My unhinged queen is BACKKKKK. With a geriatric serial killer. Yes MA’AM. Damn this was fun. All hail Samantha Downing! I sure loved this wild and twisted ride!

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. The title grabbed me first. Finding out what our MC is too old for kept me reading to the end in a few days.. Too Old for This would shock me on one page and then would make me laugh out loud a few pages later. It's a gruesome, over the top yet entertaining novel filled with interesting characters.
3.5 stars

Simply put, could not put this book down.
It’s so well written, the twists keep coming, the characters are excellently defined. Ms. Downing has created an intriguing and scarily relatable anti-heroine. Highly recommended for people who enjoy an unfolding thriller through character development and great plotting!
Oh!, Earl Grey or Peppermint? That’s my favorite too.

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group, for providing the copy of Too Old For This by Smantha Downing. This was such a fun read! What does a retired serial killer do? Plum comes around poking her nose into Lottie’s past, kicking off Lottie’s baser instincts. Is she older and wiser now or just older? I loved how clever and inventive Lottie was, and how she dealt with new technology. I don’t want to give away anything, but you will enjoy great writing, the wide assortment of characters, and all of the shocking surprises. 5 twisted stars.

Thank you to Samantha Downing, Berkeley Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the e-arc of Too Old for This! 4.5 ⭐️ Loved this fast-paced unique thriller! Filled with twists and dark humor! I couldn’t help but root for Lottie even though she’s a serial killer! Hooked from start to finish! I couldn’t wait to see what Lottie was up to next! Finished in one day! This book publishes on 8/12/25!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I am not as old as the protagonist, but I really identified with her affinity for her recliner and the joy of a quiet night at home before turning in early only to be interrupted by someone at your door demanding your attention. Without spoiling the story, Lottie is a woman in her seventies who has a special way of dealing with people who make her really angry and that is murder. After being "wrongfully accused" of the murder of three people when she was a young, unmarried woman with a small child, the city was forced to settle with her and she took the money, changed her name and moved to a new town. Now, a young woman named Plum has discovered her past and wants to use her as the subject of a proposed podcast whether she agrees to cooperate or not. Lottie can't let that happen.

Plum's disappearance causes all sorts of people to darken Lottie's door. Not all of them make it out alive. Through it all, Lottie is fighting the physical and mental limits of her aging body. She worries that she isn't as sharp as she used to be and will make a mistake and get caught. She thought she was done with murder, but these people just won't leave her be.

Although the story was rather dark, I did find myself chuckling as Lottie juggled her middle-aged son, his twenty-something pregnant fiancee, his ex-wife, her friends from church and all the people who came looking for Plum. I especially loved how she would offer her guests a choice of two kinds of tea and whichever one they would choose was always her favorite too.

I have read all of this author’s books and was eagerly anticipating this one. It did NOT disappoint!! I love the title and the cover and the plot is brilliant. Diabolical and twisted, I never knew what Lottie would do next. I found myself rooting for her and at the same time, being disgusted by her actions. I can’t wait for others to experience this fantastic book!!

Wowwwww! I LOVED THIS BOOK. I was already a huge fan of Samantha downing but the moment I saw the cover of this book and read what it was about, I knew immediately I needed to read it as soon as I possibly could. I may have screamed in excitement when I was approved to! I immediately picked it up and finished within a day. Very fast paced book, short chapters, absolutely 10000% recommend. Thank YOU

I’ve always loved books about senior citizens solving crimes and it just so happens, I now love books about senior citizens committing crimes. In Lottie’s defense, multiple people showing up at my house unannounced would send me into a murderous rage as well. Lottie’s not as spry as she used to be though, so she doesn’t want to kill anymore, but that’s impossible when one of the uninvited guests is a nosy documentarist who’s come to dig up long buried secrets. On top of having to kill again, Lottie has other stress to contend with like her son marrying a woman named after a horse, figuring out how to convincingly fake her own death on camera, and the stark reality that aging can feel like suffering under a sad invisibility cloak. From chainsaws and potlucks to blackmail and bingo, plus a lot of murder. There’s a finger in the freezer, which sounds very Freida, but it’s done more tastefully here for lack of a better way to put it. What temperature and texture must a severed finger be to unlock an iPhone? Tune in to find out!

