With a title that we can all agree with, Samantha Downing introduces us to 75-year-old Lorena Jones who is going through some personal issues. Although mentally sharp and clever, Lorena worries about selling her home and moving to assisted living, ponders hip replacements to ease arthritic pain, and is angry that church ladies sniff at her store-bought appetizers for Thursday Bingo Nights. Oh, and another thing. Lorena is an acquitted and retired serial killer until movie directors and cops start nosing around her community. What follows is a series of unfortunate events chock full of dark humor and twists and turns. This fast-moving novel is part mystery, part suspense and part horror. Readers will hope this elderly woman who wields a mean claw hammer will escape her past.

This is a darkly funny and fast-paced read, with a fun take on a serial killer long past retirement age. It was a fun book for anyone who is a fan of the morally gray and unexpected.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for this ARC!

This was so much fun to read! I was hooked from the first chapter. Snarky, dark humor with plenty of action and a likeable antihero! I've not read other books by Samantha Downing, but after this, I'm adding her to my TBR!

Samantha Downing instantly won auto-buy author status for me after I read her debut, My Lovely Wife. Out of the three I’ve read from her, each one has been 5 shining stars and I think Too Old For This just took place as my second favorite!

I mean come on, a book about an elderly serial killer who must play a cat-and-mouse game with multiple people who put her at risk for discovery where I somehow find myself rooting for a killer??? Yep, Downing is a genius!

From the start of the story I found it hard not to be fascinated by our main character, Lottie, who seemingly lives a normal life minus ya know, a little light criminal activity. The moment things started to hit the fan, which was pretty early on in the story, I could not stop reading! I loved all of the twists and turns. All of the potential to be caught. All of the secondary character interactions. All. Of. It.

Basically, just read it and then let’s chat about it!

A retired serial killer just wants to enjoy her bingo nights at the church and her nightly routine at home in peace. But when a filmmaker comes snooping around to make a documentary, Lottie’s past suddenly risks being exposed. She cannot have her secrets getting out. So naturally…it's time for another murder.

I love Lottie! I would probably be friends with her IRL. She’s snarky and completely unbothered - the kind of woman who buys a store-bought dish for the bingo night just to tick off the organizer. 😂 And I loved living in her head. She’s one of those characters who will stick with me - sharp, sarcastic, and savagely clever with a wicked sense of self-preservation.

Between the laughs and the murders, Downing sneaks in some real talk about aging - loneliness, creaky joints, fading memory, and the struggle to stay in control when life (and long-buried secrets) start catching up with you. I thought it gave Lottie a lot more depth and a heartwarming vibe to her character.

Read This If You Love:
✨Serial killer vibes
✨Sharp Cat & mouse game
✨Older woman MC (and she’s iconic)
✨Dark humor
✨Fast-paced and totally fresh

Final Verdict: 👍 Fresh storyline, darkly humorous, twisty plot, surprisingly heartwarming, and an unforgettable character. Thoroughly entertaining!!

Lmao this was incredible. My first read by Samantha Downing and it did not disappoint!! The twisted sense of humor combined with the plot line! Couldn’t put it down!!

Oh what to say, what to say? Um, this was okay, though I was left feeling frustrated and skeptical.

The tone was a lot more irreverent than I expected, and the serial killer is a lot less methodical than I thought. It made for a jokey book when I was expecting something more serious. I guess the tone of the book gives the character a pass for never getting caught because while she was cunning enough for me to believe that she could lie her way out of situations, she was way too impulsive to not have been caught and arrested at some point in the book. The constant sawing given her elderly age and no visible yard-work should’ve been a major tip off.

I’m also not convinced that burning fragments of the FROZEN body in a home’s wood-burning fireplace would result in anything other than charred remains. Even if you’re burning for hours for every piece of the body, I don’t think you could incinerate the body the way cremators can. It’s also another huge clue that this woman is up to no good that she’s burning fires around the clock. Does no one notice all the chimney smoke during odd times of the year? You’d also smell the bodies, especially when you’re burning at such low temperatures for so long. A little room freshener is not going to cover it.

I’m aware that I’m seriously dissecting the plausibility in a novel that is likely not meant to be taken so seriously but I paid good money for my forensic anthropology degree and I’m going to use it, damn it.

