Devi Nair

Genre: 🕵️‍♂️ Mystery Thriller Format: 🎧 Audiobook Narrator: 🎙️ Elizabeth Wiley Duration: ⏳ 11 hours Book Blurb:

In Too Old for This by Samantha Downing, a cunning serial killer narrates their chilling tale, weaving a life of calculated murders with a deceptively ordinary facade. Set against a backdrop of small-town normalcy, the killer’s unique perspective reveals a twisted psyche, blending dark humor with psychological depth. As bodies pile up, the line between necessity and impulse blurs, keeping readers guessing about the killer’s next move. This bold thriller, released in 2025, explores the mind of a predator hiding in plain sight, delivering a provocative spin on the cozy mystery genre. Let’s talk about the book:

Samantha Downing’s Too Old for This lured me in with its audacious premise: a serial killer’s POV, served with a side of (at least from my perspective) a semi-cozy mystery vibes. I’ve read and written stories from a killer’s POV before, so I went in curious and open-minded. Downing’s setup is strong, the psychology’s on point, and the writing puts you right inside Lottie’s twisted logic. Elizabeth Wiley’s narration is a standout. Her voice shifts are so spot-on, they make the killer’s twisted mind feel unnervingly real, like you’re eavesdropping on their darkest thoughts.

But here’s where it stumbled for me: I spent most of the book wondering where it was headed, not in a thrilling “can’t wait to find out” way, but more like, “WTF is going on?” The murders, while tied to Lottie’s warped logic, often felt excessive, lacking the deeper “why” I needed to stay invested. Curiosity kept me from DNF’ing, but it wasn’t the heart-pounding excitement I craved. I wanted to love this book, especially for its bold mashup of cozy mystery and pitch-black psychological edge, a combo I’ve never seen before. But when the final chapter hit, I felt more puzzled than satisfied, like I’d missed the spark that makes a story unforgettable.

The silver lining? I’ve literally never encountered (again, from my perspective) a semi-cozy mystery with this kind of pitch-black psychological edge before. If you want something truly unique, this is it. Would I recommend it?

This one really comes down to taste. If you love experimental POVs that drag you into unsettling headspace, give it a go—you might vibe with it more than I did. For me, though, curiosity kept me reading, not excitement, and I closed the last page feeling underwhelmed.

⭐⭐ Rating: 2 out of 5. Share your deep, dark secrets!

Do you enjoy stories told from a killer’s perspective? Or does it make it harder to stay invested in the story? I’d love to hear if this is your jam, or if it’s a hard pass.