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Gladdy Gold #3
Getting Old is Criminal
Gladdy Gold had reached a golden moment. There she was, soaking in a hot tub with a man she adored, far from Fort Lauderdale and her nosy neighbors…until an urgent message sent her running home. Now her exotic vacation is a memory, Gladdy’s would-be beau, Jack, is furious, and not only are the girls of the Gladdy Gold Detective Agency all alive and well—they’re onto a hot new murder case.
Is a retirement-home Romeo to blame for the mysterious deaths in Florida’s most luxurious communities? Gladdy and her curious kibitzers will have to go undercover to find out—covering themselves with as many fancy-schmancy airs as possible. But with Gladdy’s drama queen sister Evvie playing the role of a Palm Beach flirt, their fun and games turn deadly. For by the time the girls ID their perp, Evvie is in the arms of a killer—and loving it.…
Is a retirement-home Romeo to blame for the mysterious deaths in Florida’s most luxurious communities? Gladdy and her curious kibitzers will have to go undercover to find out—covering themselves with as many fancy-schmancy airs as possible. But with Gladdy’s drama queen sister Evvie playing the role of a Palm Beach flirt, their fun and games turn deadly. For by the time the girls ID their perp, Evvie is in the arms of a killer—and loving it.…
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
27 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Rita Lakin
17 books106 followersAfter being widowed at a young age with three small children, Rita Lakin began an extensive writing career, which has included staff writing on television programs such as Peyton Place, Mod Squad, Dynasty, and Strong Medicine, as well as creating original series such as The Rookies. She has won an Edgar Allen Poe award for her screenwriting, as well as receiving several other award nominations, and her two original theatrical plays, No Language But a Cry and Saturday Night at Grossingers, are still being produced around the country.
Series:
* Gladdy Gold
Series:
* Gladdy Gold
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
October 10, 2014
what can I say :) I just love the elderly ladies, complaining when they can, but getting their stuff together when they need to.
and Gladys is just genius of a detective :)
/I just hope that boyfriend of hers will smarten up finally :D :P /
and Gladys is just genius of a detective :)
/I just hope that boyfriend of hers will smarten up finally :D :P /
January 28, 2014
I love Gladdy Gold, I can't help it. These books are lovely, funny and sweet.
In this third installment Gladdy and her Gladiators are still after the peeper from the previous installment, but now also have a new case to crack! That requires Gladdy and sister Evvie to buckle up in every way since they are going undercover in a luxurious retirement home, while the other girls go after the peeper. In the meantime Gladdy also needs to deal with beau Jack who is angry over the fact that Gladdy's girls always get the attention first.
Given, in this book it isn't much of a mystery who the murderer is since you know from the very beginning who he is. The mystery is in the timing he will be caught, before or after a new murder. Nonetheless this is a great read, the ending is exciting and full of tension, edge of your seat work! Loved it! It was about as exciting as it normally is to find out who did it.
Let's also not forget another important part of the book, the characters! Next to Gladdy and sis Evvie, we also see Ida, Sophie en Bella again, as well as the other residents of Lanai Gardens. I did had a few problems with how Evvie portrait herself in the luxurious retirement home, her fantasy becomes real and she totally takes up the role, which isn't a role anymore at one point. I felt sorry for Gladdy with a few of the things Evvie said to her.
What I liked most, and maybe it sound spoilery but it's not really, was the part where Gladdy and a few others (not her Lanai friends) go to grief counseling. The revelations are somewhat hilarious, but when Gladdy takes word, that was amazing! I've never known grieve the way she does, but the words are powerful and I can see that helping people. Don't get the idea this is now some heavy book on grieve or whatever! It's just a tiny moment, but it is one of the more serious moments in the book.
In this third installment Gladdy and her Gladiators are still after the peeper from the previous installment, but now also have a new case to crack! That requires Gladdy and sister Evvie to buckle up in every way since they are going undercover in a luxurious retirement home, while the other girls go after the peeper. In the meantime Gladdy also needs to deal with beau Jack who is angry over the fact that Gladdy's girls always get the attention first.