This book is a hoot. Meet elderly Lottie Jones, mother, friend, bingo player, church goer, and oh yes, murderer. Lottie was never charged and that’s long been behind her until a young woman comes to the house wanting to do a docuseries on Lottie and the accusations.
Murder can be fun with a very likable character you can’t help but root for.

This was a wonderful thriller; a different feel than most of the genre. I really enjoyed the fact that although the character was a murderess, she was somehow noneneless likeable. She was a well-defined character, making her actions, while not ethical, somewhat understandable. Will definitely recommend.

How dark do you take your humor?

I am 100% serious. I have never felt so bad for LAUGHING at a book in my life. I kept imagining Lottie Jones as my own grandmother pulling off these murders and it was endlessly amusing to me. This is absolutely meant as a compliment, because I had a lot of fun reading this book.

I don’t read a lot of thrillers or mysteries outside of the cozy genre, so I wasn’t sure what I would think of “Too Old For This.” But where the protagonist is an elderly woman who is trying to hide the crimes of her past by committing MORE crimes and just how matter-of-fact she is about the whole thing - how can you not love the premise? Even if it means a psychiatrist would have more than a few things to say about that… 🤔

Now, there were some things that if I stopped to think about it too much, the plot would fall apart. But they were minor quibbles I had and, again, don’t think about it too much. More than anything, I simply wanted to see if she would get away with everything, how the story would progress, and what the fallout would be.

Top marks, everyone. One of the best of the year! I do not say that lightly.

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?

This book was FANTASTIC! What is there to say about Lottie? She’s sly, witty, smart, dangerous. Everything you look for in a lady in her seventies! I couldn’t put this book down- I was so entertained! I will now be even more aware of who is knocking on my door! An extremely well plotted and clever read, I will absolutely be recommending this book!

Also- that cover! Wow!

FANTABULOUS!!! Thank you NetGalley, Samantha Downing, and Berkley Publishing Group for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wickedly Creepy, Darkly Hilarious and Chilling Clever!!!♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Lottie Jones is the kind of sweet old lady you'd never suspect. She is polite, charming, and always ready with tea and cookies. But behind that warm smile? A body count!

Now 75, she's enjoying the quiet life under a new name in Baycliff, Oregon. Her days revolve around playing church bingo, gossiping with the girls, and enjoying potluck meals. It's all very quaint until nosy podcaster Plum Dixon shows up asking far too many questions about Lottie's VERY buried past.

One knock. One slip. One murder. And then...well, you'll see!

This isn't a cozy mystery. Instead it's a deviously fun descent into the mind of a woman who's gotten away with murder for years. She's smart, calculating, and disturbingly good at what she does. You KNOW you shouldn't root for her but you absolutely will!!

How far would you go to protect your secrets?
Is anyone ever truly done with murder?
And why is it so easy to fall in love with a killer?

And can we please talk about that cover and title?? The image of a grandma hiding a hammer behind her back?! It hooked me instantly and the title is perfection!!! I absolutely loved this book so much and will proudly go on my favorites list for 2025!! ALL the stars!!!⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another winner by Samantha Downing. Lottie is living a pretty mundane life. She has bingo and gossip at her local church. She’s retired from her job, which you’re not so sure what that is , until someone comes to her door and starts snooping around.
This was fun! I love Lottie, lots of attitude and secrets.
Fast paced and good characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest opinion.
4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the free eARC. I requested this one because I loved For Your Own Good, and it kind of seemed like a unique spin on your typical “cozy mystery”. Here, instead of the old woman being a Miss Marple-type detective…she’s a serial killer.

Lottie Jones has killed quite a few people. And she’s gotten away with it. She managed to outsmart the police, change her name, and move away to protect her identity (and her son). But then she’s contacted by a documentarian who wants to interview her. The woman claims to be working on a documentary all about people who were wrongfully accused of horrible crimes, and how the fallout affected their lives. In addition to being horrified that Plum found her at all, Lottie is understandably not interested in talking about her past. So she…takes matters into her own hands. But of course, that’s not the end of her problems.

It’s hard to get more specific without giving too much away, but I really enjoyed this ride. Lottie is surprisingly easy to root for, given that she’s, you know, a serial killer. And while it would strain credulity a bit that she’s able to do all of this…Downing shows the toll it takes on her. She’s not able to just take someone down the way she could in her youth. And the element of surprise frequently works in Lottie’s favor. After all, no one expects a little old lady to whack them with a heavy umbrella.

