Synopsis:
If Paco and Molly LeSoto captivated you in Locks and Cream Cheese, Hot Grudge Sunday, and Boston Scream Pie, you’re sure to love The Moaning Lisa—their fourth murder mystery with a smidgen of humor.
Now in their eighties, Paco and Molly have moved into Gilded Gates, an assisted living community in Maryland. They expect their golden years to be blissful. They are dead wrong. Some residents are missing and no one knows what has happened to them.
One suspicious resident is a sleepwalker and claims to have heard mysterious moaning during his night walks, but for the life of him he can’t figure out where the anguished sounds are coming from.
“Inspector Paco” has retired as head of the Black Rain Corners police force. But many residents of Gilded Gates fear they might be next on the list of the missing. They beg Paco to investigate.
Naturally, Molly also pokes her keen nose and shrewd insights into the baffling disappearances.
Favorite Lines:
“Getting old is not for sissies”
“The movie’s nothing like the book.”
“Molly, sweetie, I’ve got four good reasons to love you. One, you’re the kindest, most considerate person I know. Tow, you’re clever and creative enough to help me with my detective work. Three, you’re the only one that knows how to put up with me. And four, there’s so much more of you to love.”
“You know, sweetie, we have something most marriages never achieve. We’re a team!”
My Opinion:
I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Moaning Lisa is filled with heart, humor, and the kind of small-town mystery that never needs to shout to hold your attention. Paco and Molly LeSoto’s adventures continue as they face both personal decline and a new mystery that brews inside an assisted living community. The story blends humor and heartache as the couple navigates health scares, reluctant moves, and the strange cast of residents and staff at Gilded Gates.
What makes this book shine isn’t the crime itself, but the humanity around it. The authors write aging not as tragedy but as transformation—stubborn, funny, and full of life. Molly’s dialogue is full of warmth and humor even in the book’s heaviest moments. Paco’s quiet steadiness softens the edges, grounding the story in love rather than cynicism.
There’s a sly intelligence in the way Rosemary and Larry Mild handle tone—balancing mystery with a real tenderness toward their characters. It’s the sort of mystery you don’t rush through; you linger for the small moments. Beneath the cozy veneer is a subtle sadness about time, loss, and how people try to hold on to purpose when life insists on taking things away.
If you like your mysteries with heart instead of hard edges, The Moaning Lisa is that kind of read—quietly moving, funny in its own offbeat way, and filled with two characters who feel lived-in, not written.
Summary:
Overall, The Moaning Lisa is a story about love late in life, about finding purpose even when the world starts shrinking. Recommended for readers who love gentle mysteries like The Thursday Murder Club —especially those who prefer character-driven storytelling, sharp humor, and a dash of melancholy beneath the charm. Happy reading!
Check out The Moaning Lisa here!