Absolutely hilarious story of misadventures and miscommunication. Wonderful, well written characters and several twists to the plot. I feel this would make a great film. Highly recommended.

Fantastic, its exactly what you need for a light, fun read. It's the type of book that could easily be turned into a fun summer movie.
Three women want to murder their husbands for the insurance money, but the husbands have their own plan. Sometimes the plan seems bizarre, but in keeping with the book, it makes sense lol.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brilliant, crazy, debut novel, full of twists, turns and jaw dropping moments that makes you wonder where this story is going to end up.
This is not your typical retirement plan by any means. Many people, upon retiring think of a cruise, a foreign holiday, or a move to the coast, but these are simple plans compared to the ones engineered here.
Pam, Nancy, Marlene and Shalisa were looking forward to a happy and comfortable monied retirement, until they find out their respective husbands , Hank, Larry, Dave and Andre, have lost all their money in a failed investment venture. The four women were already slightly jaded by their husbands, but this news has definitely tipped them over the edge!
My Gran told me that a Bride always plans for her husband’s funeral, the reason being, those are the only two occasions that she will take centre stage. The four friends start to think that being a very Merry Widow might be a more acceptable lifestyle choice, but how do you contact a hitman? They don’t tend to advertise these skills, but where there might be a will, there is always a way!
This is a deliciously dark humoured story, with plenty of absurd details and laugh out loud plot twists. Clues only fall into place when the author wants the reader to become more frustrated , or so it seems!
This book is a real page turner and a very enjoyable read. It is entertaining with some genuinely likeable characters, plus a loveable dog, that shows that people aren’t all bad..
This would make a really great film, and it would make a great beach read, a five star read for me.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Little, Brown Book Group UK, for my advance copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

A solid 3.5.

I found this to be very slow going indeed at the start. I felt i had been reading for ages but was only 6% through. I slogged on though and I am glad I did because at around 16% it perks up and things begin to happen. I suppose the plot is quite intricate, full of secrets, lies, deception but I like that. I like working out who is deceiving who.

I don't know why the book didn't fizzle for me though. I did like it and although I had no difficulties telling who was who among the characters I think that might be because we only saw one facet of them - Larry the banker, Andre the courier etc and once you have got the couples fixed in your mind, you don't get mixed up. We only hear about the backstory of Hector, a man who does what needs doin. It was interesting and I liked the relationship between him and his wife.

The book is also quite funny in places, dry one liners funny I mean rather than ludicrously slapstick as it could have been. It is very American too although I am sure a lot of Americans would not like the constant swearing. I did not like the many referrals to people peeing in their pants.

Padma's dating is a bit of a sideline but I enjoyed it and Padma herself represents all the negative characteristics associated with Gen Z.

The ending is a bit "out there" and I'm not quite sure how the dog adopting works but I liked the ending.

I think this book would make a great film or TV series and I would watch it.

Sue Hinceberg’s novel The Retirement Plan is a wonderfully fun read. It is like reading the script to a comedy sketch. It is not what I was expecting, originally, I thought sinister and dark, what I got was a well-developed plot with great the characters, light and amusing.
Read The Retirement Plan it is an entertaining, delightfully ridiculous, refreshing, read with comical misunderstandings and unintended consequences this is a great book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A rollicking read! The mundane title gives no clue to the content of the book, which is smart, sad, witty, hilarious and far more entertaining than any retirement could hope to be. Four couples who have been close friends for many years find themselves coming to retirement age with little to look forward to. The husbands, who have all failed their wives over the years, have one perspective when contemplating the approaching years. The wives, bored and dissatisfied, have another. A series of misunderstandings and unrelated events leave them all misinformed and on the brink of disastrous decisions - the results of which are nothing short of shocking!!

Great book, funny and quirky and wholly relatable. Three best friends turn to a hitman by night, barber by day to stop someone trying to kill them. Turns out the someone trying to kill them is their wives!
Disillusioned by their past indiscretions and spurred on.by the thought of their insurance payout and a flat in Boca they cause havoc with the men.

The book was a bit ridiculous and far-fetched while also totally believable and relatable. Full of twists and a great pace to it.

What an amazing ride this book was. I laughed a lot at the things that happened to the 4 men and the 4 women. I did not want it to finish and I read it just over 1 day as I did nothing for a day but read. The characters were so well described and the emotional side of all their lives were so clearly documented. The ending was certainly not expected but was a superb way to end this humorous story.
I will look out for this author as she has a natural talent for writing.

