This was a great follow up to the first Mrs. Plansky book, however, I did find that one more preferable to this one. The first with 4 stars, and this one with 3.

It isn't essential to read the first, but it does help a little to know what is going with the backstory. I think this is an enjoyable series that I will continue to read/listen to throughout.

The reason this book was only a three-star read, is it felt a little predictable to me and it just didn't hit me like the first one did. But it was still enjoyable and still a decent cozy mystery with a little humor thrown in- which for me is essential.

Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue was a fun return to Loretta Plansky’s world, with that same cozy mystery feel I loved from the first book. I’d give it around 3.5 to 4 stars. Mrs. Plansky is still such a great character: smart, witty, and not afraid to dive headfirst into trouble. This time, she gets pulled into a wild adventure after her tennis partner’s yacht explodes and her son goes missing. It takes her from Florida to Europe and even into the world of sunken treasure. The narrator nailed the tone, giving it that warm, comforting vibe I always look for in a cozy.

That said, I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the first. The plot felt a little more chaotic and not quite as clear... I’m honestly still a bit confused about what exactly happened in parts. It was fun, but it didn’t have the same crisp pacing that made the first one such a standout for me. You don’t have to read book one before diving into this one, but I’d definitely recommend it just to get a better sense of who Mrs. Plansky is and why she’s such a gem of a character.

Thank you to @Macmillan.Audio and @NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue in exchange for my honest review.

At 71 years old, Mrs. Plansky has a lot on her plate. Her very active father has recently moved into her condo, and now her senior tennis partner has gone missing after his yacht caught fire during a supposed lightning strike. Oddly, Mrs. Plansky never saw any lightning—only heard a loud boom.

When her father casually mentions that he introduced her son Jack to Kevin, Mrs. Plansky tries to reach Jack, but he doesn’t return her calls. Her concern deepens as strange events begin to unfold, leading her to suspect that things are not what they seem. As she starts to piece the clues together, a quirky and suspenseful mystery begins to take shape.

This is a light, humorous read, perfect for summer. Petrea Burchard does a wonderful job narrating, bringing warmth and personality to the story.

If you're looking for a fun, breezy mystery with a spirited protagonist, this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read might be just what you need.

I thought this was fun, although the plot wasn’t as clear at first book and it took a while to get going. I find the characters pretty charming, even when they’re being very annoying. The adventure aspect wasn’t as well developed as the last one, it felt sometimes like things just happened without a clear motivation. I still liked it overall though.

Mrs. Plansky (Loretta) is fresh off of winning a thrilling senior tennis championship with her doubles partner, Kev Dinardo, and is gearing up to celebrate with him on his yacht. That is, until the yacht is destroyed in a fire before they even boarded. Kev claims the fire was caused by a lightning strike, pure bad luck, but there's one small problem—Mrs. Plansky didn't see any lightning. When Kev disappears, Mrs. Plansky's curiosity turns to concern and her suspicion gets the better of her leading to more trouble than a going-on-72-year-old needs.

This is the second audiobook featuring Mrs. Plansky that I've listened to and I loved Petrea Burchard's narration just as much as in the first book. She really seemed to be enjoying the story as much as I was and I felt like I was in Mrs. Plansky's head. She voiced all of the characters and did a fantastic job. Being an older female and having undergone a hip replacement recently, I could totally empathize with Mrs. Plansky. Not much fazes her and her mind works in wondrous ways. On top of her adventures trying to determine what happened to Kev, she has her 98-year-old father, a rather cantankerous fellow, living with her and also her son Jack seems to have gone missing. They are a great bunch of characters and I was doing some serious chuckling.

It's not necessary to have read the first book, Mrs. Plansky's Revenge, before reading this one but I recommend it highly. I enjoyed the story in the first book more than this one.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio, via Netgalley, for approving my request to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: July 15, 2025

Thanks to MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked Mrs. Plansky's first outing (4 stars!), and this one was good, but not great.

