Mrs. Plansky is back in the fun Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue by Spencer Quinn.

"Mrs. Plansky is celebrating her mixed-doubles championship win with her tennis partner, Kev Dinardo, when his yacht goes up in flames. The fire investigator said it was lightning but Mrs. Plansky didn't see it and only heard a boom. Now Kevin is missing and his house has been ransacked. Her dad mentions that he introduced her son, Jack, to Kev and Jack is not answering his phone either. there are strange men hanging around. No one will give her answers but Mrs. Plansky will go wherever she needs to, to find them."

Petrea Burchard is wonderful as the voice of Mrs. Plansky. She brings Mrs. Plansky to life in every situation, from a tennis match to a plane crash. Her performance as Mrs. Plansky's dad is hilarious.

Mrs. Plansky is no stranger to travel and travels by boat and plane to some exotic locations - looking for Kev and Jack and answers to her questions about the little golden statue she found on the ocean floor - right where Kev's boat was supposed to be. You get a good idea where the story is going and Quinn's humor makes it fun to get there.
There's an alligator named Fairbanks that makes an appearance and seems protective of Mrs. Plansky. Don't underestimate him.
I love a story with an older MC. Mrs. Plansky is living her best life. Another fun story from Spencer Quinn.

In the first 'Mrs. Plansky' book, the intrepid retiree pursues swindlers who scammed her out of $9,000. In this second novel in the series, Mrs. Plansky searches for a missing friend.

The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

Background: Seventy-one year old Loretta Plansky is having a pleasant retirement in Punta D'Oro, Florida. Years ago, Loretta and her husband Norm made millions of dollars with their patented 'Plansky Toaster Knife', which slices and toasts bread simultaneously. After Norm passed, Loretta moved into a pretty little condo, and though Loretta misses Norm terribly, she's enjoying her life - shopping, seeing her friends, playing tennis, etc.

At the moment, Mrs. Plansky's 98-year-old father Chandler Wills Banning - a crotchety old coot who got thrown out of his assisted living home - is residing with Mrs Plansky. Chandler is flat broke, so Mrs. Plansky was paying for his pricey retirement facility. Now Mrs. Plansky is supporting Chandler in her home, where he has an aide named Lucrecia. Chandler is also 'romancing' Lucrecia's mother, Clara Dominguez de Soto y Camondo, who frequently stays over.

*****

As the story opens, Mrs. Plansky and her tennis partner, Kev Dinardo. win a mixed doubles match at the New Sunshine Golf and Tennis Club. After the match, it begins to storm, so Loretta drives Kev and his bicycle home in her SUV, with their tennis trophies clinking in the back. From Kev's driveway, Mrs. Plansky observes a nice house, the ocean, a strip of white beach, and Kev's white, crimson-trimmed yacht named Lizette.

Loretta is admiring the sleek yacht when it bursts into flames, explodes, and is replaced by a ball of fire. When firefighters arrive, Kev says his insurance will cover the debacle because it was an 'Act of God' - a lightning strike. But Mrs. Plansky didn't see any lightning.

The tennis trophies are forgotten in the mêlée, so Mrs. Plansky drives to Kev's house the next day, to give him his prize. Kev's door is answered by a big man who says he's Mitch from the insurance company.....and that Kev is away. This is followed by some shady occurrences, and Kev doesn't call or show up. Mrs. Plansky comes to suspect Kev's boat was blown up on purpose, and that Kev is missing. Mrs. Plansky goes to the police, but the detective treats her like a confused old lady with dementia, so Loretta decides to search for Kev herself. This results in threats to Loretta AND her son Jack, who Loretta now learns was involved in some kind of business with Kev.

Mrs. Plansky isn't your average retiree, and her exploits include breaking into Kev's house (twice); freediving; kayaking; swimming; sneaking around a beer brewery; flying to the Bahamas in a private plane; saving people's lives; and more.

As all this is going on, Mrs. Plansky has to deal with her father's antics, which involve frequent complaints; doing things behind Loretta's back; helping himself to Loretta's things; getting engaged; making himself an engagement party with a band; and more.

