Lev Raphael

Lev Raphael (born 1954, New York City) - American author and critic known for his extensive work across multiple genres, particularly as a pioneer in literature regarding the children of Holocaust survivors. His 10-volume Nick Hoffman series features a protagonist whose Jewish identity is central to his character development and the series’ thematic depth. In Nick Hoffman’s world, as a gay Jewish academic, these identities frequently intersect with the “dirty reality” of university politics. 

Core Jewish Content

• Second-Generation Identity: Nick is the son of Holocaust survivors, a background that heavily influences his worldview and psychological makeup. (So, by the way, is the author, Lev Raphael, whose original birth-name was Reuben Lewis Steinberg.)
• Religious and Cultural Traditions: While the series is primarily academic satire and mystery, it incorporates Jewish life through specific events and cultural markers. For instance, Raphael often explores the tension of being “openly gay and Jewish,” themes he also addresses in his non-fiction and other novels like Dancing on Tisha B’Av.
• Ethical and Moral Framework: Nick’s investigative approach is often colored by his heritage In Department of Death, he grapples with doing the “right thing” in a corrupt environment, a struggle framed by both his literary expertise and his moral grounding as a Jew.
• Thematic Depth: The series uses the “detective” role to explore deeper questions of Jewish heritage, such as healing and the long-term impact of historical trauma on the descendants of survivors. [Google/AI]

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #1], (Let’s Get Criminal) [hc, St. Martin’s Press, 1996] 978-0312139995 [pb, St. Martin’s Griffin, 1997] 978-0312151607

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #2], (The Edith Wharton Murders) [hc, St. Martin’s Press, 1997] 978-0312155193 [pb, Stonewall Inn Mysteries, 1998] 978-0312198633

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #3], (Death of a Constant Lover) [hc, Walker & Co., 1999] 978-0802733269 [pb, Stonewall Inn Mysteries, 2020] 978-0312264963

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #4], (Little Miss Evil) [hc, Walker & Co., 2000] 978-0802733429

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #5], (Burning Down the House) [hc, Walker & Co., 2001] 978-0802733658 [pb, ReQueered Tales, 2022] 978-1951092658

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #6], (Tropic of Murder [pb, Perseverance Press/Daniel & Daniel Publishers, 2004]) 978-1880284681

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #7], (Hot Rocks [pb, Perseverance Press/Daniel & Daniel Publishers, 2007]) 978-1880284834

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #8], (Assault with a Deadly Lie [hc, U. of Wisconsin Press, 2014]) 978-0299302306 [pb, ReQueered Tales, 2025] 978-1959902232

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #9], (State University of Murder [pb, Perseverance Press, 2019]) 978-1564746092

Raphael, Lev [Nick Hoffman #10], (Department of Death [pb, Perseverance Press, 2021] 978-1564746191