# Too Old for This

By Samantha Downing

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/too-old-for-this-2f284b29/

At seventy-five, Lottie Jones has a quiet routine of church bingo and gossip, and a serial-killing past she would prefer to keep private. Then Plum Dixon arrives asking about old murders. Lottie sees another killing as a practical response to an unwanted interruption.

## What makes it funny?

Lottie can serve a visitor tea while privately dismantling her manners and intelligence. Her complaints about intrusive young people carry on as the situation turns murderous. Readers single out the sarcasm and wicked humor; listeners also praise the narration for bringing out the comedy.

### The comedy at work

Killing has become physically inconvenient for Lottie. Downing gives her aging joints and worries about digital traces the same impatient attention she gives ordinary household problems. Bookreporter also notes her resentment of how readily people overlook older women.

### Try this if…

For readers comfortable spending time with a cruel narrator whose everyday irritations can be funny. Some book-group readers treat this as a spoof, which helps explain its distance from a straightforward suspense story.

### Good to know

The violence includes brutal killings, blood and bodily disposal. Readers are split: some enjoy Lottie’s audacity, while others stop early, find the repeated remorseless murders unpleasant or think the attempts at cuteness feel forced.

## What to expect

- Genre: Crime & thriller
- Kind of humor: Dark comedy · Dry wit
- The atmosphere: Irreverent
- Format: Novel
- Length: 400 pages
- Audiobook: 10 hr 50 min
- Published: 2025

## A few distinguishing details

- A retired serial killer interrupted during her quiet old age
- Murder competes with creaking joints and modern technology

## Sources & further reading

- Book information: [Apple Books lists Too Old for This (Unabridged) by Samantha Downing, narrated by Elizabeth Wiley, with a length of 10:50.](https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/too-old-for-this-unabridged/id1777537336)
- Publisher: [Penguin Random House lists Too Old for This by Samantha Downing as a paperback with 400 pages; product details identify Berkley and ISBN 9780593101049.](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622599/too-old-for-this-by-samantha-downing)
- Publisher: [Berkley: Too Old for This](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622599/too-old-for-this-by-samantha-downing)
- Publisher: [Berkley: Too Old for This opening excerpt](https://www.penguinrandomhouseretail.com/book?isbn=9780593101032)
- Reader discussion: [Reader discussion: Too Old for This](https://facebook.com/groups/TwoGirlsMustReads/permalink/2196575984474881)
- Review: [Bookreporter review: Too Old for This](https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/too-old-for-this)