Maybe I notice these books more as I'm getting a little older, but there seem to be more and more books coming out that focus on people in midlife and beyond, such as the characters in this slightly madcap story. I thought it did a great job showing the push and pull of love and frustration in decades long relationships, while still having a great sense of humor and being full of ridiculous situations and hijinks- and possibly the best ending sentence of any book, ever.

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs is a witty murder mystery that was utterly intriguing.
A funny and clever read that captivated me from the very beginning.
This was just so much fun!
A dark, twisty, clever cozy crime novel.
And I can’t wait to read more of Hincenbergs work in the future.

This book was fun and quirky mystery. The wives and husbands were flawed but lovable at the same time.

The side characters provided comic relief along with a reality check on the crazy plans that the main characters made.

I enjoyed how the author wove in the heist and hit man movie references into the plot.

This book was a fun read - especially being written by a debut author.

Thanks to @netgalley and @williammorrisbooks for the advanced reader copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters were vibrant and memorable, the storyline was cleverly crafted, and the twist was absolutely fantastic. Sue Hincenbergs delivers a darkly funny, suspenseful ride that kept me hooked from start to finish. I loved all the characters and their wild, interwoven schemes—it made for a truly entertaining read. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone and am definitely hoping to see more from this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Copy.

Four sixty-something couples are best friends. After the families get involved together in a bad investment, the four wives see their comfortable retirement dreams float away. But when one husband dies from a freak accident, his wife collects on his million dollar life insurance and is soon living in relative luxury in sunny Florida. The other three wives decide she has stumbled upon The Retirement Plan of their dreams and quickly start planning their husbands’ “accidental” deaths too. Can these bumblers pull it off? Or will their retirements include a stint in the slammer?

The Retirement Plan is a great comic caper reminiscent of 1930s screw ball comedies. It is such fun to follow the unexpected twists and turns of the plot. This book is highly recommended for anyone looking to forget about tariffs and foreign wars for a while. 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advanced review copy.

"....the husbands were living proof of what happens when couples stop taking care of each other."

The Retirement Plan written by Sue Hincenbergs is a very entertaining novel with a mix of humor, mystery and thriller. The characters are fantastic with many layers. The story kept my interest. In addition, there was lots of drama.

Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Retirement Plan by @hincenbergs
This was a debut novel, and I can say is, WOW! What I thought was a book about four wives wanting to kill their husbands for the life insurance was SO MUCH MORE.
I can describe this as dark humor for sure. Told from different angles, it gives insight to the different ways men and women think and the old adage of communication being necessary in a marriage is so true!
There was one lingering question that was answered after the final wrap up, which made me laugh. Thank you, @hincenbergs for the page turning book! I can’t wait to see what is next for you!
Thank you to @netgalley for the arc. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 329 / Genre: Fiction
Release Date: May 6, 2025
🥳#HappyPubWeek!🎉

In their sixties and broke after a bad investment deal, three wives decide they’d be better off trading their husbands for their insurance policies. So they hire a hitman to do the deal. On the other side, the husbands have been scheming to steal millions of dollars from the casino they work for so they can recoup the loss from that bad investment deal and win back the their wives’ affections.

Overall, this was an OK story, but the characters were severely lacking for me. The women came off as petty and the men as thoughtless and oblivious but they always had their wives’ best interests in mind. This was advertised as “deliciously dark.” Ehhh… It would’ve been more entertaining if the women were actually dark and evil or were actually wronged by their husbands enough to warrant being murdered, but they were just sad and unfulfilled because of the bad investment. Meh.

Thank you, @williammorrowbooks for my free @NetGalley advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Ms. Hincenbergs for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Honestly this was fun. The beginning was slow I'll admit; I found it hard to get going for the first few chapters but after that I was hooked. Pam, Shalisa, Nancy and Marlene are four upper-middle-aged adult women who have grown away from their husbands (Hank, Andre, Larry and Dave, respectively). Several years ago the husbands lost all four couples' retirement money in a bad investment and ever since things have been tense between the men and women of the friend group. The wives wonder, have they fallen out of love with their husbands? Andre questions Shalisa's food choices (OUT LOUD and in front of others, no less); Larry is homophobic, and refuses to meet his son's fiancee; Dave is lazy and doesn't tackle any of Marlene's to-do list items; Hank eats Pam's leftovers and dismisses her indignation and the rest of her feelings. I mean, there is a sliding scale of bad behavior here, but suffice to say, each of the couples has hit a point in their lives where they have grown away from their partner. I found that to be absolutely fascinating. Each of them remembers a time when their spouse appealed to them: physically, romantically, emotionally, mentally - how, when, why do people grow apart? Can things be saved? The book really wasn't *about* this but that aspect was so interesting to me.

