Murder on the Bucket List

A Bucket List Mystery #1

by Elizabeth Perona

The septuagenarian women of the Summer Ridge Bridge Club have gathered in secret late one July night to check skinny dipping off their bucket list. But as Francine observes, the jittery members seem more obsessed with body issues and elaborate preparations than actually stripping down and getting in the pool. A pungent smell emanating from the pool shed provides a perfect distraction. When a dead body flops out, it's an answered prayer for Charlotte, since the first item on her list is to solve a murder.

Unfortunately for Charlotte and Francine, before they can discover who really killed the man, they must negotiate neighborhood tours of the crime scene, press coverage of their skinny dipping, an angry Homeowner's Association, a disastrous appearance on Good Morning America, media offers sought by a hungry publicist, and a clever killer.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Cozy, Mystery Thriller

301 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2015

About the author

Elizabeth Perona is the father/daughter writing team of Liz Dombrosky and Tony Perona. Tony is the author of the Nick Bertetto mystery series (3 books) and editor and contributor to several anthologies. His day job used to be in town management, but he has been retired now for a couple of years. Liz has a degree in teaching from Ball State University. She is currently a stay-at-home mom and part-time administrator at her church. Together, she and her dad write the Bucket List mystery series of novels and short stories. They are both members of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

Reviews

[Sally906 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth Perona is the father/daughter writing team of Tony Perona and Liz Dombrosky and as a team this is their debut novel.

Five close friends created bucket lists when they turned 60 and never really did anything with them. Now they are in their 70s they realise that they may be running out of time and maybe they should get a wiggle on and complete the list. First up is skinny dipping! Alice has a pool in the garden, with the lights out is dark and secluded and in July it is warm enough to strip off down to their wrinkled birthday suits and not be seen, or catch cold! As they pluck up courage to get in they smell a bad odour coming from the garden shed and discover the body of the mechanic of a local celebrity driver. With the arrival of the police and the neighbours the skinny dipping idea comes to a rapid end. But the notion of these elderly ladies doing something so daring takes America by storm and everyone wants to talk to them. Still when one door closes, another opens and two more items on various bucket lists can be potentially ticked off – Joy’s desire for publicity and Charlotte’s desire to solve a mystery.

The first chapter was a bit overwhelming as the story was being set up and the characters introduced – but once the body was found it settled down and I was able to keep track. On top of this the authors did a great job in reminding me of the connections and who was who. Francine is the main focus and the story is told by following her actions and listening to her interacting with the different characters getting their feel for what is going on. While the story follows the investigation by the old ladies there is also lots of fun as they are thrust into the limelight because Joy needs to be in the public eye. At one stage a live breakfast show interview is set up and I just about bust a gut laughing at how that ended up. I didn’t figure out who the murderer was at all – but when the reveal came it all made utter sense and I kicked myself for missing it.

Overall it was a fun read. The ladies were wacky, and not afraid to deal with age, the authors didn’t get tempted to make them anything other than little old ladies who are not going to give up on life without a fight. I am not a fan of car racing but the focus was on someone who was in the car racing industry rather than the industry itself, so in that sense it was good and my eyes didn’t glaze over at the mention of anything mechanical.

With thanks to Midnight Ink and the author via Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francine and her friends are working hard at crossing off the items on their bucket lists. Last one night while meeting at Alice’s pool to go skinny dipping, they find a dead body instead. Charlene is thrilled since solving a murder is the top item on her list. But can the friends do it?

I picked up this book because the characters, all in their 70’s, sounded like fun. Boy was I right! They are a hoot, and I was smiling as I enjoyed the entire story. The number of characters is a little overwhelming at first, but I was quickly able to sort them all out. The plot is strong with some nice revelations and twists before the end. I can’t wait to meet this feisty group of ladies again.

NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an early copy of this book. The author is actually a father/daughter writing team. I wasn't that crazy about it. Some parts were fun - the ladies making bucket lists and wanting to cross off items. It was nice to see older women featured as the heroines. But the characterizations didn't work very well. And it doesn't seem at all likely that a responsible police officer would let a group of septuagenerians interfere in a homicide investigation. The reason the authors came up with were pretty thin.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in "A Bucket List Mystery". I read the second book first, so went back and read this one. I am glad I did. The group of ladies from the bridge club all have bucket lists with 60 things. The one they are fulfilling in this book is "skinny dipping". Unfortunately, they all seem to have excuses and stall about dropping their robes and jumping in Alice's pool. When Mary Ruth, a caterer, smells something rotten, they open the shed door and out topples a body. Charlotte, another of the group, thinks that this will give her opportunity to cross off her number one, which is to solve a mystery. Joy, who wants to be on the front page of the newspaper, also sees this as an opportunity and actually hires a PR person. Francine, the last member of the group, seems to be the only one who does not have something on her list associated with the crime and is the most level headed of the group. As the story progresses and the ladies end up on Good Morning America, the crime unfolds and the humour continues. Car racing, hidden rooms, hidden camera and off shore bank accounts all add to the mystery.

I really like the relationships between these ladies. They support each other, tease one another, help when help is needed and keep each other on their toes. They are true friends that respect one another. A good read for cozy mystery lovers.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very funny cozy mystery story!

We started out with the Bridge Club, five senior ladies getting together at Alice's pool to go skinny dipping. The ladies are all over 70 years old. They have all made Bucket Lists and all of them had skinny dippy on their lists.

The ladies are Francine, Charlotte, Joy, Alice, and Mary Ruth. They all live in the same sub division not far from each other.

At their skinny dippy party, they find a dead body of someone they kind of know from the racing crowd that they have in their town.

Charlotte reads many mystery novels, so she feels that her and her best friend Francine can solve this crime! Also solving a mystery is also on her bucket list!

They both get into many difficult situations and some are funny.

This was a good book with many great twists and turns to keep my interest to the end!

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love my cozies and am always looking for a new series and author.

This one was such a blast.

I loved these ladies and it was double fun because these characters are on the other side of 60 and 70 years old.

You wouldn’t know by the shenanigans they got into. Especially the skinny dipping. A few of them were all for getting it checked off their bucket lists. But a few were afraid to drop their robes and expose those bodies to view. They might all be good friends, but some things should remain unseen. It was funny how some hemmed and hawed and just plain stalled the disrobing.

I think several of them issued huge sighs of relief when, while checking the pool shed for chemicals, the door was opened and out plopped a dead guy.

Hey, that’s one that needs to be checked off a bucket list too. Solve a murder.

Whether they like it or not, all of the ladies are involved in this mess and the fun begins as they poke their little noses where they don’t belong.

I was reading the scene about the crime scene tour to my mother and we got the giggles. I’d try to read more, glance over at her, and we’d bust out laughing again. A whole lot of laughs in this book.

I felt like I knew these ladies. My mother and her friends are so much like them. I can only hope I’m that spry, determined, and nosy when I get their age.

More than one mystery here, lots of colorful, quirky characters, and a few things thrown in to spice it up, Murder On The Bucket List has everything I require in a fun cozy.

I’ll be following these ladies through this series. I wonder what mess they’ll stumble into next.

I received this book for my honest review.

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Add this debut in a new series to your TBR list now. The five women sleuths in their 60's and 70's play bridge together and are working on their individual Bucket Lists that were started when the oldest member turned 60. Tonight's agenda starts with skinny dipping and ends with the discovery of a dead man who has been murdered. With both items on their Bucket Lists the ladies are involved up to their necks and can't stay out trouble with both the police and the media. Francine is the sensible one who holds everything together, Charlotte is the detecting one, Joy is the media hog, Mary Ruth is the one still working as a caterer and Alice is the oldest and whose home the dead body has been dumped in. The characters are wonderful and wacky; as well as being so very human. The background and setting is well done. The murder and surrounding mystery are well plotted, page turning and complex with many surprises. I like how the older sleuths are presented, their thoughts and actions mirror so many aspects of life as we all know it. The background involves the world of NASCAR and midget car racing which plays critical roles in the murder. I really enjoyed this book and am anxious to see where the ladies go from this. I hope the next book gets here quickly and recommend this series as a must try now!

