As Lottie dives back into murder and cover-ups, she quickly realizes that it’s not as easy as it once was, thanks to her aging body and the frustrations of modern technology. I thought I had the ending figured out, but I was completely off! The writing is fantastic, and the author does a great job of tying up all the loose ends for a truly satisfying conclusion. 4.5 stars rounded up!

Lottie has a big secret, her ordinary life, going to church social events, dealing with her son's second marriage, is being disrupted and she falls back on old habits, murder. She is a strong, smart, ingenuous senior and no one is going to outsmart her. Yes we end up rooting for her to succeed, told in a humorous voice with insights on how seniors are perceived and determined to make it against all the odds. This was an enjoyable fast read. 4.5

Fun read! Although I have seen Downing books before, this was my first read of hers. Clever, fast moving, and kept my attention.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly rate this book!

Lottie Jones is a 75-year-old retired murderer who just wants to live a quiet life. When Plum knocks on her door one night, Lottie is not pleased but still lets her in and offers her tea and cookies. Plum is an investigative reporter about people that have been wrongfully accused of murder and starts asking questions about Lottie’s past.
Decades earlier, Lottie moved to Baycliff and changed her name to escape her past. But now that Plum shows up on her doorstep, Lottie wonders if she’s really escaped her past or not.
The story from picks up at this point and doesn’t stop until the very end. I read this book in 2 days. Very twisty and a great read!

Solid 4/5. I always enjoy this author’s books and this one totally delivered. Telling a story from the perspective of an elderly, female serial killer was new for me. There’s no lull in the plot as the tension remains throughout the story. Would definitely recommend for those who like a thriller from the perspective of the killer.

Too Old For This by Samantha Downing is a funny and reflective story following Lottie Jones who is a retired serial killer and just trying to live her life but unfortunately her past starts knocking on her door and she has to resume her old habits of putting people to sleep… permanently.

I loved this book so much I loved Lottie and honestly was rooting for her the entire time. If people stopped bothering her in her old age maybe more people wouldn’t have to have a dirt nap. Lottie also has a great character arc and her ending in my opinion was perfect. Is this a revolutionary book? No but oh my gosh is it fun and at points really makes you think about life and aging. It makes you take a moment to appreciate where you may be in life right now. It also made me happy to realize I don’t have to worry about people knocking on my door about my past as a serial killer and hopefully you maybe feel the same, but I don’t know you personally but if you are like Lottie, you make relate in a different way (please know I am joking)

This is a great book I rated 5 stars

If you like
-A humorous main character
- A suspenseful plot line
-Rooting for a serial killer
-Older main character

You are going to love this book!

4.5 stars for this wickedly good book - it is filled with murder, mayhem, gore, and sometimes satire that you just have to laugh out loud. A highly addictive read, one that must be read quickly because you have to see how a 75-year old is "pulled" out of her murderous retirement ways to plot and plan another one.

Samantha Downing has such a unique narrative in Lottie Jones that it made this book a pure joy to read - not something that is normally said of a serial killer - but that's just what Downing did. She made it so that you were almost routing for a serial killer!

An excellent book with a novel concept - a senior citizen woman - who loves to murder.

Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Downing and Berkley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Publishes August 12, 2025. Put it on your TBR now.
1 like

This book was so good! I admit I was drawn to this book by the cover, but I also love a good murder mystery and this book was a gem. I had no idea how this one was going to play out and I loved following along with Lottie to see what she was going to do next. With all of the people coming to her door, her son's upcoming nuptials and being busy with church friends and functions, it seemed like she didn't have a second to relax let alone come out of retirement to kill again, but given the alternative she knew she had no other choice.

Lottie soon realizes that killing and cleaning up the evidence of murder is not as easy as it once was with her aging body playing a role and the nuisance of modern technology to contend with. I had an idea in my mind of how this book was going to end and I was way off base. I think this book was wonderfully written and engaging and the author does a great job of tying up all of the lose ends for a satisfying conclusion. 4.5 stars!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this, but wanted more backstory on the main character. It was set in two times, but I didn’t really get a feel for exactly why she was the way she was. It was just missing something for me

"𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚. 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆."

Special thanks to @smariedowning @berkleypub and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

UM HELLO?!?!?!
How is this my first @smariedowning novel? This was amazing, intriguing, suspenseful, unputdownable....and lots of other great words LOL
Starts out with a BANG 🌂
Then some nail biting 😬
Then BAM 🔨
Then more suspense 🫣

Also can we talk about Jaxson for a minute.....HOW RUDE!
And Glenda....I like spinach dip, why don't you?

The twists, the characters, just when you think there's no where else for the story to go, she throws something even more crazy at you.
AND THE FINGER 👉🏼 😝

All started because of a docuseries....🎥

This is a great read and I highly recommend it!
Preorder this ASAP!

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Aug 12, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Are you intrigued by serial unalivers? Who is one you follow/followed?
Or
What's your current read about in 5 words?

.
.
.

#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #toooldforthis #samanthadowning #berkleypub
.

