When a hurricane strikes Fort Lauderdale, it wreaks havoc on the Lanai Gardens apartment complex and launches self-appointed PI Gladdy Gold’s fifth mystery (after 2007’s Getting Old Is to Die For
). Discovered beneath the debris of a building, a long-buried skeleton yields few clues beyond that the victim was murdered, but that doesn’t stop Gladdy and her delightful coterie of elderly crime busters from investigating. They’re also trying to nab the bank-robbing “Grandpa Bandit” and comforting a neighbor, concentration camp survivor Enya, who suffers repeated nightmares. Gladdy’s intermittent romance with retired cop Jack Langford veers close to consummation, but she never lets that distract her from the case. Lakin skillfully combines human comedy and a touch of Jewish humor with suspense while unveiling startling connections and plenty of twists. (Jan.)
