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A Senior Citizen's Guide to Life on the Run
Senior citizen Alice Sanders can finally settle into her well-deserved retirement home in New Jersey . . . until her past catches up with her in this enthralling and quirky cozy mystery.
When retired septuagenarian Alice settled into her home within the planned community of Timeless Pastures in New Jersey, she expected a quiet life full of book clubs, mellow gatherings, and affable friends. What she didn’t expect was her retirement paradise to be disturbed by pigeons!
Alice confronts her next-door neighbor, Babs, for feeding a flock of them each day, thus causing her backyard to look like a Jackson Pollock painting, but not knowing how devious Babs can be, and unconsciously unleashing events that could be dangerous or even worse—deadly!
When Babs is found dead days after their dispute, everyone is quick to believe it was Alice who killed her. Panicked, Alice decides to leave, but not without her loyal senior friends and neighbors—Mia, Sasha, and George—who will not only go on the run and dodge the police with her, but also try to protect her from her mysterious past . . .
Fans of RICHARD OSMAN, DEANNA RAYBOURN, LAURIEN BERENSON, and JESSE Q. SUTANTO will enjoy this quirky cozy. Clever twists, an intriguing plot, and lovable characters make for “a satisfying cozy” ( Booklist on Best Be Prepared ).
When retired septuagenarian Alice settled into her home within the planned community of Timeless Pastures in New Jersey, she expected a quiet life full of book clubs, mellow gatherings, and affable friends. What she didn’t expect was her retirement paradise to be disturbed by pigeons!
Alice confronts her next-door neighbor, Babs, for feeding a flock of them each day, thus causing her backyard to look like a Jackson Pollock painting, but not knowing how devious Babs can be, and unconsciously unleashing events that could be dangerous or even worse—deadly!
When Babs is found dead days after their dispute, everyone is quick to believe it was Alice who killed her. Panicked, Alice decides to leave, but not without her loyal senior friends and neighbors—Mia, Sasha, and George—who will not only go on the run and dodge the police with her, but also try to protect her from her mysterious past . . .
Fans of RICHARD OSMAN, DEANNA RAYBOURN, LAURIEN BERENSON, and JESSE Q. SUTANTO will enjoy this quirky cozy. Clever twists, an intriguing plot, and lovable characters make for “a satisfying cozy” ( Booklist on Best Be Prepared ).
253 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2025
10 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Gwen Florio
16 books156 followersGwen Florio is the author of the Lola Wicks crime series ("gutsy," says the New York Times) as well as SILENT HEARTS (Atria, 2018), a standalone set in Afghanistan. A new crime series starts in November 2020 with the publication of Best Laid Plans (Severn House). Her first novel, MONTANA, won the Pinckley Prize for debut crime fiction, and a High Plains Book Award. Florio is a veteran journalist who has covered stories ranging from the mass shooting at Columbine High School and the Oklahoma City bombing trials, to the glitz of the Miss America pageant and the more practical Miss Navajo contest, whose participants slaughter a sheep. She's reported from Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia, among other countries, as well as Lost Springs, Wyo. (population three). She lives in Missoula, Montana. She is represented by Richard Curtis,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 25, 2025
*3.5 stars*
Senior citizen, Alice Sanders, is just a sweet little old lady right? Well no actually, she isn’t, and her criminal past is about to catch up with her in spectacular fashion. Weirdly, her demise was brought about by a flock of pigeons!
Alice lives in a retirement community “Timeless Pastures” in New Jersey, but one person spoils it for her and that’s fellow resident and next door neighbour Babs. Babs insists on feeding those darned pigeons and Alice is sick of it. It’s well known that Alice and Babs constantly bicker about it, so when Babs is found murdered, Alice is obviously the prime suspect. The thing is, Alice can’t afford to be interviewed by the police because they might just find out who she is and what she did all those years ago! There’s nothing for it but to go on the run, and incidentally, her best friends join her on this crazy escapade too!
Though a little unrealistic at times, it was nevertheless an entertaining read.
*My thanks to Severn House for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Senior citizen, Alice Sanders, is just a sweet little old lady right? Well no actually, she isn’t, and her criminal past is about to catch up with her in spectacular fashion. Weirdly, her demise was brought about by a flock of pigeons!
