The Retirees

by

Leah Orr

An American Thursday Murder Club with a twist!

The Retirees by Leah Orr is a lighter-weight Thursday Murder Club-style mystery-thriller set in an upscale fifty-five-plus community on Florida’s Treasure Coast, and proved to be a lot of fun. After her unceremonious ouster as chairman of the board of the sugar empire her grandfather started, well-heeled new retiree Diana moves into The Ocean’s Edge, a grand fifty-five-plus community. She immediately attracts the attention of a group of amusing senior residents enjoying their special ‘coffee’ in the country club, who invite her to join them the following morning after she gets moved in. Diana soon discovers that the small group also has a special hobby: examining cold cases at the behest of the local police department, under the leadership of one of their own —a bored, retired former detective. The group already has a growing record of successes clearing old cases, and Diana is all on board, pleased to lend her own skills and high-level connections to their resources. All is going well with their new cases until a resident of the community dies under suspicious circumstances, similar to a couple of previous deaths at The Ocean’s Edge. 

Diana takes to her forced retirement like a duck to water, and with the friendships and excitement her new pals bring, she quickly settles into life at The Ocean’s Edge. I appreciated how she leveraged her considerable influence, wealth, and the negotiated perks of her severance from the sugar company to aid in solving cases. One of those perks includes her personal driver, Jeb, whom she has counted as her best (and perhaps only) friend for almost 60 years and is starting to view in a much more personal light. 

The story unfolds from a few interesting points of view. Besides Diana’s viewpoint, there’s that of the unnamed serial killer who lives among them in plain sight and the very special narrative of Mr. Anderson. Diana’s voice is witty and snarky at times as she transitions to her new life, while the serial killer provides an eerie running commentary on his latest vigilante mission, offering glimpses into his past and how he came to be where he is at the time of the story. The cases the group reviews are simple yet intriguing, and their investigative techniques are unique. The banter among this quirky group had me laughing out loud on several occasions. I was hooked from the start and gladly read it start to finish in one sitting. 

I recommend THE RETIREES for readers of mysteries and thrillers, fans of more mature amateur sleuths, and Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.