Death on the Lanai is the second installment in the Golden Girls Cozy Mystery mystery series, which is obviously based on the four main characters we know from the classic and popular TV sitcom, The Golden Girls (NBC, 1985-1992). It was preceded by the first book, Murder by Cheesecake (2025).

Here, the four ladies are invited to a private party that will be held on a small island off the Florida coast, not far from Miami. They're not sure who sent the invitation, why they sent it, or exactly which roommate it was intended for. They decide to go as a group, and Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia, and Rose soon find themselves being rowed across the water by a strange man in a tiny boat. The private party at Villa Velado turns out to be a rather small one. The host is an artist named Declan, also known as "El Toro." He knows Blanche from many years ago. There are four other guests in addition to our heroes, plus two staff members who also live in the house.

Naturally, a tragedy happens to one of these folks. And almost just as naturally, the act takes place during a terrible thunderstorm that takes out the electricity and causes severe wind damage. The Golden Girls do their best to keep their heads together, to become amateur sleuths, and to figure out exactly what happened and who is responsible for it. In the meantime, everyone is stuck on this island. Together. With the presumed killer standing among them.

The women are just as we remember them. Blanche is constantly thinking either about her appearance or whether or not she can attract and possibly seduce a certain man in the room. Sophia is her snarky self and is still quick to launch sarcastic quips at anyone, on any occasion. Rose keeps coming up with supposedly relevant memories of the esoteric practices of the people of her hometown of St. Olaf, Minnesota. And Dorothy aims to be the louder and steadier voice of logic and reason. Without thinking TOO often about her ex-husband, Stan.

Rachel Courage has not brought the quartet and the situation into the 21st century. They're still in their own reality and are living in the late 1980s. We know this because in casual conversation, they make cultural references to personalities who were popular at the time: model Christie Brinkley, musician David Bowie, TV characters Jessica Fletcher and Columbo, and others. Someone mentions having a boom box. And back then, no one had a smartphone or any way of looking up vital information online. Nobody can contact the mainland to get help. The rowboat has been destroyed during the storm, too. They're stranded on this island. All they can do is to busy themselves with solving the murder. Who could have done it? And what will they do with the perp when they identify them?

This novel is not labeled or marketed as a large print book. Yet the font size and the extra spacing MAY quietly make it easier for seniors to read the pages. We presume that its target audience is people of a certain age who were devoted to watching the TV show in real time or in reruns. And these older fans may appreciate the way the printing appears on the page. At the same time, the technique is not drastic enough to discourage "regular" readers from enjoying the experience. Bravo to the editors and publishers, in this case. Still, at 366 pages, the storyline might have stretched out a bit too long. Even though I loved spending time with the characters, I kept hoping for a speedier conclusion.

I believe that readers of Death on the Lanai will be about 33% interested in solving the murder presented here, and 67% interested in simply being able to hang out with these four dear friends of ours. Bea, Betty, Rue, Estelle? We miss you. And we're grateful that Rachel Courage has brought you back into our lives, in this special way. We hope to hook up with you again, and that you continue to have interesting adventures. Thank you for being our friends.