The Little Old Lady Strikes Back

Pensionärsligan #4

by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg, Rod Bradbury (Translator)

Martha and the infamous League of Pensioners are back in The Little Old Lady Strikes Back, from the author of the smash-hit The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules.

After stealing some priceless Russian jewels from the Stockholm Auction House, Martha and her gang flee to the small village of Hemmavid to lie low. But what they find is a village in crisis, so they decide they want to help revive the place.

But to do so, the village needs money. In steps the League of Pensioners to arrange events to attract paying tourists. Which all turns out to be a rather delicate, and dramatic, balancing act when you are wanted by the police. Even when the school is about to be closed, they step up to put on classes in technology, seamanship and entrepreneurship so that the students can start companies and create new jobs and hopefully a future.

Having donned the mantle of guerrilla fighters, come to save Sweden’s countryside from depopulation, Will they be able to help the villagers get the attention of the politicians to save the village without being caught?

Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg's socially engaged, riotous comedy is perfect for fans of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Series and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Crime, Contemporary

367 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Catharina Ingelman-Sundbergs böcker har sålt i över 400 000 exemplar. 1999 belönades hon med Widdingpriset som årets författare av historiska romaner och populärhistoria i Sverige. Hennes böcker är hittills sålda till 14 länder.

Catharina ägnade femton år av sitt liv att som arkeolog söka efter vår historia på havets botten runt om i världen. Denna tid har hon skildrat i boken Bland hajar, karlar och vrak. I Norge har hon bland annat deltagit i utgrävningen av fregatten Lossen och har även varit anställd vid Norsk sjöfartsmuseum.

Som marinarkeolog dök hon på allt från vikingaskepp och ostindiefarare till slavskepp och försvarsspärrar utanför vikingastaden Birka i Mälaren.

Hon var även anställd vid Western Australian Museum i Perth där hon ledde arbetet med att bärga och utforska den holländska ostindiefararen "Zeewijk" från 1727. Om detta kan man läsa i den sjöhistoriska romanen Kampen mot bränningarna, klassad som en av de bästa sjöromanerna som skrivits på svenska.

Efter några år som marinarkeolog i Australien återvände hon till Sverige där hon arbetade flera år vid Malmö sjöfartsmusem och bärgade det vikingatida Fotevikskeppet utanför Skåne.

Därefter utbildade sig Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg till journalist vid Journalisthögskolan i Göteborg parallelt med att bokskrivandet kom igång. Förutom Kampen mot bränningarna och romantriologin Vikingablot, Vikingasilver och Vikingaguld har Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg även gett ut populärvetenskapliga faktaböcker, bl.a Boken om vikingarna och underhållningslitteratur som Tantlexikon.

Vikingaromanerna skildrar vad som hände när missionären Ansgar kom till Skandinavien för att kristna hedningarna, om vikingarnas härtåg i västerled och österled och om den starka vikingakvinnan. Böckerna har publicerats i flera länder.

Hon har även skrivit om vikingafurstinnan Ingegerd i romanen Mäktig mans kvinna och tre böcker från medeltiden. I romanerna Brännmärkt, Förföljd och Befriad berättar hon bland annat om Östersjöns sjörövare vitaliebröderna, den tyska Hansan och drottning Margareta. I Tempelbranden berättar hon om när Sverige kristnades och förstörelsen av Uppsalatemplet.

Idag delar Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg sin tid mellan det egna författandet och arbetet som frilansjournalist.

Snabbfakta om Catharina:
Utbildning:
* Adolf Fredrik musikgymnasium, student 1967
* Fil. kand i Historia, Konsthistoria och Nordisk och jämförande folklivsforskning 1970, Uppsala universitet. Därtill betyg i arkeologi och nordiska språk.
* Svenska sportdykarförbundets 1:a klassbrev 1971
* Skepparexamen 1981
* Journalistexamen 1986

Anställningar:
Dykinstruktör, AB Dyksport, Uppsala
Marinarkeolog och amanuens på Statens sjöhistoriska museum och Oslo Sjöfartsmuseum, Marinarkeolog och museiintendent på Western Australian museum, Perth och Malmö sjöfartsmuseum
Journalist på GT, Göteborgsposten, SVT Västnytt i Göteborg och Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm.

Böcker:
Marinarkeologi, dykaren, arkeologen fynden, 1985
Kampen mot bränningarna, 1991
Den svarta ejderungen (illustrationer S. Hellmark), 1991
Bland hajar, karlar och vrak, 1995
Vikingablot, 1995
Vikingasilver, 1997
Vikingaguld, 1999
Boken om vikingarna, 1998
Stockholms dolda museer, 2000
Mäktig mans kvinna, om vikingafurstinnan Ingegerd, 2001
Forntida kvinnor, 2004
Tantlexikon, 2004
Brännmärkt, 2006
Förföljd, 2007
Befriad, 2009
Tempelbranden, 2010
Kaffe med Rån, 2012

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mysig och varmhjärtad fortsättning på serien. Kom på mig själv med att le åt de charmiga karaktärerna och deras upptåg men saknar de skratt som tidigare böcker i serien utlöste.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rolig, härlig & gripande!

[Lisa Dittmar · Rating 2 out of 5]

It might have been the translation, but I found the writing really simplistic. The plot was too neat and tidy and it didn’t feel believable.

[Mary Beth Gormley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an enjoyable read! Cute, quirky, and funny, these octogenarians set out to outwit law enforcement to save the Swedish countryside.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been almost a decade probably since I last read one of the League of Pensioners books, but I knew I had previously enjoyed the series, so couldn't resist sitting down with this one.

