One of my favorites from this year!

Lottie Jones thought her life as a serial killer was over. She retired years ago. Until she gets an unsuspecting visitor and is left with no other choice but to kill her. What’s one more murder? Lottie doesn’t realize just how much more trouble this will lead to and what a pain in the ass it will be. She’s too old for this!

This was a BANGER! I finished this book within 24 hours. The short, punchy chapters made it sooo easy to keep reading. I know it’s a cliche but I kept telling myself “just one more chapter.”

Lottie’s character was so compelling! She is definitely the antihero, but I couldn’t help rooting for her throughout the whole book. Her past and thought process made for such an interesting read!

Absolutely recommend! This was such a highly addictive page turner that is perfect for any thriller fan!

Huge thanks to NetGalley for this arc!

There’s something about Samantha Downing’s books that will always captivate me.

Add in an incredible narrator and I could NOT put this one down.

I mean, just the premise alone: “a retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left—what’s another murder?” SOLD.

I honestly loved Lottie and found her terrifying at the same time. Her knowledge of not only k!lling but also hiding bodies is concerning, but hey, it’s served her well this far… And it’s certainly one way to cover your tracks—if you don’t make any mistakes along the way!

I genuinely cannot recommend this enough. Please make sure to pick it up—and Elizabeth Wiley makes it even more incredible in her narration! Don’t miss out!!

Yes, yes, yes! More (fictional) female serial killers please! This was such a enjoyable book that kept me on my toes. I read this in one sitting (how can you not!) and was so sad when it was over but it ended wonderfully. Lottie was ruthless, smart, cunning and everything you want in a likeable yet MC. I adored her bingo nights and circle of friends who had no idea about her extracurricular activities. The pacing was stellar as were the twists and turns. I can’t wait for Downing’s next read - check out MY LOVELY WIFE if you haven’t yet!

Just another septuagenarian serial killer book!

I had high hopes for Too Old for This since Samantha Downing is one of my go to authors. Unfortunately, she is now 3/5 for this reviewer.
Lottie Jones is living a quiet life as a retired serial killer until she receives an unexpected knock on her door. She must protect her secret at all costs, even if that means she needs to kill someone. But when the bodies begin to stack up, Lottie must figure out a way to get away with murder.

I listened to the audiobook read by Elizabeth Wiley and followed along with the Ebook. I enjoyed Wiley’s narration but didn’t feel that it was up to her award-winning status. Her sentences sounded a bit stilted, especially when I increased the speed.

Lottie is an intriguing character, but I was really looking for a deeper plot and more twists and turns in this thriller. Instead, it read more like a cozy mystery and lacked a je ne sais quoi that would really make it a standout for me. Be prepared to really suspend your belief! I seem to be in the minority with my opinion on this book, so please check out other reviews!

3.5/5 stars rounded down

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of Too Old for This in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing blew me away but it was a good time.
It did get a bit repetitive though and I think this could have been 100 pages shorter.

**4.5-stars**

Lottie Jones has worked hard to gain the quiet life she's currently living in her retirement, and she's enjoying it. It wasn't easy, changing her name, moving to a small town, and putting her past behind her. All that is threatened to be upended though, the day Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep. Plum is an investigative journalist whose been digging into Lottie's past, wanting to include her in her podcast; her True Crime podcast.

This just will not do. Even though Plum claims she just wants to clear her name, Lottie knows that's never going to happen, because the things they say about her are true. Plum has greatly underestimated whose door she just knocked on...

Too Old for This is like a breath of fresh air in the saturated Thriller market, where it sometimes feels like you've read everything before. Downing did an incredible job of creating Lottie's character. It's messed up, you shouldn't be rooting for her, she's doing awful things, but somehow, you do. At least, I did, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

We get to follow everything she does after Plum shows up, some of it will make your toes curl, and other things, like bingo nights with her friends, seem so wholesome. I guess it's true, we all contain multitudes. This story is a ride, almost guaranteed to surprise you. There are so many twists and turns. Just when you think it can't get any crazier, it does.

Overall, I had a blast with this. I Buddy Read it with a friend, and we both really enjoyed it, plus it was very fun to discuss. I highly recommend it for Readers who are looking for something unique and who aren't shy about a little murder.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Downing did not disappoint!!

What a concept: a 75-year-old woman, Lottie Jones, who looks like any other retiree in her small town but is actually a calculating serial killer. The opening delivers exactly what you’d hope for — sharp, funny, shocking. I was excited to continue.