The other thing I liked is that this isn’t a whodunnit. We aren’t left guessing if Lottie is guilty or not. She’s super guilty, she tells us herself, and she’s also pretty proud of how she got away with everything and tricked the police the first time around. It’s a fun twist on both the “little old lady cozy mystery” trope, and it also gets into the processy side of…being a serial killer. After all, you have to find some way to dispose of the evidence.

I don't know what I was expecting going into this novel but it wasn't this. This was dubious thriller comedy of a serial killer that has hit a...."mature" age. As she pushes her walker along, she's adding to her body pile in quick succession..all with no plan in place and a finger being pointed at her mistakes along the way.

Could I tell you more? perhaps, but then that would take away from what you're going to experience while reading this new novel from Samantha Downing. Which felt like "Thursday Murder Club" type of 'thriller lite' but with the view of the killer.

Some of it was silly, some was gruesome but all I could picture was this little ole woman who just kills and makes tea. Or has to worry about her son's lady drama.

Entertaining as a beach read does. Thriller lite for sure. But with a nonchalance of humour simmering right underneath. I mean, whoever did invite those location apps and why does it add a level of stress to our Lottie's life?!

Too Old For This made me do something I never thought I would: cheer for a serial killer. Lottie was a fantastic character, and the way she transitioned seamlessly between murder and the mundanity of life was fun. I will definitely keep an eye out for more books by Samantha Downing.
This advance copy was provided by the publisher and Netgalley. My opinions are honestly and freely given.

Getting old isn't for sissies. Apparently it is also difficult for serial killers.

Lottie Jones is an elderly retired serial killer.

When she decided to go straight, she changed her identity and moved to a small town - to live a small life. A life where not a single soul knew about her past. That is exactly what happened and she lived there peacefully with her son for decades.

That peace she enjoys is shattered when an investigative journalist knocks on her door and says she is working on a documentary. Lottie can't allow that to happen.

What happens next sets the stage for an exceptional tale filled with both horror and hilarity.

Sure, there are moments where the story is extremely serious, but author Samantha Downing somehow made even those scenes humorous.

Lottie and her two best senior citizen friends play bingo at the church every week. That seems to be the extent of her recreational activities. The author writes about the aches and pains of aging and how they make it so much more difficult for her to get rid of a body than when Lottie was young and actively murdering her victims.

There are so many social themes touched upon in this book that it makes the story feel entirely plausible.

If you like elderly people with snark, believable characters and a mystery that you can't put down, TOO OLD FOR THIS should be at the top of your tbr (to be read) list.

Lottie is my absolute favorite senior citizen character I have encountered in a very long time.

TOO OLD FOR THIS is the first book I have read by author Samantha Downing, but it will not be my last. She has a flair for drama, humor and for creating a tale that comes across as so absurd that it feels real, as do her characters.

I rate TOO OLD FOR THIS as 4 out of 5 Stars ☆☆☆☆

I am excited to read whatever Samantha Downing writes next.

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free advance review copy of this upcoming book which is set for release on August 12th, 2025.

I have loved all of Samantha Downing’s previous books because they are all just twisted, creative, and absolutely bingeworthy with her latest being no different!

This particular story follows the life of a “retired” serial killer, Lottie Jones, who was found not guilty decades ago. Now she’s just an elderly lady who just likes playing bingo at her local church and gossiping with her friends. But when a young woman who knows about her past comes knocking on her door asking to make a documentary, it forces Lottie’s hand it she finds herself doing what it takes to cover her secrets, even if that includes going back to killing.

This book reads super quickly because the chapters are so short that it’s very easy to get engaged with and not put down. As for Lottie herself, while yes, she is a serial killer, I felt myself actually rooting for her to pull things off! Yes it sounds kind of twisted, but I feel like that’s what this author excels at —creating some morally grey villains you can't help but love!

There was also a bit of a cat and mouse like element to it too once things from Lottie’s past really started to manifest in the present. However things were done so cleverly that it did feel like a game unfolding and I was always curious to see what other tricks Lottie had up her sleeve.

Overall I would say I was pretty satisfied with how everything wrapped up in the end and I cannot wait for others to eventually get their hands on this one once it hits shelves this summer!