Permanently Booked by Lisa Q. Mathews is the second book in the “Ladies Smythe & Westin” mystery series. Publisher: Carina Press, April 2016

The first rule of the Hibiscus Pointe book club is don’t talk about the murder

Semi-reformed party girl Summer Smythe is finally feeling at home at the Hibiscus Pointe Retirement Community. All that’s left to do is replace her late grandma’s massive book collection with a TV. Donating them to the community library is the perfect solution—until she finds the librarian buried in books. Literally.

Summer and her sleuthing partner, longtime resident Dorothy Westin, can’t imagine who would want to kill poor, dedicated Lorella. Soon, they’re on case. . .and the Hibiscus Pointe book club is the perfect cover for their investigation.

A murdered librarian is headline news in south Florida, and even outsiders, including an oddball professor and a pair of dueling authors, are eager to join the once-dull group. But one menacing member has Dorothy and Summer bookmarked for the morgue. If the Ladies Smythe and Westin don’t nab the killer fast, the Hibiscus Pointe book club may be reading their obituaries next.

I really like the camaraderie between the two diverse friends who collectively team up to find a killer. The author does a great job in developing the character’s unique sensibility that makes this duo the perfect pair to take on this task. The mystery is set-up in a way that the suspects and clues presented entailed how this drama unfolded with some twists and turns and a few surprises that helped moved each scene towards events leading to the killer’s identity. The vast quirkiness of each character from the young to the eldest all played an essential role that made this a fun read. There is so much humor among the varied characters that you can’t help but laugh and be amused. This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next book in this likable series.