Troubled Water: An Aging Ain't for Wimps Mystery

Aging Ain't for Wimps Mysteries

by Kassandra Lamb

What does it say about you when your coming-of-age story begins at seventy-one?
Amy Bridges Parker asks herself that question as she resists her domineering sister’s attempts to take over where her subtly controlling and recently deceased husband left off.

Then her sister Clara turns up dead! And a young man claiming to be the grandson of Amy’s first husband—the one who died in Vietnam fifty-two years ago—gives the sheriff a prime suspect. The boy had a grudge and must have gone after the wrong sister.

Amy isn’t convinced. She can’t really explain why, but she likes the young man. And she knows better than most that her sister, a mean girl back in high school, had plenty of old enemies. But who hated Clara enough to actually kill her? Or did the killer get the wrong sister after all?

Genres: Cozy Mystery

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2026

About the author

Psychology and writing (or writing and psychology) have always vied for the number one spot on my list of greatest passions. I am now a retired psychotherapist and can afford to spend as much time as I want on my writing.

I am in Heaven! (Well, actually I live in Florida now.)

Some people have asked me if my protagonist, psychotherapist Kate Huntington, is me. I wish! She's much more consistently kind and compassionate than I am.

I was raised in Maryland and lived there most of my adult life. In addition to my psychotherapy practice, I also taught at Towson University for a decade. It was my favorite job of my entire lifetime, so I decided to base my first series, the Kate Huntington mysteries, in Towson, Maryland (10 novels, 4 novellas). My second series, about a service dog trainer, is set in central Florida near where I live now, the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries (13 books).

I also now have a series of police procedurals out, The C.o.P. on the Scene Mysteries (6 books and counting), and I'm starting a new cozy series, The Aging Ain't for Wimps Mysteries.

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the death of her husband, Amy Parker has to face the task of going through his things and all the paperwork involved. Fortunately, her adult son returns home to lend a helping hand. Unfortunately, so does her sister, Clara. Amy and Clara never got along very well. Amy is in no mood to be dealing with Clara.

Clara is found dead in a bizarre accident, which turns out to not be an accident at all. Then, someone shows up saying his grandfather was Amy’s first husband. Could he have killed Clara thinking she was Amy?

Amy is suspicious about all of it. Clara had many of her own enemies. Back in high school she was known as a mean girl, but that was so long ago. Could someone really hold a grudge for so many years?

Amy decides to do some investigating on her own. It is especially concerning when the sheriff keeps asking her if she killed her sister.

This is the first in a new series and I think it got off to a great start. I liked Amy right away. I’m looking forward to more books as the author continues to develop these characters.

I found this to be a page-turner. I couldn’t put it down until I found out “whodunit” and I was completely surprised at who the culprit turned out to be. I do love surprises.

I’ll definitely be looking for the next book.




Disclosure: I borrowed this one from the Kobo Plus library . I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Dwayne Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Amy Bridges Parker. A recently widowed woman. Her domineering sister is murdered. Amy wonders who hated her sister enough to kill her? Or was the wrong sister killed? A well written mystery that will leave you wanting more.

[Julie Ditton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kassandra Lamb has created fantastic new senior sleuth cozy mystery series. But Troubled Water is actually a coming of age story. The author is a retired psychotherapist and fills the story with insights into human nature that are usually missing from a cozy. Recently widowed Amy Parker, wonders why she hasn't shed a tear. Instead, while she is busy planning a funeral, she is also making small changes in her life. Amy realizes that her husband had been domineering, and she had always " gone along to get along". When her trouble making sister shows up uninvited and is murdered the next day, she examines her resentment along with the clues to the murder. The inclusion of all these insights into Amy's relationships create a well rounded character. Watching her growth as she comes into her own is as satisfying as the murder mystery.

With three other series to her name, the author is well practiced in the art of mixing clues and red herrings. The clues were there for the reader, but with plenty of suspects, I came to the wrong conclusion. Since I read so many mysteries, that doesn't happen often.

I received an advance copy of this book for inclusion on a Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. But I loved this book and the new to me author is now on my reading list. I recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy mysteries, but especially to older readers who enjoy senior sleuths.

This review was featured on August 16th on my Storybook Lady book blog. Storybooklady.net book blog as part of a blog tour.

[Katreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

TROUBLED WATER by Kassandra Lamb
The First Aging Ain't for Wimps Mystery

Amy Parker's seventy-first birthday was off to a good start. Her husband, Charles, had given her a new dishwasher and was going to prepare her a steak dinner, even though she would have preferred shrimp. Unfortunately, her birthday dinner never happened as Charles never woke up from his nap. While his death was bad enough, even worse was the arrival of her bossy older sister, Clara, laden down with baggage and her cat! Before Amy could wring Clara's neck she found her dead body. And this time, it wasn't natural causes. Not too many people would shed a tear over Clara's death, but who would actually want to kill her? With two funerals to plan, an unexpected visitor who could change everything she thought about the past, and someone trying to kill her, Amy's seventy-first year is off to one heck of a start!

