Lottie Jones is a senior citizen with a secret: she is a serial killer. Living a decidedly average life in an Oregon suburb, Lottie fills her time with church and normalcy, but beneath the surface she is hiding a different identity and a trove of murders.

When a young woman comes by her home trying to convince Lottie to participate in a docuseries about wrongly accused criminals that will focus on her, Lottie jumps into action: she murders the filmmaker. What follows is an entertaining game of cat and mouse with a couple of detectives and many more in Lottie’s life.

I loved the plot of this book and author Samantha Dixon really delivered in this story. Lottie is a complex, often humorous character, well crafted and executed. I enjoyed the plot and the many twists of the story, so I am rating this one 4.25 stars. You will want to grab this one when it drops on August 12.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

All the stars for this gem!!

This was such a fun thriller!! Is it super realistic? No not really. But it starts and stays that way, which for me makes it ok. I absolutely love the way Downing wrote Lottie. Ok fine, so she’s a retired serial killer and not exactly role model material. But man was she fun to hang out with in this book!

The action starts in the first chapter, and after a million slow burn mysteries it was a welcome change. I couldn’t stop reading this because let me tell you it was a string of dominos falling and I couldn’t wait to see what crazy thing would happen next.

While a totally different story, this has similar vibes to For Your Own Good, my fav book by the author. Or I should say former fav bc my NEW fav is Too Old for This! It was dark humor at its best with a very high body count. Loved and absolutely recommend putting this on your summer TBR!

Thanks Berkley & NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I usually love Downing’s thrillers so this was obviously very anticipated and it did not disappoint! Following Lottie was so much FUN - we’re in the mind of a geriatric former serial killer who got away with it, and now a documentary team wants to make a show about her being ‘wrongfully accused’. It was a really interesting and well-paced story from a morally grey protagonist, comparing to Downing’s previous works it reminded me a lot of <i>For Your Own Good</i> which was my favorite of hers.

Wow Samantha Downing has done it again! I could not put this one down. Finished it in one day. Lottie is an elderly lady that lives in a small town and gets together with her friends at church. What her friends don’t know is Lottie is a retired serial killer. But a podcaster wants to interview Lottie as she was accused of being a serial killer but the charges were dropped. Lottie can’t have this so she goes back on a killing spree. Great book! I really enjoyed it!

Lottie is a 75 year old retired serial killer just going to church and minding her own business when Plum Dixon shows up at her door. Plum is creating a docuseries where she is intent on clearing Lottie's name, but Lottie changed her name and moved away and has no intentions of letting Plum make her show so she dusts off her umbrella and unretires from murder setting off a chain of events that leads to a hell of a body count and a lot of Advil for Lottie. I loved this book. Downing has a way of writing the most endearing serial killers, it's a real talent. If you were a fan of For Your Own Good you will absolutely love this one too.

You know a thriller is going to be good when the first chapter is so captivating it makes up the entire synopsis of the book! From there, readers better fasten those seatbelts, because Downing takes us on a wild ride with this one. I don’t think I’ve ever cheered so hard for a main character, who is essentially the villain of the story. I was gripped by Lottie and so invested in what was going to happen to her. I’ve never been so tempted to flip to the back of a book and read the final page in my life. But I stayed strong and the journey this one-of-a-kind character took me on was well worth every moment of suspense and tension. This was truly a thrilling read!

Who can resist an elderly female serial killer? Not me. A crafty novel that’s surprisingly affecting. But does it strain credulity? I should hope so.

this was such a fun read. From the first chapter I was hooked and did not want to put the book down. I cannot wait to have a physical copy of this book when it comes out.

I’m on the fence with this one. I think of Dame Judi Dench and the movie Red mixed with Killers of a Certain Age.

Geriatric serial killer Lottie Jones has a temper and the ability to hold a grudge far beyond its expiration date - but also the smarts to stay silent upon interrogation by the police. The latter saved her for years, even though she moved and changed her name to give her family peace.

Peace until a young woman shows up on her porch wanting to film a docuseries about falsely accused murderers and their stories…too many questions. Too little patience. And Lottie is off to the races on a murder spree to protect herself.


The concept was fun, execution was a bit off - especially thinking about this older lady moving bodies and doing all of this without detection. Far-fetched but entertaining.

Well, Samantha Downing has masterfully done it again! She didn’t just keep my eyes glued to the pages—she had my entire soul locked into this book, as if time had stopped and nothing else mattered except the story and its chilling anti-heroine. As my couch molded to my body from hours of reading and my arms ached from holding my e-reader (seriously, I should either get a smaller one or project the chapters onto my TV), I let myself be completely consumed by the sharp and dangerously brilliant mind of Lottie. And from the opening murder, a domino effect begins, dragging her into a spiraling sequence of unfortunate events.

