Rating: Good
Source: Author
Description: During the frenzy of the December holidays, the last thing salon owner Marla Vail needs is a dead body slathered in a green facial mask at her new day spa. The victim, Valerie Weston, was a major donor for Friends of Old Florida, a historic building preservation society. Marla’s stylists are scheduled to work backstage at their upcoming gala fashion show, but Val’s demise might put a crimp in their plans. Hoping to salvage her reputation, Marla determines to track down the suspects. As she learns more about Val, she realizes the benefactress might have stumbled onto secrets others would kill to keep. She’d better prepare for a body count that has nothing to do with hot stone massages and everything to do with murder.
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: I really enjoyed the previous book in the series and really wanted to see Marla on her home turf.
My Impression: I read Cohen's previous book in this series (Peril by Ponytail) around hair stylist and salon owner, Marla Vail, last year and while I really enjoyed reading about Marla and her new husband having adventures on their honeymoon I was really looking forward to getting a peek into their daily lives. I loved seeing Marla at her salon dealing with clients, her stylists and the regular daily emergencies. As well, I really enjoyed seeing Marla and Dalton settle in together and their interactions with and about Dalton's daughter Brianna were lots of fun. I thought it was funny how resistant Dalton was to letting her drive with her newly acquired learner's permit.
We don't have to wait long for the first body to fall and the story really got rolling then. Just who would have disliked Val enough to kill her and was it really murder in the first place? When a question was answered it seemed to bring up more questions and it was lots of fun navigating the clues and the giant pool of suspects. I also really enjoyed the look into the political and not always nice world of historical preservation. This one kept me guessing and my inner history nerd was made even happier with the talks of diaries, shipwrecks and preserving old architecture. The setting for the final showdown alone is worth giving this book a read!
If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a fun, light series, with a likable main characters and enjoyable side characters. This is my 2nd book though is I think #13 in the series and while previous mysteries are mentioned not having read them didn't impact my enjoyment or comprehension of the book.
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Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely! I'm really looking forward to going back and reading earlier books in the series!
Would I Recommend this Book?: If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a great pick!
Thank you for the wonderful review, Katherine!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a fun cozy mystery. I love the setting and am so glad you enjoyed this one. I love the title and cover, too.
ReplyDeleteIf only my visits to the salon were so exciting! I'd much prefer murder in a book than in real life though. This sounds like a fun novel, Katherine. I really need to give this series a try!
ReplyDeleteI think we'd all prefer murder in a book to seeing one in real life. LOL
DeleteI enjoyed this one very much.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yvonne!
DeleteThis sounds like a really fun series. It is great that the books don't really have to be read in order to be enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteYou can enter the series by reading any one of the books and then go back to the earlier titles if you wish.
DeleteSounds like a fun series, love the title...lol.
ReplyDeleteThe title does make one wary of getting a facial.
DeleteI saw this somewhere else or was it earlier on your blog in a meme! Anyway sounds fun, and good your inner history nerd was happy!
ReplyDeleteI like bringing history into a story, and this was especially meaningful since I used real excerpts from my father's 1935 travel journal.
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