WICKED SCHEMES

In this ninth installment of a mystery series, nefarious doings are afoot at Merrill Manor, a boardinghouse on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution, western New York state’s unique summer artist community.

It is a tranquil Sunday in mid-July 2021, and Chautauquans are enjoying the freedom of in-person activities after last year’s Covid-19 restrictions. Then a cryptic invitation in the local e-zine, The Grapevine, causes a flurry of excitement: “A Murder Is Announced,” to be held at Merrill Manor that very evening. Not even the manor’s new owner, former Wall Streeter Betsy Kowalski, knows who placed the ad or what it refers to. Nonetheless, she prudently makes the appropriate preparations to welcome a larger than usual crowd for evening refreshments. As night falls, the manor’s eclectic residents—Kitty Nowak, Betsy’s childhood friend; Matilda Willoughby and her older mother, Evelyn, Betsy’s cousins; Frank Paddington and his sister, Amanda; and Sandy Bianchi, the Chautauqua gardener—gather. They are joined by neighbors Bridget Gallagher; her 20-something son, Eric; and retired Judge Jeremiah Hammerle and his third wife, Agnes. Last to arrive is Mimi Goldman, Chautauqua’s own amateur supersleuth. As the guests chat and sip their drinks, the lights go out. The front door opens, and a man steps into the pitch darkness yelling, “Stick ’em up.” Three gunshots follow, and Betsy’s ear is grazed by a bullet. But it is the mysterious intruder who lies dead in the entranceway. He is just the first victim in Pines’ low-action yet intriguingly complicated, twisty tale of greed and deception. The shadow of ever present danger is lightened by skillful, frequently witty dialogue and a couple of charming love stories. The challenge of finding the killer among a trove of suspects is only part of the enjoyment of the author’s crime dramas. She has filled these pages with an assortment of quirky characters of all ages. And the narrative is peppered with pieces of Chautauqua history, evocative descriptions of the serene (and manicured) landscape, and samples of the institution’s annual philosophical/religious/scientific lecture series. This year, the series is focusing on the nature and development of individual identities, a subject conveniently connected to the ultimate reveal of the killer.  

A clever, entertaining murder tale from a reliably engaging author.