Retirement Homes Are Murder [Kindle Edition]

Mike Befeler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Remembering nothing from the day before, crotchety octogenarian Paul Jacobson must become an amateur sleuth to clear himself as a murder suspect when he finds a dead body in the trash chute of a retirement home. As Paul’s snooping and short-term memory loss get him in trouble with the local police, his new friends and granddaughter Jennifer help him solve an expanding list of crimes. Paul finds romance as he struggles to escape a murderer intent on a repeat performance.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 416 KB
• Print Length: 419 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0025VJV98
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #69,965 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Romp in Retirement, February 1, 2007

By	Madge Walls (Colorado Springs, Colorado) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Retirement Homes Are Murder (Five Star Mystery Series) (Hardcover)

This book is a fun romp with a trio of old geezers who are not exactly aging gracefully. Paul Jacobson looses his mind, or make that his short-term memory, every night when he goes to sleep in his retirement home in Hawaii. At the suggestion of his good buddy Meyer, he keeps a journal of the previous day's events so he can get caught up with his own life every morning. When he discovers a murdered body in the retirement home trash chute, he becomes the prime suspect. It's difficult to say which he despises more, attorneys or cops, so he decides to solve the mystery himself. At every step, he innocently creates more mayhem that makes the case against him even worse. The curmudgeonly Paul is not your warm and cuddly hero, except to his new girlfriend Marion, who inadvertently assists with his memory problems in a warm and cuddly way. But you can't help cheering for Paul as your affection for him grows. As for the other characters, each one is a sketch right out of any retirement home you've ever visited. A fun read!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Geezer lit mystery for baby boomers, April 29, 2007

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Retirement Homes Are Murder (Five Star Mystery Series) (Hardcover)

Reviewed by Mary Greenwood for Reader Views (4/07)

In "Retirement Homes are Murder" by Mike Befeler, Paul Jacobson, a widower who lives in an Assisted Living Facility, finds a dead body in the trash chute. Paul is the number one suspect and it is imperative that he find out who the real killer is before the real murderer kills him. Since Paul has short-term memory loss, he must write up the day's events each night and leave the journal where he will see it the next day so that when he gets up, he can refresh his memory. Although this slows him down, he is still able to do his detective work and find out who the real killer is. "Retirement Homes Are Murder" is very funny as it weaves the frailties of aging, such as dementia and incontinence, with adventure, mystery and romance.

The author, Mike Befeler, started writing fiction after a career in high technology marketing. His short story "Never Trust a Poison Dart Frog" was published in the mystery anthology "Who Died in Here?" and was also submitted for Edgar Award consideration. "Retirement Homes Are Murder" is Mr. Befeler's first novel and he is planning on writing six more in this series with Paul Jacobson as the protagonist. Mr. Beheler calls his genre "geezer lit mysteries," which are at the opposite end of the spectrum as chick-lit. [...]
Paul Jacobson, the geezer protagonist, must solve the murder mystery and deal with the obstacles of aging. One of the most humorous aspects of the book is that when he romances Marion, his new girlfriend, he temporarily revives his short term memory. Paul Jacobson enlists the aid of three geezers as well as his granddaughter in his various capers. As baby boomers themselves age, it makes sense that they would be interested in geezer retiree protagonists.

My parents, 92 and 90, live in an Assisted Living Facility and many of the scenes and characters in "Retirement Homes Are Murder" are familiar ones. I recommend "Retirement Homes Are Murder" to anyone over 50 and look forward to Mr. Befeler's next six novels with Paul Jacobson's geezer adventures.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining!, February 13, 2007

By	Bottles "Bottles" (Boulder, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Retirement Homes Are Murder (Five Star Mystery Series) (Hardcover)

Yes, it's a murder mystery, but I kept finding myself chuckling out loud! I just finished the book last night, and it's got all of the elements of a wonderful story - unforgettable characters, humor, geriatric sex, and of course an intriguing mystery. I sure hope there will be a follow-up to this story.