Now, let’s talk about our main character—the anti-heroine we can all imagine being played by Helen Mirren (a younger version, of course, but let's be honest, even at 80, she's still our queen). Lottie, now in her seventies, was exonerated for murders she was accused of forty years ago—crimes that ruined her life, got her fired, made her an outcast, and led to her son being bullied. So, she changed her name, moved away, and started over. But was she actually guilty? Oh, absolutely. She’s a cold-blooded killer through and through. And yet, much like we did for Dexter or Eddie Redmayne’s Jackal, we find ourselves rooting for her—even though she’s not targeting the absolute worst of humanity or working as a paid assassin.

Now, she’s a seemingly harmless church member, living in a house funded by the city after her wrongful conviction (which, ironically, wasn’t wrongful at all). She enjoys a peaceful life while her son lives in California with his much younger, now-pregnant fiancée. Ideally, her biggest worries would be his questionable life choices or her upcoming hip surgery. But unfortunately, retirement isn’t in the cards, because a young, ambitious documentary filmmaker named Plum has just uncovered her past—and Lottie has no choice but to silence her. One murder should have been enough, but she vastly underestimates how quickly things can spiral out of control. And she certainly doesn’t expect an avalanche from her past to come crashing down, threatening to bury her beneath it. Will she survive? Fingers crossed. Because even at her age, her mind is sharper than the most expensive knife collection—and she’s more than ready to pick up a hammer for anyone unlucky enough to come knocking.

Overall Thoughts:
I absolutely loved the characterization and the unique spin on a serial killer protagonist. Lottie’s challenges with aging, her razor-sharp instincts, and her own twisted moral code make her fascinating to follow. My only wish? A deeper psychological dive into her past—more insight into what truly shaped her darkness. While her connection to her family plays a role, I wanted to understand even more about what drove her down this path. That aside, this book delivers an addictive cat-and-mouse game, a brilliant, darkly humorous tone (classic Downing!), and a satisfying ending.

I'm rounding up my 4.5 stars to 5, and I highly recommend you not only add this to your TBR but buy your copy and read it ASAP! And let's take a moment to appreciate that stunning cover and the twisted genius of Samantha Downing—she deserves all the applause.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a digital review copy of this unputdownable thriller in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A refreshing new plot from a must read author. Too Old For
this was a delightful read that makes you route for the serial killer. I really enjoyed this unique thriller and found it hard to put down.

If you have read books from this author before, you know the style - cheeky, funny, unique and light. This was exactly that and i enjoyed it as always. It’s both a mystery and a comedy, with characters you truly grow to love and hate without taking anything too seriously. If you’re looking for a knockout drag down thriller, this is not it, but it’s a great casual read for someone who wants something a bit different. Lottie is such a great main character, she’s quick and funny and while she’s not necessarily relatable, you somehow find yourself rooting for her. At 297 pages, this is the perfect length for any book. In my opinion. Great job Samantha Downing!

This book was so much fun in the darkest, most twisted way. Lottie Jones is not your typical retired lady. She’s a former serial killer who’s been living a quiet life, playing bingo, and minding her own business until a nosy journalist comes knocking, asking all the wrong questions. Samantha Downing is a master of dark humor, and Lottie is the kind of antihero you shouldn’t root for, but totally do. The story is fast paced, sharp, and filled with tension as Lottie tries to cover her tracks while also dealing with the fact that she’s not as spry as she used to be. It’s like Dexter meets Golden Girls, and I was completely hooked. If you love thrillers with a wicked sense of humor and a lead character who’s equal parts terrifying and hilarious, this one’s a must read!

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒆. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓? 𝑶𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍?

A mix of dark humor and absolutely sobering moments that reflect on the aging process, TOO OLD FOR THIS was everything I hoped for and so much more.

Lottie Jones became a serial killer quite by accident. But her crimes are far behind her, and the detective who thought he would apprehend her is a fading memory. Decades before, she moved with her young son, changed her name, and raised him in anonymity. The only attention she got came from the pointed stares and whispers about her son's lack of a father.

Today, Lottie fills her time attending church bingo, taking ibuprofen, and irritating the Mean Girl at church potluck by bringing spinach dip and store-bought party trays. She's also starting checking into retirement homes, planning for the inevitable time when she can no longer navigate her rambling home. But the quiet life she's made for herself is shattered when investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep announcing that she's filming a docuseries, and she wants Lottie to tell her story. Lottie is the epitome of a graceful elderly woman when she invites Plum inside, but she quickly turns into Dexter to rid herself of this nuisance.

Lottie has no idea that's she put into motion a chain of events that just may lead to her undoing after all this time. I so enjoyed Lottie's wry humor, her moments of exasperation (usually regarding her smart phone), and her peace with her mortality. Additionally, there were heartbreaking layers to this story that spoke of how invisible women feel when they reach a certain age, and how often, all their small gestures at being included are ignored.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this stunning early copy. This book is expected to release August 12, 2025.

It’s been a long time since Maddie worked, she’s retired now and her days as a serial killer are long behind her. She’s made a new life in a small town with her biggest excitement is her weekly bingo game. But then one day a reporter arrives in town, and she has more than an inkling what Maddie used to do . Will Maddie be forced to resume her old career to keep living her murder free future?