Dreidels and Dead Ends,
a Fun Hanukkah Holiday Cozy Mystery
I love Holiday cozy Mysteries and I adored Dreidels and Dead Ends when I reviewed it last June.
Now that the holiday is approaching, it is the perfect time to tour this holiday cozy again. Marla and her To celebrate this holiday cozy mystery, the author is offering a tour-wide GIVEAWAY of An eBook copy of Dreidels and Dead Ends and a Book Lovers Gift Set. So make sure that you enter the Giveaway for a chance to win this Hannukah or Christmas gift for yourself.
In Nancy J. Cohen’s latest Bad Hair Day Mystery, Dreidels and Dead Ends, Marla tries to track down a cursed antique hairbrush that has been stolen from a museum. Marla is just one of many protagonists in popular literature who hunt cursed treasure. Nancy has provided a guest post about that trend. Treasure Hunters and Literature
Treasure Hunters and Literature
By Nancy J. Cohen
Are you a fan of adventurous but brainy heroes who seek lost treasure or artifacts that will rock the world when discovered?
The archetype of an adventurous scholar as protector of mystical objects has roots in classic literature. Popular tropes include an educated but action-oriented hero, sacred artifacts, lost treasures, hidden cities and mystical relics. Some favorite early titles are King Solomon’s Mines, The Moonstone, Doc Savage, and Lost Horizon.
The Da Vinci Code and National Treasure made the trope current and so did the Indiana Jones movies, popularizing the brainy but resolute hero who seeks answers and means to protect objects that could be dangerous when owned by the wrong people. Imbuing these relics with magical powers resonates with myths handed down through generations. Who doesn’t like a puzzle to solve, an intelligent hero with a thirst for adventure, global settings, and dire consequences if the protagonist fails?
Stories in this genre often deal with art thefts, stolen antiquities, the search for a mythical object that imbues the owner with special powers, or even a missing ancient civilization. For example, how many stories or films have you seen that are based on the lost island city of Atlantis?
Even the recent Disney film, Jungle Cruise, expands on this genre with a search for a mythical tree whose flowers can cure illness and lift curses.
These tales spark our imagination and fuel our fantasies. Who wouldn’t want to be the hero that discovers the hidden stash of the Knights Templar, the sunken galleon loaded with treasure, or the hidden gold mine in the mountains of Arizona?
Inspired by these myths, I created my own cursed object for my latest Bad Hair Day mystery. In Dreidels and Dead Ends, hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Vail promises to recover a stolen heirloom hairbrush. It’s an antique piece with diamonds embedded in its sterling silver back, but more importantly, the artifact comes with a curse. Marla seeks to recover the antique brush after it’s stolen from the local history museum, and the curator begs for her help.
During the course of writing this story, I wondered what I should call the antique hairbrush. Was it a relic or an artifact?
Research told me that an artifact is a man-made object of historical or cultural significance, while a relic is a more ancient object that may hold religious value. Therefore, artifacts may include tools, art, writings, or any item that reveals insights into past civilizations or cultures. In contrast, relics come from the distant past and emit an aura of reverence. Therefore, it would be correct for me to call the hairbrush an artifact.
Excerpt from Dreidels and Dead Ends
In this scene, Marla and her friend Tally are talking to antiquities collector, Norman Falconi:
“Mystical artifacts have their own powers. They must be protected to avoid misuse and to keep others from harm. The hairbrush will not appreciate being taken from its intended place. Its evil aura might be spreading throughout the town even now.”
Tally coughed, as though expressing her skepticism. She gestured to the curios on display. “Those things don’t seem so old. Are they examples of the artifacts you collect?”
“Not at all. My truly priceless pieces are in a secure vault.”
“You don’t mean things like the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail, do you?” Tally asked with a flirtatious smile.
He chuckled. “You’ve seen too many Indiana Jones movies. I go after more obtainable antiquities. For example, I have a real tooth from Buddha that has healing properties. When Buddha was cremated, a couple of his teeth remained. This one was smuggled into Sri Lanka hidden in the hair of a princess. Then explorers stole it, and it passed from hand to hand for centuries until I was able to acquire it.”
“How do you find these treasures? Are they up for auction?”
He gave Tally a wink. “I have my ways. Take the Kanpur amethyst, as another example. This precious stone was taken from the Temple of Indra during a siege. It was made into a pendant and reportedly was responsible for several deaths of its wearers. It also caused a famous singer to lose her vocal range. That curse derived from the dishonor of its original owners. The last person who possessed it had no heirs and so the necklace was put up for sale.”
