I haven't read the previous adventures of this gang, but it's easy enough to slip into the story. I do wonder if I would have got more from the book if I already knew who all the characters were? This is an easy to read cosy crime story, where the pensioners are carrying out crimes for the good of the community. There were some parts I really liked - when they're stopping heavy goods traffic, and some of the horse-related parts for example. But other aspects fell a little short. I wasn't sure how I felt about Martha, the ringleader - she's so very bossy, and she doesn't seem to treat her fiance, or her friends, terribly well in this particular story. Some of their activities felt rather outlandish, though perhaps they're meant to? The book ran a little too long, and the ending felt slightly odd and not quite resolved..

I wonder what the original version is like - the translation felt somewhat stilted to me, but perhaps just reflected the style of the original story. It doesn't have the finesse of Osmond, but the idea behind it is very fun and it's an accessible, light read so I'm sure many will really enjoy it.

If you're in need of a good laugh, look no further than this book! The humor was irreverent and edgy, with jokes that pushed the boundaries and kept me laughing out loud. The author's wit and satire were razor-sharp, making this a must-read for fans of smart, comedic writing.

This was a really entertaining fun read.
This is the first I’ve read in this series but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Martha & her infamous league of pensioners get up to all sorts.
After having stolen some Russian jewels from a Stockholm auction house they are lying low till the heat dies down.
They have fled to a little village in Hemmavid.
The village appears to have money problems & they decide to lend a helping hand.
Even though the police are after them they are determined to help this ailing village.
Highly entertaining fun read to lose yourself in.

I love these books. The Gang of Pensioners are amazing. This book sees them taking a step back from city living and their normal activities, but it isn’t long before a plan is afoot.

After stealing some very valuable diamonds, the League of Pensioners need to get out of Stockholm. They decide to lie low in a small town in the middle of nowhere. However they quickly realise that like many other rural towns, Hemmavid is slowly dying and the five doughty pensioners decide to save the town. Although how they are going to do that when they are wanted criminals is a bit of a problem.
Not having read the previous installments I came to this book completely cold but it made no difference. The plot is suitable picaresque and fun, the characters amusing and the whole is just delightful!

This story follows Martha and her pensioner friends, nicknamed The League Of Pensioners. They are professional thieves who up to this point have not been caught!! There is a certain policeman Kurt Lowander, who is desperate to catch them and have the fame and promotion that this may give him!. He certainly forces the issue whenever he can, to get more money from the budget to have more officers etc on the job!!
After a successful jewellery operation, they decide to leave where they are currently residing to move to the country, After falling in love with the area, Martha starts planning how they can help this struggling village the only way they know how!!! Meanwhile, Lowander is hot on their tails!!!
An enjoyable read! This is part of a series, but is easy to follow.
Many thanks to Pan MacMillan for the chance to read this arc copy via Netgalley.
#Netgalley, #panmacmillan, #catharinaingelmansundburg.

This book is part of a series, while it can also be read as a standalone novel I suggest reading the previous books first to understand the context and read about the characters previous exploits.
I really enjoyed this book, it takes a slightly adifferent direction to the previous books as Martha and her friends decide to help an ailing village, even though they are wanted by the police for their previous crimes.
This is a clever and funny book. I love the characters and love reading about how they commit their crimes.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my copy.

My first foray into this series - and this author's work but, hopefully, not my last!

The League of Pensioners see themselves as modern-day Robin Hoods, 'liberating' cash from the rich in order to provide for the poor. After their last 'job' life became a bit too hot in Stockholm, so they have relocated to the countryside and are finding it a bit dull. However, it doesn't take it long for Martha, their self-styled leader, to find a new project for them to immerse themselves in . . .

This is such fun! I always enjoy a good mystery and this one is just bursting at the seams - such a lot going on! As a newbie to the series, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and have to say that the translation is excellent; it's very readable in English and thoroughly enjoyable. I look forward to trying to fit in the previous novels in this series in future. Very entertaining and one I'm happy to recommend. 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Martha and her pensioner friends are known as the League of Pensioners and are wanted for a string of robberies. After their latest jewel robbery they have to lie low for a while so they choose a small village community. The local school is struggling, petrol station and shop have shut down.

The League of Pensioners decide to do their bit for the community and try to get the area back on its feet, but the police are still after them, will they continue to evade capture or will their good deeds lead to their arrest?

This is part of a series but you can read it as a stand alone as I did but I am going to go back and read the others in the series as I did enjoy this book.

Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg has out done herself in this book! The 5 pensioners who are doing robberies and who are living together and moving to keep the police off their backs, it’s a joyful, hilarious, mysterious story

Martha and the Gang are back. After stealing a very expensive pair of earrings they head to the countryside to lie low. There they discover that the government have cut funding so much that half of it is closed down.
They decide to strike back in their own inimitable style. They each contribute their unique skills to the schemes to help the village they live in and help the greater countryside.
At the same time it would appear that the police are gathering evidence against them. Will the League of Pensioners be able to evade capture once more or is this the end?
An enjoyable romp with the Gang.

Very good, you need to emphasize that these are way before Osman, who must have lifted the idea. The author Thorogood, who seems to have preempted Osman, is also preceded by these books.

This turned out to be another great book in the series. Maybe not the strongest book in the series but it was very interesting to see how the league of pensioners turned their talents to helping a community. I must admit that I hope the next book contains more audacious crimes as I love the ingenuity of the characters and the fact that they are overlooked because of their age, so get away with it!

Martha and her band of pensioner criminals go off on many a criminal spree as modern day Swedish Robin Hood characters using socialist values to steal from capitalists and filter down the proceeds to the local communities. This was quite an enjoyable book, light and fluffy and a good beach read. If you want a crime romp then this is your book.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

'The Little Old Lady Strikes Back' by Catharina Ingelman-Sungberg.

After stealing some priceless Russian jewels from the Stockholm Auction House, Martha and her gang flee to the small village of Hemmavid to lie low. But what they find is a village in crisis, so they decide they want to help revive the place.
But to do so, the village needs money. In steps the League of Pensioners to arrange events to attract paying tourists. Which all turns out to be a rather delicate - and dramatic - balancing act when you are wanted by the police. Even when the school is about to be closed, they step up to put on classes in technology, seamanship and entrepreneurship so that the students can start companies and create new jobs and hopefully a future.
Having donned the mantle of guerrilla fighters come to save Sweden's countryside from depopulation, will they be able to help the villagers get the attention of the politicians to save the village without being caught?
I enjoyed this book, the title won me over. If you love cozy crime, give this book a go. For me, I felt the book was a little too long for my liking but I still enjoyed it. Would definitely read more by the author.