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Baby Boomer Mysteries #1
Retirement Can Be Murder: Every Wife Has a Story
Retirement Can Be Murder is the story of Carol Andrews and her Beloved Husband, Jim, members of the fastest growing demographic in history, the Baby Boomer generation.
Carol dreads Jim's upcoming retirement more than a root canal without Novocain. She can't imagine anything worse than having an at-home husband with time on his hands and nothing to fill it -- except interfering in the day-to-day activities of their household and driving her crazy.
Until her plans to stall Jim's retirement result in Jim's being suspected of murdering his retirement coach.
Carol dreads Jim's upcoming retirement more than a root canal without Novocain. She can't imagine anything worse than having an at-home husband with time on his hands and nothing to fill it -- except interfering in the day-to-day activities of their household and driving her crazy.
Until her plans to stall Jim's retirement result in Jim's being suspected of murdering his retirement coach.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2009
342 people are currently reading
822 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
January 18, 2016
Carol and Jim Andrews are members of the Baby Boomer generation are thus at an age when the timing of retirement is a viable decision to consider. One glaring consequence of retirement is that Jim will be spending more time around the house. Carol loves her husband, but him being in the house all day would be too much husband. So Carol decides to do something about the situation. She arranges (i.e manipulates) to have her husband seek the advice of a professional retirement coach.
Good plan, but the plan backfires when Jim ends up being a murder suspect after he finds the retirement coach slumped over in his chair dead. At this point Carol sets out to correct the problem she's created by becoming a clue collecting sleuth in order to solve the murder mystery.
The basic outline of the plot that I've described above is contained in the first pages of Chapter 1, thus it's no spoiler. The story to be revealed by the book is how Carol figures out the identity of the murderer. The novel contains all the needed ingredients of a good murder mystery, more than one suspect, multiple motives, and unexplained clues that point guilt toward Carol's husband. Things begin to look bad for Carol and Jim, but there's a satisfactory ending. (There's a sequel, a total of 5 books in the series.)
The writing is light hearted and infused with humor spread throughout the story. This approach is reinforced with humorous prologues at the beginning of each chapter on the subject of retirement. Some examples are noted below taken from the first three chapters:
Good plan, but the plan backfires when Jim ends up being a murder suspect after he finds the retirement coach slumped over in his chair dead. At this point Carol sets out to correct the problem she's created by becoming a clue collecting sleuth in order to solve the murder mystery.
The basic outline of the plot that I've described above is contained in the first pages of Chapter 1, thus it's no spoiler. The story to be revealed by the book is how Carol figures out the identity of the murderer. The novel contains all the needed ingredients of a good murder mystery, more than one suspect, multiple motives, and unexplained clues that point guilt toward Carol's husband. Things begin to look bad for Carol and Jim, but there's a satisfactory ending. (There's a sequel, a total of 5 books in the series.)
The writing is light hearted and infused with humor spread throughout the story. This approach is reinforced with humorous prologues at the beginning of each chapter on the subject of retirement. Some examples are noted below taken from the first three chapters:
The hardest years of a marriage are the ones following the wedding.As the mystery plot becomes unfolded by the narrative, it manages to insert some good advice regarding retirement issues. A positive description of retirement counselling services is provided by the book. Overall, the plot contains an interesting mixture of mystery, humor and advice. This book is clearly aimed at the baby boomer generation, and is a clever way to get readers who may be contemplating retirement to review their options.
Q: When is a retiree’s bedtime?
A: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.
Q: Why do little boys whine?
A: They’re practicing to be men.
August 18, 2020
At first, Carol aggravated me, and then I realized I'm just like her. Concerned about family, and ready to overreact at the suggestion of a problem. Laughs, twists, and turns with an inexperienced busy body. Unique characters, I really enjoyed it.
January 10, 2011
Finally a cozy mystery with a heroine who is middle-aged, married, and a mother. In "Retirement Can Be Murder" our heroine is Carol Andrews, whose husband Jim is contemplating retirement from his stressful New York PR job. Carol entices Jim to visit a trendy retirement counsellor, but no sooner has Jim met the man than the counsellor is found dead--apparently murdered. Because Jim is the last person to see the man, Jim falls under suspicion, and Carol undertakes her own investigation--aided by her three best friends--to clear his name. Along the way, the couple's adult daughter returns home to live, following a break-up with her boyfriend.
