I absolutely adored this murder mystery. It illustrates that just because you're over 60 doesn't mean you're dead or in your dotage.

Gina is in a spiral - her husband has decided he needs to find himself at the tender age of 70+! He's ran off and left Gina to deal with the fallout - selling their house, finding a new place to live, dealing with their grown kids. I must admit Gina's son is a lot more grown up and empathetic than his sister. She just acted like a spoiled brat!

Her search for a new place to live leads her to Dorothy. Dorothy is a little older and having some mobility issues, but her marbles are intact thank you very much! They are soon fast friends and Gina finds herself invited along to a family wedding as Dot's companion. But the wedding week descends into chaos when the host is found dead.

The alternating points of view really let you empathise with the main characters and how they are perceived by the world around them. Their relationship with the 3rd sleuth was really sweet and just shows that friendships can traverse age.

Leonard was a really easy victim to dislike and pretty mush his entire family was odious! A few of them did try to redeem themselves but it's all a bit little too late.

The twists and turns keep you on your toes and the pacing keeps the story chugging along.

The sarcastic humour, strong elderly characters and strong storyline make this a great murder mystery. There is even a timid chance at a new relationship lying in wait for Gina.

I really hope this is the beginning of a fab series!

Light hearted whodunnit… 🥸

Told from two perspectives, Gina whose life has taken an unexpected change with her husband Douglas announcing in a Dear John style letter, that he needs a break to find himself, then deciding he wants to end his marriage. And 89 year old Dorothy, whose family believe she needs a companion to help her, which she does not agree but reluctantly agrees when Gina applies, with an ulterior motive…

A short light hearted whodunnit style read, keeps you entertained from beginning to end. Not an author I’ve read previously, but will be one to look out for going forward.

A fun story with a mysterious twist. There were a lot of character names to keep up with, but as they started to develop, it got easier.

The main characters were very likable, and Dorothy is everyone’s favorite kooky aunt.

Seventy one year old Gina Knight had had the rug pulled from under her feet when her husband of more than forty years decided he needed to "find himself", leaving Gina not entirely sure what was happening. Knowing her home would be sold, Gina searched for somewhere else to go - she didn't want to encroach on either her son or daughter and their families - and when she applied for the position of companion to an elderly woman, and received the job, Gina decided things were looking up. Dorothy Reed was a spritely eighty nine year old, and needed Gina for the upcoming week of wedding festivities at a mansion belonging to a relative.

Gina was in awe of the place she would be staying in - the majesty and beauty was a sight to behold. But when Dot explained what she had in mind for this week, Gina was immediately hesitant. A painting was missing, and Dot believed it was hidden in the house they were staying in. She tasked Gina with finding it before the week was over. Gina was worried about being caught snooping...

Old Girls Behaving Badly is my first by Kate Galley and it was lots of fun! With Dot and Gina getting up to mischief, and Dot's granddaughter, thirteen year old Juliet, also joining in the fun, it was definitely a week out of the ordinary. An entertaining read, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and recommend highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Well, these "old girls" might have been behaving "badly" but it was all for a good reason, and they weren't so misbehaved at all - unless you include snooping around the rather grand house of the host, but, as I said, they have an excellent reason if justice is to be done.
Gina, at 72, is the gofer, searching the house on Dorothy's behalf, who, at 89, is the instigator of their activities. An unlikely pairing, but it works so well.
Gina, recently abandoned by her husband who needs to "find himself" is at a loss and, on seeing the ad in The Lady for a companion role for a week with a view to it becoming a permanent position, thinks what has she got to lose? She and Dorothy hit it off over a shared love for art, and so Gina is hired. The week concerned is for a family wedding taking place at the bride's uncle (Leonard) grand home, where close family members gather for activities and fun prior to the big day. Gina believes it'll be a case of giving medication and fetching slippers for the older woman, but Dorothy has other ideas. She believes Leonard was instrumental in the death, a year ago, of her husband Philip, whereupon he also stole a painting she believes he has somewhere in the house. And she wants Gina to track it down.
So, begins the fun. Gina wonders what she has let herself in for, Dorothy cannot resist sniping at Leonard, and Leonard is simply the smuggest, most odious of show-offs who loves being the centre of attention. Add in some family members with secrets, a teenager with a tendency to record private conversations and who'd rather be anywhere else, and you have a really entertaining story that held my attention from start to finish.
The author writes older characters really well, and is not afraid to throw in the unexpected now and then.
Throughout, Gina and Dorothy become good friends, and unwittingly both help the other to move on (Dorothy from her grief and Gina from her marriage ending). It's a heart-warming story with lots of humour mixed in with real family issues. I'd like to think from how it ends that there is more to come from these two.