But by about a third in, it became clear the book was stuck on repeat. The humor leaned on the same gag over and over — sweet old lady who plays church bingo also happens to murder people — and the plot rhythm quickly grew predictable (new character → new kill → cover-up). What felt fresh and funny at first soon felt like an SNL skit stretched into a two-hour movie.

The premise had real potential, and I could imagine it working brilliantly as a short story or novella. At novel length, though, it ran out of steam. By the time I reached the ending, I was more frustrated than entertained.

For me, this lands at 1.5 stars — a strong hook wasted by repetition and a payoff that didn’t deliver.

I just loved this book. Having a serial killer who is not what readers are expecting and Lottie is such a dynamic character you can’t help falling in love with her. This book has a lovely mixture of humor, suspense, and mystery. Lottie carries the book beautifully and she is portrayed in a way that is realistic and doesn’t make her seem perfect, but realistic. Yes, she is a deadly killer but she still has a life that she is living and sometimes life can be messy. This is truly just a fun book and one I hope readers enjoy as much as I do.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for allwing me to read an advance copy of this title.

“Too Old For This” had a captivating cover that promised an intriguing read. However, the plot proved to be far-fetched and monotonous, making it a tedious experience. The main character was despicable, which further detracted from the overall enjoyment of the novel.

This was not at all what I was expecting. It's definitely a satire and there is no mystery here (which I was hoping for). But I still really enjoyed it. It was fast paced and VERY tense at parts, with a lot of levity as well. Definitely recommend

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

How old is too old for murder? If you are Lottie Jones, no age is too old.

I love serial killer stories and Samantha Downing has created a good one in Too Old For This. She allows us to meet the serial killer, Lottie Jones early in the story. She has retired but when an investigative journalist, Plum Dixon, comes knocking at her door, asking questions, wanting to make a docuseries of her life, she has to put a stop to it. So far, no one knows she was a serial killer and she wants to keep it that way. How can she stop Plum? What do you think? I will say that Lottie has to charge her chainsaw overnight. LOL

I had some laugh out loud moments and. at times, found myself shaking my head, wondering…Why didn’t I see that coming? And why didn’t Lottie? I do love a good book surprise and Samantha Downing did keep me on my toes. I didn’t anticipate the ending and I love it. Great job, Samantha.

My thanks go out to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Too Old For This by Samantha Downing.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

Lottie thought she escaped her past. She moved away, changed her and her son's names, and now years later gets her excitement through weekly bingo and local gossip. So when a true crime podcaster shows up looking to do a podcast on how she was "wrongly accused" back then, Lottie is scared into resorting back to her old ways.

This was a fun book, with a very amusing premise! I do think the book could have cut out about 30 pages since at parts it seemed to go on too long, but I still found it enjoyable. You definitely need to suspend your belief for this one. I might have liked the story more if I had not just read Jenny Cooper has a Secret, which is also about a female septuagenarian serial killer, but reading these back to back made this story feel extra long.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her. Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends. When investigative journalist Plum shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past, Lottie just can’t have that. But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her.

"Too Old For This" is a darkly humorous thriller with a granny killer we didn't know we needed in our lives. Lottie, a retired serial killer, comes out of retirement when journalist Plum proposes a docuseries about her life. Following that, it becomes a deadly game of concealing her previous murders while adding more victims to her list.

Lottie cracked me up! Was she off her rocker? 100%, but there was something endearing about her. It appeared that Lottie had a fondness for her son, cooking, and her friends from church. Despite her harmful actions, she seemed to have moments of tenderness. However, should anyone provoke her, she would not hesitate to take them out. It was, in fact, this very uncertainty that made Lottie such a captivating character to follow, since I was unsure when she might snap.

Overall, Downing presented an addictive, fast-paced thriller with a distinctive concept. It was a pleasure to discover a story about an aging serial killer, as I had not encountered one before. While the ending may not have been mind blowing, I found it to be satisfying, with no apparent plot inconsistencies. I devoured "Too Old For This" in two sittings, appreciating the well-developed characterizations and the skillful integration of suspense and comedy.

This was super snappy and fun. In true Samantha Downing fashion, she explores a character with the darkest secrets and manages to make it both humorous and unhinged at the same time.

Lottie is truly diabolical, yet you can't help but sympathize for her as she starts to feel her age and make hard decisions about her future. When she's playing bingo and serving tea and cookies, you almost forget that she's got a person chopped up in her freezer.

