The Sundowner's Dance

The Sundowner's Dance by Todd Keisling, 360 pages

Widower Jerry is looking to move away from the home he shared with his late wife, and when his realtor suggests a community in the Poconos, he figures that's as good a place as any to live out his remaining years. But when he moves in, not everything is as it seems. There are weird noises at night, and raucous parties that seem way out of line for a neighborhood full of retirees. Also everyone looks surprisingly youthful. Obviously, something is up, and Jerry's suspicions are only confirmed when a woman dies on his front yard only to reappear the next day, as vivacious as ever. 

It's nice reading a horror novel with older folks at the center, and I particularly enjoyed the way Keisling melded the supernatural with very real fears of dementia and other late-in-life maladies (and also a skeezy HOA president, because of course). This was very enjoyable, and I'll definitely be checking out more of Keisling's books in the future.

How To Age Disgracefully

How To Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley (2024) 337 pages

Daphne lives in an apartment that has a wonderful view of London, but she's tired of feeling imprisoned there by some secret from her past. It's been 15 years, but now that she has had her 70th birthday, she wants get back out and meet people. She is outspoken and feisty, and if she wants to make friends at this late stage of life, she's got some learning to do. 

Art is an actor who has been mostly out-of-work, but he finds himself stealing things without ever needing or using what he's taken, probably because of his own sad history. 

Daphne and Art, along with a handful of other characters who have their own odd stories, meet at a senior citizen program that Lydia has been hired to run. Poor Lydia is low on self esteem, and if she thinks these seniors are going to be happy making macramé plant holders, she's got another think coming! When part of the ceiling collapses on the first day of the senior program, the building is at risk of being sold and torn down. The various groups who use the building‒a daycare, AA, and pregnant women‒are doing all they can to save the community center, with the seniors taking the lead. The seniors team up with the children in the daycare to get some good PR, which leads to their newfound group expanding. You can't go wrong with eccentric old people, babies, and dogs, can you? Fun story.

Kills Well With Others

Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn, 368 pages

In this follow-up to Killers of a Certain Age, semi-retired assassins Billie, Mary Alice, Natalie, and Helen have once again been targeted by someone from their past. This time, they're being tracked by the surviving child of a crime boss they killed 45 years ago, and evading the hit is going to take every bit of their wits (and several disguises) to pull off. Traveling the world by boat, train, airplane, and even an occasional car, the quartet of killers must kill or be killed.

This was a fun sequel, though I don't know that it brought anything particularly new to the story. That said, it does give everyone who was hankering for it (AKA everyone who read Killers of a Certain Age) a second helping of the senior assassins. Read only if you've read the first one, but settle in for a fun caper when you do.

*This book will be published March 4, 2025.

How to Age Disgracefully

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley, 337 pages

On her 70th birthday, Daphne decides that her years of being a virtual recluse are over, and she's going to try to make some friends to help her enjoy her older years. An advertisement for a new senior social club at the local community center seems to be just the ticket, especially at the first meeting, when Daphne realizes that her fellow members are anything but stereotypical old people. There's Art, a failed actor-turned-shoplifter, and his best friends, a former paparazzo named William; anonymous yarn-bombing activist Ruby; and former truckdriver and five-times-over widow Anna. (Oh, and Pauline, a former headmistress who doesn't much figure into the story for reasons revealed early on in the book.) When the council decides that the community center's needed repairs are more than they can halfheartedly justify, the seniors team up with the nursery school to fight the demolition, with uproariously funny results.

The characters in this book are fantastic, and all are well developed, from Daphne (who I kinda want to be when I grow up) to single teen dad Ziggy to the surprisingly talented mutt named Maggie Thatcher. I loved reading about this community, and I'll be heartily recommending this to everyone. 

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin  326 pp.

This is the story of an unlikely but wonderful friendship. Lenni Pettersson is seventeen years old and living in the terminal ward of a Scottish hospital. She is still full of life and mischief even though she is dying, essentially alone, having been left by both of her parents. When art classes begin at the hospital, she is dissatisfied with the class for her own age group and instead joins the senior citizen class. There she becomes friends with the purple pajama wearing Margot. Together they realize that their ages added together make one hundred years. They hatch a plan of making one hundred paintings to commemorate each year. There are stories that go with the paintings which tell the lives of Lenni and Margot over the years. Of course, Margot has many more stories than Lenni but Lenni's in hospital antics make up for her lack of stories. I listened to the audiobook version, read in two voices that bring to life both women. Even though it is ultimately about death, there is a lot of life being lived in the story. It wasn't quite what I expected but I enjoyed it.