Mrs. Plansky is enjoying her Florida retirement, currently full of romantic possibility courtesy of Kev DiNardo, her tennis partner. They've just crushed their mixed doubles opponents and Mrs. Plansky has driven Kev to his condo (so he doesn't have to bike in the rain), when they see his boat explode at the dock. For some reason, Kev immediately follows this exciting, dangerous happening with a kiss on Loretta Planksy's mouth. Scandalous! And also very confusing for Loretta, who ends up traveling over hill and dale when it becomes apparent that: 1. Kev is missing, 2. a nefarious character is hanging out at his condo, where Kev is not, and 3. Mrs. Plansky's son, a seemingly washed-up tennis pro who now gives tennis lessons, is somehow mixed up in all this.

I think I can be forgiven for my frustration with Chandler, Loretta's dad, who is 98 and crotchety as hell. Yes, he is a poor communicator, typical of his generation, but surely it would be easier to pry information out of him rather than trot around Florida looking for clues? Couldn't you just hold imminent removal back to Shady Pines over him? I guess if Loretta did this, there wouldn't be a book, but I live in hope. The B plot of his romance with his caretaker's mom is ... tedious at best, and only detracts from the overall story IMO.

Still, Mrs. Plansky is a pistol, in her own dithery way, and her innermost thoughts are enjoyable to read/listen to. Petrea Burchard is a revelation, again, and embodies Loretta perfectly. It *almost* makes up for the mess of a plot, the finer points of which I still do not understand. All's well that ends well, and Chekhov's gun, represented here by an ornery gator living in the lake near Mrs. Plansky's condo, is fully utilized.

3 stars, but hoping for better plots for Lolo next time around

4.25

Mrs. Plansky is back with her insatiable curiosity and gumption. How Spencer Quinn can capture the inner dialogue of a mostly naïve, aging widow is beyond me, but this book is nearly all her inner dialogue.


Unlike the first book, also great, which starred Mrs. Plansy, but rotated into the minds of other characters, this time we get it all from her head. It’s amazing the questioning confidence and thought tangents he captures from her daily life and how she is both bold and self doubting at any given moment.

This time, we’re, mostly, in Florida at her home and she, in addition to being a pushover, is a saint in her care of and concessions to her rather undeserving father. That she’s turned out so great in spite of his him is a testament to both her and her mother.

I was surprised to hear almost nothing of her exploits in book one, nor any clout she should be receiving from her successes. Though I’m 99.9% of the time in extreme disfavor of reading books out of order, I think it could be okay in this case. I only say that because I strongly recommended these to my mother who is a huge wimp and the first book sounded way too “scary” for her. I think, even though it is not without lots of action and uncertainty and harrowing moments at every turn, this is a slightly easier one for the timid like my mother. The rest of you, start with her revenge and keep in mind that it both came out before and is better than the movie “Thelma”, which I wanted to love but just couldn’t quite get into.

The narrator, I believe the same one from the first book, does a great job as Mrs. Plansky with some diverse character dialogue thrown in.

Thank you to Spencer Quinn, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a free advanced copy of this audiobook for my unbiased review.

#MrsPlanskyGoesRogue #NetGalley #bookreview #ADHDreader #SpencerQuinn #mrsplansky #mystery #floridakeys #macmillanaudio #audiobooks #widow #women #fearless #caregivers #retirement

Entertaining comic crime caper set in coastal Florida. A cozy mystery for fans of Murder She Wrote, amateur senior detective investigating the disappearance of her tennis partner and other curious occurrences. I read this as a standalone and now want to go back and read the first in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Tor and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy for a honest review.

The first Mrs. Plansky book, Mrs. Plansky's Revenge was a fast paced, enjoyable cozy read—especially with the remarkable Petrea Burchard narrating. Burchard becomes Mrs. Plansky, bringing warmth, wit, and just the right touch of zaniness to her internal monologue that makes it a perfect match for audio.

