Hairstylist Marla Vail and her detective husband are delighted with their new home, until their next-door neighbor—the homeowners’ association president—turns up dead in this madcap cozy mystery.

Newlyweds Marla and Dalton Vail are delighted by their new home, until their next-door neighbor erects an illegal fence between their properties. Marla’s hopes for making friends are dashed by a resultant argument between Dalton and the man, who is president of the HOA. The situation becomes more tangled when their neighbor is found dead the following day.

Dalton, a homicide detective, suspects foul play, but he’s removed from the case due to a conflict of interest. Now it’s up to Marla to clear her husband’s name and make the neighborhood safe again. Secretive neighbors, tribal protesters, religious zealots, and preppers top the suspect list along with a spurned lover and a greedy nephew. Can Marla unravel the clues and pin down the culprit before he targets her as the next victim?

Suspense Magazine “Best of 2014” Cozy Mystery!

“Marla is short for marvelous. If you like your mysteries ‘cozy,’ you’re going to enjoy every minute you spend with her!” Joanna Campbell Slan, author of the award-winning Kiki Lowenstein mystery series