A delightful game of cat and mouse! Lottie is living a comfortable life when trouble comes knocking (literally). Lottie may be retired serial killer, but she still has a few tricks up her sleeve. Her exasperation with her aging mind and body will leave you chuckling as she outwits a whole cast of characters.

I loved this light-hearted page turner story of an adorable and wicked woman “of a certain age” who is doing things beyond expectations. Unexpectedly it is a tale, told in the first person, of a semi-retired serial killer in a cozy thriller. Killing occurs but no graphic violence.

Samantha Downing has done the improbable, turned a serial killer into a lovable, very intelligent curmudgeon with plenty of spunk. Years ago, Lottie Jones has fled notoriety in Spokane with her young son, changed her identity, and purchased a home with money from a lawsuit for “false” accusations. She has a quiet life when a very perky, aspiring true-crime documentarian pushes into her home to bring back her past. When it becomes apparent that the young woman means to do the documentary over Lottie’s objections, elimination seems the only solution.

The sudden killing of a young woman in Lottie’s kitchen leads to a cascade of cover-up acts as a web of deceit predictably grows more complicated. Along the way we gain insight into the mind of a mother who loves her grandchildren and son in spite of his poor choices in women. Downing has captured the views and concerns of an older person humorously as Lottie’s plans are upset by family and well-intentioned friends. We can’t help but love the character and pull for her to get away with her awful and rather clever acts.

Don’t try this at home. As a scientist I can tell you that you would not get away with murder using Lottie’s clever methods but this is a very fun story if you suspend your disbelief just a little.

How does a serial killer stop killing and live a quiet life? Oh wait, that's impossible because there is always one more that must be taken care of or something bad will happen. Lottie Jones is a character you know you should dislike, but her reasoning for her decisions makes sense in a way and you might start seeing life through her eyes and sympathizing for her. Their are some hard sections to read, but skimming those to get to Lottie's life and thoughts is not a problem in following the story.

I am not sure what it says about myself that I loved and was rooting for a serial killer. But Lottie Jones at age 75 just wants to be able to enjoy church bingo with her friends and forget her past, which so far she has hidden well. When a journalist threatens to reveal her true name and her past she has no choice but to return to her old ways of solving problems (think Dexter ) but instead of easily taking care of just one person things soon escalate. I enjoyed every word of this story about an elderly, supposedly retired, serial killer who tries to figure out how to get away with murder despite her age, her frailty, and her inexperience with modern technology.

✨Book Review✨

Too Old For This - Samantha Downing

📖 Lottie Jones was living a quiet life as a retired serial killer until she has an unexpected visitor. To protect her secrets and her new life Lottie is left with only one option, to come out of retirement to eliminate the problem. Getting away with murder is tough enough when you’re young, but when she gets another knock on her door she realizes that this crime might be the death of her.


📚 Lottie was a devious, lovable old lady, with a colorful past and lots of knowledge that she used to her advantage. I’ve read about plenty of serial killers, but reading about the challenges of aging while unaliving people was a new twist that I enjoyed. Lottie was also able to use her age to her advantage, which was fun to experience. This storyline was fun to follow and had me on the edge of my seat. The chapters were short but ended on great cliffhangers that kept me turning page after page. I, for one, will not be underestimating old people ever again.

🌟 You know it’s a 5 star book if you neglect all responsibilities and binge it! Samantha Downing is back and she will have you ensnared in these pages. Preorder this immediately.

Shoutout to @smariedowning @berkleypub and @NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! Thank you!

#BookReview #Bookish #Booksta #BookRecommendation

Stars: 5

Thank you to @netgalley, @berkleypub and @smariedowning for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review!

This book had me going THROUGH it. Chile, Miss Lottie is a WHOLE mess. Initially, I felt badly for her...I mean all Lottie wanted to do was live her best life in PEACE, and here comes Plum trying to get in her business. Why did Plum poke the sleeping bear? You shouldn’t have done that Plum.

Miss Lottie is a serial killer, and because serial means “repeatedly,” she can’t stop at just one murder! Lottie is trying to make it seem like she’s hesitant to come out of retirement, and the only reason she’s murdering again is because there are potential snitches still out there. Lottie is trying to stay out of jail by any means necessary. Besides, jail is not the place for a feeble 75-year-old woman, right?