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the book opens I couldn’t keep from laughing as these elderly ladies decide to go skinny-dipping. It was on one of the participants bucket list, it is late, and dark, so what could go wrong. Lots! Now I might put skinning dipping on a bucket list, but I wouldn’t even consider putting solving a murder on it. Of course, one of this girls/women have it on hers, so of course a body is found, and that is what our adventure is about with these Dear Hearts, someone’s Grandmother.
Can you picture tours of the death scene yard, yup, and more than a few chuckles. These girls get a lot more than they planned, and yet in the end they are ready for more. What a fun read, and I cannot wait for the next book in this series.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Midnight Ink, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Sallee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful read. A group of older women in their late 60's and early 70's, having been friends for a long time are working on crossing things off their bucket lists. One was skinny dipping. They are gathered at friend Alice's backyard pool, naked except for robes ready to do the deed when a peculiar odor captures their attention. It was coming from the pool shed so they decided to investigate and when the door was opened, a body pops out. The story goes from there in a humorous comedy as the ladies investigate and help one member of the group cross off "solve a murder" from her bucket list. A fun read!

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic cozy mystery! The story involved a group of women in their older years but just because you are older doesn't mean you gotta lay down and watch life go by. They all have a list of things they would like to do. Included is skinny dipping! While going skinny dipping they sniff out a murder and have to solve it so they can clear their friends husband of the crime. These ladies are full of spunk and fun!

Full disclosure: I did receive an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.

[seven soreno]

I've finally decided to dnf this book after almost 3 years of trying to read it (yes, 3 years). It's not a bad book, it has its funny moments but I can never bring myself to sit down and finish it. I stopped on page 121 and just never cared to find out who the murderer is.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five friends of the Summer Ridge Bridge Club, all over 70, are working on their Sixty at Sixty bucket lists. Having been working on them for twelve years since the oldest member turned 60, most of the easy goals had been crossed off the lists. Tonight's goal of skinny dipping was interrupted by the need for chlorine in the pool and a stinky dead body that fell out of the tool shed where the chlorine is stored. Not all is lost, however! Solving a murder (on Charlotte's list) and getting front page recognition on a major Metropolitan newspaper (#6 on Joy's list) are just a couple that are waiting to be completed.
Funny book with spunky ladies made this a delightful read. So many chuckles later, and I am still thinking about all of the happenings. Nice to read about such intelligent ladies who aren't staying home playing it safe. Instead they are living life to it's fullest and improving the mental attitudes of readers all over the globe.
First in a series, I am looking forward to many more adventures with this lovely group of friends.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Summer Ridge Bridge Club meets at Alice's pool on a July night to take skinny dipping off of their bucket list. Only Francine made it in the pool before Mary Ruth finds a dead body in the pool shed. The next thing they know the police are there along with the neighbors and the media and the next day their pictures are splattered on the front page as the skinny-dipping grannies. They decided to do a little investigating themselves hoping if the killer is caught then everything will go back to normal. And another reason is solving a murder is on Charlotte's bucket list. Joy takes this murder as an opportunity to get on TV as a reporter and pushes every media button she can find including getting the ladies on local TV as well as national. While Joy does her media thing the others start looking for clues and reasons for the murder. I enjoyed this book. It was very funny in spots and the mystery was interesting along with a surpirse killer. I thought it got wordy at times and seem to move at a slow pace but still enjoyable

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn’t care a whole lot for this book but I think it might’ve been because I felt like there were other books by the author that I didn’t read. Granted you didn’t have to read those books to understand what was going on in this one but it seem to me that they were other series That if I would have read them first then I might have appreciated this book more. The way it was, I finished the book just because I wanted to know the ending. Frankly I will say that I didn’t guess who the perpetrator was and it was kind of a surprise. Anyway it was well written for the most part and the plot was really good. I’m just really not sure if I would read another one in the series or not. I appreciated the fact that it was a clean book without a whole lot of gory details or a whole lot of sex scenes. In general I think it was a good book but not necessarily one of my favorites