Given, in this book it isn't much of a mystery who the murderer is since you know from the very beginning who he is. The mystery is in the timing he will be caught, before or after a new murder. Nonetheless this is a great read, the ending is exciting and full of tension, edge of your seat work! Loved it! It was about as exciting as it normally is to find out who did it.
Let's also not forget another important part of the book, the characters! Next to Gladdy and sis Evvie, we also see Ida, Sophie en Bella again, as well as the other residents of Lanai Gardens. I did had a few problems with how Evvie portrait herself in the luxurious retirement home, her fantasy becomes real and she totally takes up the role, which isn't a role anymore at one point. I felt sorry for Gladdy with a few of the things Evvie said to her.
What I liked most, and maybe it sound spoilery but it's not really, was the part where Gladdy and a few others (not her Lanai friends) go to grief counseling. The revelations are somewhat hilarious, but when Gladdy takes word, that was amazing! I've never known grieve the way she does, but the words are powerful and I can see that helping people. Don't get the idea this is now some heavy book on grieve or whatever! It's just a tiny moment, but it is one of the more serious moments in the book.
August 14, 2014
You go Gladdy.
May 4, 2023
Getting Old is Criminal (Gladdy Gold, #3) by Rita Lakin.
Never a dull moment with Gladdy Gold. Gladdy is called in for her detecting skills when an elderly woman, Esther Ferguson, is found dead due to drowning in a Jacuzzi. Her son, Alvin, is not convinced it was a natural death. It seems Esther had a younger paramour that has Alvin's mind working overtime. That paramour is known by Romeo or to be more accurate Philip Smythe. Now Gladdy is on the clock already hired by Alvin to get to the bottom of Esther's demise.
That's just the tip of the ice berg in Gladdy's world. There's the solving of the Peeping Tom at the Lanai Gardens. The members are up in arms at arriving at the identity of this nuisance before he strikes again.
Is Jack on again or off again with Gladdy? The answer is yet to be found.
I love this series. It is so worth getting involved at the lanai Gardens. It never gets old!
Never a dull moment with Gladdy Gold. Gladdy is called in for her detecting skills when an elderly woman, Esther Ferguson, is found dead due to drowning in a Jacuzzi. Her son, Alvin, is not convinced it was a natural death. It seems Esther had a younger paramour that has Alvin's mind working overtime. That paramour is known by Romeo or to be more accurate Philip Smythe. Now Gladdy is on the clock already hired by Alvin to get to the bottom of Esther's demise.
That's just the tip of the ice berg in Gladdy's world. There's the solving of the Peeping Tom at the Lanai Gardens. The members are up in arms at arriving at the identity of this nuisance before he strikes again.
Is Jack on again or off again with Gladdy? The answer is yet to be found.
I love this series. It is so worth getting involved at the lanai Gardens. It never gets old!
May 8, 2017
This is the third book in the series, though it's the fourth one I've read (I got the sequence mixed up with the previous book).
It's pretty good. The mystery is OK- although I have some quibbles with the set-up: Where does Philip get the cash? How do assistd living facilities not notice his pretty distinct patter when they are processing his paperwork? Who's the chick in Europe? etc.
Also, split personalities do not work that way.
Anyway, the resolution left a lot of loose ends; I guess we'll see if future books address them. I know #4 does not.
And while I found Gladdy's sister tolerable in #4, even though she spent the whole book sulking, her behavior in this one was abominably narcissistic, complete with tantrums. Gladdy indulges her too much- while Gladdy is the elder sister, little sis is **73** and plenty old enough to behave with at least cursory decency.
All in all, this called a lot of the series's aspects into question, which made it less fun than it could have been.
Ill probably read the next 2, since I have them on hand, but I am getting less enthused about the series.