Another Kate Galley book for my bookshelf and another corker it is too. Kate has really pulled it out of the bag with this rollicking adventure of two loveable mature women you won't want to leave behind at the end - which is great news seeing as this is just the start of a brand new series.
I absolutely loved following the antics of these two strong, capable women.
Gina, as the unlikely companion to octogenarian Dorothy, has many layers and I can't wait to find out more about her intriguing past. Whilst Dorothy herself is wry, wily and made of formidable stuff.
This book had the feel of a joyous, caper, as though Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher had taken themselves off to an Agatha Christie-esque setting to enjoy a lavish wedding and solve a mystery, whilst channelling AbFab vibes.
An uplifting read, which touches on serious issues, whilst still being entertaining, as with all good heart-felt fiction.
Thoroughly recommend.

This was a wonderful read! I thoroughly enjoyed it and finished it within twenty four hours!!! I just couldn’t put it down and when I did, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up again!!
Gina is a housewife looking forward to spending lots more time with her husband now he’s retired but he drops a bomb and tells her that he needs some time to find himself, and doesn’t want to be with her anymore. They will have to sell the house to go their separate ways… while she’s looking through a magazine, she finds an advert for a companion for an elderly woman who will be attending a wedding and needs some support. There is also accommodation provided of the job becomes more permanent. She decides to apply and gets the job with Dorothy, who has another agenda. She wants a friend like Gina to do some snooping on her behalf!.
I cannot recommend this book enough! If you like reading something funny and entertaining then you should buy this book!!!
Many thanks to Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this arc copy for review consideration via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #TheBoldBookClub, #KateGalley.1.

I Love how this author writes about the older generation in such a positive and uplifting way and shows that you are never too old to do anything that you put your mind too.

This was a lovely feel good and uplifting read about friendship and of embracing life.

Look forward to seeing what this author writes next and would also love a sequel of this one to see where Dorothy and ginas adventures take them next.

This was a lot of fun! Both Gina and Dorothy were fun characters with complex back stories, the full intention of why Dorothy wanted Gina to work for her doesn't come out for a while... But when it does it's very funny.

They become firm friends and I love the bizarre and ridiculous situations they find themselves in at the build up to the wedding and the aftermath. Harry was the MVP character and I loved the dynamic between Dorothy and her granddaughter! My grandma would often sneak me champagne!

It's a fun story with a lot of detail and backstory at times, but easy to read and enjoy!

I loved this book, reading it was like meeting friends for a chat. I find it rewarding and entertaining when the main characters in a book are older women reinventing themselves. Gina is a very likeable 71 year old, and Dorothy is a feisty octogenarian. The story unfolds over a week in a beautiful country house before a family wedding. I hope this is the start of a series, I’d love to read more about Gina’s adventures.

I think there could have been more of a punch to this book! It didnt catch my attention like I had wanted it to.

Gina's husband of over 40 years has decided to leave her and find himself when hes in his 70s. This was a little too unbelievable for me. With one parent in their 70s and one in their 60s for me, I know all too well what that age brings. And it's not leaving a spouse of 40 years to find yourself. Maybe 50s-60s would have been more believable.

Gina takes a caregiver position caring for an 89 year old, Dorothy. These two get into some mischief along the way.

I was hoping this would be a bit funnier than it was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the ARC!

Quirky lovable characters. Captivating story that draws you in the first and doesn't release you until the end wanting more. A creative approach to growing older. Galley keeps you guessing until the end. I loved this novel and hoping there are more to come in this storyline.

The story revolves around Gina, a woman in her 70s whose life is turned upside down when her husband suddenly leaves, forcing her to sell their home. Having spent years focused on her family instead of her career, she's not sure what to do next. When she answers an ad to be a companion at a week-long wedding, she sees it as a potential opportunity.

However, Dorothy, the woman who placed the ad, doesn't actually need a companion; she needs someone to help her find a stolen painting at the country estate where the wedding will be held. Dorothy discovers that Gina was once an antiques expert and decides she's the perfect person for the job. Gina only learns about this hidden agenda when she arrives in Norfolk and reluctantly agrees to help.

What Gina thought would be a simple job turns into a complicated mystery. She and Dorothy begin following clues, discovering unusual happenings, and realizing that other wedding guests might be hiding secrets. There's even a priest from the local parish whose behavior raises suspicions. The plot thickens with twists involving blackmail and other shady dealings.

The narrative feels like the start of a series of mysteries featuring Gina as a modern Miss Marple. The mix of quirky energy, sleuthing, and intriguing characters suggests that Gina's adventure-solving journey has just begun.

A fun and adventurous story, which proves it’s not just the young who enjoy life! Grab a glass of something, a comfy chair and enjoy

Oxfordshire, septuagenarian, octogenarians, unpleasant-host, vengeance, wedding, wealthy, sabotage, teenager, revenge, mystery, lies, secrets, amateur-sleuth, art-theft, families, family-drama, family-dynamics, family-expectations, friction, friends, friendship, frustration, grief, grieving, house-party, divorcing, entitled-attitude, extortion, suspense, suspicion*****

Gina at 71 has been dumped by her husband of many years and gets only blame from her daughter (son is supportive). Dorothy is 89 and still grieving the useless death of her husband a year ago and is positive that the events precipitating his death were orchestrated by the very egomaniac hosting the wedding as he is the bride's uncle, and the groom is Dorothy's grandson.
Gina is trying to sort out her life and decides to answer an ad seeking a companion for an elderly lady (Dorothy) for a week. Dorothy's children had placed the ad without her knowledge, but she decided to go along with it to use the ruse for her ends. Gina needed the money, so it was arranged. And they became fast friends. Now it starts to get dicey! I loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I loved the premise of this book, but ultimately found it too dry-- I didn't see any of the advertised humor, and found that there was way too much information given about all of the side characters, to the point that I had a hard time following it and immediately forgot most of what I was told about all but the two main characters. Ultimately it just felt like I was reading lists of people's qualities, and I ended up DNFing about a quarter of the way through.

That being said, I did enjoy the prose, the premise, and the two main characters.

What a superb book telling the story of true friendship coming later in life. A real heartwarming tale with a host of great characters with lots of humour within the pages. It was a real page turner for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

À fun lighthearted book featuring two more mature women, Dorothy 89 and Gina 71. The story evolves mostly over a week in Norfolk culminating in Dorothy's grandson's wedding which is being hosted by the bride's uncle. Some superb characters, even the baddie, narcissistic Uncle Leonard who owns an huge estate and is totally over the top. Twists and turns throughout as the two women are intent on finding a missing painting whilst trying not to raise suspicions. Heartwarming and humorous

Old Girls Behaving Badly is a fun read with elements of mystery, which I wasn't expecting and was very pleased to discover.

Our two main characters (and we get both of their POVs), Gina and Dorothy, are coming to terms (or not) with recent changes in their lives. While neither of them thinks they necessarily need one another, they soon discover that, in fact, they do, and they also like one another.

As the events of Dorothy's big family wedding swirl around them, Gina and Dorothy are somewhat distanced from it. Both are trying to uncover the truth surrounding Dorothy's husband's death about a year ago. With the addition of a more fleet-footed granddaughter, our duo pursues the matter to the bitter end, and yes, it does feature a quad bike ride.

This story is really enjoyable. I read it in two days:)

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

Gina is left in the lurch when her husband of 43 years decides that he no longer wants to be married to her. At 71 she isn't sure what do do until an advert for a lady's companion catches her eye. She finds herself in Norfolk at a large house for a week long wedding party being companion to an 89 year old Dot, who has an ulterior motive in having her there - looking for a painting stolen by the owner of the house.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery where you know the villain of the story and the fun is these two piecing together the clues together. Throw in a grumpy teenager and villainous chef the the story kept me hooked all the way through. There is a possibility of another book in the series and I would really look forward to reading this.