Easter Hair Hunt (The Bad Hair Day Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
16th in Series
Publisher: Orange Grove Press (March 10, 2020)
Print Length: 233 pages

Synopsis

Hare today, dead tomorrow… Can a stylish sleuth pull a rabbit out of her hat to solve an Easter murder in this to-dye-for cozy mystery?

When hairstylist Marla Vail attends an Easter egg hunt at historic Tremayne Manor, she’s only there to fix hair for a client, Bonnie “Blinky” Morris. But when she’s asked to comb the grounds for leftover goodies, Marla discovers more than just a few dyed eggs. The dead body in the bunny costume is definitely not having a good hare day. And Blinky seems to have disappeared down a rabbit hole.

When trying to solve a murder, everyone needs a friend who’s all ears. For Marla, that’s her husband, homicide detective Dalton Vail. They make an eggcellent team. Dalton isn’t the kind to leap to conclusions, but with his wife seven months pregnant, and knowing Marla finds crime-solving to be irresistible, he worries about her running off on another hare-raising adventure.

Marla’s peeps are hoping for a happy ending, but she may have found a basketful of trouble this time. Can she crack the case before Blinky becomes the next victim?

 

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Guest Post

Postage Stamps are History by Nancy J. Cohen

In Easter Hair Hunt, my latest Bad Hair Day mystery, hairstylist Marla Vail and her homicide detective husband Dalton, interview a stamp collector to determine who might have had a motive for murder. Whereas Marla previously thought of postage stamps as mere pieces of paper, she gains a new appreciation for these collectors’ items as part of our national history and cultural representation.

In 1837, Sir Rowland Hill, the British Postmaster General, proposed that mail should go anywhere in Britain for the same rate. The sender would pay the postage, and payment was noted by placing a small piece of colored paper on the outside of the letter. This change was enacted in 1840. In 1847, the United States Post Office Department printed its first stamps.

Marla and Dalton chat with a stamp collector on the subject to learn more about a potential suspect. Here’s an excerpt from their conversation:

Jonny tucked his hands into his pants pockets. “The first perforated stamps appeared in 1857 in the United States. People have been collecting them ever since they were issued.”

“So their history is part of their value?” Dalton said.

Jonny gave a vehement nod. “Most definitely. Philately is the study of stamps, postal history, and related topics. You can be called a philatelist even if you don’t own any stamps. For example, a philatelist might study rare stamps that have a significant historical value, like the ones you see in museums. Postage stamps reveal more than the history of a letter. They can represent the history of a nation.”

“What draws people to collecting stamps?” Marla asked. “They’re essentially pieces of paper.”

“They’re so much more, my dear. Each stamp tells a story. They’re art, history, economics, and romanticism all in one. The introduction of special commemorative stamps drew even more interest to the hobby. The first stamp in this country that was issued to remember our history was in 1893 to commemorate Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World. These stamps can be worth thousands of dollars, depending on their condition.”

“Do collectors have a focus, like a particular area of interest?”

He nodded. “People might collect stamps from a particular country. Or they might pursue a certain topic, such as scenes with birds or famous scientists or sports. My specialty is stamps with flowering plants issued in the United States. These show our living botanicals from an American landscape perspective.”

“How do you sell them? Don’t you have to find other collectors who might be interested?” Marla couldn’t help becoming interested in the topic. She’d never really thought about the different pictures or meaning of a stamp.

“We sell them to a stamp dealer or offer them to a philatelic auction house. Most of us aren’t in it for the money, though. We want to learn more about the history, culture, science, and technology that the stamps illustrate.”

 

As Marla notes later to Dalton, someone indeed may have been collecting stamps for money. In fact, this angle could be a motive for murder.

Do you order special stamps or you buy whatever is standard at the post office?

Thank you Nancy for sharing that information about stamps.  I know my dad used to go and buy stamps and I can’t tell you everything we found after he passed!  It was interesting to see the stamps that he had purchased. – StoreyBook Reviews

About the Author

Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have made the IMBA bestseller list and been selected by Suspense Magazine as best cozy mystery. Nancy has also written the instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery. Her imaginative romances, including the Drift Lords series, have proven popular with fans as well. A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, she enjoys fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.

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