The Bad Hair Day Cookbook by Nancy J. Cohen is a 2019 Orange Grove Press publication.

This is a fantastic idea for cozy mystery fans

Cozy mystery readers often find a handful of recipes at the end of a book, a nice added bonus, whether it’s a culinary themed mystery, or not.

Occasionally, I do remember to jot down a recipe I find in a book, but often times I’ll shove the book back on my shelf after I’ve finished reading it, thinking that if I need the recipe again, I can always look it back up.

But I also read books from subscription services and from the library, and I usually forget to copy the recipe down before I return it. It then becomes impossible for me to remember which recipe was in what book.

I would imagine many readers have that same problem, so having the author thoughtfully compile all the recipes featured in their cozy mystery series in one place is genius!

The author reminds readers of the book certain recipes were featured in, and provides a brief overview of that book, so fans of the series can recall their favorite stories, too.

For those who are unfamiliar with the series, this book will make you want to get to know Marla Shore Vail and acquaint yourselves with this series while enjoying 'Marla's' wonderful, down to earth and comforting recipes.

This is a no- frills cookbook, and my pre-release, ARC copy did not come with pictures. However, these recipes are very easy to follow, with common ingredients one can usually find at their local supermarket- under normal circumstances, that is. Mainly, this is a book for fans of the series, and is a great marketing tool, I’d like to see catch on with other cozy authors.

The recipes are organized into sections, like most cookbooks, beginning with appetizers and ending with desserts and includes ‘Themed Menus’ as well. It should be noted that there are no pork recipes out of respect for Marla’s Kosher kitchen upbringing.

Overall, This book will be a huge help for cozy mystery fans who will find it so very helpful to have all the recipes featured in the ‘Bad Hair Day’ series all together in one book, as well as an easy reference to the books in the series, with a buy link included for convenience.

I admit I’ve only read one book in this series, but after reading through this recipe book and getting to know a little more about Marla, I’m looking forward to reading through this series, starting at the beginning and working my way up.

4 stars ( )

I love to cook and I collect cookbooks and recipes. I am always looking for something different and I actually did find a few in the book that I want to try.
A Bad Hair Day Cookbook is unique in the way that it shares not only recipes but excerpts and anecdotes written by hairstylist and savvy sleuth Marla Vail.



Marla Vail is a hairstylist who is known for exposing secrets. Marla lives in Florida with her detective husband along with his two daughters. She uses her abilities to pursue justice.

In the book, there is an introduction by Marla Vail and she explains a little about who she is and a bit about her recipes. There is also a section on cooking tips like what to do with herbs, and what you can do with bananas, fresh ginger, and using eggplant in a lot of recipes. This section also has how to make gravy by making a roux and do you use flour or cornstarch for the roux. Wonder how to cook corn in the husk? The book has that.

The recipe section has appetizers, entrees, breads, beverages, sauces, soups, veggies, meats, and desserts. Interspersed in the recipes are excerpts from various books by the author. I liked the section that had Themed Menus, holiday dinners, books with recipes and a Sabbath dinner. Lots of fun information in this book that made it hard to put down. I did bookmark quite a few of the recipes. Easy to follow too!

If you love a cozy mystery book, this is for you and as a plus, you get lots of recipes! I highly recommend getting this book and cook something for your family or just you and read a few excerpts also! ( )

I enjoy cookbooks of all kinds and books with recipes in them, so I was eager to get a look at A Bad Hair Day Cookbook. Marla Vail is the star of author Nancy J. Cohen’s Bad Hair Day Mysteries. She’s down to earth, running a business as a hairstylist, providing a home for her husband Detective Dalton Vail and his teenage daughter, Brianna, and getting involved in crime solving on the side. The books have provided many hours of reading pleasure as well as several tasty recipes.

A Bad Hair Day Cookbook is as down to earth as Marla. It spans soup to nuts, appetizers to desserts, and contains an interesting variety of dishes, from some staples everybody makes to more exotic dishes and Passover meals. This is the kind of cookbook you’ll want to keep on your kitchen counter for handy reference on those days when you are racking your brain trying to come up with ideas for dinner. Whether it’s an old standby you forgot all about or a new or unusual combination or preparation of ingredients there will be something to appeal to you. Even if you’ve only got a job and family to attend to and aren’t solving crime in your spare time, this cookbook will make your life easier. The recipes are easy to follow and designed to save time, utilizing prepared or pre-packaged foods when possible without sacrificing variety, taste or presentation.

The book begins with an introduction of terms and techniques for the novice cook, and Marla provides commentary for each dish – its history, cute movie references, how her family liked it, how simple it was to make, how she especially likes to serve it, how to use any leftovers, etc. This commentary makes A Bad Hair Day Cookbook more than just a book of recipes. It’s fun, especially for long-time fans of the series. Also included are some excerpts from various books to give you a peek into Marla’s sleuthing.

A Bad Hair Day Cookbook is a cookbook I will use again and again. I am an experienced cook and love to experiment but I don’t always have a lot of time and Marla has provided time savers as well as meals I haven’t really thought of before that I feel are sure to please my family. It will be fun trying them all! A special treat is an excerpt from the forthcoming book in the series. Author Nancy J. Cohen is a bit of a “foodie” providing recipes, food tips and reviews of meals she’s eaten in various locations on her blog and FB posts. A Bad Hair Day Cookbook is the next logical step. Many thanks to her for providing an advanced copy for my honest review. ( )