Well y’all, this book was a hoot! I could absolutely see it playing out on the big screen as a comedy caper starring the likes of Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Lily Tomlin — just imagine the sass and shenanigans! It’s a fast-paced, easy read that had me chuckling out loud more than once. The mystery kept things moving, and the ending wrapped up real nice. Honestly, I’d pack my bags for Timeless Pastures in a heartbeat (minus the murder, of course). If you’re lookin’ for something fun, quirky, and downright entertaining, this one’s for you.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

The book shouts if you like Richard Osman then you'll like this and yes I agree. This is an American version, not as good as Richard Osman's books but still enjoyable to read.

The book follows Alice and her fellow community members, of a retirement village, where the member doesn't own the land that their house stands on. And then the letters begin bringing the ground price up and up so they are having to work out what to do next as they are priced out of their forever homes. However at least one of the community members holds a big secret and when one of the members turns up dead, the story starts investigating into who, why, where and when...

I would recommend this books to people who like Richard Osman also fans of cosy mysteries such as the Vera Wong series.

3.5 stars
I had a fun time reading this book. We follow a group of seniors who are all about to be pushed out of their retirement community, so they host a party at an airbnb as a last hurrah. While they are gone, someone has murdered the resident bird lady, Babs, who has a long history of confrontations with Alice who is on the friend trip. After the group learns of the death, Alice starts acting strange, tossing their phones and telling them they have to leave the area. The friends do eventually learn about Alice's past and the story goes from there.
I liked the mix of narrative with police interviews and news articles. A little mixed media is always fun. The characters were more one note, but that is pretty typical of the cozy mystery genre. Many times, it's more focused on the mystery parts. This book is like a mystery suspense kind of as we are with the characters who are kinda on the run. I thought this was a fun little cozy with a twist that also discusses a bit about anti-war protests in the 70s as well as racism.

This book has a great premise. A woman who’s been on the run for decades has her quiet life blown open, and with the help of a few fellow seniors, she bolts. It’s energetic, full of movement, and flows well. But underneath that momentum, the story feels rushed and lacks depth where it counts most, with the characters.

There’s a trend in publishing toward cosy mysteries with elderly protagonists, and this book seems very much like it was written to tap into that trend. To be fair, it's a trend I'm in favour of (or I should say, a resurgence), but this book suffers because most of the characters here feel like surface sketches, defined by one trait and a name. There’s little sense of layered backstory with many important characters, but there is enough chemistry and emotional nuance between them to make this read more substantive than a book without character depth.

The plot suffers from a sense of being movement for movement’s sake—fun to read in the moment, but when events happen, they don't always feel like they matter. It’s as if the book was written on the run, ironically fitting its title.

That said, there are bright spots. The idea of a hidden identity suddenly exposed is a strong hook. The concept of an older woman with a posse of support is genuinely fun. And the pacing is brisk enough that the book never drags. But it also failed to engage me completely on the cosy side, and that makes the experience feel lighter than it should have been.

For readers who are happy with breezy stories and quirky setups, this might do the trick.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.75 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Severn house for the eARC. My opinions are my own.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I wanted to like it more because the premise was interesting and sounded like it was going to be funny. I was so bored up until 90% when it all came together. Also this book was not that funny at all. I think I had higher expectations for it. The characters were also pretty boring. The chapters are short and I liked that.

Terrible book. Possibly enough content for a short story if you cut out every single scene set in the police station, which I was tempted to start skipping about a third of the way into the book. Plot slowly drags on and the ending is pointless.

Skip this book and read Anxious People instead.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book, I thought it was fun and humorous. I really liked the storyline and also really liked the authors writing. I could really see this being a good movie and I’d definitely watch it. The characters were great, the writing kept my attention and kept me wanting more.

‘You’re turning into a first-rate criminal.’

Who said life ended at fifty, or sixty, or even into your seventies? It certainly hasn’t for friends Alice, Sasha, George and Mia! When Alice’s past comes to light, her friends, and some helpful allies, band together to prove she’s been framed. The story progresses through real time interspersed with the conspirators being interviewed by two harried officers of the law who are at their wits’ end. It’s hilarious, action packed and with an ending that leaves you wanting a follow up!

Alice has a secret but it isn't that she murdered Babs no matter how much the woman irritated her by feeding the pigeons. Now, she's working to find the real villain with the help of her friends Mia, Sasha and George. This shifts between the narrative and police reports (I liked these). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. The setting is fun, the characters a treat, and while the mystery isn't too twisty, it's still a good read.

Life is pleasant for Alice Sanders until her neighbor Babs decides to start feeding the pigeons. The two women live in connected townhomes. Their homes share a wall, and a fence divides their patios. Now Alice’s patio is covered with bird poop.

Friction continues between the two women until the day that Babs puts on her raincoat and hat and decides to go around to feed her feathered friends on Alice’s patio while Alice and her friends are away for a few days. She’s thinking it would be a nice surprise for Alice to find when she returns.

While Alice and friends are gone, Babs is reported missing.

Her body is found on Alice’s patio with a bullet hole in her head.

Alice and her friends hear about Bab’s death while away and Alice knows it’s time for her to move on. Her friends George, Sasha, and Mia eventually get her secret out of her but instead of leaving her and returning to their old lives, they decide to help Alice escape.

