Agnes Sharp and her friends are hilarious, quirky, and, at-times, out right ridiculous. But never have I been more invested in an elderly mystery case! All the past interconnected histories and the introduction of the chocolate-loving grandson kept me returning to this book eager to hear what was next.

I did listen to this as an audiobook which I think helped keep the pace up when other reviewers claim it had stalled. Moira Quirk, the narrator, was fantastic and made it very easy to follow the story and plot. Each scene visualized so specifically in my head so kudos to an excellent narrator and fantastic writing.

The twist and turns led us to an end that I earlier thought about but forgotten along the way - my favorite kind of mystery. And I would definitely pick up anything else in the future with Agnes and her rag-tag team of detectives.

“Getting old isn’t for the faint of heart,” the American movie star Mae West once said, and the residents of a senior citizens’ home share in the quaint English village of Duck End can attest to it. In addition to the common ailments of old age, they face an unexplained murder at a next-door house and another body in their own place. Albeit slowly (mobility issues), they spring into action.

Agnes, Edwina, Bernadette, Charlie, Marshall, and Winston have all seen their share of action in life. Some used to work for the police or military and are not strangers to using a gun. Some - like Edwina - are more spiritual, do yoga, and feel a deep connection to a pet tortoise, but they can be remarkably effective when needed. They don’t want to “age gracefully” and decide that maintaining their independence is the most essential thing in their lives. It is terrifying to think they might change so much as not to be themselves anymore.

I enjoyed listening to this cozy mystery much more than I expected. It was humorous and serious and didn’t try to sugarcoat the many problems of old age. Still, those problems were shown just as obstacles to deal with and overcome with the help of friends. The quirky characters of the house are depicted with warmth and a sense of humor, and their dignity and friendship shine throughout the plot. The plot is also good, full of exciting turns and twists. I adored the pet tortoise Hettie and a frisky wolfhound Brexit.

“The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp” is another example of the trend of cozy mysteries with seniors as main characters – “Thursday Murder Club” or “Killers of Certain Age,” just to mention a few, and a great addition to this newer genre, combining fun and seriousness into a tasty treat for cozy mystery lovers.

Interesting, quirky characters with tons of development but this story moved way too slowly for me. It didn’t hold my interest and I found my mind wandering too much to give this one a fair chance. There’s also so many characters and they’re all clichés for what seniors should be. I may try again in the future but for now, this was a DNF for me.

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp
By Leonie Swan
Narrated by Moira Quirk
Translated from German
Audiobook
Review: Four and a half stars

I have a soft spot for murder mysteries and a separate soft spot for books where the main characters are elderly. This book hits both of those spots for me. The premise alone, a ‘house-share for seniors who solve a murder and cover one up’’ immediately had me requesting this title.

Right away you are drawn in with a bit of a shock murder and with all the main characters in their sunset years the opportunity for humor is always present. Edwina especially had me giggling with her antics. The themes of old age, and aging with independence and dignity as well as all the little things that start to happen when you age are used in a way that aids the story and allows the reader to connect with each character and I thought it was done very well. When we finally had the murderess revealed it was shocking and added a thriller element to the story which balances out the humor with some darkness which I really liked.

I would have liked a little more of an introduction to the characters and their backgrounds at the start of the book as I feel like we didn’t get a lot of information about some of the characters. However, I did enjoy how Agnes’s past was slowly provided throughout the book through her failing memory.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would describe it as a cozy and humorous mystery. I would also wholeheartedly recommend this read.


Plus there are POVs from Hetty the tortoise and there’s a dog called Brexit which is just hilarious!

For those who enjoyed Thursday Murder Club, Killers of a Certain Age, The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, and The Marlow Murder Club.

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media, and Recorded Books.

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann
Narrator, Moira Quirk
I invested up to 25% on this book but I have to DNF. Just not interested. Maybe I should have paid attention to my misgivings when I realized this was the author of Three Bags Full, sheep detectives are not for me. I like Moira Quirk so narration was fine but the story just did not do it for me.

