Too Old for This - Review

Author: Samantha Downing

Genre: Thriller

Format: Hardback

Pages: 395

This is my second book by Samanatha Downing, and I can now say without a doubt that I am a fan. Now, stay with me on this. What I love about Downing's stories (at least the two I've read) is that they're messy. Not the actual book or story, but they're messy in the way that life is messy. Because the best laid plans are never perfect. And sometimes good people get convicted of bad things for being at the wrong place at exactly the right time.

So when I jumped into Too Old For This, I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of what I was in for. A thousand twists and turns, some witty dialogues, and just enough real life sprinkled in to make this whole story completely believable. It's not that, too many variables, too many perfect coincidences, but none of that matters. Because I wasn't here for real life. I was here for a wild ride.

And, Downing delivered!

Now, some easy facts about this book. Yes, serial killers get away with it. Many years ago, when I was studying criminal justice, the statistic was something like on average there are 67 active across North America. So yes, someone like Lottie could exist. Someone who has gotten too old and can no longer kill. 

Sidebar: if you really want to fall down a rabbit hole. Google the ones that don't stop and then get caught when they're Lottie's age. There are a couple that will keep you up at night.

So, Downing has the plausible character of a 'retired' serial killer. Everything else after that is what makes this book cold. Would half this stuff work in real life, it would not, but it was so cool. And the idea that Lottie is the one pulling on the strings is even better. This isn't some young buck cleaning up their mess as they sort out their nasty desire for murder. This is a retired bank teller who doesn't want to be a serial killer anymore because she's tired, her bones hurt, and she'd honestly rather be playing BINGO.

But we rarely get what we want. 

Another one of the aspects of this book I thoroughly enjoyed was just Lottie herself and how Downing used her voice. She is a sharp-tongued old gal, though she says a lot of silent parts to herself, so thank goodness this was a first-person point of view. I also liked that she wasn't perfect. While she had her method down cold back when she was an active serial killer, she mentions many times that the time she was killing helped her get away with it.

There were no smartphones, CCTV, or tracking apps, and none of that even touches where forensic science was back then. So she makes mistakes throughout this whole book. Little things that cause her to have to pivot her plans, but it's not just her mistakes. A handful of times, other people surprise her because that's the wonderfully horrid thing about us. We rarely tend to do what others think we're going to do.

This whole book is more of a chapter of what's going to happen next. I can't wait to see how this is going to get worse. Quickly followed up on my favorite, I hope she gets to use that stun gun (spoilers!). 

I personally really loved how Downing wrapped all of this up, and really brought everything full of circle. It was nowhere near tied up with a bow; there were a few loose ends, but I wasn't mad at those loose ends. I kind of hoped that one of the mysteries would stay unsolved as the book finished, so I was happy with that. I was also happy with how things ended with Lottie, and that last line was just perfect. 

This is one of those books where you almost wish it would get turned into a mini series, but don't because you don't want anything to be scerwed up or changed. Because Downing wove a wonderful thriller around Lottie, but each part has a purpose, a reason to the plot down the line. So every piece becomes important, which is one of the many things I've come to like about Samantha Downing's books. It's all a puzzle, you just have to sort out how some of the pieces get smashed into it.

HAPPY READING!!