Can a group of senior citizens investigate an incident from Alice’s past so that she doesn’t have to create a new life, or are they all going to become accomplices to a decades old crime?

This is a great story about how a split-second decision can change your life and the strength of friendship can save it.

This is a new-to-me author, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Scheduled release date is May 6th

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for an advance readers copy for my honest review.

A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run by Gwen Florio (e- ARC)
Pub Date: 6 May 2025

Short Synopsis:
Alice Sanders, a lively retiree in her seventies, moves to the peaceful Timeless Pastures retirement community in New Jersey, hoping for a calm and quiet life. But when her eccentric neighbour, Babs, turns Alice’s garden into a pigeon-infested mess, everything goes awry. After a fiery confrontation, Babs is found dead, and Alice quickly becomes the prime suspect. With her loyal friends by her side, Alice embarks on a fast-paced, quirky adventure to clear her name and uncover long-buried secrets from her past.

My Thoughts:
I really loved the premise of A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run. The idea of retirees going on the run is a unique and fun twist on the cosy mystery genre. The characters, particularly the seniors, are brimming with charm and personality, and the witty banter throughout made the story so enjoyable. I also appreciated the alternating format between the main narrative and the police interviews, which added a dynamic layer to the storytelling.

That said, the pacing felt a bit slow at the beginning, and there were moments when I almost considered putting the book down, but in the end, I didn’t because I still felt curious about how it would all unfold. While the mystery itself was decent, it lacked the suspense I had hoped for. The ending was quite intriguing, but it left too many loose ends, especially when it came to Alice’s past. Additionally, the sudden focus on Mia’s romantic subplot towards the end felt a bit out of place and unnecessary, unless it’s setting up for a sequel.

Overall, A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run is an entertaining and heartwarming read with a quirky premise and lovable characters. While it didn’t quite reach its full potential, I still enjoyed the journey and would recommend it if you're looking for a light, fun, and heartwarming mystery.

Overall Rating:
⭐️: 3.75/5

Thank you to @netgalley and @severnhouseimprint for the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts on the book!

I like the premise of this book, and the quirky senior characters are fun. The plot just felt disjointed and slow moving in some spots. There just wasn’t any excitement for me, which I really wanted from these wacky seniors.

ok Judi Dench and chums have to play this in the movies. i mean come on doesnt our main character just scream the brilliant Dench to you!?
shame Maggie isnt still with us as i can prescribe her in this movie too. but ive already got a Calendar girls esq cast playing the roles of this lot in my head. it was a fun and fab cast that takes you to the land of whip smart characters and plotting all the way through.
weve got Alice Sanders who thinks its cosy time when she moves into her retirement community. well, no such luck for Alice. not least because of the constant bickering she has over some pigeons. these pigeons are fed by Babs. and Babs and Alice do not get along. so when the former is found dead its obviously ALice in the frame. but she cant be bought in for questioning. not when that would threaten for her secrets and passed to come to light. so what does she do. oh, just what any normal retiree goer would do right? yep, she goes on the run. oh and the other matter of bringing a group of friends with her of course!
brilliant. loved this book so much.

*3.5 stars*

Senior citizen, Alice Sanders, is just a sweet little old lady right? Well no actually, she isn’t, and her criminal past is about to catch up with her in spectacular fashion. Weirdly, her demise was brought about by a flock of pigeons!

Alice lives in a retirement community “Timeless Pastures” in New Jersey, but one person spoils it for her and that’s fellow resident and next door neighbour Babs. Babs insists on feeding those darned pigeons and Alice is sick of it. It’s well known that Alice and Babs constantly bicker about it, so when Babs is found murdered, Alice is obviously the prime suspect. The thing is, Alice can’t afford to be interviewed by the police because they might just find out who she is and what she did all those years ago! There’s nothing for it but to go on the run, and incidentally, her best friends join her on this crazy escapade too!

Though a little unrealistic at times, it was nevertheless an entertaining read.

A Senior Citizen's Guide to Life on the Run was fun! Overall enjoyed it, although some parts felt as though they dragged on a little bit!

This made me laugh out loud a few times and made me realise that retirement did not have to be boring. Personally I don't have the time to go on the run but appreciated that I could experience it in this book. Loved the police interviews.

This book is fun, but it’s difficult to follow for a linear thinker like me. It was impossible for me to juggle all the moving parts with so many points of view and movement back and forth in time. There was also a disconnect in tone for me between the silliness of the rivalry over the pigeons and the seriousness of Alice’s past. DNF at ~38%.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

A Senior Citizen's Guide to Life on the Run was a fun, quick read with wacky characters. I enjoyed it! Thank you NetGalley and Severn for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest. review.

Overall, I like the story and the way it alternates between narrative and police interviews. But the characters never quite felt fully developed. They were just two dimensional, more like plot devices than people that I actually cared about.

“A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run” is yet another cozy mystery in the senior sleuth trope which is all the rage these days. In this one, the story alternates between humorous police interview scenes and the main narrative about who really killed feisty Alice’s busybody neighbor, Babs. The pacing was quick & the was lots of humor & quirkiness - an easy read that was quite fun. My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance readers copy - appreciate the opportunity to read & review.