Getting Old Is Murder (Dell Mystery) [Kindle Edition]

Rita Lakin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Gladdy Gold is a treasure, Miss Marple in Yiddish.  Salty. Sassy. Sunny.”–Carolyn Hart

"If getting old is this much fun, maybe I won't mind! Miss Marple, move over! Gladdy's Gladiators are a hoot! Rita Lakin's witty romp through a Florida retirement community is just the thing for what ails you!" –Parnell Hall, author of Stalking the Puzzle Lady

“My great aunt once told me, ‘Getting old is no fun.’ She obviously had never met Gladdy Gold! A fine debut mystery, full of humor, pathos, and even--romance. I hope to see many more.”–Robin Hathaway, author of The Doctor Rocks the Boat


From the Paperback edition.

Product Description

She’s not Miss Marple. Her friends are no Charlie’s Angels. Nevertheless, 75-year-old Gladdy Gold and her gang of eccentric Fort Lauderdale retirees are out, about, and hunting down a killer–one who is silently stalking them.

Selma Beller was the first to go–but Gladdy and her neighbors never suspected murder until another of their friends died in an eerily similar way. Now a handsome young detective won’t listen to them, Hy Binder won’t stop telling them dirty jokes, and crazy old Greta Kronk is doing everything humanly possible to make herself into a suspect. But amid the endless rounds of poolside kibitzing, early-bird specials, bittersweet memories, and interminable grocery-shopping trips, Gladdy and her gals are about to discover how the murders are being committed. And when it comes to catching this culprit–time really is running out….


From the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 482 KB
• Print Length: 336 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0440242584
• Publisher: Dell; Reissue edition (October 25, 2005)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000FCKGNY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,898 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

RITA LAKIN
Rita Lakin spent twenty-five years in Television as a writer on numerous series, movies, miniseries, created a number of dramatic series, finally becoming producer/show runner on her own shows. She is now writing comedy mystery novels featuring Gladdy Gold and her zany geriatric partners in crime-solving. She won first place for her IMBA bestselling Getting Old is a Disaster. Same novel won Left Coast Crime LEFTY AWARD for most humorous mystery published in 2009.

Her many other awards include Writers Guild of America, MWA Edgar, and the Avery Hopwood award from the University of Michigan. Visit www.ritalakin.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Start to Series, April 4, 2006

By 

drebbles (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Getting Old Is Murder (Dell Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

When Gladdy Gold's neighbor, Selma Beller, dies, Gladdy is saddened, but not concerned, at 75 and living in a retirement community, Gladdy is accustomed to death. But when her best friend Francie dies, Gladdy is heartbroken and begins to be suspicious since both Selma and Francie died around the time of their birthdays. Gladdy tries to convince the police that murder may have taken place, but they don't believe her so she starts investigating on her own. After two more deaths and a couple of autopsies that show the victims were poisoned, the police finally believe Gladdy. But will they be able to catch the murderer before Gladdy becomes the next victim?

"Getting Old is Murder" is a nice, humorous first entry in what looks to be an enjoyable cozy mystery series. Gladdy is a wonderful creation, very funny and still full of life (and romance) at 75. Her friends are all well written, with a nice touch of humor that makes them seem real but doesn't poke fun at the elderly. Each character stands out as an individual: the wisecracking Hy and his wife Lois; Gladdy's sister Evvie, a movie critic; Sophie with her slightly off-kilter cliches ("you're a broken record, play another"); Harriet who is young but lives there to take care of her elderly mother, Esther); Enya who never got over the loss of her family during the Holocaust; and Denny, the mentally slow handyman. Although the book is a cozy mystery and the elderly don't hesitate to solve the crime, it also shows the real problems of getting old, especially in the bittersweet case of Irving struggling to take care of his wife who has Alzheimer's. All of these characters are well written and come alive on the page.

The mystery itself is nicely done with some neat red herrings and when the murderer is finally revealed, there is a real motive behind the slayings. There are some minor flaws - Francie's death is well telegraphed (it's never a good sign when the heroine in a mystery wonders what she'd do if something happened to her best friend!). There's also some minor editing errors, such as when Gladdy remembers dropping a friend off at the dentist when she never did so. Not a major error, but enough to stop the flow of the story for a second or two. Rita Lakin takes you into the victim's minds as they are dying, which I found unsettling in a cozy mystery.

But these are indeed minor flaws and this is a very enjoyable, funny cozy mystery. It's worth buying just to read the scene in which Gladdy convinces a gang of teenagers to help her break into her car after she locks her keys in it. One of the funniest scenes I've ever read!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laughter is the best medicine, October 29, 2005

By 

Arynne A. Simon (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting Old Is Murder (Dell Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Laughter when sprinkled with suspence is an anti-aging formula, indeed. This book is a tiny treasure and I understand it's the first in a series...I am already eager for the next one. Rita Lakin is a rare talent who elevates ordinary human qualities of behavior into character studies that make even the simplest of people worth reading about. Ms. Lakin does this with love and skill-- a fine combination of qualities. I am buying many copies for Christmas gifts for special friends.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ..but getting old like Gladdy is great!, December 5, 2005

By 

Karen Williams - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting Old Is Murder (Dell Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a hoot. Gladdy Gold is funny and smart, with just the right touch of feisty. Her friends make the kind of mischief I want in my life now, let alone when I'm their age! This book is a good story, but it's a great read because these are people I want to spend my time with. Especially Gladdy--she's a character I want to meet again and again. This one will put some Florida sunshine into a wintery weekend. Dive in and snorkel for the answer to the mystery! Thanks, Rita Lakin, for Gladdy and all the great entertainment you've given me for years on the big and small screens. More, please!