Lottie understood the assumptions people have regarding the elderly and used them to her advantage! There’s no way this cookie-baking, tea-sipping, faithful church-going lady, can be a full-blown murderer!

The ending left me with more questions! Ms. Downing, we need a sequel because I have questions that require answers! Did Lottie change her ways, or is she still thirsty for blood 🤔

Check this book out if you are looking for a twisty thriller featuring an unlikely villian! Official release date is August 12, 2025.

| Thank you #partner @berkleypub & author @samanthadowning for the free e-access! |

The title of this book is my (current) life’s motto or theme, lol! 👵

📖 (𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥):
𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙣𝙨 • 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 • 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 • 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 • 𝙘𝙖𝙩 & 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 • 𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞-𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤 • 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖 & 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 • 𝙖𝙣𝙭𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 • 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧-𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙠𝙞!!𝙚𝙧 • 𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 • 𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 •

❤️:
Books like this one make my heart happy & go thump thump! I can’t stress enough how good this was.

You can’t help but feel some “adoration” for FMC Lottie Jones.
She’s a grandmother, a church goer, she minds her own business, and she’s a retired serial ki!!er.

🔨:
Is there something wrong with me because I wanted her to get away with her crimes? Not that I wanted her to hurt anyone, but Lottie’s cover-up game was strong, and I kept hoping she didn’t forget any details. 👀

If only people from her past could have left things alone, maybe she wouldn’t have had to come out of retirement, right?

I found Too Old for This engaging from the very beginning, and, at times, a propulsive read.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙙:
-𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴
-𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘵 & 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦
-𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥
-𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦
-𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨
-𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.

📝:
You will want to ✔️ add to TBR, trust me. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦-𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥.

I picked this one up and could not put it down!
Lottie Jones is not your average sweet old lady…unless your definition of sweet includes sharp wit, a dark past, and maybe a few bodies buried along the way. 🫣 Lottie’s quiet retirement of church bingo nights takes a deadly turn when Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep. She’s filming a docuseries and wants her to tell her side of the story….Aaaand she’s doing it with or without her. Now, Lottie is forced out of retirement.
Samantha Downing delivers with this one…sharp, wickedly fun, and dripping with suspense. The mix of dark humor, tension, and twists made this a wild, unforgettable ride.

👵🏻𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦👵🏻
𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝟷𝟸, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜.𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 ★★★★✮(ʳᵒᵘⁿᵈⁱⁿᵍ ᵘᵖ ᵗᵒ ⁵ ᶠᵒʳ ᴳᴿ)

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...a retired serial killer quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor…

🔨𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...Lottie may be my fav antihero character I have read in a while!! 🙌She attends bingo at church, potluck nights with her senior friends, but she had a bad habit of killing people too. Whoops. 😬 She wants to continue this quiet life she lives now, but something has interrupted that…also, killing people with all the technology 🎥& an aging body 🩼isn’t quite as simple anymore. 🫣🫤 You will {oddly} be rooting for this tea 🫖 & cookie 🍪 serving serial killer. The dark humor MAKES this book & I absolutely devoured it! 🤩

Is she really that smart?
This mystery author has a great idea, create a female age approximately 70 yrs old who has been a serial killer for the past 40 years. What has been her motivation, how has she evaded being arrested when some very capable people have investigated her, and what has she had to endure in her life that drives her. This is who Lorena Mae Lansdale, our main character, alias Lottie Jones, septuagenarian.is about. Although a quick read, I found the book somewhat lacking in energy and pace. As a recently minted 75-year-old. who is very active feeling in great shape this book (believe it or not) made me think about getting older in a negative way, possibly tainting how I feel about the book.

Thanks to the publisher, Berkley, and book browse for providing this ARC in return for an honest review..

A retired grandma serial killer? Sign me up! Grandma Lottie comes out of retirement, so to speak, when someone shows up on her doorstep trying to make a documentary about her. It’s crazy, yes, but it also hilights the aging process quite well. Lots of fun.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read this ARC. I found this read super enjoyable. What an interesting and funny concept for a story. I liked all the characters and the story moved along with such a pace that I didn't get bored, which is a problem for me recently. Highly recommend this book if you like psychological suspense type books. You're sure to laugh at points.

