Too Old for This by Samantha Downing 
Published by Berkley on August 12, 2025
Genres: Crime Drama
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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A retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left—what’s another murder? From bestselling author Samantha Downing.
Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.
Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends.
When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.
But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her…
I loved it so much I am concerned about my mental health.
One might argue that Plum Dixon brought her death upon herself. As the producer of Reboot Productions, Plum wants to give someone like Lorena Mae Lansdale who was wrongly accused of murder–so much so that the city paid reparation for the persecution suffered by Lottie and her son–a chance to clear her name.
While Lorena (now going by) Lottie Jones can appreciate the enthusiasm and hard work of this lovely young woman, she also knows that she literally got away with murder and doesn’t want the spotlight shining on her and especially the new anonymous life that she has been living for the last 40 years
It’s been years since Lottie has retired. Murder was just becoming too much work. Now at the advanced age of 75, Lottie needs to brush off her serial killer skills to get rid of the body of the now deceased young Plum Dixon.
And now her quiet house on her quiet street has a revolving door for Plum’s boyfriend, her mother and of course the police. While Lottie is certain she covered her trail well, there is always some young cop who is certain they can dig out the truth, just like Detective Burke tried back in the 80’s. He was certain that Lorena was his killer but he just couldn’t find the evidence and Lorena was way to smart to confess. This is why she and Archie had to move from Spokane to the quiet town of Baycliff and assume new names.
Before Plum came knocking on her door Lottie was content at this point in her life to just fantasize about how she would kill Glenda, the annoying bingo coordinator who was always judging Lottie’s pot luck contributions as not good enough, or maybe how she would get rid of the rude telemarketer.
Nowadays, Lottie just wants to sit in her aging recliner or hang with her friends at Thursday bingo so Plum really has no one to blame but herself for dragging Lottie out of her retirement.
THOUGHTS:
I like Lottie so much I was left with a dilemma–do I want her to get away with it and return to her quiet retirement or should she face justice?
Everything that happens really was Plum’s fault. Does she really think, especially tracking someone down who had to move away and changed their name, that that someone would be happy to re-open an old wound such as being accused of murder and having their face splashed on the news once again–especially if it turns out she got away with it? And everything that happens afterwards is all Plum’s fault, well mostly. You know what I mean.
We don’t just have murder and hiding bodies to contend with. Lottie has bingo nights and what will she be bringing to pot luck and gossiping with her friends. As an aging serial killer, she needs to contemplate living alone and is it time to find an assisted living facility and her son’s upcoming second marriage/late in life baby/midlife crisis. All while trying to figure out the best disposal of a body. And speaking of bodies–at 75, her hip is going and all these late nights having to stalk her victims is exhausting for the older crowd. This is why she retired in the first place.
Lottie also uses her age wisely–pretending to be a lot more feeble than she really is both mentally and physically. She plays the cops off against everyone else looking for Plum. Telling them one thing and then swearing that never happened, they are obviously lying to get some information. I really wasn’t sure whether or not she could really pull this off — or even did I really want them to catch her. Such a dilemma!
I had no idea what to anticipate with this story but I was sucked in. I just loved Lottie and how well she handles growing older, all while still making sure all the bodies don’t lead to her door.
Too Old for This comes out in August so make sure you put it on your list for this year’s beach reading.
Favorite Scene:
But I’m not out of the woods yet. The lull has been dragging on a bit, helped by Cole, and now it’s coming to an end.
More than once, the lull drew me in and made me relax. A siren song of complacency. This time, I am prepared.
The knock at the door doesn’t surprise me.
Two detectives stand on my porch. One is a young woman in a navy suit and cheap shoes. Brown eyes, brown hair, neutral makeup. The other is a man who looks around forty. He’s wearing a sports coat, slacks, and a pair of dull shoes.
I bet he cruises through life with those dark eyes, though. They’re big and expressive, and he can’t hide his surprise at seeing me.
I’m wearing an old nightgown. The pink and purple flowers have faded into the same color, and my spindly legs stick out beneath it. So many blue veins. My grey hair is tucked into a bun, and a few wiry hairs stick out on the sides. I’m wearing a huge pair of glasses. My eyes are magnified behind them.
The man steps forward and holds up his badge. “I apologize for dropping by unannounced, but are you Mrs Jones? Lottie Jones?”
It’s wrong to call me Mrs., since I’ve never been married. As always, I let it slide. “Yes, that’s right.”
“I’m Detective Rey Tula,” he says. “This is Detective Kelsie Harlow. We’re from the Salem Police Department. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions about Plum Dixon?”
About time. I’ve been wearing this outfit for two days.
“Of course, come in. Cole told me he spoke to you and that you might be coming by.” I scoot backward in my walker, then turn around and head left, leading them into the formal sitting room. “Please, have a seat. Let me get you some coffee. Or I have tea.”
“Don’t go to any trouble,” Tula says. “We only have a few questions.”
He sits in one of the velvet chairs. It looks too small for him. His partner perches herself on the other, her back straight as a dancer’s. She tells me to call her Kelsie, which seems a bit informal, but I do it anyway.
The walker doesn’t fit between the couch and the coffee table, so it takes me a minute to get settled on the couch. They wait until I’m ready.
“Do you remember Plum Dixon coming by to talk to you?” Tula says.
“Yes, I do. I think it was last week…No, it was the week before. I want to say Monday.”
“But you aren’t sure?”
“I’d have to check my calendar to be positive, but Monday sounds right.”
Kelsie looks over at Tula. They exchange a glance.
“Why did Plum come to see you?” he asks.
“To discuss some kind of docushow she’d making. She wanted to interview me about things that happened about forty years ago, long before either of you were born.”
Both laugh. Neither one asks a follow-up question. Maybe they’ve already convinced themselves that Cole is guilty, the same way Detective Burke had been convinced about me.
“Is that the only thing you discussed?” Tula says. “Her docuseries?”
I find myself staring out the window behind them, at their unmarked car parked in front of the house. My eyes glaze over from the sun.
“Mrs. Jones?” Kelsie says.
“Yes, sorry. What was the question?”
“Did you talk about anything else with Plum?”
“No, that was all. We had some tea and cookies and talked for a bit. Then she left.”
“What time was that?”
“I know she came by at eight o’clock, because a new show was starting on TV, right at the top of the hour. I served Plum some tea and we talked for a bit, and by the time she left and I got back to the TV, a whole new show was already on. She definitely was here for over an hour. I’d say Plum left between nine and nine fifteen.” I smile and nod, acting pleased with my recall skills. “Then I sat down and watched a little more TV, followed by the news, because I always watch that to see the weather. I went to bed and read for a bit before falling asleep.”
“Mrs. Jones,” Kelsie’s voice is softer now, the gentle tone used for children. “Did Plum mention where she was going after leaving your house?”
“I think she said she was leaving town, but she didn’t say where.”
“And how did you hear she was missing?”
“It was the young man, Joel. No sorry. I mean Cole. He called and said he was worried about Plum because he hadn’t heard from her. Then he stopped by…I don’t know, a day later? Two days, maybe. And now here you are. Are you sure you don’t want something to drink?”
“We’re fine, thank you,” Tula says. “Did you know who Cole was before he called? Did Plum mention him at all?”
I scrunch up my face, trying to think. “Noooo…I don’t remember her bringing anyone up. She talked about the docushow.”
“So Plum didn’t mention her–“
“Wait. I just remembered something else,” I say. “Her earrings.”
“Her earrings?”
“Yes, she was wearing pearl earrings. Plain, simple studs. You never see those anymore, especially not on someone as young as Plum. You see, we were in the kitchen drinking tea, and she reached down to get something out of her bag. Her hair swung forward, she pushed it behind her ear, and that’s when I asked about the pearls,” I say. “When she turned to answer me, I saw the bruise.”
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