Can a stylish sleuth pull a rabbit out of her hat to solve an Easter murder in this to-dye-for cozy mystery? When hairstylist Marla Vail attends an Easter egg hunt at historic Tremayne Manor, she’s only there to fix hair for a client, Bonnie “Blinky” Morris. But when she’s asked to comb the grounds for leftover goodies, Marla discovers more than just a few dyed eggs. The dead body in the bunny … eggs. The dead body in the bunny costume is definitely not having a good hare day. And Blinky seems to have disappeared down a rabbit hole.
While trying to solve a murder, everyone needs a friend who’s all ears. For Marla, that’s her husband, homicide detective Dalton Vail. They make an eggcellent team. Dalton isn’t the kind to leap to conclusions, but with his wife seven months pregnant, and knowing Marla finds crime-solving to be irresistible, he worries about her running off on another hare-raising adventure.
Marla’s peeps are hoping for a happy ending, but she may have found a basketful of trouble this time. Can she crack the case before Blinky becomes the next victim? Recipes Included!
Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Winner!
“This story will fill your reading basket with entertainment, charming characters, plot twists, tasty recipes, and a cozy murder mystery to solve.” Mason Canyon, Thoughts in Progress
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This book kept me guessing, as there are a lot of possible killers. I only guessed the killer a heartbeat before Marla did.
Marla is heavily pregnant but that doesn’t stop her from investigating when her friend Blinky goes missing at the same time a body is found during an Easter egg hunt.
I love this series and the characters, and the SE Florida setting. I’m even making a list of possible names for the baby.
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Easter Hair Hunt by Nancy J Cohen has everything I expect from a cozy mystery. Some fun characters, an interesting location and a mystery with plenty of suspects to keep me guessing.
Marla was looking for her client, Blinky, who is dressed as the Easter bunny for the egg hunt. When she finds the bunny, surprise, surprise, it’s not Blinky in the costume, but the wearer is dead. She also finds an eggcellent surprise lying close by. Could this be the reason for the murder?
Marla is pregnant and married to Detective Dalton Vail, but she just can’t leave the investigating to him. He knows there is no stopping her, so they work together.
This isn’t her first investigation and I have a feeling it won’t be her last.
I followed her around town as she eliminated suspect after suspect, all the while looking for Blinky.
Cozy mysteries lack the dark side of murder that I love so much, but every once in a while I want something easy reading with some humor and fun.
I do love that cozies often include some recipes, so if you are a bit hungry, Nancy J Cohen supplies some.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Easter Hair Hunt by Nancy J Cohen.
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Easter Hair Hunt earns 5/5 Bunnies & Eggs…Engaging Entertainment!
Crack this one open! Nancy Cohen has penned another well-written book filled with a clever mystery, endearing characters, and a “Oh, Wow!” conclusion. It’s Easter at Tremayne Manor and Marla and her best friend Tally are enjoying the festivities, but “Blinky,” dressed as the iconic Easter Bunny, is no where to be found. Marla was hired by regular salon client Bonnie Meyers, nicknamed Blinky, to style her hair for the luncheon to follow the egg hunt. With Blinky MIA, the lady of the manor asks Marla to help retrieve stray plastic eggs, but instead she finds a not-for-children Easter egg and the Easter Bunny sprawled under a bush. No, not Blinky, she’s still missing, but curiously in her costume is a unidentified man…dead!
Nancy Cohen’s mystery is totally engaging with several questions needing to be answered: How? Why? Who? Marla is very aware of her impending due date and takes precautions, so it’s good her husband is lead detective because she can’t ignore the fact her friend is missing and under suspicion. Robbery? Scandal? Murder? I had some good ideas about the drama’s direction, and along with twists and turns, is it this? or is it that?, there’re fascinating information surrounding Fabergé eggs, stamps, and bees. Nancy’s writing style is always well-paced with a third-person narrative highlighting all the characters well with descriptive language painting a marvelous setting including the Manor and its treasures, people and their reactions, and personalities and tone through expressive dialogue. It is a delightful read making this series a fan favorite….AND Put on your apron, and whether you celebrate Easter or just gather for weekly family dinners, this set of six enticing treats may make you “Top Chef.” Try the Garlic Cheese Biscuits, Slow Cooker Roast Leg of Lamb, Slow Cooker Mushroom Pot Roast, Roasted Acorn Squash, Rosemary Red Potatoes, and Tilapia Dijon. Yummy!