I really enjoyed this novel; the characters felt real, and the well-paced plot kept me engaged from start to finish.

Murder is Hard Work
I didn't expect to have so much in common with a serial killer. We both are mature women who like to problem solve. We both enjoy church activities. We both are experiencing the invisibility that comes with aging. We are both handy with tools. I found this novel to be delightfully original. I am not obsessed with true crime podcasts or books, but I do enjoy the occasional well written mystery and this fits the bill. Lottie is so matter of fact as she goes about her killings, always justified of course, that it does not become gruesome.
This novel held my interest from beginning to end. I will be recommending Too Old For This it to all my reading friends. I look forward to reading more novels by this author.

What an amazing book, I was hooked from the first page. A fascinating villain you just have to adore. Great writing, fun, exciting, can't wait for it to be published and available to all my reading friends. Thanks to netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Definitely a highlight in 2025.

Lottie isn’t your typical 75yr old. Lottie used to be Lorena, a woman accused of multiple murders in the 80s, she got off, but was she actually innocent? People start showing up at Lottie’s doorstep wanting to talk about her past, and things start to get too messy for Lottie to keep track of. This book made me rethink my chamomile and earl grey teas.

What an entertaining serial killer thriller! I was hooked from the start and found myself rooting for Lottie, despite her obvious guilt. This novel was an engaging pageturner and even when you saw the twists coming, they were still thrilling. I enjoyed it right to its very satisfying end. This was a case of cheering for the one you shouldn’t and not for those you should. That’s not an easy task and Samantha Downing did it with ease. I look forward to reading more from this author.

HOOKED. From start to finish! I think I picked up about 6 books and could not get into any of them, but I read the first chapter of this one and had to KNOW what was going to happen. Also, why was I rooting for the serial killer? 😂

This was so good! I think there should be more books about 75 year old women serial killers, I would read every single one - especially if they were written by @smariedowning this book was addictive, shocking and will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review. PUB DATE: 8/12

This story has such a unique premise and I was here for every absurd and relatable moment of it. Downing has crafted a cleverly killer thriller. (Say that 5 times fast.) Lottie is so excellently written, you'll almost forget what she has done. We love our morally grey characters and Lottie is no exception. Though this might be the first one who plays bingo and brings spinach dip to the potluck....

This story is a wild ride that is full of sass and dark humor. Is it a life altering book? No. But you will have one heck of a time reading about the escapades of a 75 year old serial killer. And who knows, maybe you'll find it as oddly delightful as I did.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the early copy!

This book is a phenomenally fun ride!

Lottie is an alluring, whip-smart, resourceful, and incredibly self-aware main character who just cannot help herself sometimes. The self-awareness keeps her human, it keeps her cogent, and it holds in check certain other traits that could be really frustrating for the reader. A lot of fiction written from the killer's POV falls into this trap of a character who's either outrageously and pointlessly sadistic (seemingly just for the thrill of it) or someone who's lost all of their human qualities to this cold, calculating, robotic demeanor. I understand both are derived from stereotypes that have roots in real true crime, but their use in fiction has gotten sort of exhausting. It's hard to nail that, and to make it realistic. Because these are still human killers of other humans, they are still *people*, and that is why they and their hard-to-pin-down strangeness make the average Joe so squirmy. If they're good at hiding, most people won't notice their depravity.

This book was an ultra-huge gust of fresh air, in that sense. Lottie was so well-written, I didn't realize how passionate I am about that until we get this thought from her later in the book: "How can I not smile at that." It made my toes curl a little, and it reminded me who's perspective I was reading. She'd lulled me into forgetting who she was even though I was there, with her, for everything, and even in this relatively non-violent moment, she's still... herself.

The plot wasn't as exemplar as the character writing, but I think that's just because it ultimately didn't matter as much. Lottie WAS the plot. The whole narrative is wrapped & twisted up around her. The other characters really sort of fade away. Which I do think may have been intentional, as I think she's supposed to possess a certain magnetism.

Read this if you like thrillers!