At 72, Loretta Plansky is sharp, curious, and more than capable—even if her memory occasionally stalls. Whether she's winning senior tennis tournaments, swimming in Florida waters with an alligator nearby or unraveling a mystery, she throws herself into every challenge with grit and humor. Trouble begins when she and her tennis partner Kev Dinardo witness the explosion of his yacht during a wild thunder storm. Although blamed on a lightning strike Mrs. Plansky never actually saw any lightning. Later Kev vanishes and her irascible 98-year old father casually mentions having introduced Kev to her son Jack—who’s now also missing. As the coincidences begin to pile up, Mrs. Plansky decides to get to the bottom of things herself.

The plot zips along with plenty of twists—a crack reporter who is also a pilot , treasure hunts, plane crashes, and a cast of suspicious characters with questionable motives. Although Chandler Plansky is often irritating, he’s also the perfect foil for Mrs. Plansky’s inner commentary on life and growing older. It’s a spirited, fast-paced mystery with a wonderfully unconventional heroine. The audiobook occasionally stumbles with abrupt transitions, but Burchard’s lively narration carries it through, especially her distinct voices for the main characters. Even though a second in a series, this book stands easily on its own.

Clever. Formidable. Resilient. Determined...

Mrs. Plansky wins a senior doubles tennis championship with her partner Kev Dinardo. They plan to celebrate on his yacht, but soon after arriving, it's ablaze from what Kev claims was a lightning strike. Mrs. Plansky heard a boom, possibly thunder, but didn't see the lightning that should have preceded it. Isn't that strange?

Mrs. Plansky's curiosity turns to concern when Kev disappears. She decides to take matters into her own hands to find some answers. Then Jack, her complicated tennis pro son, goes missing next...

"Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue" is our resourceful and capable main character, Loretta Plansky's second adventure, and she's fully back at it. Tennis doubles champ. Free-diver. Female-super-sleuth. Is there anything this woman can’t do? I listened to book #1 Mrs. Plansky's Revenge and despite a two-year gap, book #2 was worth the wait.

The audiobook is, once again, expertly narrated by Petrea Burchard. This author/actor's many voice-acting abilities bring each character an individual voice. It should also be noted that Ms. Burchard, like Mrs. Plansky, is a septuagenarian, emphasizing that age is only a number.

"Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue" focuses on themes of the advantages of age, commitment to family, leveraging relationships, and seeking justice. Be advised: Huge doses of humor and wit went into the making of this book, and if you haven't met Mrs. Plansky yet, you probably should!

4⭐

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Spencer Quinn for the gifted ALC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Not a fan; I hated how Mrs. Plansky was only called "Mrs. Plansky"; that got a bit annoying. I also found the whole plot to be very chaotic.

Funny. Refreshing. Enjoyable. And… outrageous!!

This is the second book I’ve read regarding Mrs. Plansky! She is an elderly woman, who doesn’t seem to retain that fact, as she acts like she’s 25, but has the aches and pains to prove that she in fact is NOT 25! And, it’s hysterical!
So, in this edition, Mrs. Plansky has just won a doubles (tennis) match with her partner, Kev Dinardo. They’re going to celebrate on his yacht when it literally blows up in front of them!

And then, Kev goes missing. So, of course, Mrs. Plansky begins an investigation to find him…involving many others in her scheme too!

During all of this, we find that her Dad has moved in with her (and out of the assisted living facility). At times he seems forgetful, at other times, totally lucid. And she discovers that her Dad somehow introduced Kev and her son Jack to each other…some type of business association… but the details are murky…

And then, the other shoe drops… as no one has heard from Jack in a few days… and he can’t be found either!

And, the more investigating she does, the more frightened she’s feeling… as bad people seem to be showing up everywhere… 😮

If you are looking for something light, funny, scary, insane… and sometimes totally unrealistic (but still hysterical!), please don’t pass this one by! It’s definitely a keeper!!

