Deborah Wilde

Deborah Wilde (est. birth 1972? near Vancouver) – native and resident of British Columbia, Canada, with a very versatile writing career. She began in screenwriting and young adult fiction and transitioned to three ongoing series. The Jezebel Files (the main focus of this Bibliography) feature private investigator, Ashira Cohen, who “combines hardboiled noir and Jewish folklore in this action-packed, paranormal romp”. In her two additional series, the leading characters are called Nava Katz (the “Unlikeable Demon Hunter” series) and Miriam Feldman (the “Magic After Midlife” series), offering an eclectic combination of fantasy/supernatural/noir detective/romance genres, with Jewish associations.

The Jezebel Files series are urban fantasy detective novels with an integrated magic system rooted in Jewish mythology. The protagonist is a private investigator who solves both magical and “mundane” crimes. The series is described as a ”snarky urban fantasy detective series” with “clever mysteries”. The heroine, Ashira Cohen (Ash), is a dedicated private investigator who built her agency from the ground up. She initially takes on non-magical cases in a world where magic users (Nefesh) are a known, albeit separate, part of society. While there is an overarching series plot involving a grand conspiracy and Ash’s lineage, each book typically presents a central mystery that Ash must solve, such as a missing persons case or a murder investigation involving magical artifacts. Ash is a strong, smart Jewish woman, a deliberate choice by Wilde, who wanted heroines who have adventures and are objects of desire, not just victims in Holocaust narratives. Ash unexpectedly gains powerful, rare “Jezebel” blood magic, which was previously suppressed by a hidden tattoo. The world-building incorporates concepts beyond the commonly known golem mythology, delving into more complex ideas like the Lost Tribes of Israel as part of the overarching magical backstory. [Google/AI]

Wilde, Deborah, [Ashira Cohen #1] (Blood & Ash [pb, Te Da Media, 2020]) 978-1988681351

Wilde, Deborah, [Ashira Cohen #2] (Death & Desire [pb, Te Da Media, 2020]) 978-1988681405

Wilde, Deborah, [Ashira Cohen #3] (Shadows & Surrender) [pb, Te Da Media, 2020] 978-1988681450

Wilde, Deborah, [Ashira Cohen #4] (Revenge & Rapture) [pb, Te Da Media, 2020] 978-1988681481

Wilde, Deborah, [Ashira Cohen #5 & Dr. Raisa Montefiore] (Howl at the Moon)  [pb, Te Da Media, 2023] 978-1998888016

Wilde, Deborah, [Ashira Cohen #6 & Dr. Raisa Montefiore] (Lost in the Woods) [pb, Te Da Media, 2023] 978-1998888146

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