I would have liked a little more depth in the character psychology (maybe a little more introspection into her motivation other than pure rage?), but what it lacks there it makes up for in pure fun and shock factor.

I feel like this could have been even more twisty and dramatic, but it did a good job of keeping me on my toes as Lottie worked to untangle the web she's caught herself in.

If you like reading about bad people doing bad things, but in a highly entertaining way, definitely check this one out.

Read if you like:
🔨 Serial killer thrillers
🏃‍♀️ Fast-paced reads
👵 Older characters
👀 Books from the bad guy's perspective
🔪 Dark humour

You guys… how can an author write about a 75-year-old serial killer and make it this wild and exciting?! 😱 Take an ordinary life, twist it around, add a hammer, some chopping up, and a sprinkle of plastic bags… and you’ve got one heck of a thriller.
Honestly, if the main character wasn’t a serial killer, I might aspire to be her. 😂 This book was so different and so freaking good!
Oh — and I’m currently giving away a copy of this one, see the pinned post. 🎁 You NEED to get your hands on it!

This was a wild ride! I did not know at some point if I should be rooting for the victims or Lottie and that was exactly why I was impressed. So morally gray this old lady. The only problem I had with this was that I kinda had a hard time believing she could get away with everything being that old. Overall, a good one. Original and morbid.

I’ve never read a thriller like this. I think the concept of it was so unique. A retired serial killer has to come out of retirement to avoid being discovered! I loved it so much. This was so unhinged and fun. The last line of the book had my jaw on the floor!

4.5 stars!

Peppermint or Earl Grey? You might think you're stepping into a cozy visit with an old lady, but you'd be dead wrong! I’m new to this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this read! I was fortunate enough to snag both an eBook and an audiobook, and the overall experience was just delightful. The narrator instantly drew me in, and I loved following along with the book whenever I had the chance!

A retired serial killer named Lottie Jones has been living a quiet life in a small town, having changed her identity to escape her past. Her routine includes weekly bingo games and chatting with friends, but her life is disrupted when investigative journalist Plum Dixon arrives, probing into Lottie's history and unsolved cases linked to her. To protect her secret, Lottie feels she has no choice but to resort to murder again, realizing that escaping her past won't be easy, especially as she faces the potential consequences of her actions.

Lottie is truly one-of-a-kind! She's an older, spunky, and unpredictable character whose only wish is to be left alone. I can only imagine how challenging it must have been for her to dispose of the body parts, but for Lottie, that was no problem at all! There were moments that were quite humorous, unless I’m just one who enjoys the antics of an elderly serial killer—who knows! The characters were fantastic, and the flow was just perfect.

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a fast-paced story about a retired lady serial killer fighting against the temptation of her old habits, all while trying to keep up with modern gadgets and think on her feet! It’s an ideal pick for anyone looking to pick up a new hobby post-retirement. So funny, and I hope you enjoy it just as much!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lottie is an amazing character. At first she comes across as your typical elderly lady until Plum shows up at her door and her character shifts into an experienced killer. Even though she’s the villain, I couldn’t help but like her. 😅 The suspense of seeing what she’ll do and if she can keep getting away with murder is epic. Fans of crime thrillers and villain POVs should check this one out.

Decades ago, Lottie Jones changed her identity and joined a small community to live a quiet and peaceful life. The highlight of her week is her weekly bingo nights at her church with her friends and deciding what dish to buy and sometimes, rarely, make. That is until Plum Dixon comes knocking on her door. Plum is working on a documentary and wants to feature Lottie, as a once accused serial killer that was exonerated. But, Lottie can't have that, because she isn't innocent of the crimes she was accused of. There's only one thing that Lottie knows how to do to get rid of Plum, but then someone else comes knocking at her door. What mess has she gotten herself into now? And to put it simply, at 75 years old, Lottie is just too old for this now.
Review:
4.5 stars
This was so much fun! Lottie is hilarious and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to hear her inner thoughts. The premise of this book is super unique, I have never read anything like it. The author did a great job at convincing me that this was a 75 year old serial killer with the way she spoke about certain technology changes throughout the years and all the extra steps Lottie needed to take to cover her tracks. Lottie is just a hoot and so entertaining! The way she makes fun of herself and the mess she has gotten herself into was pure chaos and just priceless! I highly recommend picking this one up ASAP!
Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Downing, and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC of Too Old for This in exchange for an honest review!