“And you bought it,” Marla surmised.
He switched his gaze her way. “Sometimes, it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time.”
No worries if you haven’t read this series before.
All titles are written as standalones so you can jump in at any time.Are you a fan of the treasure hunter genre?
If so, what is your favorite book or movie with this theme?
About Dreidels and Dead Ends
A cursed family heirloom, a murder at a museum, and eight nights to solve the crime…
When hairstylist Marla Vail agrees to speak at the local history museum’s gala opening for a new exhibit, she expects applause—not a catastrophe. But shortly after she takes the stage, a thief steals the featured diamond-studded antique hairbrush. Marla’s friend, museum curator Becky Forest, begs for her help in recovering the prized heirloom before the mayor slashes their funding.
As Hanukkah festivities begin, Marla would rather be lighting candles than chasing clues. But with Becky’s job at stake and secrets piling up faster than wrapped presents, she takes on the case. To make matters worse, the missing heirloom comes with a curse, and suddenly bad luck is spreading through town faster than a botched dye job. Marla will need sharp wits and a holiday miracle to save the museum and to keep the truth from being brushed aside.
Cozy Mystery
19th in Series
Setting – Florida
Publisher : Orange Grove Press
Publication date : June 23, 2026
Print length : 246 pages
Paperback
ISBN-10 : 1952886392
ISBN-13 : 978-1952886393
Kindle
ISBN-13 : 978-1952886409
ASIN : B0GWQMWF7Y
Add to Your TBR Wish List:
Grab Your Copy Now
Universal Link – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – Apple – Google Play
About the Author
Nancy J. Cohen is the author of over thirty published works, including the Bad Hair Day Mysteries and the Keri Armstrong cozy mystery series. These books have won numerous awards, along with her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook. Active in the writing community, Nancy has served as president of Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter and vice president of Citrus Crime Writers. When not busy writing, she enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.
Connect with Me
Website
Newsletter
Facebook
X/Twitter
Threads
LinkedIn
Instagram
Pinterest
Substack
Storybook Lady
Review
Holidays, Hairbrushes, and Hexes- oh my!
Marla must balance solving a mystery with her business, family and pregnancy while she also prepares for both Hanukkah and then Christmas. I wouldn’t normally dive into a long series, but when I saw the title I couldn’t resist. This cute mystery can easily be read as a stand alone, but I enjoyed it so much that I was hooked and will be adding the backlist to my TBR.
Marla is a salon owner who has a talent for solving crimes. The amateur sleuth teams up with Dalton, her recently retired police detective husband to help solve the mystery when a cursed hairbrush is stolen from he local museum. Nancy Cohen sprinkles the story with an abundance of clues, suspects and plot twists. The mystery story is balanced with domestic scenes centering on toddler troubles, pregnancy, and preparing for the holidays. Since the sleuths are an interfaith couple, getting ready for the holidays is even more work. Jewish readers will enjoy having a Hanukkah holiday cozy to read, but other readers will enjoy the story too. All the Hanukkah hoopla is secular and Marla has to come up with Christmas gifts too, so readers of any faith will enjoy the story. Anyone, like me, with an interfaith family will especially enjoy that aspect of the story.
I loved the quick pace, colorful characters and fun mystery. This was my first time reading a book by the author, but it won’t be my last.
(This review first appeared on Storybooklady.net on the June 2026 book blast )
You can follow Julie on
Interested in my reviews? I also have a Goodreads shelf dedicated to Cozy Mysteries. Want to read my reviews for books in other genres? I’ve got you covered. There are almost two thousand reviews on Goodreads. Just check out Julie Ditton on Goodreads.
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 2 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
October 2 – Book HookUp – REVIEW
October 3 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
October 3 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 4 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST
October 5 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT
October 5 – Storybook Lady – AUTHOR GUEST POST
October 6 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
October 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
October 7 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 8 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
October 9 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT
October 10 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
October 11 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST
Dreidels and Dead Ends
by Nancy J. Cohen
GIVEAWAY
GIVEAWAY Grand Prize: An eBook copy of Dreidels and Dead Ends (Bad Hair Day Mysteries) by Nancy J. Cohen, and a Book Lovers Gift Set. Note: Actual prize may vary from the photo. Physical prize for U.S. residents only.
