Wicked Schemes is the ninth book in Deb Pines’ traditional whodunit Chautauqua Mysteries featuring the wise and witty reporter/grandma sleuth Mimi Goldman. “An Agatha Christie for the text-message age,” IndieReader calls the top-selling series. When a local online message-board post says, “A Murder is Announced,” all are welcome, on July 18, 2021, at 9:15 p.m. at Merrill Manor, Chautauqua is abuzz. Many show up expecting a harmless murder-mystery game. But then the lights go out. An intruder yells, “Stick ’em up.” Three shots are fired. And, by the door, lies . . . the body of the intruder, in costume. Was it a botched robbery? Or something else? In this page-turning riff on an Agatha Christie classic, the police, of course, are no help. So reporter and relentless snoop Mimi Goldman (known as "Chautauqua’s Miss Marple") and her fearless 90-year-old sidekick Sylvia Pritchard dig in. They find secrets galore among Merrill Manor's guests who include -- host Betsy Kowalski, a haughty ex-Wall Streeter, her actor nephew, a simpering childhood friend, an elderly tenant with a grudge, a standoffish gardener, a mansplaining ex-judge and a lovesick writer. When more bodies turn up, too, Mimi and Sylvia decide it's time to go big. Trading methodical for daring, they stage a high-stakes showdown -- to try to nab an unhinged killer and solve their ninth and trickiest whodunit yet. Fans of Agatha Christie and Louise Penny and “Only Murders in the Building” will enjoy this intricately plotted whodunit that’s been called a “rollicking homage to the Queen of Mystery.” "A highly entertaining homage to Agatha Christie's classic 'A Murder is Announced'" featuring Mimi, "the perfect gumshoe for our times: blending a brilliant mix of classic sleuthing and up to the minute technology" — The Book Report "A clever entertaining murder tale from a reliably engaging author" where the "shadow of ever present danger is lightened by skillful, frequently witty dialogue and a couple of charming love stories." — Kirkus Reviews "Bubbling over with sharp, sarcastic humor and lively, vividly detailed writing, WICKED SCHEMES is another charming entry in the series that will delight both longtime fans and newcomers to the Chautauqua mysteries." -- IndieReader "Filled with twists, humor" and a "final reveal that will shock you." — Fran's Reviews "Despite the demands of her reporting job, misinformation, more murders, conflicting stories and threats, Mimi persists" in this mystery where "Pines outdid herself." — Catherine Maiorisi, two-time Lambda Award-finalist and author of the Chiara Corelli Mystery Series Another "quick read" featuring Pines' "trademark short chapters and staccato dialogue interspersed with rich history of Chautauqua" that is "ideal for summer reading." —Andrea Neal, author of Pence: The Path to Power Full The Book Report review: Author Deb Pines returns to the "scene of the crime" — Chautauqua — in "Wicked Schemes,"a highly entertaining homage to Agatha Christie's classic "A Murder is Announced." As we see in this 9th Mimi Goldman mystery, Mimi is the perfect gumshoe for our times: blending a brilliant mis of classic sleuthing and up to the minute technology. Readers are even treated to Siri solving a conundrum. So Hey Siri, "What's one of your favorite reads of Summer 2022?" "Wicked Schemes." Another "quick read" featuring Pines' "trademark short chapters and staccato dialogue interspersed with rich history of Chautauqua" that is "ideal for summer reading." -- Andrea Neal, author of Pence: The Path to Power Dear Readers,  I hope you've had as much fun reading this book as I've had writing it. Though it's No. 9 in my Chautauqua mystery series, Wicked Schemes is also a first for me. It is my first reimagining—of a mystery classic titled A Murder Is Announced by my hero Agatha Christie. Christie's tale, starring Miss Marple, is set in the sleepy, fictional, post-war British village of Chipping Cleghorn. My story, starring my usual hero Mimi Goldman, is set today in the real-life summer arts community of Chautauqua, New York. Following Christie's lead has made my work, I think, both darker (with multiple murders) and lighter (with more jokes and over-the-top plot twists). The result, I hope, is a lot of fun — and a tribute to Christie, the ingenious Queen of Mystery and best-selling fiction writer of all time. Disclaimer: Though many landmarks and events in Wicked Schemes are real, the book's crimes are made up. Merrill Manor and Mimi Goldman's cottage don't exist. The characters are inventions. The lectures on identity never happened. In real life, Chautauqua has a Daily editor, sheriff, Athenaeum restaurant manager, police chief and president. My fictional characters should not be confused with the real people in those roles. Sylvia Pritchard, Mimi's sidekick, is getting younger in the series, not older, to enable her (plausibly) to do more for longer. Thank you for your continued sup