When Diana, a wealthy sugar magnate in her mid-70s, is abruptly forced into retirement by her own daughter, she relocates to the Ocean’s Edge, “a fifty-five plus community beautifully nestled along Florida’s Treasure Coast.” What begins as a quiet chapter in her life quickly turns into an unexpected adventure. Diana soon befriends a quirky group of retirees whose idea of fun goes far beyond shuffleboard—they spend their days sipping coffee-based cocktails and solving cold cases. Her new circle includes Dennis, a retired detective with a sharp eye for detail; Bill, who’s a bit sleazy but incredibly tech-savvy; Estelle and Filomena, eccentric twin sisters (one a gifted medium, the other a tarot card reader); and Carol, the community’s nurse, who possesses an unusual ability to communicate with animals. Diana, with her wealth and political connections, proves to be an invaluable asset to the team, almost immediately helping them solve several cases. Diana finds her new vocation incredibly satisfying, but Ocean’s Edge isn’t as idyllic as it seems: A self-styled vigilante serial killer is on the loose, targeting those he deems deserving of death based on crimes they’ve committed. Adding to the intrigue is Mr. Anderson, the community’s clever cat, who sees what the humans miss (and indulges his love of Key lime pie along the way). As Diana navigates her new life, she finds romance in an unexpected place; when a crime strikes close to home, the stakes rise dramatically. The mystery element, while present, feels underdeveloped and could benefit from sharper twists or deeper intrigue to truly captivate fans of the genre. Additionally, the narrative can sometimes feel confusing, especially when jumping to the perspective and journal entries of the killer. But for readers seeking a breezy, entertaining escape rather than a tightly constructed puzzle, this story offers a delightful blend of levity and mild thrills.