Anyways. It's really hard to describe the plot of this book without getting into spoilers, but suffice to say, the men hire Hector (a Salvadoran barber who "does things that need doin'") to take out whoever is trying to kill them. Meanwhile the wives hire Hector to kill their husbands for the insurance money, so they can live the fantastic lives they feel they should have. It's a comedy of errors that snowballs into a huge mess; kind of reminds me of Big Trouble or a similar movie. I think I read that this has been optioned and I can totally see it; this would make a GREAT movie. I was totally picturing Martin Lawrence as Andre. Funnily enough the wives cast themselves in the book; I think Jennifer Coolidge is a little too goofy to play Marlene, but I like Jamie Lee Curtis for Pam. Niecy Nash-Betts might be OK for Shalisa although I pictured Regina King. Nancy picked Sandra Bullock for herself, but I can't see it, I was thinking more of Mary Steenburgen (she's so good!). I don't even know about the guys other than Andre.

Favorite character? By far? Hector. His dialogue made me laugh, particularly the part about washing his hands after rubbing his wife's feet (I feel so seen!), and I loved that he took his direction from the movies he watched to learn English.

Looking forward to seeing this as a movie and frankly it's a LOT of fun once you get past the beginning. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hank and Pam. Larry and Nancy. Andre and Shalisa. Dave and Marlene. Four happy couples who get together for drinks, boat rides, and just being a part of each other’s lives. And as they’re all getting older, they plan on retiring to Florida and leaving all the snow and stress behind them. Or, that was the plan, until a bad investment sunk their dreams. Now they need a plan B. And then it all fell apart.

Dave died in a horrible home accident, and Marlene was devastated. The other tried to be there for her, but she decided to cash in on his life insurance, and she took her million dollars and moved to Boca Raton. The other three wives watched her go, and while they were sad about Dave’s death, they couldn’t help but think about that life insurance policy.

Ever since the bad investment, a financial move the husbands had made without consulting their wives, the marriages have been a little rocky. The women have had to scale back, and stay in bad jobs, and put off the retirements they’d been dreaming of. The wives start to think of Marlene’s life insurance payout, and they can’t help but dream about what they could do with that million dollars too. And then there are those times that the men have been selfish and thoughtless. The women start to think about a life without their husbands. But would they really do anything about it?

Meanwhile, Hank is worried. He was the one who found Dave, and it had not been a pretty sight. Hank was worried that it wasn’t just a horrible accident. It was a message. Someone killed Dave, and they left behind a message for Hank and his friends. Hank worked security for a local casino, and he had hired Dave as a tech for the slot machines. Dave had figured out a way to rig the slot machines so they could get an extra payout. With Larry and Andre, they managed to save up more then enough to make up for that bad investment. But if someone from the casino is on to them and willing to kill them to get the money back, Hank needs a new plan.

The wives decide to hire someone to kill their husbands, and the husbands hire someone to try to figure out who wants to kill them. But with layers of secrets and intrigue, it will take more than a bag full of money to make it all the way to that happy life they all dream of.

The Retirement Plan is a debut novel about what it takes to retire with a happy marriage and the little daily choices that can get in the way. This story has so many twists and turns it started to feel like a farce, especially towards the end. The way it all fits together is masterful, and it’s genuinely funny besides, which sounds like an easy thing to do, but it’s really not. Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, there was a twist that both out of left field and that fit the story perfectly.

I genuinely loved this book, from start to finish. I feel like I said too much in my description above, but at the same time, I barely had a chance to talk about everything that happens in this book. There is not a word out of place. And while the characters are not always likable, they are always true to themselves. This book is a triumph.

Egalleys for The Retirement Plan were provided by William Morrow through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

📚: The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs
⭐️: 3.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

Pam, Nancy, Shalisa, and Marlene. Friends for over 30 years, looking toward retirement, with only a few husbands of theirs in the way of true happiness (true happiness in this case being a million dollar life insurance policy). What’s a sixty-something to do other than contact their local hitman?