Alice lives in a retirement community “Timeless Pastures” in New Jersey, but one person spoils it for her and that’s fellow resident and next door neighbour Babs. Babs insists on feeding those darned pigeons and Alice is sick of it. It’s well known that Alice and Babs constantly bicker about it, so when Babs is found murdered, Alice is obviously the prime suspect. The thing is, Alice can’t afford to be interviewed by the police because they might just find out who she is and what she did all those years ago! There’s nothing for it but to go on the run, and incidentally, her best friends join her on this crazy escapade too!
Though a little unrealistic at times, it was nevertheless an entertaining read.
*My thanks to Severn House for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
May 14, 2025
4 solid stars - This is another “senior sleuth gang” type story, but it’s got an interesting backstory that really resonated with me. I also quite liked the characters, and found it very readable - short chapters and quick, fast pace, yay! Quite enjoyable & super FUN!!!!
May 23, 2025
It is so refreshing to read a book in which almost all characters are senior citizens – and not just the kind that spends their day knitting and drinking tea. The senior citizens who live in Timeless Pastures certainly not. They are too busy worrying, in fact. They all have financial problems due to the fact that one of them lost all their retirement money five years ago and now, with the new owner of the community steadily raising the rent, most inhabitants are forced to move away. The four couples that play a main role in this story not – yet! Without the women aware of anything, the men devised a plan to get all the money back – and then some.
Of course things go wrong, especially when it comes to light that one of the seniors is in fact on the FBI’s most wanted list and the clever plan of the men to get their money back falls flat. So, the four couples are forced to literally run for their life before the past of one of them caughts up with the whole group.
Most of the characters are quite sympathetic if not downright very nice, and the bad characters are equally well described. I liked the writing style and the pace of the story too, and the plot, actually two plots coming together, was nicely found.
Thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this review copy.
Of course things go wrong, especially when it comes to light that one of the seniors is in fact on the FBI’s most wanted list and the clever plan of the men to get their money back falls flat. So, the four couples are forced to literally run for their life before the past of one of them caughts up with the whole group.
Most of the characters are quite sympathetic if not downright very nice, and the bad characters are equally well described. I liked the writing style and the pace of the story too, and the plot, actually two plots coming together, was nicely found.
Thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this review copy.
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May 19, 2025DNF due to profanity. I was blessed with an Arc and the opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.
June 17, 2025
What a fun read! This had some great characters and an interesting premise with a few hard-to-believe moments but otherwise was thoroughly entertaining. The seniors themselves were savvy and well-developed making it easy to distinguish between them. The interviews with the police that were added at the end of each chapter, while they helped with the character development, were unnecessary and took me out of the story. This was a fun read once the story got moving.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
May 8, 2025
This book has a great premise. A woman who’s been on the run for decades has her quiet life blown open, and with the help of a few fellow seniors, she bolts. It’s energetic, full of movement, and flows well. But underneath that momentum, the story feels rushed and lacks depth where it counts most, with the characters.
There’s a trend in publishing toward cosy mysteries with elderly protagonists, and this book seems very much like it was written to tap into that trend. To be fair, it's a trend I'm in favour of (or I should say, a resurgence), but this book suffers because most of the characters here feel like surface sketches, defined by one trait and a name. There’s little sense of layered backstory with many important characters, but there is enough chemistry and emotional nuance between them to make this read more substantive than a book without character depth.
The plot suffers from a sense of being movement for movement’s sake—fun to read in the moment, but when events happen, they don't always feel like they matter. It’s as if the book was written on the run, ironically fitting its title.
That said, there are bright spots. The idea of a hidden identity suddenly exposed is a strong hook. The concept of an older woman with a posse of support is genuinely fun. And the pacing is brisk enough that the book never drags. But it also failed to engage me completely on the cosy side, and that makes the experience feel lighter than it should have been.
For readers who are happy with breezy stories and quirky setups, this might do the trick.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There’s a trend in publishing toward cosy mysteries with elderly protagonists, and this book seems very much like it was written to tap into that trend. To be fair, it's a trend I'm in favour of (or I should say, a resurgence), but this book suffers because most of the characters here feel like surface sketches, defined by one trait and a name. There’s little sense of layered backstory with many important characters, but there is enough chemistry and emotional nuance between them to make this read more substantive than a book without character depth.
The plot suffers from a sense of being movement for movement’s sake—fun to read in the moment, but when events happen, they don't always feel like they matter. It’s as if the book was written on the run, ironically fitting its title.