Get ready for an exciting ride when a retired female serial killer is forced to begin again!
Lottie just wants to enjoy her quiet life playing bingo and sharing pot-luck with her friends at church. A young woman shows up to Lottie's home wanting to do a docuseries on suspected criminals who have been let off without being convicted. What's a former serial killer to do? You guessed it. This book is a quick read with plenty of humor, murder, close calls and a protagonist who you want to see win the day! I highly recommend!
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC!

"Too Old For This" by Samantha Downing is the narrative of fictional serial killer Lorena "Lottie Jones" Mae Lansdale. Lottie is retired from her secret life, and her only drama is amongst the ladies at church and her son's unexpected second marriage. That is, until the day that docuseries producer Plum Dixon arrives at her doorstep.

The psychological thriller details Lottie's efforts to thwart the ever-stalwart detective from her younger years, Kenneth Burke. As the plot thickens and more characters are thrown in her path, asking questions, Lottie must choose how she wants to be remembered in her golden ones.

The characters are fully fleshed-out and the situations feel genuine. One finds oneself feeling the rollercoaster emotions of the aged serial killer, and even sympathizing with her when she must make a life-altering decision. The writing was well-organized and not too wordy, and the story seemed to flow well, keeping the reader engaged in the story until the very end.

Was this the story of the Tortoise and the Hare? Or, the Shadow? Or, the Big Bad Wolf? Maybe all three- Lottie is definitely boogeyman material, underestimate her at your peril. And please call before visiting...

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, Samantha Downing, and publisher, Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a book unlike any I’ve read before. It focuses on Lottie Jones whose real name is actually Lorena. She is a retired serial killer who had been able to fly under the radar all these years and is now 75 years old. One day she gets a knock at her door and it’s a sweet young journalist wanting to make a documentary on crimes she was accused of 40 years ago but never charged with. She invites her in for tea and listens to her but has no intention of ever talking about her crimes to anyone. Before she thinks too hard about it she has done something and now the old wheels are starting to spin again, but this time she is older and it might be more than she can take on.

I’ve never read this author before but I’ll definitely be looking into her back list after this book. My husband was totally invested in the story with me. I updated him every couple chapters and actually read him the last part of the book. We both enjoyed the story and recommend it to people who like thrillers/mysteries.

🧁Church Bingo & Body Bags

Lottie Jones is not your typical little old lady. She’s got gray hair, sore knees, and a very specific hobby she thought she left behind decades ago: murder.

Now retired (ish), she’s living quietly in a sleepy town, trading crime scenes for casseroles until a nosy reporter shows up asking way too many questions. Lottie’s rule? If you dig too deep, you might not walk away. And let’s just say… she’s still got it.

This book was wild in the best way. It’s dark, sharp, and somehow hilarious without ever being over-the-top. Lottie’s voice is dry, witty, and honestly kind of inspiring Watching her navigate her “golden years” while also plotting cover-ups and hiding bodies had me cackling one minute and nervously side-eyeing my sweet neighbor the next.

It’s not gory, but it is twisted. If you like your thrillers a little weird, a little wicked, and led by a woman who absolutely does not care what you thinkthis one’s a gem.

Samantha Downing nailed the tone. Creepy, clever, and oddly charming. I’m obsessed.

A delicious, darkly humorous thriller with a fun main character who can’t help doing what she does. Author’s best yet!

Lottie is retired and in her seventies. She spends her days attending church and having a weekly bingo night with her friends to gossip. It seems harmless enough. Nobody is aware that Lottie is a former serial killer. She had to leave her previous life, alter her name, and take her son away with her years ago. However, someone has discovered who she is, so Lottie needs to return to her old job. Despite her advanced age and numerous physical ailments, she will complete the task. Too Old For This takes you on a twisted, funny, dark, and fast-paced rollercoaster ride.

The premise of this was so good! Something felt off with the pacing though because while I couldn't stop reading, I found myself skimming in the last 25%. The ending felt predictable and I think we needed a few more twists. However, this was fun and I could totally see this as a series or movie.

I literally binged this in ONE DAY.

This is such a unique thriller, which I was so happy about, because I hardly read thrillers these days (they end up all being the same). I requested this from Netgalley on a whim, and when I was approved, I immediately didn't question, read the synopsis or contemplate. I just picked it up and dove head first.

I love the short, to the point chapters with cliff hangers. It made the book intriguing from the very first chapter, and kept me wanting more. This book follows Lottie, who is a 75 year old serial killer. Reading from the serial killer's perspective is one of my favorites, because unlike other thrillers, we aren't trying to find the killer, we KNOW she is guilty. But watching her commit the crimes and get away with things is sooooo fun! I was on the edge so my seat with anxiety wondering how she would get out of the messes she was creating. I thought having an old lady be the serial killer was so different and I absolutely loved following her storyline.

Highly recommend this book once its published!

Hey Dexter meet Lorena. You have a lot in common. Both killers with similar thoughts on why and how to justify murder. Except of course, Lorena happens to be 75 years old and a woman!! At times comical and at other times truly horrifying, Lorena somehow manages to get away with murder. However, after a 40 year hiatus and getting slower she must cleverly figure out how to do it again after her true identity is discovered by an ambitious young filmmaker.