Star-Tangled Murder
By Nancy J. Cohen
DISCUSSION DATE: 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, 2025
LOCATION: The Elusive Grape, 129 N. Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32720
About the Book
Hairstylist Marla Vail and her husband get tangled up in murder when their Fourth of July visit to a living history village ends with a bang—and a body.
Salon owner Marla Vail and her detective husband Dalton are having a blast visiting a Florida living history village over Fourth of July weekend. But when a Seminole battle reenactment turns up a real dead body, it sets off fireworks among the villagers. One of the cast members has gone off script to murder the town marshal with a tomahawk.
As Dalton gets involved in the investigation, Marla determines to help him solve the case. Her flare for uncovering secrets reveals that everyone in the village is a suspect. Instead of celebrating the holiday with red, white, and barbecues, she discovers secrets, lies, and false avenues. Did the marshal’s murder have anything to do with a lost Confederate payroll, or did his plans to renovate the park light a fuse that he couldn’t snuff out?
In a place where history comes alive, the dead bodies are piling up. Marla would rather be chilling and grilling, but somebody’s mind is on killing. If she’s not careful, her sleuthing might blow up in her face like a faulty firecracker and she’ll become the next victim.
Click here to buy the book on Amazon.com.
This Month’s Icebreaker
What’s a hobby you’ve always wanted to try?
Discussion Questions
- How does the Revolutionary War reenactment add depth and historical intrigue to the mystery?
- What did you think of Marla Vail’s approach to amateur sleuthing?
- How does the Florida setting, particularly the historic fort, contribute to the story’s atmosphere?
- What were your favorite interactions between Marla and her husband?
- Did you figure out the killer before the reveal? Why or why not?