That said, there are bright spots. The idea of a hidden identity suddenly exposed is a strong hook. The concept of an older woman with a posse of support is genuinely fun. And the pacing is brisk enough that the book never drags. But it also failed to engage me completely on the cosy side, and that makes the experience feel lighter than it should have been.
For readers who are happy with breezy stories and quirky setups, this might do the trick.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2025
#ASeniorCitizensGuidetoLifeontheRun #NetGalley is an entertaining story regarding the lives of 3 women and a man on the run.
I thought the story was interesting and I enjoyed reading the back story about Alice.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
I thought the story was interesting and I enjoyed reading the back story about Alice.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
March 26, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk and Severn House for a copy of this book.
This was such a fun book, full of comical incidents and brilliant, whacky characters. From nosey neighbours to the criminal antics of others, it was a great page-turner which I couldn't put down.
Told from the main character's POV, with other voices popping up and interspersed with Police interviews, it was perfectly presented. Each interview followed the unwinding of the story and added to the mystery.
It would make a brilliant movie, and, in my head, I have already assigned actors to play the various roles.
That alone emphasises how much I enjoyed this book.
This was such a fun book, full of comical incidents and brilliant, whacky characters. From nosey neighbours to the criminal antics of others, it was a great page-turner which I couldn't put down.
Told from the main character's POV, with other voices popping up and interspersed with Police interviews, it was perfectly presented. Each interview followed the unwinding of the story and added to the mystery.
It would make a brilliant movie, and, in my head, I have already assigned actors to play the various roles.
That alone emphasises how much I enjoyed this book.
May 5, 2025
2.75 Stars
Thank you NetGalley and Severn house for the eARC. My opinions are my own.
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I wanted to like it more because the premise was interesting and sounded like it was going to be funny. I was so bored up until 90% when it all came together. Also this book was not that funny at all. I think I had higher expectations for it. The characters were also pretty boring. The chapters are short and I liked that.
Thank you NetGalley and Severn house for the eARC. My opinions are my own.
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I wanted to like it more because the premise was interesting and sounded like it was going to be funny. I was so bored up until 90% when it all came together. Also this book was not that funny at all. I think I had higher expectations for it. The characters were also pretty boring. The chapters are short and I liked that.
April 30, 2025
A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run by Gwen Florio (e- ARC)
Pub Date: 6 May 2025
Short Synopsis: Alice Sanders, a lively retiree in her seventies, moves to the peaceful Timeless Pastures retirement community in New Jersey, hoping for a calm and quiet life. But when her eccentric neighbour, Babs, turns Alice’s garden into a pigeon-infested mess, everything goes awry. After a fiery confrontation, Babs is found dead, and Alice quickly becomes the prime suspect. With her loyal friends by her side, Alice embarks on a fast-paced, quirky adventure to clear her name and uncover long-buried secrets from her past.
My Thoughts: I really loved the premise of A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run. The idea of retirees going on the run is a unique and fun twist on the cosy mystery genre. The characters, particularly the seniors, are brimming with charm and personality, and the witty banter throughout made the story so enjoyable. I also appreciated the alternating format between the main narrative and the police interviews, which added a dynamic layer to the storytelling.
That said, the pacing felt a bit slow at the beginning, and there were moments when I almost considered putting the book down, but in the end, I didn’t because I still felt curious about how it would all unfold. While the mystery itself was decent, it lacked the suspense I had hoped for. The ending was quite intriguing, but it left too many loose ends, especially when it came to Alice’s past. Additionally, the sudden focus on Mia’s romantic subplot towards the end felt a bit out of place and unnecessary, unless it’s setting up for a sequel.
Overall, A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run is an entertaining and heartwarming read with a quirky premise and lovable characters. While it didn’t quite reach its full potential, I still enjoyed the journey and would recommend it if you're looking for a light, fun, and heartwarming mystery.
Overall Rating: ⭐️: 3.75/5
Thank you to @netgalley and @severnhouseimprint for the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts on the book!
Short Synopsis: Alice Sanders, a lively retiree in her seventies, moves to the peaceful Timeless Pastures retirement community in New Jersey, hoping for a calm and quiet life. But when her eccentric neighbour, Babs, turns Alice’s garden into a pigeon-infested mess, everything goes awry. After a fiery confrontation, Babs is found dead, and Alice quickly becomes the prime suspect. With her loyal friends by her side, Alice embarks on a fast-paced, quirky adventure to clear her name and uncover long-buried secrets from her past.