I absolutely adored Lottie’s character! She’s no sweet little old lady, that’s for sure. She’s a murderer, yes, but somehow you can’t help rooting for her. The dark humor crackles on every page, and the short, sharp chapters keep the pace whip smart and impossible to put down. I was hooked, desperate to see what Lottie would do next and how she’d wriggle her way out of each twist and turn. Fresh, clever, and wickedly fun, this is one of those books you’ll tear through and immediately want to recommend to a friend.

I would recommend this to readers who love mystery novels that include a serial killer and an amateur sleuth. We get that both when Plum first shows up on Lottie's doorstep and then again even with Lottie herself.

That being said, I think that this book started off really well and I was very intrigued. However, it was too long to the point where a lot of the middle felt like filler to just keep us here longer. While some of the twists along the way were interesting, I often still felt like "okay what's the point? Where are we going with this?" There were a lot of extra characters that were completely irrelevant. This could have been an interesting tale of a serial killer that also tackled the topic of growing older but the two themes did not work well together.

When I started this book, I was expecting a twisty thriller. What I actually got was very different than what I expected.

I loved Lottie’s character. All I could picture was my own grandma, if she had a serial killer past. It was an interesting take on the serial killer trope. I enjoyed the snippets of her past victims and what it was that made her kill. Perhaps some anger management might have worked out better for her, but then we wouldn’t have a story. With her old age and “slips” of memory, I thought (and hoped) we would get an unreliable narrator trope. Sadly, that’s not where the book went. Some parts were a bit unbelievable, especially with Lottie being an elderly woman.

I enjoyed the short chapters. Some even ended with little hooks to carry the suspense throughout the book. There were a few parts that left me cringing in a good way. Overall, it was entertaining. Just not what I was expecting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC!

I am in awe of the main character - that at this age she’s capable of everything she’s plotting. We see older people are those fragile helpless human beings and it’s the opposite. We just underestimate the age.
It was a great read, as all the books of this author.

I LOVED this one!! Lottie is such a strong protagonist and I love that she’s an elderly woman brought out of serial killer retirement. The quick chapters kept the story rolling and I thought the story (though a little predictable) was super clever.

I really enjoyed this serious serial killer but light hearted take on the tale. Short chapters. Fast read.

Meet Lottie, a sweet old lady who loves church, bingo… and murder. Darkly funny and wildly entertaining, this book was such a refreshing twist from my usual thrillers. I flew through this one partly because of the short chapters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.

At 75, Lottie Jones has left her serial killer days behind, or so she thought. Living quietly in a small town under a new identity, her peaceful routine of church and bingo nights is upended when an ambitious journalist starts digging into Lottie's past. Determined to protect her secrets, Lottie realizes that staying retired may not be an option anymore.

Too Old for This is an entertaining and addictive thriller! A darkly comedic and razor sharp story about identity, reinvention, and the lengths one will go to in order to survive. Lottie is both charming and chilling and her inner dialogue is one of my favorite highlights! What really stands out for me is the perfect balance of humor, tension, and scathing social commentary. Fresh, fast-paced and filled with twisted turns, Too Old for This is truly a killer read, literally and figuratively. If you like your thrillers with clever main characters, morally gray dilemmas, and a dark sense of humor, definitely add this one to your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Downing, and Berkley for this eARC! Publication date was August 12th 2025.

Too Old For This:

Thank you @prhaudio @berkleypub for my gifted copies! #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyPartner

“But that’s the thing about murder. No matter how many killers you arrest, there’s always going to be another.”

May I be honest for a minute? I really didn’t think Samantha Downing was an author for me in 2021. I read 2 books & 1 audiobook and they were not my favorite. I thought, “she’s just an author that’s not for me.” Then I read For Your Own Good and my mind completely changed. I had the utmost highest hopes for Too Old For This, and it’s definitely a favorite.

Lottie’s entire demeanor and humor was top tier. I giggled several times when it probably wasn’t acceptable. She’s just a mom y’all! I loved the twists and turns and trying to figure out what was going to happen next.

Audio is top tier. Elizabeth Wiley gave me the dry humor I needed for sure. Her Norma voice was so scratchy and had me crying.

Solid read, totally enjoyed. Out now!

QOTD: Weekend plans?

This book was so much fun to read. Yes it was a book about a serial killer. Yes she was older and had retired. Yes she starts killing again. But..... You may find yourself rooting for her to not get caught. To get away with everything. Just maybe you will like Lottie...

