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Bad Hair Day #2
Hair Raiser
A southern sleuth investigates murder and sabotage in sultry South Florida in this humorous cozy mystery.
When South Florida hairstylist Marla Shore takes charge of a fundraiser for a coastal preservation group, she has to comb through a knot of suspects to determine who’s sabotaging their gala event. Participating chefs are dropping off the roster like hot rollers, and it’s only through a series of hair-raising exploits that she can tease the truth from the suspects.
Marla’s friend, handsome Detective Dalton Vail, believes the culprit might be one of Ocean Guard’s esteemed board members. She determines to help him untangle the clues. With a killer on the loose, Marla has a lot more to worry about than which canapés her chefs should serve. She’d better comb through the knot of suspects and catch the saboteur before he strikes again.
Nominated for a Reviewer’s Choice Award by RT Book Reviews
“Curl up with Nancy Cohen’s stylishly witty and chillingly suspenseful tale of murder on the Florida coast—Hair Raiser is a cut above.” Joanne Pence, author of the Angie Amalfi Mysteries
“Hair Raiser kept me guessing until the very end. Hats off to Nancy Cohen and her engaging sleuth, Marla the hairdresser!” Laurien Berenson, author of the Melanie Travis mystery series
When South Florida hairstylist Marla Shore takes charge of a fundraiser for a coastal preservation group, she has to comb through a knot of suspects to determine who’s sabotaging their gala event. Participating chefs are dropping off the roster like hot rollers, and it’s only through a series of hair-raising exploits that she can tease the truth from the suspects.
Marla’s friend, handsome Detective Dalton Vail, believes the culprit might be one of Ocean Guard’s esteemed board members. She determines to help him untangle the clues. With a killer on the loose, Marla has a lot more to worry about than which canapés her chefs should serve. She’d better comb through the knot of suspects and catch the saboteur before he strikes again.
Nominated for a Reviewer’s Choice Award by RT Book Reviews
“Curl up with Nancy Cohen’s stylishly witty and chillingly suspenseful tale of murder on the Florida coast—Hair Raiser is a cut above.” Joanne Pence, author of the Angie Amalfi Mysteries
“Hair Raiser kept me guessing until the very end. Hats off to Nancy Cohen and her engaging sleuth, Marla the hairdresser!” Laurien Berenson, author of the Melanie Travis mystery series
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2000
About the author
Nancy J. Cohen
44 books658 followersNancy 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 the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards and the RONE Award, placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook, have won the FAPA President’s Book Award, the Royal Palm Literary Award, and IAN Book of the Year. Nancy’s imaginative romances have proven popular with fans as well. These books have won the HOLT Medallion and Best Book in Romantic SciFi/Fantasy at The Romance Reviews. Active in the writing community, Nancy is a past president of Florida Romance Writers and Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. When not busy writing, she enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World. Visit her at NancyJCohen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 25, 2013
I liked most of the characters, although Marla Shore depicts an almost unbelievable persona. The plot line is plausible as well. Again, the writing style is not my preference, since is contains unnecessary descriptions of things. I had checked two out of this series from the library and gave them both a try. This one was easier to read than the first one in the series.
February 24, 2024
Entertaining, although I found the food writing a little too detailed and long. That might appeal to a foodie, but it was a little tiresome. I give this book 3.5 stars, but round it up because of the creative plotting of the author.
June 19, 2017
My original Hair Raiser audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Marla Shore is recovering from her first run in with a killer. Since she’s physically unable to work in her beauty salon, she volunteers for the Taste of the World to keep busy. Dalton Vail, a police officer and hopeful suitor, is thrilled that she will be busy and out of his cases. Oh, if it were only that easy Dalton!
In Hair Raiser: The Bad Hair Day Mysteries, book 2, the body count starts to add up. Marla has caught the eye of a new suitor and Taste of the World is shaping up … but not like one would expect!
Nancy Cohen has taken Marla, growing her character into a tenacious sleuth with the intellect and tenacity of Columbo but the fun and outgoing personality of a young Jessica Fletcher. One cannot help but love Marla. The chemistry between Marla and Dalton continues to get more interesting but one is not clear where their relationship is headed. Cohen keeps us guessing past the end of the book!
