Too Old For This

By: Samantha Downing

Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley

Brought to you by Penguin.

It's never too late to teach an old woman new murders...a razor-sharp, edge-of-your-seat new thriller from Sunday Times bestseller Samantha Downing.

You’d never guess Lottie Jones had skeletons in her closet.

She’s lived in town for decades now. She’s getting older. She lives for the simple pleasures of weekly bingo games at church, and gossiping with her friends about their children’s love lives.

But when investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past, and specifically about her connection to numerous unsolved murders, well, Lottie just can’t have that.

But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realises this crime might just be the death of her…

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Praise for Samantha Downing

'Dark, sly and delicious' J.P. Delaney
'Wry and dark and witth and clever' Sarah Pinborough
'A brilliant psychological black comedy' Daily Mail
'An irresistibly dark tale' T.M. Logan
'Witty and macabre' Caroline Kepnes

© Samantha Downing 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critic reviews

Sharp, sly and darkly hilarious

Samantha Downing's signature dark humour is cranked up to one hundred in TOO OLD FOR THIS, a whip smart story about a geriatric serial killer who simply wants to settle down. Walker-wielding Lottie Jones is as twisted as they come, and I, for one, will never underestimate the elderly again. (Stacy Willingham, New York Times bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark)

This riveting story unfolds with heart-pounding suspense, showcasing Downing’s masterful storytelling from start to finish. (Liv Constantine, New York Times Bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish)

This is Downing at her best. Delightfully macabre and so artful that the reader might well root for Lottie, even when she is psychotic to the max. The perfect recommendation for someone looking for something different and extremely entertaining.

Deliciously dark and utterly addictive, this is a super-smart thrill ride with a lot to say about the way women are treated as they age and one of the most wickedly witty anti-heroines of all time! Brilliant! (Ellery Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of The Club)

Samantha Downing is one of the most daring and original thriller writers in the business. She hits another home run with Too Old for This, one of the twistiest thrillers in years and featuring as unique and intriguing a protagonist (or villain?) as you’ll ever meet. Combining tension with heartbreak and laugh-out-loud wit, Too Old for This is a fast and thoroughly satisfying read. (David Ellis, New York Times bestselling author of Look Closer)

Twisty, clever, and wildly entertaining…delivers a Bingo-playing, retired serial killer who just might be the most compelling anti-heroine you've ever read. Samantha Downing is at her diabolical best in this darkly comedic thriller. (Darby Kane, author of Pretty Little Wife)

Nerve-jangling, all-consuming, and yes, even laugh out loud… the most entertaining thriller of the year. Once again, Downing has outdone herself with this smart, twisted, and downright sinister read. (Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest)

Only the incredible Samantha Downing could create such a riveting, propulsive twisty and surprising and laugh out loud mordantly witty and inventive story! Fans of Richard Osman will howl with laughter and clamour to read this brilliant and yet heartbreaking take on a serial killer. (Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of One Wrong Word)

Downing delivers once again with her signature wit and impeccable pacing. Don’t bother trying to put this book down—give in and let it take you on one hell of a ride! (Hannah Mary McKinnon, author of Only One Survives)