TROUBLED WATER looks at relationships and perceptions.Sometimes it's just easier to give in, to avoid the argument, make the loved one happy, and keep the peace, but as Amy Parker turns seventy one she begins to realize just how controlling her husband and sister were. She also realizes she's free to do exactly what she wants now, including having shrimp for dinner.

I really enjoyed the first Aging Ain't for Wimps Mystery. I really like Amy, despite her not being a cat person. I found all of the characters engaging, the mystery intriguing, and the themes important. There were plenty of surprises and I appreciated the balance between dealing with all of the changes in her life and considering a murder. For at first Amy wasn't investigating, until the killer set their eyes on her. I love how she brought Brent into her search for the truth and I appreciate their relationship. Even when they disagreed, they had each other's back. Of course, I love Misty.

Smart and funny with important subtext TROUBLED WATER provides an entertaining start to a new mystery series.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Troubled Water, the first book in the new Aging Ain’t for Wimps mystery series by Kassandra Lamb. It centers around Amy, a 71 year old Floridian, who loses her husband and sister within days of each other. Though her husband dies of natural causes, it seems her sister has been murdered. The police seem to believe a man claiming to be the grandson of her first husband is the murderer, but Amy doesn’t agree.

This book is a solid start to what I think will be a fun cozy-mystery series. I liked Amy, her son, and the sheriff and thought they were well-developed. I really like my cozy mysteries to have quirky characters, so I’m hoping that they’ll come along. I liked that Amy was able to see that she could be an independent woman and make changes that her husband seemed resistant to. I also liked that the author showed that a widow can be in mourning while still remembering things about her spouse that drove her crazy. She loved him, but let’s face it; no marriage is perfect, and it was perfectly fine for her to be both sad and wanting to make changes at the same time.

The mystery is well-plotted, and I liked following the clues with Amy. There are definitely a lot of people who could have wanted Amy’s sister dead. She was a mean girl in high school and made a lot of enemies. I suspected who the murderer was, but I wasn’t sure until close to the end. I think that cozy mystery lovers will enjoy this book, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

[Cathy Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all Kassandra Lamb's books and this one is a great start to a new series. Amy begins her 71st birthday happy with her present--a new dishwasher--looking forward to a lovely dinner with her husband but he takes a nap and doesn't wake up. That's only the beginning of the bad times coming. Her sister who comes to visit has an accident that turns out to be murder, an unknown surprising family secret is revealed, her car is tampered with causing a bad wreck. Amy starts asking around town trying to find out what is going on which leads to unexpected answers and danger. All of these things have her looking back over her life and realizing things she didn't see before, didn't know about herself and others.. and there's the cat Nuisance, the guard cat Amy didn't want. I recieved an ARC and this is my voluntary review.

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was delighted reading this book. The mystery is solid and intriguing. I really couldn't put it down. The characters include family, friends and police. Amy, our heroine, is on her own for the first time in her life and discovering the freedoms that come with that. I could feel those discoveries right along with her and I was cheering her on through the whole book. The story includes a lot of those little things that exist in family relationships. Mothers and sons, sisters and husband and wife. Kassandra is so good at capturing the emotions that exist in each moment. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Jack Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was fun! I’ve just finished reading an advanced reader copy of Kassandra Lamb’s new book, Troubled Water, the first in her new Aging Ain’t For Wimps series of cozy mysteries. It is a compelling, hard-to-put-down story, filled with engaging characters. Rattling along at a good pace, it has twists a-plenty, sparks of humour despite the dark subject-matter and… Well, I can’t really say much more without giving away something I hadn’t ought to. Except that, if you enjoy cozy mysteries, then dive in – you’ll love this one.

[Marie Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new series is great. It’s nice to have the main character be from my generation. She’s adjusting to a new stage of her life which many in my generation have done. Unlike most of us she has a murder to deal with. Her relationship with her son evolves over the story. This is a departure from Kassandra Lamb’s current series of C.o.P., but it’s definitely worth your time reading.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully reflective cozy mystery with a strong, believable senior sleuth. Amy’s emotional journey, layered small‑town grudges, and balanced suspense make this a compelling read. Clean, character‑driven, and satisfying.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three cheers for catching the first of a delightful cozy mystery series! I read this just over two days, falling right into the story from the opening and not wanting to put it down until it ended. I do love a seasoned sleuth, and Amy is a thoughtful and brave character. The story has layers that are woven together artfully and all will be made clear at the end – even though this reader didn’t figure it out ahead of time! The pacing carries readers through, and I enjoyed Amy and her adult son work together in parts to solve several of the mysteries that added up in this story. An enjoyable small town mystery with characters you can root for! Plus a feline characters that made me smile.