Drawing Conclusions

Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon  273 pp. 

Commissario Guido Brunetti is called away from dinner with his police superiors to investigate the death of a retired schoolteacher. The medical examiner calls it a heart attack but Brunetti wonders about the faint bruises on the woman's neck and shoulders. Why is the woman's son acting suspicious? And why does she have multiple new packages of women's underclothes in different sizes stored in her spare bedroom? Brunetti's investigation takes him to an old people's home, an organization helping abused women, and finds a connection to a long ago death and shady doings surrounding it. This isn't my favorite in the series but it's still good. 

After the Fire

 

After the Fire by Henning Mankell translated by Marlaine Delargy  401 pp. 

This was the last novel written by Henning Mankell, author of the Kurt Wallender books, before his death in 2015. This novel is not part of the Wallender series. Fredrik Welin retired from his job as a surgeon under a cloud from a botched surgery. He moved into the family home on a small island in an archipelago off the Swedish coast. One night he wakes to a blinding light and discovers his home is on fire. He escapes with the clothes on his back, a raincoat, and two left boots. Soon he is under suspicion of burning the house for the insurance money. And Fredrik develops a love interest in a local journalist who was writing about the fire. However, while Fredrik is away in Paris, rescuing his daughter from jail, another island home burns to the ground in the same way. Fredrik is no longer a suspect but now there is an arsonist in this quiet, secluded part of Sweden. This is not Mankell's best work. It's a bit rambling and drags in spots. However, there is enough going on to make you want to continue reading to find out how it is going to end.

The Bullet That Missed

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, 342 pages

In this third outing with the Thursday Murder Club, the senior citizen sleuths are digging up the cold case of the murder of Bethany Waites, an up-and-coming TV journalist who was on the verge of uncovering a major scandal when she and her car went off a cliff and into the ocean. As Joyce, Ron, and Ibriham start schmoozing with the local TV anchor to dig into Bethany's last days, former MI6 agent Elizabeth gets a startling ultimatum: an unknown "Viking" tells her she must kill a former KGB agent or he'll kill Joyce. Juggling between the cold case and Elizabeth's secret task, the crew manages to get tangled up in prison visits, snooker games with money launderers, and even Bitcoin. 

Just like the first two books in this series, The Bullet That Missed is a fun mystery with fantastic colorful characters. My one concern is that the cast is getting a bit unwieldy, with the four main members of the Thursday Murder Club, their friendly police officers, a Polish henchman who now does Elizabeth's bidding, and more. I fear that if this exponential growth continues, it's going to be more difficult to keep the twisty plotlines straight. That said, it was a fun story, and I'll certainly read the next one in the series.

Good Eggs

Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman, 323 pages

The Gogarty family is having some issues. Former magazine editor Kevin is now an unemployed stay-at-home dad for his three younger kids while his wife, Grace, travels nearly constantly for work. In addition to trying to keep up with his brood's extracurricular activities, Kevin's daughter, Aideen, is going through a rebellious teenage streak that has pitted her against her prettier, more popular twin sister. Oh, and Kevin is also trying (and let's be honest, failing) to keep track of his elderly mother, Millie, who's had a few driving accidents and keeps getting caught shoplifting at the local pharmacy. 

Told in chapters switching between Kevin, Millie, and Aideen's actions, Good Eggs tells the story of a three generations dealing with growing pains from a changing world and their uncomfortable circumstances, and it does so impeccably. While a dotty grandma, a disaffected middle-aged man, and an angsty teen could totally come off as stereotypical cardboard characters, Hardiman imbues each one with complexity, relatability, and a dose of good humor. It's not easy to equally embody three generations, but Hardiman does it with aplomb. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey, 339 pages

Missy Carmichael is 79 years old and lives alone in the house where she and the love of her life raised their two children, both of whom live far away. She doesn't have any real friends or much to do except take walks to the nearby park. It's on one of these walks that boisterous Sylvie and harassed single mom Angela meet Missy and begin forcing their friendship upon her. Soon, Angela also forces Bob, a temporarily homeless dog, on Missy, changing the older woman's life in ways she never would have dreamed.