I thought I knew who the killer was in this book but much to my surprise, each person suspected proved to not to be the killer. Cohen is a masterful weaver of mystery and twists; she skillfully misdirects the reader until the last moment.
Mary Ann Jacobs gives an excellent performance. She assumes the role of each character projecting them through her many voices. I could listen to Jacobs for days, her voice is soothing.
If you enjoy light cozy mysteries, this is a great series to get hooked on!
There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
Marla Shore is recovering from her first run in with a killer. Since she’s physically unable to work in her beauty salon, she volunteers for the Taste of the World to keep busy. Dalton Vail, a police officer and hopeful suitor, is thrilled that she will be busy and out of his cases. Oh, if it were only that easy Dalton!
In Hair Raiser: The Bad Hair Day Mysteries, book 2, the body count starts to add up. Marla has caught the eye of a new suitor and Taste of the World is shaping up … but not like one would expect!
Nancy Cohen has taken Marla, growing her character into a tenacious sleuth with the intellect and tenacity of Columbo but the fun and outgoing personality of a young Jessica Fletcher. One cannot help but love Marla. The chemistry between Marla and Dalton continues to get more interesting but one is not clear where their relationship is headed. Cohen keeps us guessing past the end of the book!
I thought I knew who the killer was in this book but much to my surprise, each person suspected proved to not to be the killer. Cohen is a masterful weaver of mystery and twists; she skillfully misdirects the reader until the last moment.
Mary Ann Jacobs gives an excellent performance. She assumes the role of each character projecting them through her many voices. I could listen to Jacobs for days, her voice is soothing.
If you enjoy light cozy mysteries, this is a great series to get hooked on!
There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
June 3, 2017
In Hair Raiser by Nancy J. Cohen, Marla Shore has volunteered to help her cousin Cynthia with Taste of the World, a major fundraiser for the Ocean Guard charity. If they do not succeed this year or fail to keep their beach property in Florida clean, the property will revert to an unknown heir. So when her cousin finds medical waste dumped on the beach, this proves to be a problem. Further, someone has been scaring away the famous chefs from the fundraiser using threatening letters and sabotage. Could the unnamed heir be a member of the Ocean Guard board in order to stop them from keeping the property for good? This becomes a distinct possibility when the lawyer on the board, whose partnership wrote up the will many years ago but who still seems to know who the heir is gets brutally murdered, bludgeoned to death.
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
January 3, 2017
Another very entertaining and enjoyable cozy mystery. I enjoyed this book more than the first book in the series. Romance, suspense, mystery and mishaps all wrapped up in a fun, light, interesting and very entertaining story. Nancy Cohen's books are just all around good fun and perfect for the days you just want something light but entertaining to listen to.
The story is constantly moving forward and something is always happening. Never a dull moment.
Marla and Dalton are back as well as a great cast of likable characters as usual. Looking forward to listening/reading the rest of the series.
Mary Ann Jacobs did a great job with the narration. Nice voice, easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. Good character voices. Perfect delivery. She brought the story and the characters to life. Very enjoyable.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.
The story is constantly moving forward and something is always happening. Never a dull moment.
Marla and Dalton are back as well as a great cast of likable characters as usual. Looking forward to listening/reading the rest of the series.
Mary Ann Jacobs did a great job with the narration. Nice voice, easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. Good character voices. Perfect delivery. She brought the story and the characters to life. Very enjoyable.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.
November 28, 2016
This is the second book in the Bad Hair Day Mystery series, and it did not disappoint. It is a fun and cozy mystery. I liked the characters - especially the main character, Marla the hairdresser. She is passionate about hair, and I liked how all throughout the book, she is evaluating everyone's hairstyle that she sees. I found her family - especially her mom - very entertaining. I listened to the Audible audio version of this book narrated by Mary Ann Jacobs, and enjoyed her narration. She has a pleasant voice and gives unique voices to each of the characters. If you like cozy mysteries, or get excited about hair, this is a great series to read.
