The Retirement Plan - a darkly funny story of a group of women who devise a deadly plot to realize their retirement dreams.

Four couples have been friends for decades. They had hoped to save enough money for a carefree retirement. However, a bad investment doomed their plans. And their marriages suffered as well. Pam, Nancy, and Shalisa are shocked when Marlene's husband, Dave, is killed in a freak home accident (or perhaps it was something more nefarious). They are even more surprised to discover that each of the four men had taken out million-dollar life insurance policies. Marlene immediately buys a place in Boca Raton, Florida, with her newfound wealth. The other three women consider hiring a hitman so they can also get their insurance money and realize their retirement dreams. They don't know that their husbands also have new retirement plans, and their scheme includes hiring the same hitman. 

After a successful career as a television producer, Sue Hincebergs has written her debut novel. The Retirement Plan is a clever crime thriller that doesn't take itself too seriously, given its murderous theme. The portrayal of all the friends was well done. Also enjoyable was Padma, the new head of the casino where two of the husbands were employed. Her wealthy, overbearing mother with mob ties in India secured Padma her job and now wants her to find a husband. And Hector, the hitman, who also works as a barber, was the real star of the story. The book balances being a mystery thriller and a humorous story. I don't typically gravitate towards "cozy" mysteries, but this book sounded fun. It was. I found it very entertaining. 

Many thanks to William Morrow for the advance.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Contemporary Fiction | Mystery Thriller | Humor.

Publication Date: May 6, 2025.

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