Pam, Nancy and Shalisa have big hopes for their retirement, but when their husbands lose all their savings in an ill-advised investment deal, the three women are hopping mad... and out for revenge. With their sights firmly set on long holidays, endless cocktails and plenty of leisure time, the trio decide to take matters into their own hands.

I absolutely adored this book! It felt like an old fashioned caper - totally absurd and so much fun; I laughed out loud on several occasions and found myself smiling and chuckling nearly all of the way through it. I couldn’t believe it was a debut novel. It was so well written with the complex and clever plot flowing so wonderfully; it felt very accomplished. Thinking back as I write this review, the strong female characters and friendship make it feel a very special read. Oh, and I’m not really a dog person but I think we all need an Elmer in our lives!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown UK for an eARC of this book.

I think cozy books may not be for me. I really liked the first few chapters but became bored really fast. The book is slow going and predictable. The writing style wasn't my favorite but the characters were interesting.

The Retirement Plan
Sue Hincenberg

Three middle aged best friends turn to murder in order to collect on their husband’s life insurance policies… but are unaware their husbands have a devious plan of their own.

This was a fun and enterprising plotline and I went in with sky high hopes. I struggled to get emotionally invested with these characters but enjoyed the ridiculous shenanigans. I can see this being made into a wildly funny movie.

This has humour, twists and turns and I’d say to go in expecting the unexpected.

An almost farcical storyline of duping and double duping between husbands and wives orchestrated by the ‘ barber’ who will do most things that need done ! This set against the background of a casino firm based in India who hire dubious hit men .
Amusing read with many twists and turns.

This one was surprisingly more enjoyable than I expected and made me chuckle throughout. Although slow to start, the pace picks up as the plot unravels and pulls the story into unexpected territory. The result is a wildly entertaining, refreshingly unique ride.

The Retirement Plan is a riotous blend of dark comedy and suspense that breathes fresh life into the crime caper genre. Set against the backdrop of suburban malaise and casino intrigue, this debut novel explores the chaotic unravelling of long-standing friendships and marriages when secrets, schemes, and misunderstandings collide.

The author masterfully balances multiple perspectives, offering a panoramic view of the ensuing chaos. The characters are all unique with their own quirks and motivations, adding layers of complexity and humour to the narrative. The interplay of miscommunication and coincidence propels the plot forward, resulting in a series of unexpected twists that kept me engaged.​

While the pacing may waver in the initial chapters, the momentum builds steadily, culminating in a satisfying and humorous climax. The strength of the book lies in its character development and the witty, often satirical, examination of midlife crises and the lengths individuals will go to reclaim control over their lives.​

The Retirement Plan stands out for its unique premise and the seamless fusion of dark humour and suspense. It's a testament to the idea that it's never too late to embark on a new adventure, even if it involves a few felonies! Fans of character-driven stories with a darkly comedic edge will find this a delightful addition to their reading list.

A fun read, with lots of laughs, great characters and a strong plot. A few laugh out loud moments throughout.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romp of a tale. A group of friends who have known each other for many years all have secrets and these include murder plans and theft.

It’s well constructed with twists and turns aplenty, you just need to go with though, as there are absurd moments, but, it’s a great, fun, read.

I loved the characters, there are the six central charaters; of 3 husband and wife couples , but, just as well formed and interesting are the head of the casino, Padma and the barber / hitman, Héctor and his wife Brenda.

All in all, an easy to read, fun book which i would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Group for the opportunity to preview and I wish the author deserved success.

All-in-all, this was an enjoyable read 📚

It was like reading a comedy sketch, but with a happy ending. Believe it or not, this was the biggest downfall for me. I did expect to have a bit more chaos remaining but it was tied up mostly well.

I absolutely LOVED that final chapter though, it fits perfectly with the comedic elements overall, leaving a positive impression for me.

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenberg wasn’t at all what I expected—and that’s half the fun. I went in thinking I was about to read a quirky, feel-good story about a woman rebuilding her life after losing her husband (accident… or something more sinister?). A fresh start, a suspicious neighbor or two, maybe a touch of found family.

Instead? I got a comedic heist novel with a full ensemble cast, each with their own agendas, secrets, and chaotic charm. It’s light-hearted in tone, sure, but there’s an edge of moral ambiguity that keeps things interesting. Not everyone here is easy to root for—and that’s kind of the point. It’s about choices, consequences, and the messy line between justice and revenge.

