Dreidels and Dead Ends by Nancy J. Cohen

Item: Dreidels and Dead Ends
Rating: 5
Author: BaronessMom

Posted July 10, 2026 by BaronessMom in #BookishRecipe, Mystery, Review / 1 Comment

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Dreidels and Dead Ends

by Nancy J. Cohen

Series: Bad Hair Day Mysteries #19
Series Rating:

Published by Orange Grove Press Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 262
Format: Kindle
Source: the Author
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Easter Hair Hunt , Styled for Murder, Star Tangled Murder

A daring holiday heist at the local history museum sends hairstylist Marla Vail on her most tangled case yet.

When salon owner 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 hairbrush, leaving behind an empty display case and a badly injured security guard.

Marla’s friend, museum curator Becky Forest, begs for her help in recovering the prized heirloom before the mayor uses this scandal as an excuse to cut their funding. To make matters worse, the antique hairbrush comes with a curse, and suddenly bad luck is spreading through town faster than a botched dye job. As Hanukkah festivities begin, Marla would rather be lighting candles than chasing clues, but with Becky’s job at stake, she takes on the case.

Her trail leads to a knot of suspects including the hairbrush’s owner, his greedy cousin, shifty museum staff, and a reclusive collector of mystical antiquities. Instead of enjoying menorah lights and latkes, Marla discovers murder, lies, and larceny. She’ll need sharp wits and a holiday miracle to save the museum and to keep the truth from being brushed aside.

Dreidels and Dead Ends by Nancy J. Cohen is brilliant. I love the twists and, of course, Marla and Dalton.

Will Marla find the cursed and bejeweled hairbrush?

Marla & Dalton

Marla is very pregnant, and she is still working and chasing down criminals. She sees things so differently from others. One thing I love is that she uses everyone in her world to help solve the crimes. Even though Marla is still sleuthing, she really has her priorities straight when it comes to her little one and family time. It was nice to see Marla take the high road with her friend, Siena.

Dalton may have a bit of remorse about having retired, but he seems very useful at home. There may be a new avenue for him in the future. But first, he is helping Marla with the hairbrush and the other investigation. I like the way that Dalton is a team player with Marla, and the two of them truly love each other.

The Mystery

Marla is asked by her friend Becky to be the keynote speaker at the museum. But the new item on display is stolen, and the guard is injured. Then, later in the investigation, one of the museum workers is murdered. Becky’s boss keeps threatening to take away her job and blaming her for everything that is happening. Marla has to find the hair brush and now the killer. To complicate things further, it’s the holiday season, and Marla is getting bigger by the day.

Five Stars

My rating for Dreidels and Dead Ends by Nancy J. Cohen is five stars. I really enjoy the chemistry between Dalton and Marla. Also, the plot was perfectly twisty, and I was able to follow it, but I kept second-guessing myself. I figured out part of it, but I didn’t figure out the other part until right when Marla did. I really like it when Marla was teaching the daycare class about the Festival of Lights.

Ms. Cohen also includes some recipes for a Hanukkah Dinner Menu, which consists of Brisket Cola, Roast Chicken (recipe not included), Potato Latkes with Applesauce, Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows, and Green Bean Casserole. This all sounds amazing.

Other Books in the Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Dreidels and Dead Ends by Nancy J. Cohen.

About Nancy J. Cohen

Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won a Readers’ Favorite gold medal, placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Nancy’s instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery, was nominated for an Agatha Award and won a gold medal at the President’s Book Awards from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys cooking, fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.