Review: Trimmed to Death by Nancy J. Cohen

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Orange Grove Press

Release Date:
September 25, 2018









Synopsis from Goodreads:

Savvy hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Vail enters a charity bake-off contest at a fall festival sponsored by a local farm. While she waits to see if her coconut fudge pie is a winner, Marla joins a scavenger hunt where people playing character roles are the targets. Instead of scoring points with a live person, she finds a dead body planted face-down in the strawberry field. Who would want to cut short the life of food magazine publisher and fellow bake-off contestant Francine Dodger? As she investigates, Marla learns there’s no shortage of suspects. A celebrity TV chef, food critic, olive oil importer, food truck owner, pastry chef, and cookbook author may be stirring up more than their next recipe. Can Marla unmask the killer before someone else gets trimmed from life?

Recipes Included!

My Review

A charity bake-off contest turns nasty for hairstylist Marla Vail. During a scavenger hunt she finds a real dead body. That’s not at all what she expected, but it’s not the first time Marla found herself in the middle of a murder investigation.

Marla assists her detective husband in finding a killer. She is shocked to discover the deceased had her fair share of enemies, but who had enough of a motive to kill?  That’s the question Marla is determined to learn.

This is another of my favorite cozy mystery series. I’ve always loved Marla as well as her family and friends. She’s such a strong protagonist who I’ve come to truly care about. With each book we see Marla continue to grow as do her relationships with her husband, step-daughter and best friend.

Reading the entire series enhances your reading experience and brings you so much closer to the characters, but each book can also be read on its own. Each mystery is solved within one book and does not carry over to the next. I have read the last few, but not the first few. My plan is to go back and read the ones I missed, but it’s not really necessary as I’m enjoying this series already.

The story is well-plotted and well-written. The characters are fully developed and vividly portrayed. It’s a light-hearted series that always makes me smile after the last page is turned. It helps that it’s set in one of my favorite places - Florida. Being familiar with the area, I feel like I’m right there with Marla.  Best of all, I didn't see the end coming!

I hope we get another book in this fun series soon.



For reading challenges:
Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge 2018

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.