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December 21, 2016Another intricate mystery surrounds Marla Shore (hairdresser extraordinaire) as she coordinates 'Taste of the World' a fundraiser to help her cousins organization Ocean Guard. She follows leads from some of south Florida's best restaurants to a funeral director, all the way to the Caribbean where once again the bodies stack up around her. Along side her love interest Detective Vail, who yet again warns her to steer clear of the investigation. And with good reason, she finds herself in many dangerous predicaments that ultimately lead her to the killer. Well written with vivid descriptions, a great read.
December 19, 2016
I enjoyed listening to this mystery of who is trying to sabotage the Taste of the World fundraiser and the situations that Marla finds herself in as she tries to figure out what is going on. Marla works her way through the suspects wanting to eliminate some, but tries to be fair. All the while she also is trying to figure out who is trying to keep Ocean Guard from taking possession of the preserve and if the two events are connected.
I liked how she went about combining interviewing suspects, gathering clues, and finding chefs to take part in Taste of the World. She also finds time to combine dating with sleuthing and still work her day job.
I enjoyed the narrator of this book as well. She did a good job in the voices for the different characters.
This was an interesting mystery and I plan to explore more in the series. “I voluntarily received a review copy of this audiobook from the author.”
I liked how she went about combining interviewing suspects, gathering clues, and finding chefs to take part in Taste of the World. She also finds time to combine dating with sleuthing and still work her day job.
I enjoyed the narrator of this book as well. She did a good job in the voices for the different characters.
This was an interesting mystery and I plan to explore more in the series. “I voluntarily received a review copy of this audiobook from the author.”
March 24, 2019
Just finished this fun cozy! The author made me care about the characters and want to find the answers to the mysteries. Although I sometimes wanted to slap Marla and scream at her to “don’t go there” and “don’t trust them” as I would in a horror movie, obviously the plot must go on to solve the mystery! I sort of guessed the ending but it had a twist that made me only partially correct. I will read more of this series.
April 10, 2024
Loving Marla!
Enjoyed this Florida mystery involving an independent minded amateur sleuth sniffing out clues on a case with culinary overtones —kept me guessing ‘who done it’ til the twist & big reveal @ the very end. The arc of Marla’s love life also kept me reading at a speedy clip. Highly enjoyable cozy.
Enjoyed this Florida mystery involving an independent minded amateur sleuth sniffing out clues on a case with culinary overtones —kept me guessing ‘who done it’ til the twist & big reveal @ the very end. The arc of Marla’s love life also kept me reading at a speedy clip. Highly enjoyable cozy.
September 28, 2024
I found the mystery to be a bit lacking as I realized David was the murderer early on when he kept asking Marla for "the envelope with the chef's name" that the first victim had given to her at the fundraiser meeting. Marla doesn't seem to be very bright.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2017
2 stars is generous.
June 4, 2017
A little over the top. Okay, pretty unrealistic in parts. Nonetheless, a pleasant read.
April 12, 2018
Very good read. Suspense at every turn. If you love mystery, you will love this book.
May 3, 2019
Received a free copy for a review. Fun, witty story that keeps you guessing who is responsible for all that is going on and for murder.
May 12, 2023
Love this series
July 4, 2024
Fun series interesting characters. The mystery was solid, lots of red herrings. I did guess a few things but not the motives. Will definitely continue the series
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 23, 2024DNF @ 57% on audiobook… just didn’t care enough to continue
November 11, 2013
Maybe you've read my review of the first volume of Cohen's Bad Hair Day Mysteries, Permed to Death. Permed was fun yet awkward reading that left me somewhat satisfied with the story but rankled a bit with the characterization. Cohen had come up with a nice concept, and being a writer myself I tend to root for other writers, that future books will improve with time.
I'm happy to say Cohen tops her mystery debut with Hair Raiser and the return of South Florida hairstylist Marla Shore. Still recovering from the events of her previous adventure, Marla dives head-first back into life, volunteering as a coordinator for an annual food festival which benefits the maintenance of an area mangrove supervised by the Ocean Guard. Problem is, somebody doesn't want the festival to go down, as Marla discovers several area chefs are being threatened with blackmail and/or exploding rum bottles (you'll have to read the first chapter). When a member of Ocean Guard's board is murdered, Marla is on the hunt, much to the chagrin of Detective Vail. Marla's blossoming friendship with the disturbing David Newburg does little to soothe tension between the two, either.
