Do you want to write a mystery but don’t have a clue where to start? Or maybe you’ve begun a story but are stuck on the plot? Perhaps you’re already writing a series, and you need tips on how to keep track of your material? This concise tool will show you step-by-step how to develop your characters, establish the setting, plot the story, add suspense, plant clues and sustain your series. You’ll find everything you need to know in an easy-to-read, clear manner to write your own whodunit.

Writing the Cozy Mystery

Reference

Cohen, Nancy J.

Words, Language & Grammar

Orange Grove Press

Hairstylist Marla Shore volunteers for Taste of the World, a fund-raiser sponsored by Ocean Guard. It’s a decision she soon regrets. First Chef Pierre's rum-soaked Bananas Foster goes up in flames, making her wonder if sabotage caused the incident. Her suspicions deepen as more chefs drop off the roster and Ocean Guard's attorney is murdered. Does the lawyer’s death relate to an estate being managed by the group? If their gala fails, this property will fall into the hands of a mysterious heir. Marla's friend, 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. “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 Mysteries “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 “An easy-to-take series title with the ready appeal of an independent female sleuth and colorful Florida settings.” Library Journal “Hair Raiser is a delightfully saucy tale of sabotage, murder, and culinary chaos.” Fabulous Florida Writers “Nancy J. Cohen gives romance and mystery fans a heady concoction to savor.” 4-1/2 stars and a Top Pick! Nominated for a Reviewer’s Choice Award by RT Book Reviews “Readers looking for a stylish suspense novel that’s a cut above the rest, will find it in Hair Raiser.” Barnes &amp; Noble Ransom Notes “Hair Raiser is curled around a likable amateur sleuth who can handle a curling iron and murder clues with aplomb...Cohen is on her way to a stylish series.” Sun-Sentinel

Hair Raiser (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)

Humor & Entertainment

Humor

Hairstylist Marla Shore joins a fitness club to get in shape but discovers a dead body instead of an exercise routine. Jolene Myers—a client at Marla’s salon—has drowned beneath the frothing waters of the whirlpool. When Homicide Detective Dalton Vail determines Jolene's death was no accident, Marla decides to give her deductive skills a workout and help solve the case. Jolene had few friends at the fancy athletic club. As Marla gets to know everyone, she wonders who might have targeted Jolene for a lethal soak in the hot tub. The shady pharmacist? The smarmy city councilman? Or maybe the vocal animal rights activist? The fitness club staff had no fondness for Jolene, either. How far would they go to keep their secrets? When another member turns up dead, Marla intensifies her efforts to nail the killer and wrap the case. If she fails, the next buff body on its way to the morgue might be hers. “Marla Shore is a beguiling, very clever sleuth who teases out every clue. Absolutely delightful!” Jill Churchill, author of the Jane Jeffry & Grace and Favor mystery series. “An amusing, well paced mystery.” Kirkus Reviews “Cohen fashions her Bad Hair Day series with plenty of humor, snappy repartee and even a healthy helping of current events.” The News Press “In Murder by Manicure, a southern sleuth who’s a cut above the rest pulls out all the stops to wrap up another nail-biting murder that will leave readers eagerly awaiting their next appointment with Marla Shore.” Barnes & Noble Ransom Notes “Observations about makeup, hair, and apparel mix with humorous, sexy overtones and catty remarks. A solid series addition.” Library Journal

Murder by Manicure (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)

Body Wave (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)

Hairstylist Marla Shore is already having a bad hair day when one of her clients dies in the shampoo chair at her salon. Then Detective Dalton Vail accuses her of putting poison in the wealthy woman’s coffee creamer. Grumpy Bertha Kravitz might not have been Marla’s favorite customer, but she wouldn’t have murdered the lady. With her reputation at stake, Marla decides it’s up to her to unmask the killer. Combing the woman’s privileged world for clues, Marla discovers the town is crawling with potential suspects. Bertha’s son is resentful about being written out of her will. Her shady business partner has secrets to hide, and then there’s the niece, who inherits Bertha’s fortune. But Marla might have to look closer to home for the culprit. Her janitor has vanished without a trace, and one of her stylists leads an upscale lifestyle that doesn’t match her income. As the case grows more snarled, Marla determines to unravel the clues. She’d better hurry before the smart detective discovers her scandalous secret, or he’ll pin her with a motive and lock her away in a place where a bad hair day will become permanent. “Marla the beautician is a delight!”—Tamar Myers, author of the Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries

Permed to Death (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)