My Thoughts: I really loved the premise of A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run. The idea of retirees going on the run is a unique and fun twist on the cosy mystery genre. The characters, particularly the seniors, are brimming with charm and personality, and the witty banter throughout made the story so enjoyable. I also appreciated the alternating format between the main narrative and the police interviews, which added a dynamic layer to the storytelling.
That said, the pacing felt a bit slow at the beginning, and there were moments when I almost considered putting the book down, but in the end, I didn’t because I still felt curious about how it would all unfold. While the mystery itself was decent, it lacked the suspense I had hoped for. The ending was quite intriguing, but it left too many loose ends, especially when it came to Alice’s past. Additionally, the sudden focus on Mia’s romantic subplot towards the end felt a bit out of place and unnecessary, unless it’s setting up for a sequel.
Overall, A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run is an entertaining and heartwarming read with a quirky premise and lovable characters. While it didn’t quite reach its full potential, I still enjoyed the journey and would recommend it if you're looking for a light, fun, and heartwarming mystery.
Overall Rating: ⭐️: 3.75/5
Thank you to @netgalley and @severnhouseimprint for the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts on the book!
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July 7, 2025A super fun read with lovely characters and hijinks!
✨ Characters
Main character was Alice, a senior citizen who spent her life on the run after events that had gone sideways in her youth. Her friends George, Mia and Sasha aid in her story, showing friendship and support in her quest to escape her past.
I loved that each one was a unique mix of reckless and life experience which made for a fun, diverse and over the top group of grandparents on an adventure. I absolutely adored the stubborn streak still going strong in each of them and how in combination with their mature age gave a lough out loud yet too-close-to-home feel .
The manager of the properties was a fun character as well as his extremely lax attitude of "yeah, sometimes the residents do weird stuff but just roll with it".
The noisy neighbour character was so annoyingly well written, felt like it described my own. So did the duplex neighbour that always had something to complain about - enough to consider imparting a bit of mischief on them 😈 , not going through with it but also becoming the likely suspect of having done it, which is how the plot events are set in motion.
✨ Plot
Decent plot, in line with a comedy / thriller vibe, but the relationships between the main characters take center stage for me, the way they are committed to sticking together and and sticking up far each other.
✨ Unique aspects of this book
- really enjoyed how the MCs negociate and solve conflicts among themselves
- enjoyed the short chapters format, felt like I breezed through the book
- the police interview snippets at the end of every chapter made for a movie-like feel
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book!
April 30, 2025
Life is pleasant for Alice Sanders until her neighbor Babs decides to start feeding the pigeons. The two women live in connected townhomes. Their homes share a wall, and a fence divides their patios. Now Alice’s patio is covered with bird poop.
Friction continues between the two women until the day that Babs puts on her raincoat and hat and decides to go around to feed her feathered friends on Alice’s patio while Alice and her friends are away for a few days. She’s thinking it would be a nice surprise for Alice to find when she returns.
While Alice and friends are gone, Babs is reported missing.
Her body is found on Alice’s patio with a bullet hole in her head.
Alice and her friends hear about Bab’s death while away and Alice knows it’s time for her to move on. Her friends George, Sasha, and Mia eventually get her secret out of her but instead of leaving her and returning to their old lives, they decide to help Alice escape.
Can a group of senior citizens investigate an incident from Alice’s past so that she doesn’t have to create a new life, or are they all going to become accomplices to a decades old crime?
This is a great story about how a split-second decision can change your life and the strength of friendship can save it.
This is a new-to-me author, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Scheduled release date is May 6th
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn Books for an advance readers copy for my honest review. You can see more of my reviews at Virginia-Gruver.com
Friction continues between the two women until the day that Babs puts on her raincoat and hat and decides to go around to feed her feathered friends on Alice’s patio while Alice and her friends are away for a few days. She’s thinking it would be a nice surprise for Alice to find when she returns.
While Alice and friends are gone, Babs is reported missing.
Her body is found on Alice’s patio with a bullet hole in her head.
Alice and her friends hear about Bab’s death while away and Alice knows it’s time for her to move on. Her friends George, Sasha, and Mia eventually get her secret out of her but instead of leaving her and returning to their old lives, they decide to help Alice escape.
