Lottie Jones has spent decades hiding in plain sight. Quiet nights, church bingo, and neighborhood gossip keeping her dark past firmly buried. Once a notorious serial killer, she’s reinvented herself as just another sweet old lady in a sleepy town. But when a persistent journalist shows up asking questions that hit too close to home, Lottie realizes her secrets aren’t as safe as she thought. Now, with her past threatening to catch up to her, Lottie’s left with only one option: do what she’s always done best. But murder’s a young woman’s game and this time she’s might just be ‘Too Old’ to keep it all together.

This might be a me problem. Maybe I’ve read too many serial killer thrillers and horror stories to be truly shocked by anything anymore. Maybe I’m just tired. But while I liked this book, I didn’t love it the way I wanted to.

Let me be clear: I liked the story. I liked Lottie. In fact, I loved Lottie. She’s a snarky, take-no-prisoners force of nature, and her voice is what carried this book for me. I love old people behaving badly, it’s literally my favorite. More of that, please. I’d honestly be thrilled to see her in another book or series.

The premise was fun, the pacing was solid, and the writing had that signature Samantha Downing bite. But something was just missing for me. I never felt fully immersed. I wasn’t consumed or left speechless, and for me, that keeps it in the 3.5 to 4-star zone rather than a full 5.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. It’s clever, different, and has a memorable lead. Was it interesting? Yep. Did it blow me away? Not quite.
This was my first Samantha Downing book and I’ll be sure to check out more!

AMAZON | GOODREADS | Bookshop | ★★★.5

Too Old For This comes out August 12, 2025. Huge thank you to Berkley for my copy in exchange for my honest opinion.  If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books