It's pretty good. The mystery is OK- although I have some quibbles with the set-up: Where does Philip get the cash? How do assistd living facilities not notice his pretty distinct patter when they are processing his paperwork? Who's the chick in Europe? etc.
Also, split personalities do not work that way.
Anyway, the resolution left a lot of loose ends; I guess we'll see if future books address them. I know #4 does not.
And while I found Gladdy's sister tolerable in #4, even though she spent the whole book sulking, her behavior in this one was abominably narcissistic, complete with tantrums. Gladdy indulges her too much- while Gladdy is the elder sister, little sis is **73** and plenty old enough to behave with at least cursory decency.
All in all, this called a lot of the series's aspects into question, which made it less fun than it could have been.
Ill probably read the next 2, since I have them on hand, but I am getting less enthused about the series.
May 28, 2021
The Golden Girls are on a new case while finishing an old one. Lots of heartbreak, but still plenty of laughs. This one is not quite like the others. I have a question or two, but do not want to give spoilers. What I can say is that Rita Lakin has come up with a brilliant cast of characters that I have to have more of.
May 15, 2021
Lots of excitement in this book. The Peeping Tom is caught, the sisters get to play rich ladies, medicine is not a friend to some of the girls and Evvie is in danger! This was an excellent read!!!! I can't wait to read the next book!
November 28, 2018
I enjoy reading of this group of 60+ years young sleuths. There's more than mahjongg and doctor visits going on in Florida :)
July 21, 2019
This is a great series! Books are stand alone, yet each seems to pick up from where the last ended.
May 25, 2025
I will start this review by saying that this book, book Three, was my first introduction to Gladys Gold and her "girls," and some of the side plots were continuing from the previous book, but I didn't/don't have the context for those side plots. That might have changed the way I looked at some of what I disliked about the book.
To start with, I really enjoyed reading a book with senior citizen characters! Each of the main group of characters were fleshed out with backstories and felt like real people. Even the side characters you don't see much that rely on quirks to make them memorable still felt like real people. The setting, the quick wit, and the humorous writing all worked well to really draw me into the story and to have fun with it.
It was not always pleasant to read, but I did appreciate the honest look at grief, how it can linger far longer than what people think it's "supposed to." How it can affect a person long after they've apparently moved on in every other aspect of their life. How losing someone you love and grieving can be a bad breakup, not only death. It's not happy, but it's real.
It's not often, in my experience, that you run across a cozy mystery that utilizes a group rather than only one or maybe two protagonists. I enjoyed the way the group worked off each other, some contributing more than others, and how they all seemed to care about each other even in their selfish moments. The mystery plot was also rather good, and I liked the "Columbo" aspect of essentially telling us up front who the murderer is and then showing how the "detectives" solve the case.
While I did enjoy the tale, the "split-personality" thing didn't quite hit the mark for me, but it was not horribly offensive in my opinion or distracted too much. Not great, but not awful.
The worst thing, in my opinion, was everything about Gladys' boyfriend/ex-boyfriend/whatever he was. I really disliked pretty much everything to do with him. Maybe reading it out of the context of the previous book made it seem worse than what it was, but while Gladys did make a mistake and was not perfect, he was... well, a jerk. He felt extremely manipulative, and instead of communicating like a mature 70+ year-old, he gives her the cold shoulder and sulks like a bratty teenager. Gladys' mistake was, in my opinion, a reasonable mistake. When going somewhere that was difficult to reach and alone with only one other person, she went against his wishes and told someone - the wrong someone who then ruined everything in a panic - but I completely understand her reasoning. Even when she attempts to apologize to make things right, he lays down a drastic ultimatum (test?) and is then further angered when she hesitates and even pushes back a little. To be completely honest, I would not be surprised if kind-of-boyfriend Jack turned out to be some kind of, at least, controlling partner or even a killer, himself.
I would like to read more of these books, and I think I will start with numbers 1 and 2 and see if my opinion on Jack changes with further context.
