Killer Knots: Bad Hair Day Mysteries [Paperback]

Nancy J. Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 4, 2008 | Series: Bad Hair Day Mysteries

Scissor-wielding sleuth Marla Shore is looking forward to a leisurely cruise with her fiance Dalton Vail. Too bad Dalton's teenage daughter and his parents are along for me ride. Instead of a seduction at sea, Marla is meeting the inlaws and hoping nothing goes too terribly wrong.It's a vain hope. A mysterious envelope stuck into her cabin door reads: I know what you did and I have what you want. If it hadn't been addressed to 'Martha' Shore and obviously delivered by mistake, Marla might have feared it referred to the nudie pictures buried in her past. But that embarrassment would have been better than what the note does foretell: troubled waters lie dead ahead. So instead of cruise control, Marla's on high-alert, searching for the note's recipient before me cruise goes down the drain. If Marla doesn't find the culprit fast, this spunky stylist may end up with her own split end: caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Cohen's laid-back ninth mystery (after Perish by Pedicure), hairdresser and sleuth Marla Shore takes a cruise with her fiancé, police detective Dalton Vail, and his parents and teenage daughter. Shortly after boarding, Marla receives a threatening note addressed to Martha Shore. At dinner, she and Dalton find themselves seated with a tense group of museum employees, all of whom were sent on the cruise by an anonymous benefactor and received similar notes. When a piece to be sold at the cruise's auction turns out to be the work of an artist who died under unusual circumstances, Marla decides to do a bit of digging. Her detecting is complemented by a more personal subplot: how she will get along with her soon-to-be in-laws. Fans of vacation mysteries will enjoy watching Marla find her way through this light whodunit. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Nancy J. Cohen is an award-winning author who writes romance and mysteries. Her humorous Bad Hair Day mystery series features hairdresser Marla Shore, who solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Several of these titles have made the IMBA bestseller list. Shear Murder is the tenth book in this series and Nancy's sixteenth title. Nancy's imaginative science fiction romances have also proven popular with fans. Silver Serenade recently won Best Book in Romantic Science Fiction/Fantasy at The Romance Reviews. Coming next is Warrior Prince, a Drift Lords novel and book one in a new paranormal romance series from The Wild Rose Press. Active in the writing community and a featured speaker at libraries and conferences, she is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; Reprint edition (November 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758212275
• ISBN-13: 978-0758212276
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,051,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ship to Shore!, January 5, 2008

By 

Linda A. Pearl "Page Turning Yenta" (Stoughton Ma.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killer Knots (Bad Hair Day Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The Tropical Sun, a cruise ship sailing to the Caribbean, is the latest setting for Nancy Cohen's newest book. Sit back, turn the pages,and you will swear you are on vacation as well. Of course Marla always finds herself in the midst some kind of intrigue, and in no time, Marla is off and running!

At dinner, she discovers that all the people at her table, are employees from an Art Museum that were given free passage on the cruise. Add in mistaken identity, a murder,& the mystery of the islands, and you cannot put this book down...If you,or someone you know is going on a cruise, or an island adventure, you NEED this book. If you are stuck home in the snow, than you REALLY need this book!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review, November 4, 2008

By 

Cheryl Koch (CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killer Knots: Bad Hair Day Mysteries (Paperback)

Marla Shore is ready for some fun, sun and getting to spend quality time with her fiancé, police detective, Dalton Vail and his fourteen years old daughter, Brianna aboard a cruise ship. What Marla didn't realize was that Dalton had other ideas about how to spend their quality time together and it involved Marla getting to know her soon to be future in-laws! It seems though that Marla won't be spending much time with anyone. She already has a new case just calling her name in the form of a personal note addressed to her...ok so maybe the first name was made out to Martha and not Marla but still...Marla can't stop herself from getting involved.

Marla discovers that art and cruise ships don't mix. Marla meets a group of museum employees that were all invited to have fun on the same cruise liner. While at an art auction, an very valuable art pieces shows up, painted by an artist who's died under mysterious circumstances. Can Marla solve this case before she is all washed up?

Marla is such a fun loving gal. There isn't any case too big or too small that Marla can't solve and you can guarantee that Marla will look good doing it. If you think Marla's one tough cookie when she's on the case you should see her take on every woman's nightmare....the dreaded split ends! I liked this book so much that I read it in one sitting. Killer Knots is the ninth book in this series featuring everyone's favorite hairdresser and sleuth, Marla Shore. It can be read as a stand alone book. I hope to see this series go on for a long time. Nancy Cohen is a new favorite author of mine.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder on the high seas, April 7, 2008

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killer Knots (Bad Hair Day Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Marla Shore, owner of the Cut 'N Dye Salon, is off on a cruise with her fiancé Detective Dalton Vail. His teenage daughter and parents are joining them. It's her first meeting of the in-laws.

Soon after boarding the cruise ship, a note is found in an envelope addressed to "Martha" Shore stuck in their cabin door reading "I know what you did and I have what you want." Marla figures it was delivered by mistake, or at least she hopes it was and doesn't refer to nudie pictures from her long ago past.

Marla and Dalton get seated with tense employees and associates of a Tampa art museum instead of with Dalton's family. An unknown benefactor paid for all of them to attend the cruise and they each received a note similar to the one Marla received.

The cruise hosts an art auction including the work of Alden Tusk, an artist who died mysteriously from a fall.

Marla decided to investigate. Who is sending the threatening notes? Who is the secret benefactor paying for the museum staff to come on the cruise? Is this the same person? How and why did the artist die? Can she do this and still have a good first visit with Dalton's family?

I love this series. Marla and Dalton are such fun characters. They have really grown through this series as well. I like Marla's interactions with his teenage daughter. They are very believable.

It's fun seeing them in a different setting this time. I enjoyed the cruise setting for this installment in the series. I can't wait to read the next book! I highly recommend this book and series.