I absolutely loved Lottie. She was quite a character. She did bad things but she had reasons for most. She was a murderer, but still she had reasons for it. You just should not make Lottie mad. Or back her in a corner. She can be mean if provoked. But she's a good mom. She loves her boy. She was a single mom. Now her son is grown and going to be married. For the second time.

You get to know Lottie pretty well. You also get to know her victims pretty well. The reasons why they had to be killed. And what Lottie does with the bodies. Most bodies that is. And the cops. Especially Burke. Burke wanted so bad to prove Lottie's guilt. He tried for over forty years.

Lottie goes to church. She is very involved. She loves her family. Her son and grandchildren. She cares for her ex daughter in law. She gets to know her future daughter in law and likes her too. She is a fairly peaceful person. Private. Until she's not. That is when the dark side of Lottie shows it's face. I did feel bad for Plum Dixon. She was just a young lady looking to do a docuseries about Lottie's previous life. She was very determined. I could have felt bad for Plum's mom but I didn't. She was never a good mom to Plum. I did feel bad for Cole. Cole was Plum's boyfriend. And the suspect when Plum went missing.

This book made me laugh so much. Yes I did my fair share of cringing and I gasped a few times, but it was still a fun story. I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. Or should.

I highly recommend this one. If you are up for a few murders or a few chuckles, then I say grab this one and get comfortable. You won't want to put it down.

Thank you #Berkley for this ARC.

Five big stars from me.

Thank you, publishers, for the early copy!

This was such a fun, unhinged, and addictive read. Was it a bit over the top at times and predictable, yes, but it was still damn good. I enjoyed going through the days with Lottie! This book is up there with For Your Own Good!

4.5 stars

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I have to say, this is by far my favorite Samantha Downing book. I have had mixed feelings about several of her others, however, because I loved this one so much I would like to go back and reread her books. Samantha Downing writes very slow paced, deep character driven novels and in the past that wasn't my thing. However, now I eat that shit up. Here's what you should know about Too Old For This: It's a very graphic body horror mixed equally with a slice of life (going to church, touring retirement homes) story about a female serial killer. Some may say it's repetitive, however, each time Lottie murders someone it's vastly different and the cover up is different. I also laughed out loud throughout this book and highlighted so many good passages. The writing is very well done, short chapters keep the book moving, it's just a damn good book.

So... why the four stars then? Well my biggest complaint about the book is the ending. It just ends abruptly. I have so many questions and even just some things I would like to know about Lottie's life now and .... how? I'm all for an open ending, but with a story like this I needed just a little more. There's not really plot twist in this book (a very small one) that's not the point of it. It's a very character driven book and I really wanted to know more just an epilogue would have been fine. I just felt it was very jarring for the ending to come when it did.

However, because I loved so much of the book I will happily read it again and use my imagination of what comes next.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Too Old For This by Samantha Downing is about a 75 year old retired serial killer until she isn’t. It’s been decades since Lottie Jone’s was found not guilty because of little evidence, but one day Plum Dixon shows up at her doorstep wanting to do a docuseries on Lottie. Lottie invites her in and offers her some tea and cookies while she finds out why Plum is at her door. When Lottie lets her know she isn’t interested, she realizes Plum will make the series with or without her. Lottie has changed her name, found her friends at the regular church bingo, and has been living a quiet life. If anyone found out who she really is, it would ruin everything, and that is when Lottie comes out of retirement.

This book was a blast. I never thought I would be cheering a serial killer on, (okay, she’s fictional, so it’s easy to do; it’s not like I would ever cheer a real life one on) but after Lottie gets rid of Plum, a whole domino effect happens with people from Plum’s life, and a former investigator from her past still trying to get Lottie caught in action.

I especially liked how this book took into account the fact that she is 75 years old, so she’s not as fit as she used to be, but she can also use her age to her advantage.

I also loved a reference to Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker. I was a kid when he ran his terror, and I remember seeing him on TV and thinking he would come through my window. Lottie is thankful for him during her earlier years of getting rid of people, but you will need to read it to find out why. I thought that was a great Easter egg to a past real life event.

I really loved this book and found the whole thing to be so original and creative. You’ll have to see if Lottie gets away with making Plum disappear and how she tries to do it.