Can a group of senior citizens investigate an incident from Alice’s past so that she doesn’t have to create a new life, or are they all going to become accomplices to a decades old crime?
This is a great story about how a split-second decision can change your life and the strength of friendship can save it.
This is a new-to-me author, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Scheduled release date is May 6th
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn Books for an advance readers copy for my honest review. You can see more of my reviews at Virginia-Gruver.com
July 27, 2025
I so enjoyed A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run by Gwen Florio. So many ways to describe this book. Entertaining, well-written, great plot, good dialogue. And…thoughtful and descriptive, with great characters.
The story is told using a somewhat different approach. The chapters that are relating the story are interspersed with police interviews involving the various characters, at various times. I really liked this format, although I will concede that not every reader will agree with me.
The story revolves around a small group of residents who have been living in a senior housing neighborhood. Nothing fancy. Just a place they can each call their own. Until the rates on the land they lease start to climb and one by one, their neighbors are forced to leave. That’s when a murder occurs and one of the seniors has to go on the run and her friends are, for the most part, willingly involved.
There seems to be an on-slaught of books with senior citizens in the spotlight. Some of these books are a little insulting to our seniors and some are pretty shallow and seem to want to dwell on the foibles of old age. But, Ms Florio’s book avoids these irritating pitfalls and spins a story that definitely held my attention.
Thank you, Ms Florio, for writing such an entertaining book. Hats off to you. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.
The story is told using a somewhat different approach. The chapters that are relating the story are interspersed with police interviews involving the various characters, at various times. I really liked this format, although I will concede that not every reader will agree with me.
The story revolves around a small group of residents who have been living in a senior housing neighborhood. Nothing fancy. Just a place they can each call their own. Until the rates on the land they lease start to climb and one by one, their neighbors are forced to leave. That’s when a murder occurs and one of the seniors has to go on the run and her friends are, for the most part, willingly involved.
There seems to be an on-slaught of books with senior citizens in the spotlight. Some of these books are a little insulting to our seniors and some are pretty shallow and seem to want to dwell on the foibles of old age. But, Ms Florio’s book avoids these irritating pitfalls and spins a story that definitely held my attention.
Thank you, Ms Florio, for writing such an entertaining book. Hats off to you. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.
March 24, 2025
Setting ⭐⭐⭐
Story/Mystery ⭐⭐⭐⭐
MC ⭐⭐⭐
Side Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Villain ⭐⭐⭐
• A bit of fun, if you don't mind unrealistic stories with some darker elements
• Cosy-ish. Felt more serious and dark than I was expecting, and when compared to other cosy mysteries all of that together didn't feel cosy
• Not a happy ending (didn't leave me feeling happy)
• Retirement village setting - which I usually love, but this one is different. It doesn't feel the same. The reason why is explained and part of the story
• There are 4 main characters, but Glenda and Sugar Plum stole the show. Would love to have seen more of Babs as well. They added a bit of zing
• Police interviews - I absolutely love Police interviews in books. However, the female officer.. cops do not talk like that while conducting interviews, ever (if they do, they definitely shouldn't!)
• The mystery was.. a lot. Still processing all the elements
• Hated the end couple
Story/Mystery ⭐⭐⭐⭐
MC ⭐⭐⭐
Side Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Villain ⭐⭐⭐
• A bit of fun, if you don't mind unrealistic stories with some darker elements
• Cosy-ish. Felt more serious and dark than I was expecting, and when compared to other cosy mysteries all of that together didn't feel cosy
• Not a happy ending (didn't leave me feeling happy)
• Retirement village setting - which I usually love, but this one is different. It doesn't feel the same. The reason why is explained and part of the story
• There are 4 main characters, but Glenda and Sugar Plum stole the show. Would love to have seen more of Babs as well. They added a bit of zing
• Police interviews - I absolutely love Police interviews in books. However, the female officer.. cops do not talk like that while conducting interviews, ever (if they do, they definitely shouldn't!)
• The mystery was.. a lot. Still processing all the elements
• Hated the end couple
May 7, 2025
3.5 stars
I had a fun time reading this book. We follow a group of seniors who are all about to be pushed out of their retirement community, so they host a party at an airbnb as a last hurrah. While they are gone, someone has murdered the resident bird lady, Babs, who has a long history of confrontations with Alice who is on the friend trip. After the group learns of the death, Alice starts acting strange, tossing their phones and telling them they have to leave the area. The friends do eventually learn about Alice's past and the story goes from there.