Hair Raiser is superior to its predecessor in that Cohen's characterization of Marla is greatly improved; her knack for evaluating the hair and clothing of everyone she meets is amusing, and it appears in this story her relationship with Detective Vail is more believable. Even the introduction of a curious, animal-loving neighbor provides a few smiles. It will be interesting to see what Cohen has planned for Marla and Vail in the future, and I don't mean hairstyles.
I'm happy to say Cohen tops her mystery debut with Hair Raiser and the return of South Florida hairstylist Marla Shore. Still recovering from the events of her previous adventure, Marla dives head-first back into life, volunteering as a coordinator for an annual food festival which benefits the maintenance of an area mangrove supervised by the Ocean Guard. Problem is, somebody doesn't want the festival to go down, as Marla discovers several area chefs are being threatened with blackmail and/or exploding rum bottles (you'll have to read the first chapter). When a member of Ocean Guard's board is murdered, Marla is on the hunt, much to the chagrin of Detective Vail. Marla's blossoming friendship with the disturbing David Newburg does little to soothe tension between the two, either.
Hair Raiser is superior to its predecessor in that Cohen's characterization of Marla is greatly improved; her knack for evaluating the hair and clothing of everyone she meets is amusing, and it appears in this story her relationship with Detective Vail is more believable. Even the introduction of a curious, animal-loving neighbor provides a few smiles. It will be interesting to see what Cohen has planned for Marla and Vail in the future, and I don't mean hairstyles.
February 7, 2017
When savvy hairstylist Marla Shore volunteers for a fundraiser, she has to comb through a knot of suspects to determine who’s sabotaging the gala event. Participating chefs are dropping off the roster like hot rollers, and it’s only through a series of hair-raising exploits that the brazen beautician can tease the truth from them. Too late to stop a murder, Marla must salvage the grand affair before she’s moussed into oblivion.
Can Marla's shear her way through the lies to catch a killer? Before the killer buries her for good?
Hair Raiser was originally published by Kensington Publishing Corp. This Author’s Edition has been revised and updated with added bonus materials.
Another fun Bad Hair Day mystery from the pen of Nancy J. Cohen.
Well plotted and written, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages (or listening) right through until the hair splitting conclusion.
These audio books are great fun to listen to. And well narrated by Mary Ann Jacobs.
Available in Hardback, Paperback, Kindle and Audio download.
I voluntarily listened and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Published by Orange Grove Press and given by the author.
Can Marla's shear her way through the lies to catch a killer? Before the killer buries her for good?
Hair Raiser was originally published by Kensington Publishing Corp. This Author’s Edition has been revised and updated with added bonus materials.
Another fun Bad Hair Day mystery from the pen of Nancy J. Cohen.
Well plotted and written, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages (or listening) right through until the hair splitting conclusion.
These audio books are great fun to listen to. And well narrated by Mary Ann Jacobs.
Available in Hardback, Paperback, Kindle and Audio download.
I voluntarily listened and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Published by Orange Grove Press and given by the author.
September 1, 2010
The second installment of the series of who-done-it mysteries featuring Marla Shore of the Cut N Dye Salon in Florida, This was a bit better than the first. Marla is recovering from a hand injury from the first book, so she volunteers to help her cousin Cynthia with a fund raiser. I found this book kind of hard to follow, because there about 5 or 6 suspects and the storyline gets blurry throughout. I kept asking myself, who is this character again, and how do they tie into the story? Nancy J Cohen does a great job though of referring back to each character and what role they play. I found it a bit annoying actually once I figured everyone out. Marla is dating 2 or 3 men and ivestigating about 5 or 6 people. GRRRRRRR Lots of characters, I should have taken notes. LOL.
However the story made sense in the end. Marlas romance with Detectve Vail heats up which was nice. I couldnt quite figure out how the title relayed to the story because this one was about chefs, a fundfaiser and a mangrove. It really didnt have much to do with the salon.
However the story made sense in the end. Marlas romance with Detectve Vail heats up which was nice. I couldnt quite figure out how the title relayed to the story because this one was about chefs, a fundfaiser and a mangrove. It really didnt have much to do with the salon.