Some of the fun parts of the novel are Mrs. Plansky's inner thoughts - like the time she tries to figure out the code for a digital lock; or when she's not sure if the insurance man is called Mitch or Mr. Mitch. Despite Loretta's occasional confusion, she gets to the bottom of things in the end, and her spunk is admirable.

The story has a variety of interesting characters, such as Chandler's lady friends at his old retirement home; a journalist who pilots her own plane; Kev Dinardo's ex-wife; a helpful barefoot fisherman; Loretta's daughter Nina; Nina's new beau Hamish; an alligator named Fairbanks; and more.

This book doesn't have quite the verve of the first Mrs. Plansky novel. Still, it's fun to go on an adventure with Loretta, and I suspect Loretta will have more exploits in the future.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Petrea Burchard, who does a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Spencer Quinn, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the book.

Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue (Mrs. Plansky #2)
By Spencer Quinn, narrated by Petrea Burchard

Having listened to the first book in the Mrs Plansky series and loving Petrea Burchard's narration, I was glad that I could listen to her narrate the second book, too. Burchard doesn't just narrate the story but she puts something extra in the way she narrates. Nothing over the top but instead I feel like I'm really in Mrs Plansky's head, feeling the fuzziness of the things not quite remembered until suddenly right there where she needs them sooner or later. Mrs Plansky is creative, very smart, and still fit and active at 72 years of age but her mental files seem to be somewhat out of order now and the mechanism for grabbing the correct memories might be a bit glitchy at times.

Not to worry, Mrs Plansky can still win over 65 tennis doubles trophies, she can still snorkel just fine, she can still kayak and portage, she can even try new things and do pretty good at them in the heat of the moment. And she has a lot of those moments since very early in the story Mrs Plansky is present for a lighting strike to hit her doubles partner's boat, and then for her doubles partner to go missing. Mrs Plansky knows something is going on that is not good, not good at all, but who is going to believe an old lady who can think for herself? She really isn't totally batty, not by a long shot, so she has to take matters into her own hands.

For all the trouble she gets into, I'm always going to put my money on Mrs Plansky. She gets so much done, all while having to live with her 98 year old father (quite the rascal he is) because he got kicked out of his latest home for having a few too many girlfriends without the girlfriends knowing they were part of a set. Lots more going on and it's being in Mrs Plansky's head that I enjoy, that woman has such a string of run on thoughts going but she gets the job done in the end.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC

This was a fun book to listen to.

Mrs Plansky is back in the second book in the series, but this works well as a stand-alone, as the two plots are not connected.

She lives with her 98 year old father who I found highly annoying throughout the story - but he does provide a foil for many of her witty conversations, especially those with herself.

She won a tennis tournament with her doubles partner, Kev, and is driving him back to his yacht when the yacht explodes. Lightning is deemed the cause - but Mrs. Plansky didn't see any lightning. Shortly after Kev goes missing, and Mrs. Plansky starts to suspect something untoward is going on. When her father reveals he introduced Kev to Mrs. Plansky's son, Jack, and then Jack appears to be missing too, the race is on for Loretta Plansky to solve the situation.

I love her character, this lady 'of a certain age' who is feisty and inquisitive and basically pokes her nose in where it isn't wanted. There are all sorts of silly events, from her meeting a reporter and pilot, to suspected treasure, a plane crash and her encounters with a police detective who doesn't believe a word she has said. She has the ability to get herself out of all sorts of situations.

The plot is a little choppy in parts, and as an audiobook it was a little hard to follow in a few places when the changes in plot line were a little abrupt. However, the narrator did a nice job with the story - especially the voices of Mrs. Plansky, her father Chandler and the police detectives.

All in all a fun read, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Mrs. Plansky, a widow in her early seventies, is back for another adventure. This is book two in the series, though it can easily be read as a standalone. Her 98 year-old dad, who is not very likable, lives with her. She gets drawn into a drama when her tennis partner’s boat explodes and he goes missing, as does her son.

If you’ve read the delightful Chet and Bernie series by this author, you will recognize the tone and thought patterns of Mrs. Plansky. But what is so charming about Chet the dog is a bit irritating for a grown woman. Much of the plot hinges on coincidence. But Mrs. Plansky is resourceful while still facing the limitations of her age, and kudos to the author for choosing an elderly woman as the main character.