Does this premise sound completely ridiculous? Because it is. Fun, absolutely ridiculous, and campy, this read was so entertaining. This is a dark comedy with a bit of mystery (that thankfully gets answered at the very end!), and to really enjoy it, it has to be read with the mindset of enjoying the absurd.

Thanks to William Morrow via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Retirement Plan is out today!

Four middle-aged couples, best friends for decades, have faced a series of unfortunate events. Four years ago, Hank, Dave, Andre, and Larry invested all their retirement money and lost it. Now in their sixties, they are grappling with an uncertain future. Their lives take a devastating turn when Dave’s head is crushed by his garage door.

Devastated, the wives—Pam, Shalisa, and Nancy—come up with a plan to kill their husbands and collect on their insurance. However, the husbands had their own plans to get back their money. Dave’s death is no accident, and the situation escalates rapidly.

Amidst the chaos, a colorful cast of characters emerges. There’s Hector, the hit man, his wife, the Casino owner Padma, and criminals from Mumbai. This thrilling caper book is filled with twists and turns, making it a fun and entertaining read for fans of light-hearted stories. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

What are the odds that a group of husbands hires a hitman to figure out who is trying to kill them… and their wives unknowingly hire the same hitman to kill their husbands? I love a low stakes mystery novel where I can suspend disbelief and disappear into the story. Such a fun read.

When their friend’s husband dies and she’s left with life changing insurance money three friends are left side-eying their husbands. Wondering just how crucial they may be to the retirement plan of their dreams.

After binge reading the ACOTAR series, I needed something light and entertaining and this book delivered in spades. It was humorous, engaging, and ridiculously fun.

The friendship between the wives (and even the husbands) was so enjoyable to read and flowed in perfectly to the fun twists and turns of what’s suppose to be their golden years.

This was a great debut and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Read if you love:
👯‍♀️Strong female friendships
👤Older main characters
🕵🏻‍♀️ Cat and mouse chase

Thank you William Morrow and Netgalley for my review copies in exchange for an honest review!

The retirement plan is a funny read about a group of housewives fed up with the ‘antics’ of their husbands and are planning their murders.

It had a bit of mystery, suspense and dry humour and will have you turning the pages. It would look good on screen.

The book started off a bit confusing with all the names and relationships crammed into the first chapter. It was a bit tasking keeping up but once you get past that it was smooth sailing.

It was twisty (somewhat predictable) and I enjoyed how the miscommunication trope worked in a non romance setting.

If you want unhinged characters with lots of drama and a page turner, you should read this.

Humorous. Over the top. Delightfully twisted. These are just a few of the ways to describe The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs. Packing the frenetic chaos of a Finlay Donovan or Stephanie Plumb novel, The Retirement Plan tells the tale of some best friends who find out their dreams of a peaceful retirement may have been derailed because their husbands have blown their savings on a bad investment, but they also happen to discover that each of them has massive life insurance policy. And with that…as they say…let the games begin! This is definitely an impressive debut for Ms. Hincenbergs, and I’ll definitely be interested in seeing what she comes up with next. Also with the right set of actors this would make an excellent movie/mini series. (Amazon or Netflix make it happen!) Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me access to an ARC of The Retirement Plan.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-retirement-plan-sue-hincenbergs/1146134300?ean=9780063398016&bvnotificationId=dc146eae-2a97-11f0-ba66-0ebe37688197&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/345275402

There’s nothing quite like a miscommunication-filled heist to really grab my interest. Throw in a few wives so angry with their husbands that they’re willing to kill them, and I’m a happy, happy girl.
The Retirement Plan features four couples who’ve been friends for decades. A few years ago, the four husbands went all in on a bad investment and lost all of their retirement savings. The wives have been furious for years, and after learning about their husbands’ matching million-dollar life insurance policies, decide to hire a hitman.
The whole series of events had me cackling. The POVs switch between Pam and Hank, the main husband and wife, Hector, Hank’s barber turned potential bodyguard, and Padma, Hank’s new boss at the casino. Each character is well-developed and unique, with great dynamics between the entire cast. The dueling POVs of the husbands and the wives is hysterical, and their little quips made even the tensest scenes hysterical!
I’d recommend this to anyone who loves heists, murders-gone-wrong, and bickering spouses. If you love watching 9 to 5 or Ocean’s Eleven, this is the perfect book for you!
Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars! I received this as an arc, thanks NetGalley!

The Retirement Plan was a light-hearted fun read, perfect for the summer and the beach! The premise focuses on a group of wives that want to kill their husbands for insurance money while the husbands are planning their own retirement plan the wives don't know about--and it was very funny.