I liked the mix of narrative with police interviews and news articles. A little mixed media is always fun. The characters were more one note, but that is pretty typical of the cozy mystery genre. Many times, it's more focused on the mystery parts. This book is like a mystery suspense kind of as we are with the characters who are kinda on the run. I thought this was a fun little cozy with a twist that also discusses a bit about anti-war protests in the 70s as well as racism.
Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own :)*
I had a fun time reading this book. We follow a group of seniors who are all about to be pushed out of their retirement community, so they host a party at an airbnb as a last hurrah. While they are gone, someone has murdered the resident bird lady, Babs, who has a long history of confrontations with Alice who is on the friend trip. After the group learns of the death, Alice starts acting strange, tossing their phones and telling them they have to leave the area. The friends do eventually learn about Alice's past and the story goes from there.
I liked the mix of narrative with police interviews and news articles. A little mixed media is always fun. The characters were more one note, but that is pretty typical of the cozy mystery genre. Many times, it's more focused on the mystery parts. This book is like a mystery suspense kind of as we are with the characters who are kinda on the run. I thought this was a fun little cozy with a twist that also discusses a bit about anti-war protests in the 70s as well as racism.
Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own :)*
April 7, 2025
★★☆☆½ rounded up to 3
A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run promises high jinks, hijinks, and hilarity—but delivers more of a lukewarm shuffle through plot points that never fully click. The idea of retirees ditching the quiet life for a rogue adventure sounded like a blast, but the story never really commits to the chaos.
Some moments are genuinely funny, and there’s a warm undercurrent about friendship and freedom in later life—but the pacing is uneven, and the characters felt more like plot devices than people.
There’s potential here, and a few readers might enjoy the gentle rebellion vibe, but for me, it didn’t quite earn its passport to excitement.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 7, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC of this book!
I am loving the senior sleuth trope that has become popular the last few years. This motley crew of detectives brings unique skills to the table to help bail out their friend and pin the crime on the real culprit. The novel alternates between comical police interview transcripts and traditional storytelling which was entertaining.
While I thought the idea was a good one, I thought the characters were a bit cliche and tried a little TOO hard to check off the diversity and inclusion boxes (and I am all about DEI) in a way that seemed forced. Overall, the story was a fun, easy read.
I am loving the senior sleuth trope that has become popular the last few years. This motley crew of detectives brings unique skills to the table to help bail out their friend and pin the crime on the real culprit. The novel alternates between comical police interview transcripts and traditional storytelling which was entertaining.
While I thought the idea was a good one, I thought the characters were a bit cliche and tried a little TOO hard to check off the diversity and inclusion boxes (and I am all about DEI) in a way that seemed forced. Overall, the story was a fun, easy read.
July 14, 2025
It took a while to get the characters laid out, and how they wound up together. When Babs, who was feeding the pigeons , to the consternation of her neighbor, Alice, is found shot on Alice's property- the authorities start to realize this was not a murder of Babs. Alice was the real target. 4 of the seniors, who are getting ready to have to find new homes, because of the new owner of their affordable senior housing. As they start hiding, all because of Alice, the true history and why Alice was the target comes out. With the help of Ben a local news reporter, who smells something fishy, it gets interesting. And the bad guys pay.
March 27, 2025
This is such a fast, fun read.
Alice is enjoying retired living in a planned community, making friends and leading a quiet life. Except for her next-door neighbor, Babs, who insists on feeding pigeons, turning Alice’s backyard into a quagmire of bird-droppings and noisy goings on. Everyone knows about their frequent bickering, so when Babs ends up murdered, Alice is someone the police want to speak with. Except they don’t know where she is. Some of her neighbors seem to also be on the run . . .
I loved the humor and mystery and characters. One neighbor is described: “Glenda would call 9-1-1 over a hangnail.”
This is a breezy romp. Highly recommend.
NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES MAY 6, 2025.
Alice is enjoying retired living in a planned community, making friends and leading a quiet life. Except for her next-door neighbor, Babs, who insists on feeding pigeons, turning Alice’s backyard into a quagmire of bird-droppings and noisy goings on. Everyone knows about their frequent bickering, so when Babs ends up murdered, Alice is someone the police want to speak with. Except they don’t know where she is. Some of her neighbors seem to also be on the run . . .
