'Bout to Dye in Birmingham

Cousins Cozy Mysteries, Book 1

By: Beth Hamer Miles

Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith

From author Beth Hamer Miles comes a hilarious take on the worst year of your life . . .

It's March 2020 in Birmingham, Alabama, but Maggie Baxter and her cousin Francis Pinkston are facing problems even bigger than the quarantine. While navigating her home health job, along with shutdowns, face masks, and toilet paper shortages, Maggie stumbles upon a dead man-snipped in the bud with his own set of monogrammed scissors!

It's a salon scheme gone south, and now, Maggie and Francis are in the midst of a murder investigation. Missing hair salon owners, disappearing patients, destructive raccoons . . . and why does everyone have purple hair? It's a mystery fit for Shear-Lock Combs!

Can Maggie and Francis find a killer and survive 2020 . . . or will this be their last bad hair day?

©2024 Beth Hamer Miles (P)2024 Tantor

A fun read at the perfect time….

Bout to Dye in Birmingham, by Beth Hamer Miles, is a lively, fast-paced mystery featuring an amateur sleuth who juggles her roles as a speech therapist, wife, and mother of three adult children. With zany characters, eccentric style, and a best-buddy cousin sidekick, this fun, twisty-turning mystery is a must-read.

I opted for the audiobook version due to my busy schedule, but quickly found myself hitting play every chance I got. The narration drew me in, making it easy to get lost in the story.

Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the novel offers gentle reflections on recent events. The topic is handled with a light, neutral tone—never heavy-handed—bringing an added layer of realism and depth to the story. While there’s nothing humorous about a pandemic, the book’s charm lies in its storytelling and the delightful quirks of small-town life.

The title is catchy, and there’s never a dull moment. If you enjoy the witty mysteries of Janet Evanovich or Jana DeLeon, you’ll love this cozy, amateur sleuth adventure with its well-structured plot and irresistible rhythm.

Wonderful!

I loved this book. Ms Miles got the Birmingham background just right. I can't wait to read or listen to more of her books.