Title: Shear Holiday Mayhem (A Melanie Hogan Mystery)
Author: Rhonda Blackhurst
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Book Blurb:
A joyous Christmas festival. Two best friends. What could go wrong?
Melanie Hogan, owner of A Cut Above hair salon, discovers the holidays aren’t always jolly when she receives an unexpected gift at the Birch Haven Christmas Festival. A dead body. Best friend and salon co-owner, Claire Davis, lands herself as the lead suspect. When Melanie’s boyfriend, Homicide Detective Levi Wescott, is booted off the case due to a conflict of interest, Melanie is compelled to find the real killer herself. With only days left to go until Christmas, Melanie races to give Claire the perfect gift—her freedom. But as she begins unwrapping secrets of some unsavory characters, the looming deadline leads to unusual reckless and impulsive decisions, and she finds herself in a bit of a quandary. Can she catch the real killer before Birch Haven PD is forced to solve her own murder?
Excerpt:
“Hey there!”
I jumped at Rubie’s voice behind me, hitting my head on the dryer door. “Ouch!” I yelped.
Rubie giggled. She was another stylist and one who’d fit in mine and Claire’s circle quickly and perfectly. “You were stuck so far in the dryer I could have closed the door and shut you in.”
“Not so,” I said, rubbing my head, stopping when I looked at her. She was a ball of pink from head to toe. A bright pink fuzzy sweater hung just below her hips over a pair of pale pink skinny jeans with pink knee boots. Rubie loved pink, but this was excessive even for her. “You changed clothes?”
She grinned, revealing perfectly straight white teeth behind pink glossed lips. Her blond curls were pulled into a loose ponytail, tendrils flowing around her face. “Yeah. And I see you eyeing my boots. You know you want ’em.” She kicked one up, inspected it briefly, then put it back down.
I wrinkled my nose. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”
She shook her head. “Stop looking at me like that, or I’ll stuff you in the dryer.”
I chuckled. “You look like a giant bottle of Pepto Bismol. And you won’t stuff me in the dryer because you’d have to handle all that madness out there this afternoon without my help,” I said, nodding toward the front door. I shook my head slowly. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I certainly didn’t expect what’s out there.”
“Connie’s coming back, right?”
“She’d better. She just ran home to let her dog out. Babs will handle the manicures, so we’ll be good. I think. I just hadn’t expected the crowd to be so—”
“Grumpy?” she asked, jumping in to fold towels.
“Yeah. I mean, it’s Christmas, for crying out loud.”
Rubie shrugged. “It’s only for four hours. We can do it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, to be young again.”
Connie was the only one who has been with us since the very beginning when we opened the salon. Babs filled the vacant manicure job after an unfortunate series of events with other nail techs. And Rubie came to the salon about a year and a half ago, but it felt like she’d always been there.
“You’re wearing those this afternoon?” Rubie asked me, pointing to my high heeled black boots. “Did you bring something else to change into?
“No. Why would I? I’m used to these.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re going to be dying in them by five o’clock. And you’ll be begging for my boots.”
I laughed loudly. “Not a chance! And if I die in my boots, then I’ll die happy. Be sure to bury me in them.” I smiled obnoxiously at her.
She scrunched up her face. “You’re such a nerd.”
“Says the bottle of Pepto.” I handed her an armful of towels. “Here’s some more for you to fold. But don’t hold them close to you. Not everyone wants to smell like Loves Baby Soft.”
I hadn’t even known they still made Loves Baby Soft perfume until Rubie started working at the salon. Sometimes I swear she bathes in the stuff.
“I don’t know why I put up with you,” she said.
“Because you love me.” I gave her my best innocent look.
“You’re hard not to love,” she said, snickering. “Even when you’re your usual sarcastic self.”
“Especially then, huh?” I asked, winking at her.
By the time Connie and Babs strolled in, Claire was done signing people in and had locked the door again until one o’clock when we opened for the mad rush. She had given each a guesstimated time to come back, but most of them lingered outside the door instead of waiting in their cars. A few of them strolled on down the mall.
The businesses in the plaza were all finishing their festival set up. I peered through the window at the Christmas decorations: an enormous inflatable Christmas dragon, a Santa, two elves, an enormous lighted tree, and a live nativity scene. Thank goodness the baby Jesus wasn’t live. I wrapped my arms around my waist and shivered, thinking of a baby out in the cold all afternoon. A man in a Santa hat was already ringing the bell for donations in front of the grocery store. I always felt guilty if I walked by without giving something.
Further down was Santa’s village, the chair still vacant. An elf fluttered around setting up the cookie and hot chocolate table. Yum! I knew where I would be visiting throughout the day. As hard as I try to limit sugar, the desire to eat it is greater, and my self-control goes out the window. Thank goodness my metabolism is good.
An old, faded, once-red Chevrolet El Camino pulled into the parking lot and rolled into a parking space. Moments later, Santa unfolded from the front seat, straightened his belt, then his beard, surveyed his surroundings, and headed toward his designated spot.
I jumped at a knock on the window. “Come on,” the person yelled loud enough for me to hear through the glass. “Open up!”
I pointed to my watch, raised a finger, and mouthed, “One o’clock.” Which, to my surprise, was only five more minutes.
I turned to look at the salon, making sure everything and everyone was ready. The twinkling Christmas lights and the decorated tree in the corner of the waiting area warmed me from the inside. As if on cue, all five of us met in the center of the salon. I put my hand out, palm down. The others layered their hands over mine in the middle of the circle.
“Let’s roll, ladies,” I said.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Amazon.com: Shear Holiday Mayhem (Melanie Hogan Mysteries Book 5) eBook : Blackhurst, Rhonda: Kindle Store
Share a holiday family tradition:
Growing up, the entire Christmas Eve day was a tradition—we started by reading the Christmas story in the Bible, then opened one gift before we went to my grandparents to celebrate with family, followed by midnight Mass. The memories still warm me to this day. Now, as a mama of grown boys and grandmama to 5 littles, our tradition has been celebrating with prime rid, shrimp, gift opening, and just fully enjoying each other.
Why is your featured book perfect to get readers in the holiday mood?
Shear Holiday Mayhem celebrates Christmas as well as the love between family and friends. Throw in a body at a Christmas Festival, and it’s a recipe for an unforgettable holiday!
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $100 Amazon gift card.
Open internationally.
Runs December 1 – 31, 2024
Drawing will be held on January 2, 2025.
Author Biography:
Rhonda is an avid reader, writer, coffee and dark chocolate connoisseur, and certified life coach. She has 10 independently published novels: The Inheritance, a contemporary fiction novel; seven books in the Melanie Hogan Mysteries; and Finding Abby and Abby's Redemption in the Whispering Pines Romantic Suspense duology. She was awarded the 2022 Master of Literary Arts Award from the Brighton Chamber.
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