Allenson, Miriam [Tootsie Goldberg Series #1], (When She Gets Hot) [pb, MS Allenson & Associates, 2023] 978-1733850162 [Tootsie’s quiet life ends when new owners fire her and her senior coworkers from their beloved radio station. What starts as a mission to save their jobs spirals into a dangerous conspiracy involving local secrets and a series of “suspicious dead ends”.]
United States · Fiction author
Miriam Allenson
Miriam Allenson (est. birth 1950) - an author known for her “later-in-life” Jewish female protagonists. She lives in northern New Jersey with her husband, near five of her seven grandchildren. Well-known for her 5-volume (so far) Tootsie Goldberg series. Tootsie is a feisty, fifty-plus amateur sleuth and Jersey native living in a town near Clifton, NJ. The novels are regarded as a humorous or cozy mystery series, typified by the avoidance of graphic violence, explicit sex, or excessive profanity and focusing instead on character development and community dynamics. Tootsie’s Jewish identity is central to her character and the series’ humor:
Moral Compass and “Mitzvahs”: Tootsie views her meddling and pursuit of justice as a “feisty mitzvah”. She is driven by a deep-seated need to “hell-raise” for those who cannot help themselves.
Cultural Expressions and Language: The narratives frequently use Yiddish-derived terms like chutzpah and kvetching to describe her personality and actions.
Family Dynamics: Her Jewish heritage is reflected in her family life, such as her ninety-year-old aunt moving in next door.
Confronting Antisemitism: In her sleuthing, Tootsie occasionally faces antisemitic antagonists, whom she handles with her signature “sharp-as-a-tack banter”.
Relatable Struggles: Her character deals with “later-in-life” issues common to many women in her community, including hot flashes, complicated relationships with ex-husbands, and navigating life after children have grown.
Series Books in Order
Allenson, Miriam [Tootsie Goldberg Series #2], (When She Gets Smart) [pb, MS Allenson & Associates, 2023] 978-1733850186 [Tootsie discovers the local mayor is involved in a scheme that could frame her friend, the assistant mayor. Her investigation leads her into the path of a dangerous mob-affiliated thug, forcing her to decide how far she will go to clear her friend’s name.]
Allenson, Miriam [Tootsie Goldberg Series #3], (When She Gets Busy) [pb, MS Allenson & Associates, 2023] 979-8988761808 [When her grumpy neighbor’s grandson is caught in a legal jam, Tootsie steps in to help. She uncovers a beachfront scandal involving an arrogant tech billionaire and illegal dealings that threaten the local Jersey Shore environment.]
Allenson, Miriam [Tootsie Goldberg Series #4], (When She Gets Riled) [pb, MS Allenson & Associates, 2023] 979-8988761815 [Tootsie goes to war against a library board member attempting to ban books written by her ninety-year-old aunt. Her fight for free speech attracts a nasty cyberbully and unearths long-held community secrets that threaten to explode into a full-blown scandal.]
Allenson, Miriam [Tootsie Goldberg Series #5], (When She Gets Conned) [pb, Miriam Allenson, 2025] 979-8230297260 [In the final installment of the current quintet, Tootsie faces a new mystery involving deception and “bad guy business.” As with previous cases, she must use her industrial-strength chutzpah to root out the truth before she ends up in over her head.] [Google/AI]