4 big, bright, scary yet totally mesmerizing 🌟🌟🌟🌟 for me!

#MrsPlanskyGoesRogue by @SpencerQuinn and narrated beautifully by @PetreaBurchard.

*** THIS ONE HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED!! PLEASE LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON JULY 15, 2025!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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I really wanted to love this one. Mrs. Plansky is such a refreshing, no-nonsense heroine, and the premise (mystery! yachts! Florida weirdness!) promised another fun ride. But this sequel just didn’t have the same charm or sharp humor as the first book—or Spencer Quinn’s beloved Chet & Bernie series. I found it to be more annoying than amusing most of the time.

The plot takes some wild turns with pirates, alligators, crashed planes, but the pacing dragged in places, and the humor felt muted. Loretta still shines as a character (honestly, more feisty retirees in fiction, please), but the spark that made the first book so enjoyable seemed to dim a bit here.

Still a decent mystery with a unique lead, but not quite the delightful romp I was hoping for. A solid read, just not a standout.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy of this audiobook.

Mrs. Plansky (Loretta, though something about her just makes Mrs. Plansky better suited) is a smart and spry 70-something widow ‘of means’ happily retired to an upscale Florida community. This is Quinn’s second cozy mystery featuring her, though it stands effectively alone.

Loretta Plansky is the latest in a growing number of inadvertent ‘senior’ sleuths, many of whom are women. Interestingly, most are widowed, divorced or never-married, which helps immeasurably with the kind of sneaking around involved in solving mysteries. She is widowed after a happy marriage, but though she misses her late husband and thinks about him often, she is admirably focussed on moving forward.

As is often the case with senior main characters (as in real life), she is independent but not unencumbered. Her 98 year old father lives with her, and is clearly in the early stages of dementia. He was kicked out of his retirement home for bad behaviour, especially involving women. He thinks the condo is his and she’s dependant on him. As also typical, he rejects any notion that he has dementia and gaslights her (and everyone else). Considering that he’s practically a centenarian, he’s very ‘amorous’ and she now has to contend with his fiancée, his caregiver’s mother, who has basically moved in too. They are preparing a lavish wedding.

Really the book is more about Mrs. Plansky and her relationship issues than the core mystery. She worries about her 30-something son, Jack, a former college tennis star who is having trouble getting a foothold in a sustainable career. Is he missing too, since she can’t seem to get hold of him? She worries that her father, a master of shady deals, might have gotten him involved in one.

Then there is the matter of Kev Dinardo, a condo neighbour and her tennis partner. They have just won a doubles tournament when the story begins. Their tennis partnership is slowly becoming something more romantic, or so she thinks. But their post-tournament first kiss literally becomes a lightning strike, which then becomes a potential insurance fraud in which she might be implicated. And he too seems to have disappeared.

The first half is essentially about Mrs. Plansky’s growing suspicion that all is not as it seems with the handsome and charming Kevin. There are hints that he is involved in less-than-legitimate deals. As the story unfolds, she starts to think that all three of the men in her life are basically up to no good. And, oddly enough, that they might have become entwined in the same scheme. Of course, she has to unravel the details, ‘save’ them from real trouble, and protect herself, all at once. This makes for some tense, and comical, situations.

The book’s major strength is in its characterization and humour. Even the frequently disgusting Joe is ultimately a funny old guy, though there are times when I felt uneasy about the possible line-crossing over Alzheimer’s as a source of amusement. Mrs. Plansky is admirable in her resourcefulness and determination to save her men, who are far weaker people than she is. But I kept wishing that she would just save herself and let them sink or swim. That wouldn’t make for much of a story, though, and this one is lively and fun. Kudos to narrator Petrea Burchard, who very effectively did all the voices.

Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue is the second installment in Spencer Quinn’s Mrs. Plansky series. While it's a sequel, there's no plot overlap with the first book, so it works well as a standalone read. Like its predecessor, this is an easy, lighthearted summer cozy mystery featuring the quirky and determined Mrs. Plansky.

That said, I found this installment a bit choppy and didn’t enjoy it as much as the first. Her father’s character, in particular, felt grating—I often found myself eager to get past his sections.

On a positive note, Petrea Burchard once again delivers an excellent narration, bringing the characters to life with warmth and personality.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for letting me read this ARC.

the narrator was fine. the story was not my favorite.
I can’t tell if Mrs. Plansky is having a stroke or losing her memory due to age. her “forgetting” things and then remembering them suddenly was really strange.
her dad is awful. I was honestly hoping he would die because he was just useless as a character.
also, Mrs. Plansky is a terrible detective.

3.5 stars. I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Patrea Burchard. The narration was good and pleasant to listen to.

This is a cozy mystery in which the main character is an elderly woman. There is an explosion, a missing tennis partner and Mrs. Plansky's son is missing also.

I listened to the first book in the series and really, really enjoyed it. To be honest for quite awhile I wasn't 100% sure what the crime or mystery was in this one. I felt for a long time into it that I had missed something important. It also had a lot of points that the story seemed to jump ahead without explanation.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing | Forge Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the second book in the Mrs. Plansky series by Spencer Quinn, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Petrea Burchard, who really brings Mrs. Plansky alive. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Mrs. Plansky is fresh off of winning a thrilling senior tennis championship with her doubles partner, Kev Dinardo, and is gearing up to celebrate with him on his yacht. That is, until the yacht is destroyed in a fire. Kev claims the fire was caused by a lightning strike, pure bad luck, but there's one small problem—Mrs. Plansky didn't see any lightning. Then Kev goes missing, as does her son, Jack. Does her 98-year-old dad know anything about all this?

Once again, it's fun to inhabit Mrs. Plansky's world for a while, and it's nice to see an older woman portrayed as vibrant and capable. Mrs. Plansky excels at tennis, takes care of her dad, and still has time to solve a mystery or two - what's not to love? I would definitely recommend reading the first in this series, but this one would work as a standalone as well. The audiobook narration was perfect, and I ended up mostly listening to it. Quite entertaining and I'm looking forward to more escapades from Mrs. Plansky!

While the series opener, Mrs. Plansky's Revenge (2023), was far-fetched, it was also action-packed and had interesting and well-developed characters. Unfortunately, this sequel takes a step down from the level of charm and energy of the first book.

Loretta herself comes across as flighty and distractible. In the first book, she was feisty and determined. Worse, her dad is simply awful! How much of it is age or illness and how much is just his personality? Regardless, I wish he didn't play such a big part. I can't think of any especially appealing characters this time around, off the top of my head. The mystery itself took a few turns . . . albeit too late to maintain or salvage excitement.

From a cursory glance at other early readers' ratings (not reviews), I don't seem to be alone in my preference for the first installment. However, fans of the first book—or cozy mysteries in general—should decide for themselves.

Petrea Burchard narrates a varied cast of characters well, continuing her role in the series.

Seventy-one year old Loretta Plansky is having a great retirement in Punta D'Oro, Florida. Mrs. Plansky isn't your average retiree, she has been know to break into Kev's house, freedive; go kayaking; go swimming; flying to the Bahamas in a private plane; saving people's lives; and much much more. At the moment, Mrs. Plansky's 98-year-old father is also living with her making Loretta have to also deal with his antics.

While there are some very funny parts of the novel (such as are Plansky's inner thoughts) and the variety of interesting characters.
This book didn't seem to catch my attention like the first Mrs. Plansky novel. However, it was fun Loretta, and I hope to go on many more adventures Loretta in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley, Spencer Quinn, and Macmillan Audio ARC. #Netgalley # Mrsplanskygoesrogue