This is a touching story of love and friendship arriving in the most unexpected ways. I enjoyed getting to know Missy and her new friends (both human and canine), and I was touched by the ways in which multiple generations of women supported one another. An excellent read.

Norwegian by Night

Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller  303 pp.

Sheldon is an 82 year old widower who has been transplanted to Norway from New York City by his daughter and her Norwegian husband. He feels out of place, doesn't know the language, and is increasingly caught up in his memories of the Korean War which his doesn't believe. His life is further disrupted when he rescues a neighbor and her young son from the son's father but is unable to keep her from being killed. He takes the boy and goes off on a trek into the Norwegian countryside, trying to find his son-in-law's hunting cabin while avoiding the gangsters that want the boy and the police who are searching for the errant duo. Along the way he cons his way into a night at a high priced hotel, steals a boat, and a tractor. This was a slow starter and I almost quit on it but then the story grabbed me and I ended up enjoying it. In spite of the seriousness of the plot there were moments when I laughed out loud.

The Helpline

The Helpline / Katherine Collett, read by Jane U'Brien, 294 pgs.

Germaine isn't great with people and she doesn't need any friends.  She is really good at math and puzzles and stuff like that.  When she finds herself unemployed, she discovers senior mathematicians with no people skills aren't all that in demand.  She uses family connections to get a job at city hall answering calls on the Senior Citizens Helpline.  It is not a dream job but puts her in contact with the dashing national sudoku champion...a real celebrity to Germaine.  The mayor shows interest in her abilities and gives her a special project.  How can they close the beloved senior center and maybe sell that property for higher use?  Germaine works hard on the assignment but then thinks maybe it isn't really in the best interest to those who use the center,  a group that befriends her on accident.  Maybe friends can be a good thing?  Jane U'Brien does a marvelous job of capturing Germaine and the other characters with her excellent narration.

Plum Rains

Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax, 389 pages

In 2029 Tokyo, the population is aging but not reproducing. Immigrant healthcare workers are flooding into the city in an attempt to fill the needs of the centenarians, though they're also sneered at by Japanese citizens. It is in this climate that we find Angelica, a Filipino nurse, caring for Sayoko, a secretive Japanese woman who is about to celebrate her 100th birthday. Just before the celebration, Sayoko receives the gift of a prototype robot, designed to be a companion and carer specifically tailored to her. Already feeling threatened by her immigrant status, Angelica sees this new "gift" as another threat, particularly when she notices Sayoko's immediate attachment to the robot, despite Sayoko's usual protestations against technology.

On the face of it, this is a book about the role of technology and caregivers in an aging society. But this multi-faceted novel is really a discussion of women's roles, of burying the past, of regret, and yes, of technology possibly replacing human roles. It took a bit for me to get into this, but once I did, I very much enjoyed it. The characters are wonderfully multifaceted (even Hiro, the prototype robot) and the interweaving stories are excellently told.

Etta and Otto and Russell and James

Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper  305 pp.

Eighty-three year old Etta leaves a note for her husband, takes some chocolate, a shotgun, and her best boots to set off on a 3000 mile walk from their farm in Saskatchewan to the Atlantic Ocean because she's never seen it. In her note she says she will "try to remember to come back". Otto, the husband, takes this matter-of-factly and sets about learning to cook for himself. Their friend Russell is upset at Etta's disappearance and sets out to find her. Along the way Etta meets James, a talking coyote who travels with her and may or may not be real. There are flashbacks to the human characters' childhoods and young adult days, the years of World War II, and Etta and Otto's marriage. Much of the story leaves you wondering what is real and what is in the heads of the characters. The ending is bewildering and intriguing, leaving it up to the interpretation of the reader. I'm still not sure about this one.

Back to Blood

Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe  704 pp.

