Crooked Paths:

Mimi Goldman Chautauqua Mysteries #7

by Deb Pines

Crooked Paths is the seventh book in Deb Pines' traditional whodunit Chautauqua Mysteries featuring the wise and witty reporter sleuth of a certain age Mimi Goldman."An Agatha Christie for the text-message age," IndieReader calls the series.When thrice-married socialite Connie dePalma sashays into Chautauqua in 2019, a neighbor says, "Here comes trouble." And, boy, was he right.In less than a week Connie is found dead in a nearby gorge.Many stand to benefit from Connie's demise. But that doesn't mean there was foul play, say the police.So reporter and relentless snoop Mimi Goldman, with help from her computer-savvy son Jake and 94-year-old sidekick (and wheelman) Sylvia Pritchard, digs in -- following clues to more clues to dead ends and a threat on Mimi's life.Recovering, Mimi re-questions everything and everyone including Connie's new husband, her apparently saintly sister, a boy-toy assistant, Connie's daughter and new beau, plus the nudists and homeless she finds at the gorge.In the end, Mimi tries a long-shot hunch, hoping it reveals the killer lurking among Chautauqua's charming cottages, leafy streets and high-minded events -- in time for her to enjoy a visit from her new grandson.Fans of Agatha Christie and Louise Penny and "Only Murders in the Building" will enjoy this twist-filled mystery Kirkus Reviews calls, "An entertaining addition to a reliable beach-read series."

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2020

About the author

A Brooklyn, NY, native who grew up in Miami Beach, Fla., Deb Pines writes mysteries by day and award-winning tabloid headlines for the New York Post by night.

A Brown University grad, Deb was also a reporter at the New York Law Journal, Indianapolis Star and various other publications before she got bitten by the mystery-writing bug.

Her 2013 debut Mimi Goldman mystery, set in the Chautauqua Institution in far Western NY State, IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH, has been called "required reading" (NY Post), "perfect . . . if you enjoy an old-fashioned whodunit" (Post-Journal of Jamestown, NY) and "a truly fun quick-witted mystery with an engaging protagonist and array of other memorable characters. With a dash of romance and history, it's the perfect read for a summer getaway -- and a page-turner in any season." (Goodreads).

It's available on Amazon.com along with her 2023 novel EVIL FOR EVIL and earlier works: WICKED SCHEMES, A PLAGUE AMONG U , CROOKED PATHS, FRUIT OF LIES, VENGEANCE IS MINE, BESIDE STILL WATERS, DELIVER US FROM EVIL and her 2014 novelette, WHERE'S THE BEEF?, all set in Chautauqua, too.

Deb, a grandmother, is also a SoulCycle indoor cycling fanatic, cook, hiker, music lover and former Mystery Writers of America committee chair in New York City where she lives with her husband Dave.

Reviews

[Andrea Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though Mimi Goldman's crime solving techniques aren't getting any more sophisticated (she'd be nowhere without her tech-savvy son, Jake), Deb Pines shows she's mastered her mystery writing style with the latest in her Chautauqua murder series. As always, Pines offers a full lineup of possible suspects for readers to ponder, most with clear motives for murdering the well-to-do yet enigmatic Connie de Palma, co-owner with her sister of a Chautauqua fixer-upper. As always, the dialogue is fast-paced and witty, the puns are plentiful, and the geographical and historical allusions are carefully crafted, giving the book a regional authenticity that can only come from first-hand knowledge and journalistic research. The reader can be certain, for instance, that the author took a field trip to an actual nudist swimming hole called Skinny Dip Falls in order to describe the one referenced in her story. What makes Crooked Paths such a pleasurable read is the author's own maturation as a storyteller who can weave unexpected turns and new characters into the plot progression without confusing the reader. The ending is especially satisfying because even after the crime is solved the twists keep coming. Also notable in this latest edition is the striking and melancholy book cover design, which complements the text and makes for a more eye-catching novel. It's not necessary to have read previous books in the series to enjoy this one, but as a loyal consumer of the brand I find myself getting to know the characters - to the point that I was furious with Mimi for going outside at night to investigate a scary noise (won't she ever learn?) and delighted to discover that she now has a grandson Charlie whom Jake appears to be raising as a single dad. Jake plays such a key role in solving the de Palma homicide - and Mimi seems so smitten with the grandchild - that I can imagine both will play even bigger roles in the next sure-as-summer-in-Chautauqua sequel.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the Chautauqua Institution, Deb Pines returns with her famous private investigator Mimi. Mimi never gives up throughout the book as she tries to solve the murder mystery. Great twist at the end!