Description:
In 1924, the Catskills simmer with bootleggers, Klan violence, and rising tensions. As Prohibition fuels crime and hatred spreads north, the Isaacson family fights to protect their land, livelihood, and future in a rapidly changing America.
Brief description: "I run like the wind to stay ahead of my disease -living, family, writing -my refuge."A cancer diagnosis unveiling a genetic defect, together with a lifelong fascination with the history of medicine, propelled Jane Rubin to put pen to paper. In 2009, then a healthcare executive, Jane poured her energy into raising research dollars for ovarian cancer, the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA), while learning more about her familial roots. Her research led her to Mathilda (Tillie), her great-grandmother, who arrived in New York City in 1866 as a baby, at sixteen, married a man twelve years her senior, and later died of "a woman's disease." Then, the trail ran cold. With limited facts, she was determined to give Tillie an exciting fictional life of her own. Jane was left imagining Tillie's life, her fight with terminal disease, and the circumstances surrounding her death.Her research on the history of New York City, its ultra-conservative reproductive laws, and the state of medicine during that era has culminated in a suspenseful, best-selling, award-winning three-book historical series. Her engaging characters confront the shifting role of midwives, the dangers of pregnancy, the infamous Blackwell's Workhouse, and the perilous road to financial success. In the Hands of Women, 5/23 (Level Best Books) and its prequel, Threadbare, 5/24 (Level Best Books), have been enjoyed by fans of historical fiction. Over There, the third in the trilogy (6/25 Level Best Books), transports members of the Isaacson family into the heart of France in World War 1, challenging the family values they dearly cherish. Over There was shortlisted by the Historical Novel Society for the 2024 First Chapters Competition and is currently shortlisted for the 2025 Hemingway Awards for 20th-century wartime fiction.Jane's other publications include an essay memoir, Almost a Princess, My Life as a Two-Time Cancer Survivor(2009 Next Generation -Finalist), and multiple magazine articles. She writes a monthly blog, Musings, reflecting on her post-healthcare career experiences and writing journey.Ms. Rubin graduated from the University of Michigan (BS, MS) and Washington University (MBA). She retired from a 30-year healthcare executive career to write full-time. She lives in Northern New Jersey with her husband, David, an attorney. Together, they have five adult children and seven grandchildren.
Review Quotes:
Praise for Mayhem in the Mountains
"Readers are in for a treat with Rubin's fresh historical fiction. Exploring a little-known sliver of 1920s history, Mayhem In the Mountains has it all: strong female characters (especially the firebrand heroine), complex family dynamics, really bad, bad guys (the KKK) and a hopeful, satisfying finish. This tale of an industrious Jewish family in the Catskills is sure to delight."
- Samantha Greene Woodruff, bestselling author of The Trade Off and The Lobotomist's Wife
"Jane Loeb Rubin transports us to the Catskill Mountains in 1924 in her riveting and action-packed new novel, Mayhem In the Mountains. As the story opens, Prohibition fuels crime and the Ku Klux Klan has drifted north, threatening those they consider outsiders. Against this turbulent backdrop, Rubin follows three characters struggling with family bonds and sweeping change. Whether you're a fan of Rubin's earlier novels or new to her stories, you'll race through Mayhem In the Mountains, cheering for her characters to overcome all obstacles. - Marlie Parker Wasserman, author of Inferno on Fifth and First Daughter
"Settle in before you start Mayhem in the Mountains-this coming-of-age adventure will keep you reading straight through to the end. The novel vividly evokes 1920s America through the eyes of 18-year-old Ella Levine, a determined young woman who finds unexpected belonging among her extended Jewish family in the Catskills after years of neglect. But danger lurks as Ella crosses paths with notorious gangster Dutch Schultz and, with her family, faces the antisemitism of the rising Ku Klux Klan. Rich and unforgettable, Mayhem in the Mountains is a story of resilience, identity, and family that kept me turning pages late into the night." - Mally Becker, 2025 IPPY "best mystery" gold medal winner & Agatha Award-nominated author of The Revolutionary War mysteries
"Rubin masterfully immerses readers in the unpredictable, dangerous world of 1920s New York's Hudson Valley. Though the landscape exudes tranquility, the narrative pulses with tension-bootleggers defy prohibition, ruthless gangsters run whiskey, and the sinister presence of the KKK brings a chilling undercurrent of antisemitism. In this fourth installment of Rubin's Gilded City series, the story stands on its own, yet devoted fans will delight in watching familiar, skillfully crafted characters evolve over time-characters who linger in your mind long after the final page is turned." - Linda Rosen, best-selling author of The Emerald Necklace
"Readers are in for a treat with Rubin's fresh historical fiction. Exploring a little-known sliver of 1920s history, Mayhem in the Mountains has it all: strong female characters (especially the firebrand heroine), complex family dynamics, really bad, bad guys (the KKK) and a hopeful, satisfying finish. This tale of an industrious Jewish family in the Catskills is sure to delight." - Samantha Greene Woodruff, bestselling author of The Trade Off and The Lobotomist's Wife