Another crazy trip through a murder mystery with Marla. ( )

In Cohen’s mystery novel, salon owner Marla Shore is busy. She’s planning her upcoming nuptials as well as serving as hairdresser at her friend’s wedding. Set on Orchid Isle, the view is spectacular for her friend’s wedding until murder disrupts the festivities.

Torrie Miller, the matron-of-honor—and the bride’s sister—is found stabbed with the wedding cake knife. With a long list of enemies there’s no shortage of suspects as Marla takes on solving this murder in between planning seating charts and selecting gowns for her own wedding to Lieutenant Dalton Vail.

Fast-paced, creative, believable charact3ers—a wonderful addition to the A Bad Hair Day Mystery series. ( )

Marla Shore is a bridesmaid at her friend Jill's wedding and does all of the hair styling as well. During the salon time before the wedding, Marla picks up on tension between Jill and her sister Torrie. At the wedding venue, Torrie also gets into it with a photographer from the magazine she works at and a rival reporter. After a lot of drama, Jill gets married and Marla goes to find the cake knife at the reception. She finds it, but it has been repurposed as a murder weapon in Torrie's chest. Marla's fiance Dalton, a police detective, is on the scene and keeps it secure until the locals arrive.
Dalton and Marla have their own wedding to plan and he chides her about getting involved in this murder. Marla has enough on her plate with semi-feuding mothers-in-law, getting flowers, expanding guest lists, etc, but being Jill's friend, she wants to help. Soon she is in up to her neck with photographers, reporters, florists and realtors, all involved with Jill and Torrie, and all having a possible reason to commit murder.
I love this series and this is a great addition. Marla tries to stay out of these murders but she just can't. Dalton is exasperated but supportive for the most part, although he is acting a little strange over their wedding. Marla has to deal with frazzled friends, a molotov cocktail in her salon, an old "friend" of Dalton's and planning the wedding. It is all a wonderful mix of mayhem and romance that Ms. Cohen works into a lovely mystery. I hope the next one comes sooner than later! ( )

This whole series has been a lot of fun.

In this installment, Marla not only does hair for a wedding, but is a bridesmaid and finally a bride. At crunch time for her own wedding plans she is also trying to solve a murder. Marla takes multitasking to a whole new level. Dalton really understands her need to be in the middle of things and his daughter Brianna has a great relationship with Marla. I am so happy this new family is coming together.

The family dynamics at work in both Marla’s case and Jill and Torrie’s are very entertaining. Marla knows just how to handle her own relatives and her future in-laws. Torrie’s family and friends are so dysfunctional the suspects in her death are many and when the culprit was revealed this reader was quite surprised.

This is an ideal cozy mystery full of murder, mayhem, humor and romance. It is so fast paced you will read it in one sitting, just as I did. This book is definitely the perfect book to “escape into” this winter, it will warm you right up! ( )

Shear Murder is a fun mystery/romance. There is quite a bit of detailed wedding information because the character, Marla, is not only a bridesmaid in a wedding, but also planning her own wedding.

Imagine finding a dead body under the wedding cake table! Suspects abound in this story, and Marla is well know by local police as someone who likes to get involved. I think that there was maybe a little too much information gained by eavesdropping, but Marla is eager to solve the crime.

I was a little worried when I saw that the book contained just over two pages of a Cast of Characters with the names and brief bio of everyone in the book (including pets!), but keeping track of everyone was not a problem even without the list.

This is the tenth in the “Bad Hair Day” mystery series, but it is very much a stand alone. This was the first in the series that I read and I never felt like I didn’t know something that had happened in the past. I am not sure if this is the last in the series, but if it is, fans will be pleased. ( )