This book is quite unique among most cozies. Yes, the plot hums along at a nice pace and the characters are rich and well developed and the dialogue rings true. All of that is there, but what really makes this book special is the author's uncanny nack for finding humor in everyday situations. This is probably one of the funniest cozies I've ever read--and yet all of the humor flows naturally from the characters, the plot, and the dialogue. I'm especially entranced that the main characters are all senior (or almost senior) citizens. It reminds me a lot of that recent film "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin.
I certainly hope there will be more murders for Carol Andrewss to solve--after Jim actually retires.
This book is quite unique among most cozies. Yes, the plot hums along at a nice pace and the characters are rich and well developed and the dialogue rings true. All of that is there, but what really makes this book special is the author's uncanny nack for finding humor in everyday situations. This is probably one of the funniest cozies I've ever read--and yet all of the humor flows naturally from the characters, the plot, and the dialogue. I'm especially entranced that the main characters are all senior (or almost senior) citizens. It reminds me a lot of that recent film "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin.
I certainly hope there will be more murders for Carol Andrewss to solve--after Jim actually retires.
November 30, 2019
What fun - even though I guessed who the murderer was, I enjoyed how they were found out - and the motives and connections.
Having recently retired and having to live with my husband 24/7 (even though I love him to bits)- I understand how Carol felt when her hubby announced his retirement.
Happy to read the next one as they apparently decide to downsize and move to an over 50s resort - much as we have done - so much empathy with this series :D
Having recently retired and having to live with my husband 24/7 (even though I love him to bits)- I understand how Carol felt when her hubby announced his retirement.
Happy to read the next one as they apparently decide to downsize and move to an over 50s resort - much as we have done - so much empathy with this series :D
August 31, 2010
Not since first picking up one of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, have I ever laughed or enjoyed a book so much as Santangelo’s “Retirement can be Murder”.
Jim and Carol Andrews, a typical, baby-boomer, over sixty couple: him, controlling, quiet, unwilling to communicate, her, dutiful, sweet and knows when to shut up. The one thing Jim can’t control however is how Carol thinks—and she is funny!
Carol thinks she’s being smart, steering Jim toward speaking with the well-known retirement specialist when—for the umpteenth time—he swears he’s going to take an early retirement. Things get out of control very quickly when Jim is accused of murdering retirement guru Dr. Davis “Dick Retuccio” Rhodes.
Mark Anderson, a local police officer and old, family friend is unfortunate enough to be caught between his job and his loyalty to this family. He knows none of the information Carol learns just by nosing around a bit and asking “innocent” questions. She learns there is more than one possible suspect here and she’s out to find the real killer.
My favorite parts about this book are when Santangelo “speaks” to the reader. When you read her book, she’s sitting in your living room telling you about her life. And, she mentions the Berkshires—my home. I loved it! As an added bonus, you get a great, two ingredient recipe to boot!
Reviewed by: Terri Ann Armstrong, author of “Morning Menace” for Suspense Magazine
Jim and Carol Andrews, a typical, baby-boomer, over sixty couple: him, controlling, quiet, unwilling to communicate, her, dutiful, sweet and knows when to shut up. The one thing Jim can’t control however is how Carol thinks—and she is funny!
Carol thinks she’s being smart, steering Jim toward speaking with the well-known retirement specialist when—for the umpteenth time—he swears he’s going to take an early retirement. Things get out of control very quickly when Jim is accused of murdering retirement guru Dr. Davis “Dick Retuccio” Rhodes.
Mark Anderson, a local police officer and old, family friend is unfortunate enough to be caught between his job and his loyalty to this family. He knows none of the information Carol learns just by nosing around a bit and asking “innocent” questions. She learns there is more than one possible suspect here and she’s out to find the real killer.
My favorite parts about this book are when Santangelo “speaks” to the reader. When you read her book, she’s sitting in your living room telling you about her life. And, she mentions the Berkshires—my home. I loved it! As an added bonus, you get a great, two ingredient recipe to boot!
Reviewed by: Terri Ann Armstrong, author of “Morning Menace” for Suspense Magazine
August 17, 2019
This light-hearted, cozy mystery with a touch of humor would have been much better if Jim, the narrator’s husband, wasn’t such a grouch that I couldn’t grow much sympathy for him, and I didn’t like Carol much either. She’s more often scheming than loving and Jim rarely seems to do or say anything nice to her. I liked Carol’s self-deprecating humor and reluctant honesty, but got very tired of everybody using each other’s names every time they spoke to one another, and got really tired of waiting until the middle of the book before we even learned whether the dead man was murdered or died of natural causes. The police investigation was absurd, with young officers, apparently uniformed and driving patrol cars to Carol’s house, doing such an inept investigation that Carol has to supply them with most of the clues. Supplying at least two additional suspects added somewhat to the mystery, but I guessed early on who the real perpetrator was, as she was the only truly unpleasant person throughout. The paw-print illustrations are evidently supposed to be dog prints, but look more like bear prints. Frankly, the best part of this book was the humorous chapter headings.
March 21, 2011
After reading the other reviews I thought i would like this one, I love cozy's and am looking for characters i can relate to and lots of humor. I only got about halfway through this and gave up. The main character, Carol, is upset because her husband wants to retire. She has a group of friends that seem like characters that i would like, they come together to support one another. But to me Carol was whining and self absorbed. Her husband, Jim, was wimpy and kind of needy. This book just didn't
click with me. I was quite disappointed.
click with me. I was quite disappointed.
October 4, 2015
I could relate to this story as I have had friends who have worried about their spouse's retirement. This story is told by Carol who is a silly stay-at-home wife with two adult children and three very close friends. She talks often to her two dogs, Lucy and Ethel. Carol's plotting and outrageous fantasies are similar to those antics of Lucy Ricardo in "I Love Lucy." The author has funny questions and answers about retirement at the beginning of each of the 30 chapters, such as: Q: What's the first big shock of retirement? A: When you realize there are no days off.
May 5, 2010
This book caught my attention on page one with it's incredibly truthful chapter headings that had me roaring in laughter!
Susan Santangelo is a Goodreads author and on Facebook and is one terrific Author to boot.
It is about a wife's internal feelings about her hubby's upcoming retirement (with a murder mystery thrown in for a bonus!)
I liked the characters, the settings, the mystery was solid and the book flowed.
Please go out and discover this author!
Susan Santangelo is a Goodreads author and on Facebook and is one terrific Author to boot.
It is about a wife's internal feelings about her hubby's upcoming retirement (with a murder mystery thrown in for a bonus!)
I liked the characters, the settings, the mystery was solid and the book flowed.
Please go out and discover this author!
May 26, 2023
What will Carol Andrews do when her husband Jim retires and is home all day, every day? As she ponders (frets over) this question and how much her life is going to change, she comes across a retirement coach that just might help Jim decide how he's going to spend his retirement days. Jim's in advertising and when he meets the coach Jim decides he can help the coach with marketing. Things go out of control from here to the end of the story. Jim ends up in a lot of trouble.
Carol turns to her friends (don't we all). They support her and give guidance where they can. They try to solve the mystery and help Jim out of the mess he's in.
Very entertaining read. I was looking for more about how Carol and Jim navigated retirement waters but nothing happens with that in this book. This is first in a series - maybe more will happen in subsequent books.
Carol turns to her friends (don't we all). They support her and give guidance where they can. They try to solve the mystery and help Jim out of the mess he's in.
Very entertaining read. I was looking for more about how Carol and Jim navigated retirement waters but nothing happens with that in this book. This is first in a series - maybe more will happen in subsequent books.
November 27, 2017
Funny cozy read
Carol faces a daunting prospect, her husband is thinking of Retiring.!! They go to see a retirement counsellor, who is later murdered. Carol’s husband Jim becomes a suspect, and she tries to prove his innocence by solving the murder.
Quite funny in parts and entertaining, especially the end of chapter quotes which had me laughing every time. I didn’t enjoy the way Jim the husband treated and spoke to Carol, probably why she dreaded his retirement so much. I didn’t really engage with the character of Carol either. OK murder mystery. It was a light read with the funny entertaining bits keeping me going to the end.
Carol faces a daunting prospect, her husband is thinking of Retiring.!! They go to see a retirement counsellor, who is later murdered. Carol’s husband Jim becomes a suspect, and she tries to prove his innocence by solving the murder.
Quite funny in parts and entertaining, especially the end of chapter quotes which had me laughing every time. I didn’t enjoy the way Jim the husband treated and spoke to Carol, probably why she dreaded his retirement so much. I didn’t really engage with the character of Carol either. OK murder mystery. It was a light read with the funny entertaining bits keeping me going to the end.
February 22, 2018
A new author for me. I had high hopes for this series, but found the first installment to be just O.K. There were multiple editing errors (i.e. missing words) and a bit of unnecessary profanity. I thought that it would be much funnier, and at times I found the book repetitive. Plus it was obvious who the killer was, and yet the ending was drawn out. That said, I will still try the next in the series as I don't want to give up on it yet.
August 16, 2015
Don't bother
Sorry to say I did not like this book. Her 'beloved' was so pompous that I kept hoping he was the murderer after all, even though he was the obvious suspect. She should have kicked him to the curb. Don't waste your time on these snippy people. I won't be reading any other books in this series. Retirement has to be better than this!
Sorry to say I did not like this book. Her 'beloved' was so pompous that I kept hoping he was the murderer after all, even though he was the obvious suspect. She should have kicked him to the curb. Don't waste your time on these snippy people. I won't be reading any other books in this series. Retirement has to be better than this!
October 3, 2020
Humorous
The author definitely hits all the right buttons as she describes the horror with which Carol views the retirement of her husband. I know I had similar misgivings. Thank goodness my husband was not accused of murder. (Then again, neither was I.) A very humorous mystery with a little twist at the end.
The author definitely hits all the right buttons as she describes the horror with which Carol views the retirement of her husband. I know I had similar misgivings. Thank goodness my husband was not accused of murder. (Then again, neither was I.) A very humorous mystery with a little twist at the end.
April 27, 2016
I really can't stand the way Carol lets her husband, Jim, treat her. He yells at her, he belittles her opinions. Why does she call him "My Beloved"? I can't imagine any woman tolerating a marriage like hers.
May 12, 2017
Great and entertaining
I read this book after reading the second one in this series. I love her writing and her humor hits home in many ways. I look forward to reading each one in this series!
I read this book after reading the second one in this series. I love her writing and her humor hits home in many ways. I look forward to reading each one in this series!
September 23, 2020
Engaging Whodunit
Love the eccentric characters, the setting, and the storyline. Definitely didn't know who the guilty party was until the very end. I do however wish she had cleared up why the other two women guilty suspects got together at the end. Hmmmm.
Love the eccentric characters, the setting, and the storyline. Definitely didn't know who the guilty party was until the very end. I do however wish she had cleared up why the other two women guilty suspects got together at the end. Hmmmm.
August 8, 2012
Endless yacking, not much mystery, clumsy character development, slow paced, couldn't finish it. Yuck.
August 25, 2015
kind of stupid, didn't like the main characters at all
January 19, 2018
Cute
This was a cute story. It ended happily, which is always appreciated, well mostly always! It took me awhile to get through this book; it was good, but not compelling.
This was a cute story. It ended happily, which is always appreciated, well mostly always! It took me awhile to get through this book; it was good, but not compelling.
July 12, 2019
Good cozy mystery. Easy to relate to characters. Quick read.
May 18, 2023
This book was delightful. Carole's husband Jim is considering retirement. It gives Carole a migraine just thinking about having him home all day. She afraid of losing her freedom and the lifestyle she's carved out for herself. Carole suggests Jim see a retirement coach who happens to have his business close to their home. The plot thickens when Jim goes to the coach's home office and finds him dead. As with any good cozy mystery, Carole sets out to find what happened because she can accomplish this better than the police.
I enjoyed the book, but I wanted more about how Carole and Jim meshed their lives together when and if he retired. It's a situation I'll be facing sooner rather than later and I wondered how other people handled it, even if they're fictional.
This is the first of a series I'm not sure I'll continue reading the books. But the characters were believable and the action was constant. Just don't expect too many tips on what to do when your husband retires.
I enjoyed the book, but I wanted more about how Carole and Jim meshed their lives together when and if he retired. It's a situation I'll be facing sooner rather than later and I wondered how other people handled it, even if they're fictional.
This is the first of a series I'm not sure I'll continue reading the books. But the characters were believable and the action was constant. Just don't expect too many tips on what to do when your husband retires.
June 17, 2018
Retirement Can Be Murder
First book of the Every Wife Has A Story series, we are introduced to Carol Andrews and her supporting cast of characters: Jim (her husband), Jenny (her daughter), Nancy-Claire and Mary Alice (her 3 best friends since childhood) and then there's Lucy and Ethel (her very supportive dogs).