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
New to this series I had to give it a try after reading the blurb. We start with an Easter egg hunt. Marla is helping with the event though she is somewhat limited the is to being seven months pregnant. As a hairdresser she is there to fix a client’s hair after she takes off the bunny costume but when she doesn’t arrive Marla gets worried. Searching for her while cleaning up missed eggs she runs across so.done in the costume dead covered in blood. Familiar with helping her detective husband she starts investigating and man does it complicated fast as the secrets start coming out as well as a second dead body. Overall a fun cozy with an Easter theme that will keep you captivated while putting you the holiday spirit. A great read. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Who stabbed the Easter Bunny?? That is exactly what hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Vail intends to find out.
Marla was at an Easter event at Tremayne Manor to fix Bonnie “Blinky” Morris’ hair but while helping clear the grounds of any eggs missed by the searching children she finds a dead bunny, a human in a bunny suit. Seven months pregnant the last thing she needs is another murder investigation but hubby and homicide detective, Dalton Vail knows they make a great team because people open up to Marla. He just hopes all those baby kicks she is receiving help her to make careful choices. The case gets pretty egg-citing and she best “bee” careful or she may find herself just a “hare” out of the killer’s sights.
Oh, and while everyone is focused on the dead bunny, Blinky Morris has disappeared. Her car is still in the lot, but she is nowhere to be found, She can’t be the killer or can she???
I love the way these characters have grown over the course of this series. Marla is not letting this pregnancy hold her back from anything she wants to do. She is keeping normal hours at her salon and now she is delving into another murder. Baby things, like the nursery, name and numerous other things were getting put off until her family starts laying on the pressure. She is already a great mom to her stepdaughter Brianna, but a new baby is really going to change her life. Dalton is pretty laid back about the whole thing but their religious differences may add a little bit of drama. They are also going to be dealing with Brianna heading to college soon.
The setting for this story was unique. Tremayne Manor is an old family home filled with prized possessions including Faberge eggs, valuable stamps, Russian Matryoshka dolls, and many other historical artifacts. The estate has been opened for public tours and now has a gift shop, a cafe, and beehives. The author incorporates all these features and more into this story so well. All the little tidbits I learned were very interesting.
In Easter Hair Hunt, Ms. Cohen has written a complex mystery, hunting down this killer is far from easy. The motive is unclear but Marla has many theories. She doesn’t believe Blinky could commit murder so she is also on the hunt for her friend. There are plenty of twists and turns before any of the clues start to fall into place. I had an inkling about a major aspect of the mystery but was still surprised by the final reveal.
I have truly enjoyed the books in this series. The characters are well-developed and the dialogue is snappy. There is the perfect balance between family life and mystery along with a good dose of humor along the way. There is a big event coming soon for Marla and Dalton. I am excited to see how the author handles this in future books.
This book reads well on its own but to fully enjoy these characters you should start the series from the beginning.
Easter Hair Hunt is a fun holiday cozy. Hop on over and get your copy today.
Intrepid sleuth Marla Vail goes looking for her friend Blinky and instead finds a dead gardener. She also finds a Faberge eggs on the estate grounds. In a case of classic misdirection in which no one is who they appear to be, Marla snips out the lies to reveal the truth and the killer.
I enjoyed the bee facts, the interpersonal dynamics, and the commitment Marla and Dalton make to family time. Another fun installment in Cohen’s entertaining Bad Hair Day series.
In this next book of the series Marla is attending an Easter egg hunt at a local historic manor, she is there not only to fix a client’s hair but also as a guest. When the woman over the event asks Marla to look over the grounds for any treats that have been left behind she gets quite a shock. She finds a dead body in a bunny suit, thinking it is her friend and client Blinky she soon learns the body under the suit is actually a man. The police arrive to investigate and Blinky is nowhere to be found. Marla worries about what could have happened to her friend and now did the man end up in the bunny suit. Marla knows she must get involved in the search for her friend and looks toward her husband for help, it doesn’t hurt that he is the head detective on the case. Marla, who is seven months pregnant, knows that she can’t just jump in all willy nilly, she has to be cautious about how she looks into things this go round. Follow along as Marla and Dalton each take their own avenues in this investigation, the question is who will find a killer first? This is such a great series, the characters are well rounded and you truly get a sense of the kind of people they are with each new book. I’ve come to know them and feel as if they are old friends, I’m always excited to see where the author has taken them next.
Hairstylist Marla Vail is 7 months pregnant, but that is not stopping her from investigating a crime or two. After attending an Easter Egg hunt Marla looks for the Easter bunny, her client Bonnie Morris, “Blinky” to fix her hair before a luncheon. She searches everywhere with no success, and what she finds leaves her cold in the Florida heat. Marla agrees to search for a thief while simultaneously looking for the missing Blinky.
This is the 16th book in the Bad Hair Day Mystery series. I continue to enjoy this series and recommend this book. The books move realistically through Marla’s life. The main characters are well developed. The author writes an engaging story that moves at a steady pace. I look forward to book 17.
Marla’s task of collecting any missed Easter eggs or goodies goes south quickly when she finds a man in part of a bunny costume, dead. The costume he’s wearing is the one her friend Blinky was wearing only a few minutes before. And the egg she finds nearby is none other than a Fabergé. She discovers that Tremayne Manor and Lacey Tremayne have a rare collection and security. Only no one knows where Blinky went or how the Fabergé egg ended up in the grass or what happened to the security tape.
Worried about her friend, not to mention her own curiosity, Marla gets very busy following clues and jumping to conclusions. Dalton and Tally and other friends keep her grounded and mindful of her pregnancy. Marla continuously points out that she won’t be crime-stopping once the baby arrives. There are expected and unexpected twists and turns as the story unfolds.
This is the 16th in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries and Cohen has done it again with steady pace and characters who have depth and personality. She does not disappoint. I’m wondering if Marla will really bow out of sleuthing after the baby is born.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.
Easter Hair Hunt by Nancy J. Cohen is a story that involves a wealthy family and how everyone has their secrets. Along with a mystery or two.
Why would anyone kill the gardener?
Marla Vail
Marla is our sleuth and is seven months pregnant at the beginning and eight months at the ending. She is an odd sleuth, as this is my first book in this series, but it works for her. I do like how she and her detective husband work cases together. Marla seems to be more guessing with her husband than doing the actual sleuthing. I mean, I know she is pregnant, but she was doing a lot of guessing. I like that Marla does seem to have grown into a wonderful person and that she is ready to be a mother.
The Mystery
There are a few mysteries to solve. One of the cases is the gardener is killed while wearing the Easter bunny costume, and one is where did Blinky, aka Bonnie, go? Well, Marla is more into looking for her friend, Blinky, then she is hired by Lacey, the gardener’s employer, to figure out who is stealing from her. There is so much going on in these three cases, and not everyone is cooperative in the investigations. I kind of guessed early on who did it but not really why they did it. Well, that is until the end when all is explained. This book is an excellent read.
