Reviewed by Olga Markova for Readers' Favorite

Dreidels and Dead Ends by award-winning author Nancy J. Cohen is a cozy mystery that calls for high acclaim. Marla Vail, a forty-year-old hairstylist, and her husband Dalton, a retired homicide detective, are attending the grand opening of an exhibition at the local history museum. The exhibition features the evolution of beauty tools in Florida’s past. With the gala in full swing, suddenly a chandelier crashes down, injuring the event’s security officer, and an heirloom diamond-encrusted hairbrush on loan to the museum disappears from the display case. Legend has it that the antique hairbrush is cursed and the longer it remains missing, the more catastrophes will befall the town. As if to prove this dark legend, soon the museum’s IT guy dies at his desk. Marla and Dalton join the investigation. But will they solve these mysteries?

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of reading Dreidels and Dead Ends by Nancy J. Cohen. I fell in love with the lively writing style that made me feel as if a gentle breeze steered me through the story, at the perfect pace for comprehending each detail, and I never felt bored. I liked how Marla and Dalton’s sleuthing blended with the cozy normalcy of their family life, the community vibes, and the atmosphere of Hanukkah and Christmas preparations and festivities. The intrigue was sophisticated, and I liked how the real-world crimes interlaced with the ancient curse legend and the voodoo spell. If you like cozy mysteries with special atmosphere and character, you will love this fabulous novel. The collection of Hanukkah recipes and the backdrop of Hanukkah festivities will make this book a welcome Hanukkah gift too.