And then along came Paul Levine, who single-handedly injected new energy and life into the sub-genre with his Solomon vs. Lord novels. Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord are polar opposite attorneys working in South Florida. Solomon is always looking for an angle and always ready with a wisecrack, while Lord is as by-the-book as they come. Their undeniable attraction provides constant friction as they try to balance their personal lives with their professional ones. We met them in the terrifically funny and engaging Solomon vs. Lord, and now they’re back in The Deep Blue Alibi.

This second adventure begins with a murder by spearfish gun, and the accused is a man who is a former business partner of Victoria’s late father. While nearly everything points to this man’s guilt, Victoria takes on his case, not only in an effort to help her father’s former friend, but to also show Steve that she can handle things without his help. Steve, meanwhile, sets to investigating his father’s own lost legal career while keeping an eye on Victoria.

The mystery itself works fine, but the characters of Solomon and Lord make this novel go. They are funny, intelligent, introspective at the right times, and likable even when they are doing things that should make them unlikable. That’s a tribute to Levine’s sharp writing.

Solomon and Lord are keepers, and every mystery fan needs to put them on their Must Read list.