Hope Appleton, Mercy McKay and Susannah Bowles, three feisty women in the fictional town of Cypress Point, Mississippi, are just little old ladies, living out loud, laughing out loud and living their lives with lots of love.

They are the stars of Pearl River County author Mary Beth Magee’s new mystery novel “Death in the Daylilies.”

Magee reviewed her new book on Tuesday at the Friends of the Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library Brown Bag Book Review.

Magee said she was inspired by the Hattiesburg Daylily Tour and wondered what would happen if someone found a dead body among the daylilies.

The town of Cypress Point was inspired by both the cities of Picayune and Poplarville, Magee said. Some of the major themes highlighted in the novel include sense of community, faith, love, family and friendship.

“I want readers to feel better after finishing the book,” Magee said. “My inspiration is derived from my Christian faith and demonstrating how people get through the trials of life with faith and love.”

In her book the three senior citizens discover a dead body while on a daylily driving tour, Magee said. It’s a story about how ordinary, everyday people face life on a daily basis.

Magee said that all people face losses and difficulties whether it is the loss of a spouse, job or home.

“It’s how people deal with the difficulties that makes a fascinating story,” Magee said.

“Death in the Daylilies” is the first in a series of mystery novels Magee has planned about the people of Cypress Point. The next novel in the series will be titled “Ambush at the Arboretum,” and will provide backstories and past relationships of the main characters readers met in the first book.

Trudy Olive attended the luncheon and said Magee’s novel is easy to follow, fast-paced with interesting, well-developed and believable characters.

“Once I started reading the book, it was difficult to find a stopping point,” Olive said. “I’m looking forward to the next book in the series and the continuation of the Cypress Point ladies’ adventures.”

Wuanita Talley said she thought the book was wonderful.

“I couldn’t put it down,” Talley said. “I read it well into the night. This book will be enjoyed by people who love gardening and interested in learning about daylilies.”

In addition to writing novels, Magee also reviews books, free-lances and composes poetry and other works for online anthologies. She also has her own book of poetry and devotions “Songs of Childhood, Echoes of Years,” and “Devotions from the Road of Life: Volume I: Hitting the Road.”

Contact Magee at marybethwrites@gmail.com and visit her website at www.deathinthedaylilies.com.

“Death in the Daylilies” is available in both print and electronic formats at www.amazon.com and www.bn.com. Smashwords and iTunes offer electronic versions, Magee said.

Follow Magee on Facebook and Twitter at Mary Beth Magee Writes and @MaryBethWrites.