Jews & Crime
& Espionage

United States · Fiction author

Nancy J. Cohen

United States20 works listed

Nancy J. Cohen (born 1948) – New Jersey-born, worked as a registered nurse, resident in Florida. She frequently incorporates Jewish identity and culture into her Bad Hair Day mystery series through her protagonist, Marla Vail. While not described as deeply religious, Marla has a “basic belief in Judaism” and follows traditional holidays.

Jewish Traditions, Folklore, Holidays:

The “Evil Eye”: In the novel Died Blonde, Cohen references the Jewish tradition of saying ”Kinehoreh” to ward off the evil eye.

Weddings: Cohen has written about traditional Jewish wedding customs, such as the breaking of the glass, and has used these rituals as inspiration for her stories.

Hanukkah: The 19th book in her series (scheduled for 2026) is titled Hanukkah Hairloom Mystery, specifically focusing on the holiday.

Passover: Her website and blogs often discuss personal connections to Jewish holidays like Passover and Hanukkah, which inform her characters’ backgrounds.

Interfaith Relationships: A recurring theme in the series is Marla Shore’s romantic relationship with Detective Dalton Vail, who is not Jewish and whom she eventually marries. Cohen uses this dynamic to explore how Marla’s cultural background affects her personal life.

Characters: The series features other Jewish characters, such as Miriam Pearl, for whom Marla works as a nurse’s aide in Body Wave.  [Google/AI]

Cohen, Nancy J., [Marla Shore/Bad Hair Day Mystery Series] – 18 volumes (hc and mass mkt pb - Kensington Publishing through vol. 9, then as indicated] [pb – Orange Grove Press, all 19 volumes]

  1. Permed to Death – [hc, 1999] 978-1575664828 [pb, 2016] 978-0997003819
  2. Hair Raiser - [hc, 2000] 978-1575666228 [pb, 2015] 978-0991465552
  3. Murder by Manicure – [hc, 2001] 978-1575666877 [pb, 2015] 978-0991465576
  4. Body Wave – [hc, 2002] 978-0758200686 [pb] 978-0758200686
  5. Highlights to Heaven – [hc, 2003] 978-0758200709 [pb, 2017] 978-0997003864 [mass mkt pb, 2004] 978-0758200716
  6. Died Blonde – [hc, 2004] 978-0758206565 [pb, 2018] 978-0998531717 [mass mkt pb, 2005- 978-0758206572
  7. Dead Roots [ [hc, 2005] 978-0758206589 [pb, 2019] 978-0998531786 [mass mkt pb, 2006] 978-0758206596
  8. Perish by Pedicure [hc, 2006] 978-0758212245 [pb, 2019] 978-0999793213 [mass mkt pb, 2007] 978-0758212269
  9. Killer Knots [hc, 2007] 978-0758212252 [pb, 2019] 978-0999793237 [mass mkt pb, 2008] 978-0758212276
  10. Shear Murder [hc, Five Star, 2012] 978-1432825546 [pb, 2020] 978-0999793299
  11. Hanging by a Hair [hc, Five Star, 2014] 978-1432828141 [pb, 2020] 978-1952886010 [mass mkt pb, 2015] Worldwide Library
  12. Peril by Ponytail [hc, Five Star, 2015] 978-1432830984 [pb, 2020] 978-1952886034
  13. Facias Can Be Fatal [hc, Five Star, 2017] 978-1432832827 [pb, 2020] 978-1952886058
  14. Hair Brained [pb, 2017] 978-0997003888
  15. Trimmed to Death [pb, 2018] 978-0998531762
  16. Easter Hair Hunt [pb, 2020] 978-0999793275
  17. Styled for Murder [pb, 2021] 978-1952886225
  18. Star Tangled Murder [pb, 2023] 978-1952886256
  19. Dreidels and Dead Ends [pb, Orange Grove Press, Publication: June 23, 2026] [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. – Amazon]