Hincenbergs tells this story through third person, but the chapters shift from the wives pov, the husbands pov, and three side characters' povs. I think this structure was perfect to layout the story and to make misunderstanding a major trope. I liked a lot of the misunderstandings, whether it be the husbands acting based on something they believe about their boss, only to find out from her view it's different, or the wives finding something out because of something the husbands did in their pov, was a great structure. However, I started to feel some of the specific long-term misunderstandings went on too long. They were emphasized over and over which became a lot for me. Also, it took a bit long for me to understand all the characters in the beginning because for the first few chapters it felt jumbled and a lot thrown at the reader. But after I was established in the story, I really liked it!

I enjoyed the side characters, especially Hector. Having his side of the story portrayed was an excellent decision by Hincenbergs and it added majorly to the irony and tension. I also giggled throughout the book--the humor was just enough and really cute, being that the characters are mainly in their 60s.

Finally, the ending and last chapter were good! I think circling all the way back to the beginning through the last chapter tied it up well and was a funny callback. I felt every character had some sort of resolve-ment of their original issues, which is always important for a strong story.

I liked this book and would recommend it for a fun, quick, fast-paced silly read!

4.25

The Retirement Plan: And you thought mutual funds were complicated!

This book is a roller coaster ride. I admit, even though I suspected everything would turn out well, whatever that might mean, I had to inch my way through much of it, especially the first half.

In this book, we see the same thing happening from many different viewpoints: Pam, one of the four wives who is stuck with a deadbeat husband; Hank, the husband who really messed up, but is going to uncharacteristically great lengths to fix the situation, unbeknownst to Pam; Hector, the El Salvadoran barber who does what needs doin’ and sometimes twice; and Padma, a mediocre woman and boss all around, or if you ask her mother—hard truth—a total disaster and disappointment who can only redeem herself through an advantageous miracle marriage.

This book is a complex web that was masterfully woven, even when you knew certain things would happen. It’s also full of acute lessons, such as: You never know what somebody else is going through; Communication is key; Don’t wait until it’s gone to appreciate what you have; Always have a plan B, C, and D (see also: Assume that someone who breaks the rules for you will break the rules against you, or Don’t put yourself in a vulnerable position); Don’t let anyone put you down; and, on a related note, Someone may have a legitimate, even if misguided, reason for their bad behavior. Talk to them first, then dish out the consequences.

Even more inspiring, this is Sue Hincenbergs’ first novel. Even though it had been her dream since she was young, like the four couples, she is ‘in her sixties’. She has an enviable group of different people supporting her. This is a great debut and I’d love to see what else she has in her.

Thank you to Sue Hincenbergs, NetGalley, and William Morrow for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book for my unbiased review.

#TheRetirementPlan #NetGalley #bookreview #ADHDreader #marriage #retirement #heist

4 out of 5 Stars!

After thirty years of friendship, Pam has dreamed of her perfect retirement with Nancy, Shalissa, Marlene, and all of their husbands. That is, until their husband's retirement investment goes terribly wrong. So, when one husband dies in a freak accident, the women are shocked to see a huge life insurance payment. When they learn that their husbands all have identical policies, their idea emerges. They will hire a hitman. On the other end, the husbands have a secret retirement plan of their own. But when it backfires, and one of the husbands dies, they scramble to stay alive. So, who will come out on top?

“The Retirement Plan” by Sue Hincenbergs caught my eye with a gorgeous cover and cat-and-mouse-like synopsis. I loved the idea of this book, with these friends hiring a hitman to take out their husbands, just for the husbands to try to outmaneuver their wives. I felt like this book dragged on a little longer than it needed to, but did keep me entertained the entire time! The multiple small details really stuck out to be in this book, as they had massive impacts later on.

Even though I figured out some of the twists throughout this book, I loved the plot and the ending! I felt like every detail had a big impact and every question got answered somewhere throughout the novel. The perspective also changed every chapter, which helped move the book along. I loved hearing the different characters' perspectives, as everyone had their own opinions and thoughts. Speaking of characters, there were a lot of them. Which I love mysteries and thrillers as it gives more twists. Even though there was a lot, I thought they were all very memorable with fun personalities.

Pick up “The Retirement Plan” by Sue Hincenbergs on May 6th, 2025!

Thank you to William Morrow, Sue Hincenbergs, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.