This is an okay story that I liked but not enough to continue reading the series.

Not family friendly due to profanity.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mrs Plansky Goes Rogue by Spencer Quinn
Narrator Petra Burchard
I really loved the first book in this series and this one was good too but, frankly I’m a little worried about Mrs. Plansky. Mostly she was very sharp but the mind wandering episodes were kind of problematic. Especially in the middle of events that really required concentration. Also she really needs to find out what that little yellow pill is for. And I advise not to get too complacent about Fairbanks.
Otherwise, the action was great and she showed up that annoying detective, which I liked.
Narration was very good by this voice actor as usual.

Review of Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue by Spencer Quinn, narrated by Petrea Burchard

Mrs. Plansky is back and better than ever in this charming and clever follow-up mystery that’s as heartwarming as it is suspenseful. I absolutely loved her—she’s quirky, lovable, unexpectedly tough, and brings a refreshing dose of humor and humanity to the crime-solving game. The plot was intriguing and well-paced, but it was the light, witty tone and Mrs. Plansky’s no-nonsense determination that truly made this story shine.

The narration by Petrea Burchard was a great match—warm, clear, and perfectly in sync with the story’s personality. I had fun from start to finish and can’t wait to see what’s next in this delightfully offbeat series. A perfect listen for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries with a smart, spunky twist.

I enjoyed this audiobook, especially the narration. Overall, it was a good book, it was well written and entertaining. It was interesting that the author had a grasp on multi-age/generations. It was a bit confusing at times, the focus on Mrs. Plansky's decline due to age, at times I thought maybe someone was doing something to make her feel "off", but this may have been because I haven't read the first book and didn't have a better understanding of her age until later in the book when "71" was specifically mentioned. This made other parts of the story line more impressive as her father not only is still around, but also getting married. (haha) Overall, its a good listen, I was entertained and at times laughed, which is always fun in a story. I didn't pay attention to the categorization of this one, but I would classify it as fiction with a bit of mystery.

Mrs. Plansky was absolutely delightful! The quintessential nosey lady of a certain age. She was a real hoot!

Let me start by saying I ended up really enjoying this novel and particularly the well-narrated audio version even though I immediately was ambivalent that it began with a doubles tennis tournament between two competitive country clubs. Stick with it for a story of an athletic 71 year old woman, Loretta Plansky who has a curious mind and a lot of ideas about never thinking in a negative, things are too hard to try way that is fun. Thrown into the mix for some humor is that she is stuck caring for her father who was too much of a lothario at his assisted living place. While Mrs. Plansky certainly has flaws, she is a fully formed grownup who has regrets and takes risks, but it is hard to call her so flawed that she needs to develop a lot more. I'd say that would be true of her father....

This is adventurous because virtually the first think that happens is that when she drives her doubles partner Kev home in the rain after they play in the tournament, his yacht blows up. And then Kev disappears and his phone keeps ringing to voicemail. Mrs. Plansky has no claim over him, but there have been a few dinners together and something happened after the boat blew up. Little by little, she becomes a 71 year old Nancy Drew, taking more and more risks to scratch an itch about Kev's being missing, It's never clear in the story if she is right and her concern is based on some tenuous guesses. But she is a good guesser.

I like authentic stories about people my age and while this involves some folks of privilege, they are not only concerned about money and stuff at all. It was well-plotted and fun to read.

Mrs. Plansky is witty, sharp on her feet, and funny!

I feel like I got lost in the plot. I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop or the big reveal. I felt around 30 percent in, and I started to get bored. I enjoy Mrs. Plansky's character and her daughter. But her father was more than I could handle.

TROPES / THEMES:
• Cozy mystery
• Grandma sleuth
• Family drama
• Disappearing friend/acquaintance?


Note: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you, NetGalley, for the Opportunity to listen to this audiobook!!

If you're a fan of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, this could be the read for you. Mrs. Plansky is a delight with a dash of cleverness and stubbornness. Would have appreciated the pace of the story more if it didn't feel so choppy. It was hard to pick up if there were any common threads or a real point to the different storylines, and I couldn't quite read which characters were lovable (besides our obvious main character). All in all, without reading the first book, I still enjoyed this one - a solid standalone novel!

I received an ALC of Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue in exchange for my honest review.

First off, I loved the first book in this series. I thought it was funny, well written, and dynamic. Mrs. Plansky is a great character and any book that has a FMC that is “out of the norm” automatically scores extra points for me.

This book was also good. I, again, thought Mrs. Plansky was funny and dynamic, but the rest of the book was a little lackluster in my opinion.

The plot felt a little disconnected at times and I was slightly confused about what was going on in the first half of the book. I thought maybe that was intentional at first, but when I got closer to the end, It felt like it wasn’t. It did not hold my interest as much as the first book did.

I am still going to read any other books in this series, even if it’s just to find out what Mrs. Plansky gets up to.

I did love the narrator and felt she fit perfectly to the character!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Narrators and publishers for allowing me to read and review!

Hmmm...not for me. The narrator did a great job bringing these characters to life...however that life is so boring! I couldn't get into to this.
Tha nk you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I listened to this book and thought the narration was fine. I wasn't a huge fan of the story itself. It is a mystery that I just never was able to get into. I kept starting over thinking that I was missing something. I didn't realize until I was done listening that this was the second book in a series. I think if I had read the first book I might have liked this one more.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC.

I didn't realize this is the second in a series but I'm naturally prejudiced here because I love Quinn's Bernie and Chet books so much (told from the point of view of the dog and absolutely hilarious). This series has an unusual protagonist too -- Mrs Plansky is in her 70s and her dad is a character here too.
I didn't get that interested in the mystery, honestly, but I found Mrs Plansky fascinating. She plays tennis and keeps her eyes open and follows up when she's curious. She's not great at technology but doesn't mind trying things and learning enough to be useful. I'm definitely interested enough to track down the first book and look forward to the next one. Thanks to NetGalley I listened to the audiobook, which was well done and entertaining.

I was a big fan of the first book in this series, so I was delighted to get to preview the audio version of this installment. I thought the narrator did a great job. It was easy to distinguish between the characters, and I enjoyed listening to her. Although I still very much like the relatable character of Mrs. Plansky in this book, I didn't really get invested in the mystery, not caring about the missing person and not seeing why Mrs. Plansky pursued his disappearance. The subplot with her unlikeable father didn't add to the book. 3.5 stars rounded up.

received an audiobook arc from Netgalley. I struggled with this book with the narration and I couldn't like any of the characters. the main issue is that the book was in third person but it's in Mrs. Plansky pov so you hear a lot of Mrs. Planksy did this or that or you hear her thoughts in third person. it got super annoying. the book should have been in first person especially since you only see her pov. the side plot with her dad was so bad too bc he was just a terrible person but they excuse it bc he's old. if I just focus on my mystery, I felt she was a terrible amateur sleuth. I wasn't hooked enough so I struggled throughout the whole book.

One of the hallmarks of becoming an adult is purchasing your first matress, and something you are not prepared to do. Frankly it is a very high anxiety decision because you are stuck with that matress for the next 10 years (I believe that is the life of a matress. Some of the key components of picking out your matress is the "Cozy" level of it. It can't be too firm or too soft. So you walk around the store mindlessly comparing the options and you just walk out a headcase and totally NOT confident in your purchase. Wait, isn't this a book review?
Why yes it is, so what I am trying to say is this book I was not sure of the cozy level it was trying to be and the actual level of cozy it achieved....Basically I was as confident as a 22 year old walking out of the Matress firm on labor day weekend.

Mrs Plansky did not work for me. I could not connect with her, and I absolutely cringed at her dad. I hate when authors write older people crotchty to the extreme and use phrases like, "Keep up why don't ya..." Basically we are suppose to find his "short hand" notes adorable and we are idios for not knowing how to read it....? He was also crude and felt so forced. The plot line was incredibly jumbled and choppy. It honestly felt like a goofy old man wrote this book...sorry.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book. I was not paid or influenced in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet cozy mystery with a relatable septuagenarian FMC.
The book is a fun adventure as Mrs. Plansky tries to solve the mystery of her missing tennis partner. Her 98 year old dad lives with her and drives her crazy, adding a bit of humor to the story.

I, unfortunately did not read the first book in this series and if I had my rating would probably be higher. All in all an enjoyable listen with very good narration.