I don’t know if this was supposed to be a funny thriller or not BUT THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I LAUGHED IS UNMATCHED.
This book is hilarious. It’s so witty, so fun, but also a thriller at heart- it was compelling and twisty and in my mind there are two very distinct storylines here and they both DELIVERED. Hilarious read, great for a twist on a classic thriller tale - would definitely have book club or a girls night yapping about this one.

This story follows Lottie Jones, a retired serial killer who has successfully hidden her past for decades—until an investigative journalist comes knocking. What follows is a, suspenseful, and surprisingly humorous story about aging, reinvention, and, well… tying up loose ends.

Lottie is a fascinating woman for sure! She is cunning, unapologetic, witty and a quick thinker for sure. She is kind of relatable in her frustrations with nosy people and her bingo friends as she navigates the chaos of keeping her secrets buried. There were times in the story that I kept thinking how can she keep this up? She has more stamina than I could ever imagine having.

While the pacing is pretty good, some moments feel slightly predictable, and a few plot twists don’t land as believable as expected. But it was a fun ride for sure. If you enjoy thrillers with morally complex leads and a touch of wit, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for my honest reveiw.

Samantha Downing does it again! My Lovely Wife is one of my all-time favorite books, so I had high hopes going into Too Old for This and it absolutely delivered.

I read all 400 pages in one sitting. It’s fast-paced, darkly funny, and full of clever twists. Lottie Jones is such a fun character! she’s a retired serial killer just trying to live a quiet life, but when a journalist starts digging into her past, things get messy in the best way.

This book is smart, suspenseful, and wildly entertaining. If you loved My Lovely Wife, don’t miss this one!

I absolutely loved this book! I found Lottie to be such a refreshing and entertaining protagonist—her sharp wit, her experience, and the way she handled trouble made every moment so much fun. I appreciated how the story balanced humor with suspense, making me laugh one minute and gasp the next. I felt completely drawn into Lottie’s world—the quiet small-town life she crafted for herself, the lingering secrets from her past, and the sudden chaos that Plum Dixon brings to her doorstep. I loved seeing her navigate this mess with charm, cunning, and a touch of exasperation. The idea of an older main character in a crime novel was such a fantastic twist, and I enjoyed every second of it. I finished the book with a huge smile on my face. The clever writing, the unexpected turns, and Lottie’s unforgettable personality made this such an entertaining read.

I would recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries with a side of humor and a truly unique lead character.

🔨 Senior Discount
🔨 Serial Killer
🔨 Annoying Detectives
🔨 Uninvited Visitors Galore
🔨 Busy Body Church Ladies

Downing is back in superb form. I never expected to experience that same "WTF did I just read?" shock I had with My Lovely Wife—but here I am. I've been eagerly awaiting her next book, and it did not disappoint. 👏👏

At 75, Lottie enjoys a quiet life, with her biggest plans being bingo night at the church with her gal-pals. Potlucks and gossip top her list—no need to fill her calendar with anything more. Hip surgery? Meh. Recliner and TV shows? Absolutely.

But everything changes when a relentlessly cheerful documentary producer shows up at her doorstep, determined to dredge up her past, when she was accused of murder. And that’s when all hell breaks loose.

I loved how unexpected Lottie was—surly, quick-witted, and ruthless. The cast of characters was perfectly chosen, and I was thoroughly pleased with how everything wrapped up. As always, Downing masterfully weaves in her signature dark humor.

Old is just a state of mind right?
If you put your mind to it you can do anything. That is what Lottie finds out when she is forced to pick up some old habits that she never thought she would have to tab into again.

While this is was not my favorite Samantha Downing book, this was still a good read and I enjoyed the story.

I love a middle aged or older heroine, and Lottie is a fantastic heroine. This novel would be great friends and shelf mates with the Thursday Murder Club series, Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age, or The Change by Kristen Miller. Badass older women doing badass things is my favorite. This one is darkly funny, which the cover alludes to, and I want to see more books like this.

Delightfully Deviant!

I enjoyed this book WAY too much. It is a wild ride from the very first chapter all the way to the end. I loved the main character and her observations about people and life. Just an absolute delight of a horrifying book.

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?

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