To start with, I really enjoyed reading a book with senior citizen characters! Each of the main group of characters were fleshed out with backstories and felt like real people. Even the side characters you don't see much that rely on quirks to make them memorable still felt like real people. The setting, the quick wit, and the humorous writing all worked well to really draw me into the story and to have fun with it.
It was not always pleasant to read, but I did appreciate the honest look at grief, how it can linger far longer than what people think it's "supposed to." How it can affect a person long after they've apparently moved on in every other aspect of their life. How losing someone you love and grieving can be a bad breakup, not only death. It's not happy, but it's real.
It's not often, in my experience, that you run across a cozy mystery that utilizes a group rather than only one or maybe two protagonists. I enjoyed the way the group worked off each other, some contributing more than others, and how they all seemed to care about each other even in their selfish moments. The mystery plot was also rather good, and I liked the "Columbo" aspect of essentially telling us up front who the murderer is and then showing how the "detectives" solve the case.
While I did enjoy the tale, the "split-personality" thing didn't quite hit the mark for me, but it was not horribly offensive in my opinion or distracted too much. Not great, but not awful.
The worst thing, in my opinion, was everything about Gladys' boyfriend/ex-boyfriend/whatever he was. I really disliked pretty much everything to do with him. Maybe reading it out of the context of the previous book made it seem worse than what it was, but while Gladys did make a mistake and was not perfect, he was... well, a jerk. He felt extremely manipulative, and instead of communicating like a mature 70+ year-old, he gives her the cold shoulder and sulks like a bratty teenager. Gladys' mistake was, in my opinion, a reasonable mistake. When going somewhere that was difficult to reach and alone with only one other person, she went against his wishes and told someone - the wrong someone who then ruined everything in a panic - but I completely understand her reasoning. Even when she attempts to apologize to make things right, he lays down a drastic ultimatum (test?) and is then further angered when she hesitates and even pushes back a little. To be completely honest, I would not be surprised if kind-of-boyfriend Jack turned out to be some kind of, at least, controlling partner or even a killer, himself.
I would like to read more of these books, and I think I will start with numbers 1 and 2 and see if my opinion on Jack changes with further context.
May 30, 2020
3rd book in the series, actually better than I thought. Gladdy and her group of friends are asked to look into the murder of a man's mother at her assisted living condo. Gladdy and Evvie decide to go undercover to investigate, and Evvie is caught up in the romance of the killer's attention. How can Gladdy and the others protect her and bring him to justice without Evvie hating them forever. And speaking of romance...Jack gets really upset when Gladdy chooses her friends over him, and ends up leaving for an unknown amount of time. Will they ever get back together?
August 11, 2024
I randomly picked this book up at the thrift store and so glad I did. Side note/extra plus, I was excited to see that there were Yiddish words and a few Jewish references in here. I loved the journey of the mystery being solved. It wasn’t all that predictable either (early on) and what a marvelous twist to tie everything up. It’s definitely Golden Girls solves a mystery, for sure, and I would say it’s a must read. I will definitely find the other books in this series to read.
June 21, 2024
Actual rating 2.5 stars
A cute mystery with some senior citizens as main characters. It bogged down a bit in the last thirty or so pages. I felt there was way too much angst about romantic relationships.
A cute mystery with some senior citizens as main characters. It bogged down a bit in the last thirty or so pages. I felt there was way too much angst about romantic relationships.
May 8, 2025
I did have some idea of the murder twist, but it was a pretty vague idea on my part. The male Peeping Tom didn’t surprise me at all. The “ solution” for the issue is entertaining. The whole Jack vs. the girls and division between Gladdy and Evvie is heart rending,
January 13, 2018
Gladdy solves another one. Normally I like the other ladies but this time they got on my nerves. Can't wait to read the next one. I hope Gladdy and Jack can mend their relationship.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
July 29, 2020
Love this series. Sassy old girls still loving life and living it.
April 7, 2022
Senior living inhabitants for an informal detective agency and solve mysteries. Set in Florida and told with wit and humor.