This is a good cozy mystery (if a bit on the dark side) with senior citizens solving the crime. I liked the writing overall. There were three things that I would've liked changed to make it even better. First, I would've liked to have some more background of the main characters up front. There is some background provided during the story, but I think a bit more for each of them up front would've made them more well-rounded and relatable. Second, I think the author should've used Hettie the tortoise more. The beginning was a great start with her, but she was only a background character for most of the rest of the book. And third, I would've changed the name of the tortoise. Since she had a human name, I kept thinking this was one of the senior citizen detectives. This is a perfectly reasonable name that a senior citizen would've used, it just kind of threw me off when I heard it.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED it. It started off with a bang with a turtle POV and never let up. The characters--each of them perfectly drawn--were both quirky and endearing, the plot was intricate, twisty, and rather inspired, and the humanity of the story was compellingly poignant. I will delightedly return to Sunset Hall for another visit! Save the Animals!!
(The audiobook narrator was excellent.)

This book was so quirky, I loved it! This novel is about a group of elderly who live together and are involved in a murder mystery. When a murder happens within their community, the team is on the case to solve the murder while keeping their dark secret from being revealed. This was a super quick listen, and Moira Quirk was a great narrator.

I was intrigued by the blurb and thought this would be a darkly funny and easy listen. It was much slower paced than I expected though, and I really struggled to connect with the characters. This one wasn't a good fit for me...

Ever since I found the Thursday Murder Club series, I have been on the hunt for more senior detective books/ cozy mysteries featuring senior sleuths, and was hopeful with this one. It certainly was filled with funny quirky characters which is what I look for in this genre. I am less concerned about the actual mystery itself and more interested in the quirky witty characters. Our main character Agnes Sharp was just that and I found it laugh out loud funny at times.

This book is about our MC, Agnes Sharp and her group of friends trying to solve a murder so that they can pin their own problem on the murderer. Agnes Sharp and her friends are equal parts funny and loveable.

The narrator (Monica Quirk) was also really terrific and added to my enjoyment of this audiobook. I hope to see more from this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this audiobook. Perfectly named and enjoyable to listen. The characters (humans and animals) were funny and entertaining.
Agnes is quite amusing.
The narrator did a great job.

It almost seems like "quirky old people solving a mystery" is becoming its own genre. I have certainly read some very funny, very engaging books in that niche. This one definitely qualifies. Recommended.


Review copy provided by publisher.

Wow!! This was fantastic!!

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann read like a cozy mystery with a dark secret and I absolutely loved it! From the senior sleuthing to the tortoise pov, this was a wild ride!

We follow Agnes Sharp and the residents of Sunset Hall as they decide what to eat for supper, try to piece together the mystery of the dead bodies that have inconveniently popping up around town (and in their back yard!), avoid police suspicion and care for the house tortoise. Packed full of hilariously chaotic energy, tons of sleuthing, quirky characters, mystery (with a bit of mayhem), a sprinkle of seriousness, found family and heartfelt emotion - The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp was a amazing read!

🎧: Moira Quirk did a phenomenal job bringing the story to life! 10/10 recommend the audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced copy.

A quirky group of seniors attempts to solve one murder while covering up another—with the help of an enterprising tortoise—in this twisty, darkly funny mystery from the author of Three Bags Full.

This was a quick, witty, and enjoyable read. If you’re a fan of The Thursday Murder Club or the Unexpected Mrs. Polifax, you will love Agnes and her friends as they navigate this cozy mystery.

Loved it! 5 stars!

I picked up this book because the blurb reminded me of Thursday Murder Club, which I love. I think that this one has a different approach to murder solving and living at an old age, probably going more deeply into the psychology/mind/memories of the main character (Agnes), which was extremely interesting. Also, I was really surprised when we as readers are informed on who did the crimes. I honestly had no anticipated the resolution to be like that.
The narration of the audiobook was spot on.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Agnes Sharp is well named! A hilarious geriatric retired cop, she lives with 5 other extremely quirky seniors and one dog and one turtle in a large victorian. The seniors hold tight to their mobility and independence and support each other.

When one of the inhabitants of the household is discovered murdered, the group attempts to hide the evidence. Curiously, a nearby neighbor is also murdered and the police visit the home to warn the seniors. Agnes does her best to keep the group on track and remind them of the basics as they attempt to solve the murder.

Truly great fun, so enjoyable, witty and sharp. If you like a unique detective story, The Sunset Years Of Agnes Sharp is for you!
#thesunsetyearsofagnessharp #leonieswann #moiraquirk #recordedbooks #Rbmedia