May 14, 2012
Generally this is the kind of light, fun whodunit that I enjoy. Marla and Detective Vail are a fun almost couple. And Marla's friends are great. What ruins the books for me is Marla's obsession with drowning kids. In the first book we find that while she was babysitting when she was younger, the little girl drown in the pool. Now she's completely obsessed with kids drowning in pools. In this book, one of her young cousins falls in the pool and stops breathing until someone preforms CPR during Thanksgiving dinner. She is constantly reminding people that kids drowning is the number one cause of death in Florida. I don't live in Florida and I do have a kid. This one thing sucks all the fun out of the novels. I don't want a lecture while I'm reading my light, summer "beach books." If I wanted to be lectured, I'd go to graduate school.
November 23, 2016
I received this audiobook free for an honest review. I just received this book from the author and was excited to listen to it. Nancy Cohen does an excellent job of giving you suspense, thrill and romance. Marla's relationship with Dalton Vail continues from the first book. Such a cute couple. I thought I had the murder figured out, but the ending was a surprise. Nancy does a great job of keeping the listener/reader's interest. Mary Ann Jacob does a wonderful job with each character. Nancy builds them exquisitely and Mary Ann does a fabulous job of presenting them to the listener. Each character is unique and the reader enhances each one of them. Looking forward to the next book. Keep up the great work.
July 6, 2012
Book 2 What can I say? Not sure this is my favorite... what are my issues? Sometimes I can't remember who is who. In fact at one point I went searching through the book to see if I had seen a name before (I hadn't) but it was introduced as if I had. I also have a rough time buying the fact that small business owner has any time to do all the sleuthing she does and still run a successful business. In addition to that, how does she keep good employees when she keeps skipping out for her investigations and dumping her clients on them? And why do people talk to this woman? Cause she is cute? I guess I am still reading this series just for the relationship development and not much else.
September 30, 2012
Cohen's second book focusing on Marla Shore was better than the first, in my opinion. Here, as Marla tries to help her cousin plan a fundraiser, she walks into a situation that quickly becomes complicated with crimes from the improper dumping of medical waste to murder. One thing that stood out was the use of Marla's occupation to gain information pertinent to the case, as she is able to question a member of the board (and one of Vail's suspects), while doing her hair. It is true that several females tend to spill things to their hairdressers that they don't tell to others close in their lives, making this a plausible method of snooping... Something that other mysteries lack.
December 11, 2016
Marla volunteered to help with a fundraiser for Ocean Guard. She is coming to regret the decision to help out when chefs are backing out and some are getting hurt. Someone is trying to keep her from helping by leaving a dead duck on her doorstep and ransacking her house. Then someone is polluting the area that they are supposed to be helping and her cousin is having a hard time with her daughter's boyfriend. Things are not adding up and Marla is trying to find out who is to blame for all the mess and isn't sure who to trust.
August 16, 2011
I had this book on my Kindle because I have the other books on my stack to read. I am not really taken with this author. It is about a beauty salon owner named Marla who solves crimes and I am not sure why she gets involved in these things. Other than just being curious. I have 2 more in the series to read and then I think I am done with this one.
December 23, 2016
This is book two in the series. Nancy Cohen does a nice job with this fun cozy mystery. Marla Shore is a great character. I really enjoyed how she was always evaluating peoples hair styles seems real to me. I thought Mary Ann Jacobs did a wonderful job of narrating this book. I look forward to more in this series. I was gifted this book but this is my honest review.
July 15, 2011
I liked the storyline. I was half right in my guess about who killed whom and why. The fight at the end was sort of funy considering where it was. I can't tell you as it might reveal too much of the plot. Marla and Detective Vail are getting a bit closer.
September 24, 2016
Did Not Disappoint
Just started reading the Bad Hair Mysteries and I love them. The second one kept me guessing even after I thought I had solved it. Can't wait to start #3. Great author. Becoming one of many favorites.
Just started reading the Bad Hair Mysteries and I love them. The second one kept me guessing even after I thought I had solved it. Can't wait to start #3. Great author. Becoming one of many favorites.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews