit in sleuthing as well. I’d like to stop getting involved in these cases and focus on my family instead. But we’ll see how that develops. I don’t choose to track down killers. It just sort of happens. What would you like to see me do next?
Other Books in Series
About the Author
Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won a Readers’ Favorite gold medal, placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Nancy’s instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery, was nominated for an Agatha Award and won a gold medal at the President’s Book Awards from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys cooking, fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.
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