4 Stars
Ms. Cohen has weaved a fascinating tale with well-plotted mysteries. I loved the Russian and French ties that the family has in it. The mystery was intriguing, and the sleuth was funny and friendly. I am giving this book a four-star rating and recommending it to anyone that loves mysteries.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Easter Hair Hunt by Nancy J. Cohen.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
I always enjoy Nancy’s books, and this one is no exception. No spoilers in my reviews but here’s the down and dirty: A man in a bunny costume is found dead, a friend is unexplainably missing, a pregnant hairdresser Marla is on the job, along with her detective husband. The book is peppered with characters who just aren’t who/what they appear to be in the fast paced mystery in a historic estate setting. This works just fine as a standalone, but you really should go back and read the others for some backstory. You won’t miss anything if you don’t (but you’ll want to) because the author does an amazing job with character development and connecting everyone together in a well told, easy to read, interesting and fun murder mystery. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, this one will surely satisfy. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book an am leaving this honest, unsolicited review.
Easter Hair Hunt, Marla seems to keep finding bodies – despite being seven months pregnant. I love the characters in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries. They are well developed and interesting. There are always too many suspects and too many motives, but I love it when I do not figure it out! This book was interesting, fast paced and enjoyable.
I’ve been on a few Easter Egg hunts but nothing like this!!! Ms. Cohen will have you think you cracked the case only to send you hopping down another path. So hold onto your bonnet and get ready for another great Bad Hair Day Mystery. (I received an ARC)
I just love this series. Marla and Dalton are investigating another case together. Marla is looking for her friend and Dalton is trying to solve two murders. They must be connected. As she gets ready for her son’s birth and her mother’s wedding, she tries to make time to solve the mystery of her friend’s disappearance, an ongoing theft, her work and getting the baby’s room ready. She really needs to find some time to relax. I like how Dalton includes his wife and daughter in his investigations.
Today is pub day for Easter Hair Hunt! Yay! If you, like me, are a long-time fan of Nancy J. Cohen and her terrific Bad Hair Day Mystery series (or anything this author has written, for that matter) then you will have been eagerly awaiting this book, the sixteenth in the series. And let me tell you right up front, you will not be disappointed. Easter Hair Hunt is the best one yet. I know I say that with every release, but with every release it’s true. Is it because the plot and mystery are that much more engaging, or the phrasing seems that much more real, or because Marla’s character has grown with each book into someone you’d really like to have as a friend, or is it just the way author Cohen magically combines all these elements into a story you cannot put down and will enjoy reading on every page? Whatever it is, it works.
When Easter Hair Hunt begins, there’s a lot going on in the background. Marla is seven months pregnant. She and husband homicide detective Dalton Vail are expecting their first child. Although she still has concerns and fears, Marla is really looking forward to having a baby and being a mother. But it might just cut into this amateur sleuthing she’s so good at. And a side note: Marla is already a mother, and a good one. She’s worked hard for the positive relationship she has with her stepdaughter Brianna, who’s going off to college soon. Life is going to be different in the Vail household in the future for sure.
Marla is to meet a client and friend, Blinky, at an Easter gala at an historic estate. But someone is murdered and the client is missing. Is she the murderer? Has she been murdered also? Marla might take it a bit easier because of the baby, but she is determined to find out what has happened to Blinky and who was responsible. There are many clues – so many characters seem to be hiding something that you’ll be guessing right until the end – and will be pleased and surprised with the ending.
As always in a Bad Hair Day book, Nancy J. Cohen treats us to a bit more – a deep dive into the history of some aspect of the case or something particular to a location Marla visits while investigating the crime. It’s just enough. Not too much to seem like a lecture or history lesson but enough to pique your interest and keep you entertained, and it often helps Marla to solve the case. This time it’s stamps, and Faberge eggs, and the dreaded Love Bugs on the Florida highways. And there are recipes! (Not for the Love Bugs, of course!)
Easter Hair Hunt is a book you will enjoy and should definitely read. It works wonderfully as a standalone with no gaps left wondering about any character, but to get the full reading pleasure experience you should go back and read from the start. Hairdresser and salon owner Marla’s growth is amazing and believable, the friends and family surrounding her are interesting with stories of their own, and each case is full of twists and turns and some genuine bad guys.
Thanks to author Nancy J. Cohen for providing an advance copy of Easter Hair Hunt. I was not required to write a review and all opinions are my own. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.