Book Review: "Too Old for This" by Samantha Downing

The rumors you may have heard are true: Samantha Downing has written another fantastic book. Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy!

“Some people probably think my method is crazy. I think it’s crazy there aren’t more people more like me.”

Lottie lives a quiet life in her small town. It’s mostly bingo at the church on Thursdays (her friends always judge what she brings for potluck and what she wears) and then Sunday services. Her adult son Archie is getting married again, and his much-younger bride wants Lottie’s approval.

Her peace and quiet is shattered with the arrival of Plum Dixon on her doorstep. You see, Plum, who is an investigative journalist, is researching for a docuseries about unsolved crimes. And she thinks Lottie would be a great subject, because years ago, in another town, under another name, Lottie was the prime suspect in a number of murders, but then she disappeared.

Of course, the last thing Lottie wants is for her past to be stirred up. So she has no choice than to, umm, redirect Plum. But for 75-year-old Lottie, disposing of evidence is a lot harder than when she was younger. And then someone comes along looking for Plum…

I’ve been a fan of Downing’s thrillers since her very first. But Lottie is a fantastically memorable character, and this book is deliciously twisty. It’s fun and a little gruesome.