The Retirement Plan Review

Posted on July 29, 2025

When a husband from a tight-knit friend group dies in a freak accident, Pam receives the insurance payout of her dreams, thanks to her husband’s job at the casino. She can finally retire after her husband and his friends lost the money due to a bad investment years ago. Her friends, Nancy, Shalisa, and Marlene, not only lost their retirement savings but also the spark in their marriages long ago. While Pam is away to close a deal at Boca Raton, the three friends decide to follow the same retirement plan at their husband’s expense. While the wives are plotting murder, their husbands are hatching an even riskier scheme to make a fortune where they risk their careers at the casino. As the wives and husbands put their plans in motion (each unknowingly hiring the same hitman, Hector), chaos ensues, and more facts are revealed, leading the couples to question if the money is worth the loss.

Again, this book feels like the lost episode or spinoff of “The Golden Girls.” I have heard of cozy mysteries, but is there a genre called cozy thriller?

The book reminds me of the sitcom, not only because the characters are living in their golden years, but if everyone had ONE honest heart-to-heart, then the wives wouldn’t consider murdering their husbands. However, the book wouldn’t have been as entertaining to read; every chapter brings a new twist that sheds light on the couple’s feelings for each other while adding more risk to their plans.

It’s hilarious to me that the only couple who have the healthiest relationship is the hitman, Hector, and his wife, Brenda. If I had to choose which couple to base my relationship on, it would be them. The most relatable character in the book is Padma, the new hire at the casino, who is trying to girl-boss her way to a promotion, unaware that her coworkers suspect she’s onto them.

This book is a comedic, cozy mystery perfect for reading at the beach or a staycation. I listened to this on an audiobook, and I enjoyed Kiiri Sandy and John Pirhalla as narrators. It was my first time listening to both of them, and they did an excellent job.

Thank you, NetGalley, for sending me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.