I did not receive the ARC copy of the book. Only a blurb at the end of another book.. Nothing against the author. Maybe she should not be using NetGallery.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC that I am voluntarily reviewing. Daisy Thorne, owner of Ooh LaLa hair salon, is in the right position to hear all the local gossip. Add to that her studies in criminal psychology and you have the perfect person to help the police investigate murder in a small town. This is a fun cosy with quirky characters. I wonder what Daisy will get up to next.

With thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Description
Welcome to Daisy Thorne’s Ooh La La hair salon in the charming village of Edgemead in Surrey, England, where you’ll find the latest styles, the juiciest gossip — and the most tantalizing murder clues . . .
 No one would ever accuse famous opera star Dame Serena Levanté of lacking a flare for the dramatic. Unfortunately, it’s curtains down on the dysfunctional diva when she’s found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her elegant home. Solving an opera singer’s murder may not be the typical hairdresser’s aria of expertise. But Dame Serena was the mother of Daisy’s best friend Floria, so Daisy must do-or-dye her best to get to the roots of the case.
As a lover of Cosy mysteries, I enjoyed this installment of Daisy Thorne's sleuthing. 3.5 would be my rating if possible. It was well structured and easy to follow with a cast of generally likeable characters. The murder plot had enough twists to keep me interested and I was engaged throughout the story. I would be happy to spend more time reading about Daisy and her future mystery solving endeavours.
One thing I did find a bit forced was the amount of diversity (I do expect cultural diversity to be reflected in my reading material), but the number of ethnicities and impacting dysfunctional childhoods felt overwhelming for around 20 characters in a small rural village setting. I may be completely wrong about this as I live in rural Shropshire not Surrey but I do work in a very diverse Met area and it still felt incongruous. Please don't let this comment put you off, it is only my opinion and this is a good Cosy.

Our story starts with Daisy, the owner of Ooh-La-La Hair Salon and her best friend, Floria, a wealthy socialite and the only child of an Opera great Dame Serena Levanté. Upon her needs mother's suspicious death, Floria needs her best friend Daisy's assistance in solving what really happened to her mother. Did she die in a drunken fall over the banister? And why is a priceless Modigliani missing? Why did Floria's mother have a frozen look of horror? Throw in a handsome detective, DI Paul McGuinness, and you're in for a fun and thrilling read. I love the classic country house setting, a village in Edgemead, Surrey, and the mystery was interesting to solve. The author has created a cast of likeable characters who make me look forward to reading the further adventures to come.

I would like to think Louise R. Innes, Kennington Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a cozy mystery, which is pretty clearly indicated by the story blurb but the cover may be misleading to some. This appears to be the first in the series even though there’s a prequel novella which I haven’t read yet.

Daisy is an enjoyable protagonist who’s smart and I liked the friendship between Daisy and Floria. Florida’s famous mother is killed in this book and Daisy wants to find out the truth. Add in an art theft/forgery, half-sisters who Florida never knew about and the start of a romance between Daisy and DI Paul McGuinness and it’s a pretty good read. The twist at the end involving Floria and the whodunit was a surprise.

The most glaring issue in this book is the complete lack of realism with Paul openly sharing information about an ongoing investigation with Daisy and letting dig around for information on her. I can handwave some that away a bit because it is fiction but still it was a bit unbelievable.

The characters were good though so I think it’s worth reading the prequel, sister’s stories, and picking up the next book.