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The Ladies Smythe & Westin Series –

Book #1: Cardiac Arrest

Sweet way to go…

Practical widow Dorothy Westin isn’t sure she has much in common with her new neighbor at the Hibiscus Pointe Senior Living Community in swanky Milano, Florida. Summer Smythe, a twenty-something party girl who’s camping out in her late grandma’s condo, has an eye for fashion, a nose for trouble, and a very spotty résumé. But Dorothy has a change of heart after her overly-charming cardiologist—who is also Summer’s new boss—drops dead at the younger woman’s feet. Now Summer is a person of interest to the Milano PD, as well as half the men in Collier County. To clear her name, the women team up to investigate, and soon discover a string of broken hearts and hidden identities longer than the Tamiami Trail. The deceitful doc left plenty of loved ones who may have wanted him dead: a furious socialite fiancée; a business partner with big dreams; a very personal assistant with a penchant for sharp objects; and a bevy of desperately adoring—and jealous—silver-haired patients. If the Ladies Smythe & Westin don’t find the killer before he or she finds them, Dorothy may regret her wish for a more exciting life—and Summer’s next job may be folding laundry in a less-than-ritzy Gulf Coast jail.

Book #2: Permanently Booked

Not your coroner’s book club…

Dorothy is appalled to find Summer tossing all the books from her late grandma’s shelves to make room for a screening-room-sized TV. Rescuing a few literary treasures for herself, she suggests that Summer donate the rest to the tiny Hibiscus Pointe Library. Unfortunately, new librarian Lorella Caldwell already seems overwhelmed by her job, especially since her assistant decamped in her RV to the wilds of Montana with a questionable companion. When Dorothy and Summer arrive with their cartload of estate titles, they find the library turned upside down, and Lorella herself buried in books—after being knocked on the head with a heavy marble bookend. Who would want to kill poor, hardworking Lorella? As cover for their investigation, the Ladies Smythe & Westin take on the late librarian’s duties, and pump new life into the deadly-dull Hibiscus Pointe Book Club. Soon even outsiders—including a less-than-scholarly professor, an overeager new author, and Dash’s famous, mystery writer mom—are dying to join, but one menacing member may have Dorothy and Summer booked for the morgue.

Book #3: Fashionably Late

That certain killer style…

Summer’s friend Esmé, a part-time design student, recommends a trendy, new lunch spot, where bayside diners are treated to a personal fashion show with their meals. Summer is unimpressed by the gaudy, matronly outfits, but Dorothy strikes up a conversation with an elegant, silver-haired model, Angelica Downs, about the beautiful Roland Cho jewelry she’s wearing. They are rather rudely interrupted by boutique owner Raylene Gordon, one of the show’s sponsors, who demands that Angelica return immediately to the dressing room. When the model fails to reappear, Dorothy and Summer look for her after the show—and find Angelica’s body stuffed in a garment bag. The jewelry Dorothy had admired is missing—along with the bratty, former child star who had been lunching at the next table. Roland Cho, the show’s celebrity guest designer, is sure that Angelica was murdered for his pricey baubles, but the Ladies Smythe & Westin aren’t convinced. They organize their own fashion show for charity at Hibiscus Pointe, hoping to lure the killer—but they may soon find themselves on the hanger.