Title: Killer Knots
Author: Nancy J. Cohen
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Book Blurb:
Hairstylist Marla Shore is looking forward to a romantic interlude with her fiancé, Detective Dalton Vail, on their first Caribbean cruise. Her excitement hits a snag when she discovers his parents have come along for the ride. It isn’t how she might have chosen to meet her future in-laws, but she hopes they’ll have smooth sailing ahead.
The first sign of trouble is a threatening note she receives on her cabin door. It’s addressed to Martha Shore, which she assumes is a mistake. But when she meets her dinner companions and learns they’ve received similar notes, she suspects something isn’t kosher and it’s not the lobster on the menu. Their tablemates are all colleagues from an art museum, where an artist died recently under strange circumstances. She’s just getting to know them when they begin to disappear one-by-one. Realizing the killer may be on board, she musters her sleuthing skills to expose the culprit before her next excursion turns into a trip to Davy Jones’s locker.
“Fans of vacation mysteries will enjoy watching Marla find her way through this light whodunit.” Publisher’s Weekly
“Overeating isn't the only danger when a Florida hairdresser and her fiancé take a Caribbean cruise. As passengers start to disappear, Marla suspects lobster thermidor isn't the only thing aboard that's not kosher.” Kirkus Reviews
“Killer Knots lures you with balmy breezes, exotic ports of call, and an intriguing mystery. Kick back with your favorite tropical libation and enjoy the sailing.” Reader To Reader
Excerpt:
Marla awoke as suddenly as she’d conked out. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she found herself lying flat on her back staring up at a ceiling with flaky white paint. Blinking, she tried to clear her muddled mind to determine what had happened. Her forehead throbbed, making clarity of thought difficult. Tempted to close her eyes, she forced herself to remain awake.
As a test, she flexed her arms and legs. Her elbow and knee joints moved and nothing hurt. That’s good. Now figure out where you are. Physically, she appeared to be intact, except for the sluggishness that felt similar to caffeine withdrawal.
Groping with her fingers, she explored the hard surface she lay on. Not a bed, so she wasn’t in the hospital. Had she been in an accident and taken in by a bystander?
She swung her gaze around the four blank walls surrounding her, noting the small vented window high up and the solid white door. Not a very welcoming room. Maybe she’d see more if she sat up.
She struggled to a sitting position, folded her legs Indian-style for support, and rubbed her hands over her face. Oh gosh, what had happened? She couldn’t remember... Wait, she’d been in the shop. Vanilla... Guavaberry Liqueur. She’d tasted some and then passed out.
Lord save me, did I miss the sailing?
She couldn’t be onboard the Tropical Sun. From the window, she glimpsed an electric wire strung outside. That meant she was still on St. Maarten. Could this room be at the rear of Nadine’s emporium? Possibly, the bartender had returned to the storefront and seen that Marla had taken ill. Madame Nadine could have brought her back here until she recovered enough to fend for herself.
Focusing her bleary vision on her watch, she widened her eyes. It wasn’t too late! All passengers were supposed to be aboard in fifteen minutes, but the ship wouldn’t leave port for another half hour. She couldn’t reach the pier by water taxi in time, but by a land route, it was possible. That is, if she could rouse herself to leave and find a driver.
Moistening her lips, she craved a drink of water to erase the cottony dryness in her mouth. Her stomach felt queasy, and an edge of lethargy still sapped her energy.
Maybe it was the heat. Without air-conditioning, the room acted like an oven, making her suck in short, shallow breaths. How long could she last before succumbing to heatstroke? And if this was Madame Nadine’s place, why didn’t the woman come and check on her?
Sweat dripping down her chest, she pulled herself to her feet. She waited until her body stopped shaking before staggering toward the exit. But when she tried to twist the doorknob, it wouldn’t turn.
Rattling it with more force had no effect. The door refused to budge. Unwilling to admit defeat, she banged her shoulder against the wood. Was it stuck from being warped, or was it locked on the other side?
Maybe Madame Nadine had dumped her in here, and the door had jammed on the way out. Or she had left her here on purpose. The countess could have put her up to it to avoid contact. If that was the case, surely the countess was long gone by now. Pounding on the wood, Marla shouted for help.
“Madame Nadine, are you there? Let me out!”
Voices came into earshot. Male voices chattering in a language she couldn’t understand.
Her heart racing, she slumped against a wall. What if she wasn’t in the rear of Madame Nadine’s emporium?
The men stopped outside her room. Someone tested the doorknob, which held fast. Snickering, one man uttered a remark in a foreign language that caused the other guy to laugh. Fear pelted her like needles of ice. She recognized his gruff tone. He was the same man she’d met in the shop.
Holding her breath, she waited until the pair moved away, their voices rising in argument. Finally, they retreated far enough for silence to reign.
She exhaled in relief. Tuning her ears, she listened for street sounds but didn’t hear any car engines, vendors hawking their wares, or motorcycles. For all she knew, she could be somewhere inland, far from the ocean.
A chill crawled up her spine like skeletal fingers playing upon her vertebrae. Is this what had happened to Martha Shore? Someone slipped her a Mickey and locked her up in San Juan? And was the intent to kill or merely to keep her from getting back to the ship? Not that it mattered. If she stayed in this place much longer, she’d die from the heat.
Buy Links:
Killer Knots is On Sale for $0.99 (reg. $4.99) for a limited time!
Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R74ZLX2
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/KillerKnots
What makes your featured book a must-read?
A murder on the high seas makes for a perfect closed-door mystery. Sail away with hairstylist Marla Shore and her fiancé as they cruise to the Caribbean with a killer on board. Having been on over thirty cruises, I could describe the ship and ports in vivid detail. You’ll feel you are sailing along with Marla as she encounters murder and mayhem in between sumptuous buffets, onboard art auctions, and fun shore excursions. This book is perfect for cozy mystery fans, vacationers and cruise enthusiasts.
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Author Biography:
Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. These books have won numerous awards along with her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook. Active in the writing community, Nancy is a past president of Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter. Currently, she is serving as Vice President of Citrus Crime Writers. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.
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