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this cozy mystery about four friends who each created 60 bucket list items at 60 years old. They have been working at their lists for a decade, and the night that the friends were to go skinny dipping, a dead body of a well known race car mechanic is discovered in the pool shed. The story takes place in Indiana in a town near Indianapolis. Car racing - drivers, mechanics and sponsors are prominent. Midget cars vs NASCAR etc. and some explanations of types of cars, type of races, 'legal cheating' explained. Interesting...

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, full length frolic into the adventures of five women attempting to complete their bucket lists, and the ensuing chaos. It all begins when they try skinny dipping and discover a body in the process. The chaos evolves from there.
I must admit, the clues were very confusing, and I don’t think I figured out who dunnit until Francine did. I also learned a little bit more about vehicle racing than I did before as well. Very interesting, and I look forward to more adventures in the quest to complete their bucket lists.

[Darel Krieger · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book this was. A group of senior ladies get themselves involved in a hometown murder and then two. The leaders of this group then decide to figure out the killer or killers with or without the help of the police. This was set in the area I currently live in and that made it all the more special. But the icing on the cake was that I was one of the people in the acknowledgments section if the book! A good fun read.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder on the Bucket List: Bucket List Mystery Series Book #1, my first read from author Elizabeth Perona and the first in her Bucket List Mysteries. An enjoyable read. “I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I'll definitely be reading more from this author and in this series. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so-so. I solved the mystery fairly early but the most disappointing part of the book was the women themselves. I was hoping for some fun female companionship with women in their old age but instead half the book they spent cutting each other down. I don't think it's too much to ask to have genuine female friendships, IMO.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your typical sleuths

Take a bunch of septuagenarians, add in a dead body or two not one of theirs), and you have a great cozy mystery. Checking off items on their bucket lists as they go, the ladies solve a murder involving midget racing and decptions all around. Well done, looking forward to the next in the series.

[Adam Dunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good premise but annoying execution.
I was expecting more sassy grannies and less NASCAR racing. All the characters melted together and had the same personality. Scenes that could have been funny weren't.
It's hard trying to find a good cozy mystery series, and books like this make me want to stop trying.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was about a group of friends, but they were not enjoyable characters. Two of them were supposedly closest to two of the others, but they were pushy and annoying, and not very 'friend like'.
It was annoying, and I found myself skimming, just to see 'whodunnit'.

I don't think I will bother with more of the series.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun cozy mystery about seniors who stumble across a dead body while crossing an item (skinny dipping!!!) off the bucket list of one of their group. Mystery was nicely written and kept me guessing along with the senior sleuths! A+

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

These girls are the BEST😊! I laughed so hard I snorted then I laughed about that! 😁 I had some of the story figured out but I still finished it. I am going to buy the remaining books just to see what these girls get up to although a couple of them bugged me something fierce😉.

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cosy mystery style book where the gimmick is that the crime solvers are a group of ladies in their 70s. It was okay but felt like it could have been edited to a shorter novel and I didn't feel invested enough in the characters to want to read a sequel.

[Janet York · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hysterically funny and a great murder plot. The bucket list ladies are as much fun as Stephanie Plum and as smart as Miss Marple. And throwing in the competitive world of racing went straight to one of my passions passed on by my father. I’m adding the rest of this series to my bucket list!

[Anne-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun cozy mystery! A bunch of senior ladies checking off their bucket lists discover dead bodies, follow leads and fight off killers. I got such a kick out of them! Looking forward to reading more of the series.

[Carey Michels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun cozy mystery that takes place close to home (for me)!

I was laughing throughout. Skinny dipping grannies who decide to solve a murder, race cars, and nosy neighbors. Definitely a good little read.

[Shoshana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excllent for those who enjoy racing mysteries. Many groups of 60+ girlfriends are reflected in these characters.