When history teacher Bill Ripari offers his property for a school haunted house project, hairstylist Marla Vail volunteers to put the scare factor into the props’ hair. She joins her stepdaughter along with other students, parents, and teachers to transform the wooded estate into a creepy attraction.Marla is busy creating decorations when she spies a splash of red on the estate grounds. Curiosity compels her to go outside for a closer look, but the dark stain isn’t fake blood meant to be part of fright night. Instead, the trail leads straight to the history teacher’s dead body.Worried about the kids, Marla puts on her sleuthing hat to investigate. She discovers every one of the volunteers present that night had a possible motive. Between slacker students, helicopter parents, unexpected heirs, and a stonewalling school administration, Marla has her hands full in solving the murder and keeping her stepdaughter safe.This standalone edition includes a bonus chapter from Facials Can Be Fatal, #13 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries.

Haunted Hair Nights: A Bad Hair Day Cozy Mystery Novella (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)

Literature & Fiction

Genre Fiction

Hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Shore lands a case close to home when her animal-loving neighbor—a man aptly named Goat—disappears, leaving his pets alone and a dead body in his master bedroom. Even more disturbing is the pattern of highlights Marla notes in the victim’s hair. She recognizes the signature technique of her former mentor, master stylist Cutter Corrigan.Wanting to impress sexy Detective Dalton Vail, she hurries to interview Cutter first so she’ll have the inside scoop. Soon she’s untangling clues that link Goat, Cutter, and the unsavory pet fur trade to her own past. Someone at her former beauty school has a hair-raising secret worth killing to keep. While Marla and Dalton chase leads despite their growing attraction for each other, the body count rises. And the closer Marla gets to the truth, the more she puts her life in peril. She’d better unmask the culprit before she becomes the next target.“Full of twists and turns, great characters, and an interesting setting. Who could ask for more?” Denise Swanson, author of the Scumble River mystery series

Highlights to Heaven (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)

When hairstylist Marla Vail’s best friend is hurt in a car crash, Marla takes over as her baby’s guardian. No sooner does Marla say, “Baby want a bottle?” than she’s embroiled in another murder investigation. Her husband, Detective Dalton Vail, determines the crash may not have been an accident after all. But then, who would want Tally—or Ken in the car with her—out of the way?Ken’s insurance agency was involved in a fraud investigation. Did someone mean to silence him? Or could something in Tally’s life have put her in jeopardy? She’d recently joined a tea ladies circle. Had she discovered secrets among the women that almost got her killed? Or could she be the target of a disgruntled employee from her dress shop? As Marla delves further into her friends’ backgrounds, she realizes she didn’t know them as well as she’d thought. Even so, Tally and Ken have trusted her with their child’s care. Can she protect the baby and find the culprit before someone else becomes roadkill?Once again, salon owner Marla Vail must summon her sleuthing skills to track a murderer amid clues that hit close to home. Despite being busy with baby care, work at the salon, and her own family, she’s determined to find the person responsible for putting her friend in the hospital. She doesn’t anticipate the life-altering changes that may result from her actions.

Hair Brained (Bad Hair Day Mysteries)

Three people. One God of Grace. John Douglas thought he knew the future God had for him--raise a family and grow old with his bride, Hannah. But then a deadly house fire incinerates his faith, destroying the man he'd been. Worship leader Jenni Dupont conquered her demons years ago and has the scars to prove it. But temptation strikes when her world is shattered, and this time she's not sure if God can carry her through. Bar waitress April Johanson lives with the secret trauma of an abusive past. Desperate to stay off the streets of Vegas, she'll do whatever is necessary to pay the rent. When their lives intersect, God will ask them to do the impossible. To love Him even if...

Grace in the Flames (Grace Series (3 book series))

Religion & Spirituality

Massaro, Michelle

Christian Books & Bibles

When the past holds the future captive, there is only ONE chain breaker.Tori Bishop has carved out a safe circle of friends who know nothing of her privileged status. But when she's roped into attending a glitzy fundraiser, she brings along strong and steadfast Derek for support. As long as her secret stays safe, she never has to question his motives.Derek Miller wants his life to count for something, to make a difference-especially in the life of Tori Bishop, the spunky smart-mouth who loves razzing him. But if his prison record comes to light, she's sure to take off running.When Tori and Derek get involved in building a local women's shelter, the extra time together stirs more than an ember of attraction. Haunted by the fear of exposure, each must wrestle with the chains of their pasts to experience freedom, love, and the full depths of God's grace.

Unbound by Grace: a novella (Grace Series (3 book series))

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