Also: justice is served, in its own sideways, satisfying way.

A twisty, clever read that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still manages to leave you thinking about who gets away with what—and why.

Four couples in their 60s have been friends through it all: raising kids, growing older, planning for retirement. But when the husbands throw away their promises to their wives and lose their life savings, a rift grows between them all. So when one of the husbands turns up dead in a horrific accident, the men suddenly feel the sting of what they’ve done (and yes, you’ll have to wait to find out what). Meanwhile, the dearly departed’s wife isn’t exactly as devastated as she should be; instead, it’s like a weight has lifted. And thanks to his generous life insurance, she’s finally free. That gives the other wives an idea: To hire a hitman and collect what they believe is owed to them, by any means necessary.

The Retirement Plan is a hilarious tangle of interpersonal relationships fueled by miscommunications used to brilliant effect. I’m not normally a big fan of miscommunication in relationships—seriously, can’t the couple just talk to each other??—but here it is used for pure comedy and shenanigans. In fact, the whole story depends on it to flourish. And you’ll be entertained the whole way through as the husbands and wives fail to understand one another’s motives…or process their shock when they do.

The couples aren’t particularly likable but that’s the point—they’re real and, while they actually act on feelings most of us would consider fleeting or intrusive, you can completely understand how they reached the end of their tethers. (I’m not saying it’s right, all I’m saying is I understand.) Their complex feelings about one another and the situation are messy and great fun to unravel, making you root for them in the grey areas of their arcs. But it’s the surrounding characters who steal the scenes they’re in; Hector, the barber with gang ties and a particular set of skills, is smarter than the rest of them and enthralling to read about. His wife Brenda is his partner in almost every way, bringing the perfect balance and support. I’d read a whole book just about them if I could.

You can tell author Sue Hincenbergs is a longtime television writer because the novel plays out like a comedy-drama—Desperate Housewives meets Grace and Frankie with a sprinkling of Hit Man to make the recipe sweet but also with a zing. The tropes about useless husbands and middle-aged struggles are all there but utilized deftly. With that said, it does rely on some tired stereotypes that may not sit right with you—particularly in its depictions of the characters of color, or in the use of unattractive traits befitting the shadier characters. The owners and staff of the casino, where two of the husbands work, provide a decent threat even if it’s a little too conveniently steeped in racial stereotypes. However, the novel does work hard to show that most of these characters are far more layered than they first appear. Sometimes it works, other times you might wish for more.

Overall, The Retirement Plan is an amusing ride that relishes in its twists and tricks. The writing is smart and sharp, always with a knowing wink and a tip of the martini glass to the reader. It’s also great to see more mature women take back their agency and commit some crimes, all while holding onto their femininity and family-first mindsets (yes, ladies, yes!). We’re used to seeing the way Cupid makes you do stupid things when you first fall in love, but this is far more fascinating: What a shared lifetime of far more complicated emotions can drive you to the edge of reason (and boy, does this novel take you through every up and down of that journey).

When your husband loses your life savings due to a dodgy investment, but has a hefty life insurance policy - the only retirement plan you’re left with is murder, right? But what happens when the husbands have a plan of their own? Someone will end up dead, but who? Who will emerge victorious between three wives who want a new life and the 3 husbands who stand in their way?

Overall I really enjoyed this book - in my opinion it’s a perfect poolside read! This is a dark comedy - there are so many hilarious misunderstandings and miscommunications. It was such a comedy of errors and I really liked how we saw misinterpretations from one POV to the next. I loved the contrasts from the wives POV to the husbands and their intertwined concurrent stories - and Hector caught in the middle!

Some books were made to be TV shows and this is one of them. Could literally see it playing out as I was reading. It was, therefore, not a surprise to me that the author was a former television producer - as this is basically the script for an award winning show!

Overall I would recommend - suspend your disbelief that the series of events could occur, take it at face value and you have a comedic thriller that’s such an enjoyable read.

ARC copy provided by Sphere & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a book! It starts at a 100miles an hour and doesn't let up. It's a very amusing caper with people fleeing a possible hitman, an actual hitman hired by the unlikeliest of folk, organised crime, disorganised crimes, a lovely dog, doughnuts and margaritas. I kept thinking as I was reading it, it would be great on screen, big or small and I now see it's already been signed up, which doesn't surprise me. Great fun!