Miami is a melting pot of immigrants. A large part of the population is Cuban and the Cuban community is the main focus of this novel. Police Officer Nestor Camacho has become a pariah to his family and his Cuban neighborhood. Nestor is called a traitor for, in attempting to save the life of a Cuban trying to enter the country and preventing him from setting foot on land. Then Nestor has to face his superiors for doing an "unapproved" interview with the press following the incident. To compound things further, Nestor's girlfriend Magdalena dumps him for her boss, a psychiatrist who treats pornography addiction. Add in Russian millionaires, Jewish New Yorker senior citizens. an art forger, and a Haitian French professor who insists he and his kids are French and not Haitian and you have a jumbled mix of characters. The storylines of the characters cross, merge, and mingle in a plethora of ways that may or may not be resolved by the end of the book. I listened to the audio version with excellent narration by Lou Diamond Phillips. But in spite of the excellent performance by Phillips, the book was just so-so and way too long.

Hide

Hide by Matthew Griffin  272 pp.

Wendell and Frank are an elderly gay couple. Wendell is a taxidermist who meets Frank when he returns to their small town after the end of World War II. The story begins with Frank suffering a stroke while out tending his tomato plants. Through multiple flashbacks we learn the story of how Wendell and Frank first met and their illicit and, back then, illegal love affair. After the death of Frank's mother, he and Wendell and a series of dogs settle in a secluded house outside of town and live a very closeted life together. Frank works in a local factory and Wendell runs his taxidermy shop. Frank's stroke changes the dynamics of their decades old relationship as Frank fights the disabilities and depression he is left with. Wendell adopts a Bassett Hound mix named Daisy which helps to bring Frank back to life. They learn to adjust their lives with Daisy in tow. This book is touching, humorous, and is a realistic, well written, if heartbreaking story. In many ways it reminds me of the novels of Reynolds Price.  

The Japanese Lover

The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende  336 pp.

Isabel Allende is probably my all-time favorite author. Once again she has crafted a novel that is captivating, touching, and entertaining. Essentially it's a story of people living dual lives. Irina, who escapes an impoverished life in Moldova only to land it a more horrible life in the U.S. before becoming a personal assistant to elderly Alma Belasco. Young Alma is sent to the home of her uncle and aunt before the occupation Poland. She lives a life of wealth and privilege while holding on to a love forbidden by society of the time. Ichimei is the son of the Belasco's gardener whose friendship/love for Alma is sustained throughout his life. In the end more secrets about the lives of these people are revealed. This one is a winner.

Our Souls at Night

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf  179 pp.

Spoilers ahead. This slim book chronicles the gentle relationship between two lonely septuagenarians. In a small Colorado town, widowed Addie Moore calls her neighbor, the widower Louis Waters to invite him to spend the night just as a comfort to each other. They spend their nights together lying in bed, holding hands, and talking, nothing more. When the town begins to talk about them, they go public with their slightly more than friendship. Addie's and Louis' children protest the relationship because of their age--unmarried old people sleeping together, the horrors!--even though at that point no sex had occurred. And Addie's son, an emotionally damaged man, is convinced Louis wants to marry her and take her money. Louis and Addie have a nice summer and Louis becomes friends with Addie's young grandson. In the end Addie succumbs to her son's emotional blackmail and breaks off her relationship with Louis. That whole situation sparked a lot of emotion in me, mostly anger that Addie's son is treating his mother the way he does and that she does not stand up to him. I know if one of my kids pulled that on me I wouldn't go down without a fight, but I think they know that. :-)

Can't we talk about something more PLEASANT?

Can't we talk about something more PLEASANT? by Roz Chast  228 pp.

Christa reviewed this book and said pretty much what I would have. Parts really hit home for me especially since my 87 year old mother-in-law is making plans to enter assisted living soon. Chast portrayed the bad and, less often, the good in the process of dealing with her aging parents with honesty and humor, where possible.

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson  384 pp.

I'm not sure what I like best about this book, the senior citizens who manage to outsmart some not very bright criminals and the police, or the not quite accurate historical flashbacks of the life of the main character, Allan Karlsson. Karlsson slips away from his retirement home by crawling out of the window of his room and leaving on the afternoon of his 100th birthday celebration. What follows is a story of crime, unusual deaths, romance, estranged brothers, perplexed police, an over-ambitious prosecutor, and an elephant. That story alternates with Karlsson's life story of improbable and impossible events involving a collection of world leaders from Generalissimo Francisco Franco to Richard Nixon. With all that going on, the author manages to tie up all neatly at the end with everyone living happily ever after, including the elephant.