I loved the humor and mystery and characters. One neighbor is described: “Glenda would call 9-1-1 over a hangnail.”
This is a breezy romp. Highly recommend.
NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES MAY 6, 2025.
April 10, 2025
The book has a lot of strong points. The plot is captivating and there is a great cast of well-developed characters. The pacing is excellent and the story never gets bogged down. I loved the police interrogation scenes and the way they are interspersed with the rest of the story. And some of the writing was very clever. I did have one quibble with the book as I felt several times the author strayed away from the story and onto a soapbox. Nonetheless, this was a great read. Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for the advance reader copy.
May 2, 2025
‘You’re turning into a first-rate criminal.’
Who said life ended at fifty, or sixty, or even into your seventies? It certainly hasn’t for friends Alice, Sasha, George and Mia! When Alice’s past comes to light, her friends, and some helpful allies, band together to prove she’s been framed. The story progresses through real time interspersed with the conspirators being interviewed by two harried officers of the law who are at their wits’ end. It’s hilarious, action packed and with an ending that leaves you wanting a follow up!
Who said life ended at fifty, or sixty, or even into your seventies? It certainly hasn’t for friends Alice, Sasha, George and Mia! When Alice’s past comes to light, her friends, and some helpful allies, band together to prove she’s been framed. The story progresses through real time interspersed with the conspirators being interviewed by two harried officers of the law who are at their wits’ end. It’s hilarious, action packed and with an ending that leaves you wanting a follow up!
May 31, 2025
More of a "cozy thriller" than a mystery, because when they reveal the crime they reveal the perp. A bit of a mishmash of characters and story arcs. Not unenjoyable, but worthy only of faint praise. I did like the characters well enough to stay to the end to see how things turned out. And I did like the ending. But the journey was a bit like driving through farm country, where the only excitement is when the corn is no longer on the right (having been replaced by beans), but is now on the left.
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July 14, 2025Alice Saunders is finally settling into her life of retirement -- if only her neighbor, Babs, would stop feeding the pigeons. When Babs is found dead, Alice panics and finds herself fleeing from the crime scene and her past, along with some other friends from the retirement home. This was a fun premise -- I really enjoyed seeing this group of friends figuring a way out of this situation while also uncovering Alice’s past. It was interesting to see their plans of escape play out and the interview sessions with the police. Overall, this was a lighthearted, cozy read.
May 18, 2025
I DNF’d this book at 40%. This book was being promoted by comparing it to The Thursday Murder Club. That set the standard high for me and is probably why I was so disappointed in this book. I didn’t find this in anyway comparable other than the senior sleuth component. The characters are never fully developed. The relationships between the characters are also not fully flushed out. The mystery wasn’t particularly intriguing. I was just bored and ultimately found this book not worth my time.
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May 28, 2025I didn't make it far in this book. I did not enjoy the writing style at all and could not connect to any character. I really wanted to like this book from the synopsis, but unfortunately, it wasn't for me. Thank you, NetGalley and Severn House, for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.
June 12, 2025
Fun premise with a woman on the FBI's most wanted list found because of a dispute with her neighbor in a retirement community who feeds pigeons. And we all know what kind of a mess they make. Anyway, Alice and her friends end up trying to evade law enforcement and keep her alive. Mia, Sasha, and George all play a part in figuring out what is going on and what to do. A quick and light read.
April 14, 2025
Overall, I like the story and the way it alternates between narrative and police interviews. But the characters never quite felt fully developed. They were just two dimensional, more like plot devices than people that I actually cared about.
July 2, 2025
I was hoping for a little more humor in the book , but I especially liked the ending of each chapter with the police interrorgations. Alice is in hiding from the FBI due to a bombing in the 60's. She is living in a senior complex in NJ and has made several good friends.
December 16, 2025
Ok so I didnt expect to enjoy this like I did
The characters were interesting
The story was fun
Short chapters
Fast Paced
And will definitely look for more by this author
thanks netgalley and the publisher for this arc
that I am extremely late reviewing
The characters were interesting
The story was fun
Short chapters
Fast Paced
And will definitely look for more by this author
thanks netgalley and the publisher for this arc
that I am extremely late reviewing
June 28, 2025
2.5 stars
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