July 26, 2024
Funny
January 27, 2025
I didn’t like this one as much as the first ones. It wasn’t until the last third of the book that it captured my attention. There were too many other stories going on at once that weren’t necessary.
May 19, 2025
3 Stars
July 19, 2017
A good read while sitting all day in a hospital waiting room.
February 28, 2017
The Girls are stronger and smarter
I enjoy this series about women who are invisible and how they won't allow it anymore. Fun and exciting read.
I enjoy this series about women who are invisible and how they won't allow it anymore. Fun and exciting read.
January 27, 2010
75 year old Gladdy Gold's relationship with Jack Langford, also 75, is just heating up - they are on a romantic vacation in Pago Pago when Gladdy gets an urgent fax that one of her friends is dying. Gladdy rushes back home but the fax turns out to be a false alarm and Jack is furious that Gladdy put her friends before him and breaks it off with her until he has time to think their relationship over. Gladdy is heartbroken and is glad when Alvin Ferguson hires the Gladdy Gold Detective Agency to investigate his mother's death. She was 95 and her death was written off as natural causes but Alvin is convinced his mother's boyfriend Philip Smythe killed her. Eager to get away, Gladdy and her sister Evvie go under cover at the Wilmington House where Philip is scheduled to live. Gladdy and Evvie are supposed to expose Philip as the killer, but when Evvie falls for his charms, Gladdy is working alone and in real danger of losing her sister, in more ways than one.
"Getting Old is Criminal" is a unique mystery. Although it has some elements of a cozy mystery, especially in having a group of elderly women running a detective agency and solving mysteries, and has a humorous side plot about a flasher, it is a bit darker than traditional cozy mysteries. Also, this isn't much of a mystery since it's clear from the very beginning who the murderer is - the only real mystery is whether he'll be caught before he kills again. What makes the book worth reading is the characters. All of the characters are well written and believable, starting with Gladdy who is still in some ways mourning the death of her husband and a bit hesitant about starting a new relationship. While Jack wasn't in the book much, I wanted to shake some sense into him for the way that he was treating Gladdy. Evvie's part of the story is heartbreaking as she falls for the seemingly charming Philip, a development that not only threatens her relationship with Gladdy but her life. The other members of Gladdy's detective group are also well written, with the standout being Ida who begins to open up to Gladdy about her estranged relationship with her son and his family. As I mentioned earlier, it's not much of a surprise who the murderer is, but the reason why he killed struck me as a bit unbelievable.
"Getting Old is Criminal" is a good if unusual mystery.
"Getting Old is Criminal" is a unique mystery. Although it has some elements of a cozy mystery, especially in having a group of elderly women running a detective agency and solving mysteries, and has a humorous side plot about a flasher, it is a bit darker than traditional cozy mysteries. Also, this isn't much of a mystery since it's clear from the very beginning who the murderer is - the only real mystery is whether he'll be caught before he kills again. What makes the book worth reading is the characters. All of the characters are well written and believable, starting with Gladdy who is still in some ways mourning the death of her husband and a bit hesitant about starting a new relationship. While Jack wasn't in the book much, I wanted to shake some sense into him for the way that he was treating Gladdy. Evvie's part of the story is heartbreaking as she falls for the seemingly charming Philip, a development that not only threatens her relationship with Gladdy but her life. The other members of Gladdy's detective group are also well written, with the standout being Ida who begins to open up to Gladdy about her estranged relationship with her son and his family. As I mentioned earlier, it's not much of a surprise who the murderer is, but the reason why he killed struck me as a bit unbelievable.
"Getting Old is Criminal" is a good if unusual mystery.