Carol has a problem with the thought of her husband retiring--he would be home and underfoot 24/7-365. In an effort to keep him employed, they go to a Re-tirement Coach who is soon murdered and whose body is found by Jim.
The plot was well developed, the characters were good and I'm looking forward to the next book
First book of the Every Wife Has A Story series, we are introduced to Carol Andrews and her supporting cast of characters: Jim (her husband), Jenny (her daughter), Nancy-Claire and Mary Alice (her 3 best friends since childhood) and then there's Lucy and Ethel (her very supportive dogs).
Carol has a problem with the thought of her husband retiring--he would be home and underfoot 24/7-365. In an effort to keep him employed, they go to a Re-tirement Coach who is soon murdered and whose body is found by Jim.
The plot was well developed, the characters were good and I'm looking forward to the next book
August 11, 2020
Chick Humor
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
A very amusing storyline that is geared toward a female audience... Being a male, it gives one some insight into the thought process of the fairer sex, which still leaves the other half of the population confused.
The murder mystery has many humorous quotes; "Q- WHAT'S THE DOWNSIDE OF DOING NOTHING? A- YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'RE DONE." ... "Q- WHAT'S ANOTHER DEFINITION OF RETIREMENT? A- TWICE AS MUCH HUSBAND ON HALF AS MUCH MONEY.". ..." WHETHER A MAN ENDS UP WITH A GOOSE EGG OR A NEST EGG WHEN HE RETIRES DEPENDS A LOT ON THE KIND OF CHICK THAT HE MARRIES". (Chick humor?)
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
A very amusing storyline that is geared toward a female audience... Being a male, it gives one some insight into the thought process of the fairer sex, which still leaves the other half of the population confused.
The murder mystery has many humorous quotes; "Q- WHAT'S THE DOWNSIDE OF DOING NOTHING? A- YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'RE DONE." ... "Q- WHAT'S ANOTHER DEFINITION OF RETIREMENT? A- TWICE AS MUCH HUSBAND ON HALF AS MUCH MONEY.". ..." WHETHER A MAN ENDS UP WITH A GOOSE EGG OR A NEST EGG WHEN HE RETIRES DEPENDS A LOT ON THE KIND OF CHICK THAT HE MARRIES". (Chick humor?)
April 7, 2022
As first I thought it was a strange book Carol seemed a nice enough person with a lovely set of friends to see and fill her time. Her husband Jim is an old fashioned misery and I too would be dreading him retiring. Her daughter has moved back home after a break up and they have two dogs life is good. I wasn't really taken by the whole murder part I liked the story of Carol and Jim. May read others in this series at a future time very lightness reading.
The character I would want to be in a movie of this book is Carol or her friend Mary Alice
The character I would want to be in a movie of this book is Carol or her friend Mary Alice
June 19, 2017
‘Retirement Can Be Murder’ is an nice little cozy mystery with an interesting plot and some good one liners. The characters are fun and interesting but the plot was a bit straightforward. While I didn’t know why the killer did it until the end I could tell who it was pretty early in the story. The writing is good an I’ll definitely move on in the series when I’m in the mood for a similar type book. If you like cozy mysteries this is story should be right up your alley.
August 8, 2022
Carol dreads her husband Jim's upcoming retirement more than a root canal without Novocain. She can't imagine anything worse than having an at-home husband with time on his hands and nothing to fill it -- except interfering in the day-to-day activities of their household and driving her crazy. Until her plans to stall Jim's retirement result in her husband being suspected of murdering his retirement advisor.
March 22, 2024
All about a wife that doesn't want her husband to retire! She gets him into trouble trying to ward of his decision to retire, a funny story that has a murder that she tries to solve! Loved reading this! I was almost 38 and my husband retired at 55 I loved having him home all the time, we started traveling more ourselves since our kids were all married, and met more new people on our travels that we became friends with!
March 5, 2019
Fun read -- with recipes. I retired about the time this series began and I can't believe I missed it. Carol has a great life and good friends. Although she calls her husband, My Beloved, I think they squabble a lot. (Not that I don't!) Can't wait to read the rest of the series. I love a new -- to me -- series.
May 15, 2023
Really interesting subject matter!! I like this author's imagination! I thought Carol was a little over the top sometimes she was hard to handle. I'm not real fond of Jim either. I appreciate all the research and hard work that went into outlining how to make the best of your retirement. There's really some great advice there!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews