The Retirement Plan

I chose The Retirement Plan as my selection for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge this month. It was published a few days ago. The story is a funny cozy mystery that anyone whoever has been married, yes everyone, will enjoy.

The publisher's summary:

Three best friends turn to murder to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies… But the husbands have a plan of their own in this darkly funny debut that will delight readers from the first laugh to the final twist.

After thirty years of friendship, Pam dreams of her perfect retirement with Nancy, Shalisa, Marlene, and their husbands—until their husbands pool their funds for an investment that goes terribly wrong. Suddenly, their golden years are looking as dreary as their marriages.

But when the women discover their husbands have seven-figure life insurance policies, a new dream forms. And this time, they need a hitman.

Meanwhile, their husbands are working on their own secret retirement scheme and when things begin to go sideways, they fear it’s backfired. The husbands scramble to stay alive…but soon realize they may not be quick enough to outmaneuver their wives.

I feel that the first few chapters were slow while the author set up her plot. There were alot of characters introduced as well as the backstory on the two retirement plans. This plot is the most ingenious plot I ever heard. I knew the book would be entertaining so while it began slow I kept reading and soon was hooked. 

The characters are hilarious. The three wives and the three husbands behaved ridiculously. None of them could successfully carry out a plan and they all bumbled their actions. The person in the middle of it all is the barber, Hector, who just happens to be an organized crime killer from Central America. The story was revealed through four alternating points of view. The wives had one viewpoint, the husbands had theirs, the new manager of the casino where the husbands worked, Padma, had hers  and then we have Hector's. The novel switches points of view frequently. And while I enjoyed the antics of the husbands and wives tremendously, I think my favorite chapters were probably from the perspective of Padma, the frazzled casino boss of two of the husbands with an overbearing mother. Hector is also a cool character to follow.

Humor exudes throughout the story because of the zany plot. You can't help but chuckle at everyone's antics. The Retirement Plan is the type of yarn that all will enjoy. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #39

I have been in a reading slump all week so it's hard to think about any book I might want to read in the future. However, Sue Hincenberg's The Retirement Plan sounds like a good story. Three wives approaching retirement with three husbands in the way. This novel will be published on May 6, 2025 and with 544 pages it's definitely a chunkster.

The story concerns three middle-aged best friends who turn to murder in order to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies. The ladies, though, are unaware that their husbands have a devious plan of their own. After thirty years of friendship, Pam dreams of her perfect retirement with Nancy, Shalisa, Marlene, and their husbands, until their husbands pool their funds for an investment that goes terribly wrong, and their dreams of beachfront condos and a sunny, carefree retirement vanish. When one husband dies in a freak accident, the other three women are shocked to see his widow rebound with a huge life insurance payout and a new life in Florida. In the aftermath, the women discover that their husbands have identical, seven-figure life insurance policies. A new dream forms, and this time, it involves a hitman.

Meanwhile, their husbands have a secret retirement plan of their own. So, when things begin to go awry, they fear their own scheme may have backfired with deadly consequences. The husbands scramble to stay alive, but they may not be fast enough to outmaneuver their wives. What follows is a high-stakes tale of cat and mouse, both laugh-out-loud funny and unbearably tense, while ultimately a bighearted look at marriage, friendship, and middle-age. 

I retired a year ago so this book sounds fabulous.

Wrap-Up of 2025 Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge

The Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge requires participants to read one book each month from among several categories such as publication month. I was not able to finish the challenge due to several life challenges that I had to deal with. However, I was lucky to read several fantastic novels. If you wish to read reviews of the books that I read, feel free to click on the links.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Fake by Erica Katz

Two Spinsters and a Madman by Eve Tarrington

High Tea and Misdemeanors by Laura Childs 

No Roast for the Weary by Cleo Coyle

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs

Bad Lands by Preston and Child 

Edge of Honor by Brad Thor 

Into the Leopard's Den by Harini Nagendra 

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown 

The Intruder by Freida McFadden 

Favorite Book:  The Retirement Plan: 3 wives get together and plan to kill their husbands for the insurance money. What they don't know is that their husbands are planning to kill them too. I found this plot hilarious!

Second Favorite Book:  No Roast for the Weary

Least Favorite Book:  The Fury

Wrap Up of 2025 New Release Reading Challenge

The New Release Challenge is an easy challenge for me as most of the books that I read are new releasees.  When I signed up a year ago I selected the New Release Veteran level of participation which required me to read 61 - 100 books. My talley for the year was just 51 books though so I missed my goal. Oh well. Better luck next year. Below is a list of the books that I read as well as links to their respective reviews.

The Saint Laurent Muse by CW Gortner

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer

The Pot Thief Who Studied Calvin by J Michael Orenduff

The Medici Return by Steve Berry

Sugar Shack by Lucy Knisley

High Tea and Misdemeanors by Laura Childs

The Bard's Trail by Andy Regan

The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits by Wanda Brunstetter

The Amish Ballerina by Richelle Brunstetter

The Peacemaker by Wanda Brunstetter

Rising Sun Falling Rain by Trish Devine

Two Spinsters and a Madman by Eve Tarrington

War on Gaza by Joe Sacco

No Roast for the Weary by Cleo Coyle

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

Old Habits Die Hard by Melissa Westemeier 

The Chaiwallah by Tim Van Es

The Versailles Formula by Nancy Bilyeau

Knife Skills for the Beginner by Orlando Murrin

The Lost Girls by JM Cannon

The World's Fair Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown

The List by Steve Berry

The Keeper of Lost Art by Laura Morelli

Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshii

Lincoln's Lady Spymaster by Gerri Willis

Spent by Alison Bechtel

Entitled by Andrew Lonnie

Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold

Bad Lands by Preston and Child

Into the Leopard's Den by Harini Nagendra

The Crash by Freida McFadden

The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Part of the Solution by Elana Michelson

Edge of Honor by Brad Thor

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

The Last Patient by Tudor Alexander

All the Words We Know by Bruce Nash

The Christmas House by Beverly Lewis

Muybridge by Guy DeLisle

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson

Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson

An Inside Job by Dan Silva

Pain Killers: A Year in the ER by Rachel Callaghan

The Master Jeweler by Reina Dai Randel

The Pretender by Wanda Brunstetter

The Patchwork Players by Jennifer Chiaverini

The Baker of Lost Memories by Shirley Wachtel

Deeds Left Undone by Ellen Crosby

Favorite Book:  The Retirement Plan

Second Favorite Book:  The Master Jeweler

Honorable Mentions:  No Roast for the Weary,  Bad Lands, The Keeper of Lost Art and Into the Leopard's Den

Least Favorite Book:  All the Words We Know

Wrap Up of 2025 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

I have been participating in the Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge for years. This challenge, as well as the historical fiction challenge, are my favorite challenges. I joined the challenge at the Inspector level of participation which required me to read 26 to 35 books. By the end of the year I managed to read 51 mysteries so this was a successful challenge. Please see below a list of the books I  read along with links to their respective reviews.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Death at a Scottish Wedding by Lucy Connelly 

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley

The Verifiers by Jan Pek

The Vanishing Hour by Seraphina Glass 

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Fake by Erica Katz

The Pot Thief Who Studied Calvin by J Michael Orenduff

The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer 

An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly 

The Art Collector by Susan Bacon

The Petrus Prophecy by Gary McAvoy 

The Medici Return by Steve Berry 

Shadows of Marrakech by Phillip Brebner 

The Bard's Trail by Andy Regan 

High Crimes and Misdemeanors by Laura Childs 

Lava Cakes and Lies by Nova Walsh

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown 

The Guests by Adrienne Leigh

Everything Bundt the Truth by Karen Whalen

No Roast for the Weary by Cleo Coyle 

The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden 

This Family Lies by JM Cannon 

The Confessions of Pope Joan by Gary McAvoy 

This Blood Runs by JM Cannon 

The List by Steve Berry 

Deeds Left Undone by Ellen Crosby 

The Apostle Conspiracy by Gary McAvoy 

Old Habits Die Hard by Melissa Westemeier

The Celestial Guardian by Gary McAvoy 

Knife Skills for the Beginner by Orlando Murrin 

The Lost Girls by JM Cannon 

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs

The Keeper of Lost Art by Laura Morelli 

Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold 

The Doctor's Secret by Cole Baxter 

The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagorus by J Michael Orenduff

The Intruder by Freida 

The Crash by Freida McFadden 

The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiroo

Into the Leopard's Den by Harini Nagendra 

Part of the Solution by Elana Michelson 

Edge of Honor by Brad Thor 

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry 

The Last Patient by Tudor Alexander 

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson 

Bad Lands by Preston and Child 

An Inside Job by Dan Silva 

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward 

All the Words We Know by Bruce Nash

The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy by J Michael Orenduff

Favorite Book: The Last House on Needless Street 

Second Favorite Book:  The Retirement Plan 

Least Favorite Book:  The Fury 

Book Cover of the Month: May

I love the reflection of a lounging lady in the martini glass. Truth be told, I love the martini glass on its own. The Retirement Plan was a close second for my book of the month but it's cover is exquisite. The cover design was created by Ben Prior but the cover illustrations were drawn by Camillia Pinheiro.

Ben Prior is a UK graphic designer specialising in book design. He studied Graphic Design: Visual Communication at the University of Creative Arts Canterbury. Prior currently works at Little,Brown, a division of Hachette as a Middleweight Designer. He has been Shortlisted for several awards but won the ABCD Awards 2021 in the crime and thriller category. 

Camillia Pinheiro is based in São Paulo, Brazil. She loves using tropical colors in her illustrations, which reflects her Brazilian roots. Pinheiro has illustrated book covers in the U.S, U.K. and French markets. In addition, she is the first woman to design the US Open's Tennis theme art in a decade. 

Book of the Month: May

The Keeper of Lost Art is by far the best book I read this month. The Retirement Plan was a close second but I could not forget the story of the Italian family who hid paintings from the Nazis during WWII. Days after I read it, I was still pondering the story. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The plot shows us readers what the Italians had to deal with during WWII. This is a viewpoint I have never read about before. The families left behind by the Italian soldiers was fraught with food and gas shortages as well as fear of the Germans who were occupying their country.

The main character is Stella. For Stella's family, they were tested beyond belief. Her uncle, zio Tino, and her aunt, zio Angela, allowed over 200 refugees to live in their wine cellar, for almost a year. Angela, Stella, and her cousins Livia and Mariasole did all of the cooking, using up the family’s private storage of food for these strangers. A representative of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence talks zio Tino into storing a few hundred paintings on the property. Tino is now responsible for preventing the Germans from taking them.

There is so much more to the story but I will leave my synopsis here. Note, however, that the book might be my favorite WWII historical fiction novel of all time. This is a must read.