February 24, 2013
In this Gladdy Gold mystery, Gladdy and her sister Evvie are supposed to go undercover to catch a serial killer preying on old ladies, but things fast go awry when Evvie gets swept up in the suspect's charm and her role as the center of attention from him and their new community. Lakin expertly weaves Evvie's backstory to show why she's so susceptible to this, and meanwhile Gladdy must work her case mostly on her own--when she shows up the local police department, it's a triumph of her determination and offbeat way of thinking. While the murders here take a somewhat outlandish, crazy turn, the plot was as riveting as any of the books in this series and the glimpse into the rich life, soap operas and sisterly rivalry was fascinating. Gladdy's romance with Jack is on the back burner in this book, which lets Evvie shine, and the friendships amongst the other women who work for Gladdy shine. The secondary characters, including the bickering amongst the couple who hire Gladdy and Co. to catch the killer, are extremely entertaining.
April 23, 2008
Elderly women are dieing of unnatural causes and Gladdy and her band of intrepid geezerettes investigate for a family member of one. When they go to the resort to trip up the suspect, who knew that sis would fall for him? And in the process, what she finds out may give her a quick boot into eternity.
I like Gladdy and her group. You feel that you might pick up the phone and call and join them for one of their meetings. In the process, you will learn a lot of jewish jargon and experience their friendship. The reason that this is a four rather than a five is because of the bedroom calisthentics. I feel that no woman of almost 70 wants to bare her - well everything. At least not before she has broken his glasses.
It's unrealistic. These women are 70 going on 16. But a good read in spite of it.
I like Gladdy and her group. You feel that you might pick up the phone and call and join them for one of their meetings. In the process, you will learn a lot of jewish jargon and experience their friendship. The reason that this is a four rather than a five is because of the bedroom calisthentics. I feel that no woman of almost 70 wants to bare her - well everything. At least not before she has broken his glasses.
It's unrealistic. These women are 70 going on 16. But a good read in spite of it.
April 9, 2016
I started reading this before and I guess I just wasn't in the mood for this type of book, but I wanted to read it again, and it actually wasn't that bad.
It's the 3rd in the series I think and in this one, Gladdy and her elderly friends try to solve the crime of a elderly man who likes to get busy with old women and then kill them. It talks about old people having sex way to much for my liking. They also try to find out who the "Peeper" is who whips it out while watching women through their windows. A little bit creepy.
My issue with these books is that these ladies don't act like they are in their 70s and 80s. They run around like teenagers. I'm pretty sure I wont be like that when I'm that age. I'm not really like that now.
It's the 3rd in the series I think and in this one, Gladdy and her elderly friends try to solve the crime of a elderly man who likes to get busy with old women and then kill them. It talks about old people having sex way to much for my liking. They also try to find out who the "Peeper" is who whips it out while watching women through their windows. A little bit creepy.
My issue with these books is that these ladies don't act like they are in their 70s and 80s. They run around like teenagers. I'm pretty sure I wont be like that when I'm that age. I'm not really like that now.
August 5, 2012
New York retirees and widows with a Yiddish culture mixed with some native Florida Hispanics provide a quick read, fun and cozy - #3 of the series.
Gladdy Gold, her sister, Evvie, and their friends at the Gladdy Gold Detective Agency return to tackle a pair of puzzlers: the case of a peeping tom haunting their Fort Lauderdale retirement community, and the case of one Alvin Ferguson, who's hired them to prove that his elderly mother didn't die of natural causes, but was murdered at the hands of her suave lover. The latter investigation sends Gladdy and Evvie, in disguise, to take up temporary residence in the ritzy development that the alleged murdering paramour, Philip Smythe, has made his home.
Gladdy Gold, her sister, Evvie, and their friends at the Gladdy Gold Detective Agency return to tackle a pair of puzzlers: the case of a peeping tom haunting their Fort Lauderdale retirement community, and the case of one Alvin Ferguson, who's hired them to prove that his elderly mother didn't die of natural causes, but was murdered at the hands of her suave lover. The latter investigation sends Gladdy and Evvie, in disguise, to take up temporary residence in the ritzy development that the alleged murdering paramour, Philip Smythe, has made his home.
December 24, 2014
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews