Getting Old Is Murder

Gladdy Gold #1

by Rita Lakin

She’s not Miss Marple. Her friends are no Charlie’s Angels. Nevertheless, 75-year-old Gladdy Gold and her gang of eccentric Fort Lauderdale retirees are out, about, and hunting down a killer–one who is silently stalking them.

Selma Beller was the first to go–but Gladdy and her neighbors never suspected murder until another of their friends died in an eerily similar way. Now a handsome young detective won’t listen to them, Hy Binder won’t stop telling them dirty jokes, and crazy old Greta Kronk is doing everything humanly possible to make herself into a suspect. But amid the endless rounds of poolside kibitzing, early-bird specials, bittersweet memories, and interminable grocery-shopping trips, Gladdy and her gals are about to discover how the murders are being committed. And when it comes to catching this culprit–time really is running out….

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller, Humor, Detective

297 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

After 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

Reviews

[Nancy Haddock]

This is another series hubby and I are sold on! The women and fellow residents are quirky, and while the murders and other issues are serious, there is some great humor in each book. The Publix grocery store? Well, we have one here, and the scene had us in stitches!

[Ellen]

Getting Old is Murder by Rita Lakin. (Gladdy Gold, #1)

A reviewer on a book lovers website mentioned that this author had passed. I had never heard of Rita Lakin before that and decided to do a little research. I found this series that looked to be off my usually genre of the deep and dark mysteries so I thought why not! Give it a try! It might be a nice change of pace.
This was so my much fun and hit close to the bone since I'm in that age bracket. Reading this book was a ball! So much so that I'm continuing this series. Many thanks to Rita for making old age upliftingly funny and adventurous to boot! The author begins with a diagram of the condo residence and where each character lives. She goes on the name each character and how they play a part in this story. Lastly-let the Yiddish begin! The reader is not left out of anything.
Fun, fun and more fun and all the while a mystery unfolds. Loved every page and enjoyed the condo gang as well.
Highly recommended.

[Sonia With an I]

I really loved this one, I laughed out loud many times, (the supermarket) but there were also emotional moments. These ladies are sassy….
The murder and twist was excellent. I figured it out but still really enjoyed the ride. I love Gladdy! I also enjoyed the romance in this. I will say that this isn’t cozy. I would consider this a light murder mystery. Excellent read!!

[Rachel Kramer Bussel]

In this start of the Gladdy Gold cozy mystery series, retiree Gladdy proves herself an excellent sleuth, capable of outdoing her local police department and avenging her friends' deaths. Lakin introduces us to Gladdy and her Gladiators, aka, sister and friends, who live in a Florida retirement home but are itching for something to do besides gossip. Gladdy is the one who starts to put together the idea that the heart attacks suffered by elderly women were actually something more sinister. Her spirited defense of those who doubt the elderly, her battles amongst her friends over who's going about their sleuthing best, and a hint of romance with Jack Langford make this a fun read. Gladdy's nods to her love of reading mysteries, her genuine expressions of doubt, guilt, fear and longing, all make this beginning an exciting one, and open up a world where being old means you have all the more life experience to draw on when solving crime. Gladdy is a brave heroine who risks upsetting those around her and doesn't rest even when the cops do that she's made sure to catch the killer.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod]

This book was a witty romp into the world of condo's and life in Ft. Lauderdale if you are a retired widow. You are introduced to the language of Yiddish and do expect to laugh.

The mystery was sad and even though you cheer the capture of the villian, you still feel the sadness.

Luckily, I have the series so am off to the next one "Getting Old is the Best Revenge."

[Bgpriley]

If it takes two pages in the front to explain who the characters are, there are too many characters.

[Shreela]

Not as fun as Glock Grannies, but the mystery was quite good AFAIK.

[Dale]

love these 'old'ladies!

[Taylor]

I wasn't too sure about this cozy mystery. It had a lot of humor I did not really understand, and I found it easy to pinpoint who the killer was. Plus, it was a bit more angsty in the beginning than I usually like in my cozy mysteries. To be fair, I usually like none, so that's definitely a me problem. However, in the second half of Getting Old is Murder, I really had a lot of fun, and it became SO much more enjoyable. Overall, it was something nice to read. I'm just unsure if I'm interested in continuing the series. 4.5/5 stars!

[Kirsten]

SOOOO fun!!

[Drebbles]

When Gladdy Gold's neighbor, Selma Beller, dies, Gladdy is saddened, but not concerned, at 75 and living in a retirement community, Gladdy is accustomed to death. But when her best friend Francie dies, Gladdy is heartbroken and begins to be suspicious since both Selma and Francie died around the time of their birthdays. Gladdy tries to convince the police that murder may have taken place, but they don't believe her so she starts investigating on her own. After two more deaths and a couple of autopsies that show the victims were poisoned, the police finally believe Gladdy. But will they be able to catch the murderer before Gladdy becomes the next victim?

"Getting Old is Murder" is a nice, humorous first entry in what looks to be an enjoyable cozy mystery series. Gladdy is a wonderful creation, very funny and still full of life (and romance) at 75. Her friends are all well written, with a nice touch of humor that makes them seem real but doesn't poke fun at the elderly. Each character stands out as an individual: the wisecracking Hy and his wife Lois; Gladdy's sister Evvie, a movie critic; Sophie with her slightly off-kilter cliches ("you're a broken record, play another"); Harriet who is young but lives there to take care of her elderly mother, Esther); Enya who never got over the loss of her family during the Holocaust; and Denny, the mentally slow handyman. Although the book is a cozy mystery and the elderly don't hesitate to solve the crime, it also shows the real problems of getting old, especially in the bittersweet case of Irving struggling to take care of his wife who has Alzheimer's. All of these characters are well written and come alive on the page.

The mystery itself is nicely done with some neat red herrings and when the murderer is finally revealed, there is a real motive behind the slayings. There are some minor flaws - Francie's death is well telegraphed (it's never a good sign when the heroine in a mystery wonders what she'd do if something happened to her best friend!). There's also some minor editing errors, such as when Gladdy remembers dropping a friend off at the dentist when she never did so. Not a major error, but enough to stop the flow of the story for a second or two. Rita Lakin takes you into the victim's minds as they are dying, which I found unsettling in a cozy mystery.

But these are indeed minor flaws and this is a very enjoyable, funny cozy mystery. It's worth buying just to read the scene in which Gladdy convinces a gang of teenagers to help her break into her car after she locks her keys in it. One of the funniest scenes I've ever read!

[Marcia]

A light, fun read. Gladdy and her friends are a bunch of fiesty, old yentas spending their golden years in the Lanai Gardens retirement community of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Between morning calisthenics, swimming, shopping, and playing cards, there is plenty of witty banter between this group of lively characters. An interesting team of sleuths, indeed! The cast of characters listed at the beginning of this book was helpful. I'm not yet in my golden years, but initially had trouble keeping everyone straight. Also found the yiddish glossary that was included helpful and fun. Looking forward to a future visit with Gladdy and her "gladiators!"

[Pam]

#6 01/14/06
TITLE/AUTHOR: GETTING OLD IS MURDER by Rita Lakin
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery, 2004, 297 pgs
TIME/PLACE: Present, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
CHARACTERS: Gladys Gold, Sophie, Evie, Ida, Bella, etc
-- senior residents of Lanai Gardens
COMMENTS: Cute debut mystery. Very realistic and humorous
look at a group of seniors living in a condo in South Florida. Several residents have died on the eve of their birthdays, apparently from heart attacks. Gladdy, a book lover and especiallly mysteries, doesn't think the deaths of her friends were from natural causes and discovers her new calling as resident PI, w/ the help of her friends. Characters were better than plot but will most likely look for the next book.

[Ed]

#1 in the Gladdy Gold series. Quick, fun read. Interesting introduction to a large cast of quirky characters. My only quibble is that the solution to the puzzle was telegraphed too early.

Gladdy Gold series - 75-year-old Gladdy Gold and her gang of Fort Lauderdale retirees are hunting down a killer - one who is stalking them. Selma Beller was the first to go - but Gladdy and her neighbors never suspected murder until another of their friends died in a similar way. Now a handsome young detective won't listen to them, and crazy old Greta Kronk is doing everything possible to make herself into a suspect. But amid the rounds of poolside kibitzing, early-bird specials, and interminable shopping trips, Gladdy and her gals are about to discover how the murders are being committed.

[Linda Appelbaum]

Absolutely charming book, a quick read. If you like the TV program "Murder She Wrote" you might like this book. This is the 1st of several books in a series about Gladdy Gold, an over the hill sleuth, who lives in a Ft. Lauderdale retirement village. Sprinkled with Jewish expressions, this book is delightful even if you aren't Jewish or if you have never been to one of the retirement villages in Florida. A glossary in the book helps with unfamiliar words and there is even a drawing of the place where Gladdy lives, surrounded by an interesting group of married and single retirees. In this book, gladdy solves the murders of several elderly women who get knocked off in most unusual ways. Can't wait for the next book.

[Priscilla Herrington]

I've read at least five of the books in this series and loved them - and I finally found #1! As a person of a certain age myself, I LOVE Gladdy Gold who is putting her golden years to great use - solving mysteries and delighting her audience. Who knew a retirement community could be such a dangerous and exciting place?

[Judith Cormier]

It took me some time to get into this one. The first 50% was probably a 2-star, but the final 50% was a 4-star, so I settled on 3.

I think what brought it down through the first half of the book was due to several things. One was the long list of characters. I had some inkling that it was going to be the case when I first opened the book and saw the long list along with a map of the Lanai Gardens and where they lived. It looked like complete chaos ... and spoiler, it was. It wasn't until the middle of the book that it started to make sense who everyone was, particularly Gladdy's Gladiators!! They were a hilarious bunch of "very senior" ladies. NOTE: their age is VERY much relevant to the whole story. A comical element most of the time, but also a bit sad. At my age, I can relate!!

Once I made it to the middle of the book, I was able to keep them sorted out, and the actual mystery became compelling and then towards the end, it was so much better. I also really enjoyed the introduction of Jack Langford ... our detective's father ... that was hilarious, but he was charming, specifically to Gladdy!!

And the mystery itself was well done, while sad at points. I think I'd say this was more of a "mystery" with a bit less cozy because the crime really wasn't very pleasant!

[abbi]

just a cutie old lady book 🥰🕰️🔪🧶

[Lindsay]

This series is super funny. There's something about little old ladies running around trying to solve a mystery while forgetting what's going on half the time that makes me laugh. It was also a little twisted. In this book, Goldy's friends keep dieing from a "heart attack", but she thinks otherwise. So she and her friends try to find out what's going on. Mostly it's just her, but the others are entertaining. Kind of made me think of The Golden Girls, where Dorothy was always in charged and the rest just followed. Only there's isn't a slutty one like Blanche. They are also Jewish, so you get to learn a lot of Jewish words. Good times.

[Holly Keimig]

I really wanted to like this one. I like the setup and the idea and even most of the characters, but something fell flat for me. I adore cozy mysteries. Maybe the murders just felt too sad or the characters seemed a bit too overdone, but something about it just made it hard for me to get into. I might try the second in the series and see if maybe it is better. If you are retired and living in Florida, this may resonate with you a bit more.

[Stacia]

I’m not sure when this is supposed to be set, but I have a hard time believing it’s anytime in the 21st century. The characters are flat and seem to be there to deliver tired stereotypes. And for some reason having $400,000 makes you a “Donald Trump”.

I was really hoping for better.

[Lynne]

This is another book I found at a local thrift shop. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and variety of characters. After a hard day at work, this is a fun way to wind down. Gladly Gold and her neighbors are a hoot.

[Lynn]

I liked this, and will read more. Loved the story line. If I don't get annoyed with the old ladies, I will keep reading.

[Mary]

Had this one for a while, finally got around to reading it and loved it. Characters were so delightful and different. Enjoyed the plot too.

[Angie]

I knew who did it fairly early on, but I still enjoyed this book. Think Golden Girls meets Murder She Wrote.

[Nate]

I first heard about this series in a Cozy Mystery group I am apart of and instantly ran to Amazon and bought the first two books. Yesterday I started and became obsessed. I am going to go on a limb here and say this could be the funniest and greatest Cozy I have ever read. Gladdy and her friends Sophie, Bella, Ida and sister Evvie are infectious. Not only are they so well written but each is truly a different character. They are sassy, they are classy and they are always up for a meal. In this book the condo community has been struck by a serial killer who is picking off elderly women on their birthdays. I was hooked, I was biting my nails, I was LIVING for these broads and laughing along with them. Rita weaves together a story where you feel like you know these characters and you just need to push forward, be distracted by red herrings and finally come to the conclusion. I simply cannot recommend this Cozy Mystery more.

[Joan]

Meet Gladdy Gold, Florida's oldest detective. The protagonists in this mystery are ages 75 to 90. The Author Rita Lakin has written this mystery based in an apartment complex for mostly Jewish senior citizens. You get to learn a little Yiddish as she has a dictionary in the front to tell you what the words mean. She also has a cast of characters with their name and personality description in the front too which I appreciated. Rita has been a writer for television, freelance writer and staff writer for shows such as Peyton Place, Dr. Kildare, Mod Squad etc. Think "Murder She Wrote" with Angela Lansbury and you have an idea what Gladdy, the main character, is like. The story revolves around a serial killer that is murdering some of the tenants at the apartment complex. You are taken through a lot of twists and turns but of course Gladdy figures out who did it. A good read although younger readers might not appreciate it as much as those over 50.

[Linda]

When I started to read this book I thought that I really didn't like it. There's a lot of Jewish slang. But I'm the same age as the main character, Gladdy Gold, who lives in a retirement condo in Florida. She and her elderly friends are all quirky. The author plays up the infirmaries of age and declining mental status. But it's very humorous and fun, and I changed my mind.

When aged residents of Lanai Gardens start to die on the night before their birthdays, the coroner blames it on heart attacks. But Gladdy starts to suspect foul play, especially when her best friend, who never had a heart problem, dies suddenly. But getting the cops to listen to a bunch of old ladies isn't easy, so the girls set out to find the culprit on their own. I guessed correctly before the last murder, and had my suspicions long before that.

There's a lot of characters in this series, but the author names them in the front of the book. I caught on quickly.

[Lucy Takeda]

Oh, joy! I ran across this book at a nearby used bookstore. I didn’t recognize the author’s name, but a little old lady solving murders intrigued me. (I am a Miss Marple fan.)
A retirement community in Florida holds a clan of folks that usually cooperate to handle trips to the bank, grocery store, and swimming pool/exercise. Only one still has a car and valid driver’s license, so she ends up chauffeuring the group. They all check on each other, although there is an odd lady who lives alone and leaves mysterious graffiti. The complex owner is really interested in buying out all the complexes. Then, one resident dies from a “heart attack” just before her birthday, which leads to a pattern.
I’ve ordered several of the sequels.

[Phyllis Barlow]

It's nice to read a story featuring older women.
Gladdy Gold lives in a condo complex that caters to older people. She has four friends, one of whom is her younger sister that she spends her time with. They have their routines, morning walks, swimming, trips to Publix supermarket and Saturday movies and early bird dinner out.
A safe routine, until suddenly older women start dying. Three women die the day before their birthdays and Gladdy starts suspecting murder. She tries to get the police to listen but they just brush her off.
So Gladdy and her friends have no choice but to dig deeper. What follows is tale that is both funny and sad. If you read and enjoyed The Murder Club mysteries or read and liked Kathy Hogan Kicklighter books you will enjoy this series.