And I'm glad I did, as Martha and her friends are back in style.

This group are a wonderful advert for how to grow old disgracefully, while living life to its fullest.

They a fabulous diamond heist, they decide to lay low in a small countryside village, and then Martha decides she wants to save the whole countryside.

Expect antics such as sabotage, cow bingo, kidnapping, impersonating the police and a whole lot more as they come up with plan after plan to improve the village and potentially the whole of Swedish countryside living.

They have big ideas, they are smart and they have follow through. Unlike the police who we get occasional chapters from who seem utterly clueless.

This was a very amusing book and I really enjoyed being back amongst the League of Pensioners.

Thank you to Pan for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this book puts focus on building up small towns and small businesses. It also shows the author's passion for improving education and providing education for all students. Martha and the League of Pensioners come up with ideas for how students with Aspergers or autism can also get a good education and contribute to the community with their special skills. It is also fun that Christina and Anna Gretta are taking more control and not letting Martha always be in charge.

As the story goes on, I love it more and more. Jealous wives and girlfriends who find photos, power outages that were or weren't on purpose, CHARM classes for the young and old, farm competitions. It is all hilarious, and somehow, the League of Pensioners get out of trouble again thanks to a few ironic events and angry women.

Loved the art exchange and the whole theme of improving the countryside towns.

[Jaana Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frustrerade åldringar går långre än civil olydnad. Pensionärsligan drar sig inte för att utföra stölder i miljonklass och demonstrera med kor och får vid riksdagshuset. Det är buskis över det hela men härligt skrivet med roligheter som inte lästs förut. Allt i Robin Hood anda. Det kan inte hjälpas att man får idéer för en egen pensionärsrörelse. "Ja, Märtha...Från bov till glesbygdsaktivist! Säg inte annat än att jag är flexibel."

[Sarah Hills · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry, just not for me. A gang of rogue pensioners I thought might be fun, but my goodness the book dragged.
I've not read the previous books in this series but I don't feel like I've missed anything by coming in at book four.
Some of their japes were fun, like kidnapping a racehorse, but a lot of the time it was boring descriptive text or their thoughts on the matters.
Maybe it's lost something in translation?

[Queen Bzyb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gang of Swedish pensioners surely are inspirational in what they set out to achieve. Mischievous, funny and innovative, I laughed out loud in parts. However, the level of energy, high level skill across so many areas, physical ability and time to pull off all that they did was not very believable and I also felt the book dragged on a bit too long.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're in need of a good laugh, look no further than this book! The humor was irreverent and edgy, with jokes that pushed the boundaries and kept me laughing out loud. The author's wit and satire were razor-sharp, making this a must-read for fans of smart, comedic writing.

[Eva Sjölund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mycket kul bok

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alltid lika trevligt att läsa vad pensionsligan hittar på för upptåg, alltid med en charm och man ler många gånger under boken. En riktig feel good!

[Wendy Ovadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story, a fun read.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly Swedish candy. Entertaining but a bit daft

[Amy Coupe · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars At times laborious. Perhaps because it was translated? About 100 pages too long.

[Sigrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alltså att läsa bok 4 i en serie först är inte något jag gillar. Hade egentligen inte tänkt läsa ut den, men den var ändå kul och jag satt och småskrattade åt alla dråpligheter.

[Kathy Kathy Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Jacqui Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Neither funny nor entertaining, though it is hard to say whether this was because it was lost in translation

[Anna Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with the fourth book in this series. It was too predictable and lacked the humor that the previous three books had. I struggled to finish it and finally gave up

[Natalie Mundy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun enjoyable read. Although I didn’t realise at first this is the fourth book in the series 😅. Still recommend reading it although you might not get all the references

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of interesting 'Robin Hood' types who are certainly avoiding the quiet life. A fun read.

[Yrsa Anckers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man blir glad. Knasig och charmig

[one more chapter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Greta Ernst · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about elderly people committing crimes in a Robin Hood fashion. Poorly written, but good characters. The plot is not believable enough to be good. I won't bother with the others.

[Judith Letley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended , it was a good read, but I found I was having to read it in short bursts, which didn't help.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

After completing their latest heist, Martha and her friends in the League of Pensioners are forced to go on the run. They retreat to the small village of Hemmavid, planning to lie low until things calm down. What they don’t expect to find is a town that is practically shut down. The shop, the bank and the post office are all closed, and even the school is under threat. Determined to help, the gang set out to revive the village by attracting tourists and injecting much-needed money into the local economy. Before long, they find themselves acting as guerrilla activists, fighting for the future of the countryside. The question is can they do it without attracting police attention?

I was already a fan of this series, but somehow missed this instalment when it was released, so I arrived rather late to the party. According to Goodreads, it’s been six years since I read the previous book! Fortunately, that didn’t matter. Within a chapter or two, I felt reacquainted with the characters and was eager to see what escapades they would get up to next.

The tone of this book felt slightly different from earlier instalments. There’s a stronger political and activist thread running through the story, rather than a sole focus on the League’s madcap adventures. That’s not to say it isn’t fun — there are still plenty of outrageous stunts — but it does feel as though Ingelman-Sundberg is trying to make a broader point this time around.

The pensioners remain as endearing as ever, even if Martha occasionally comes across as a little overbearing. Each character brings something unique to the group. Rake teaching a class on charm was a particular highlight, while Christina and Ana-Greta’s horse heist genuinely made me chuckle.

The audiobook was easy to listen to and was perfect for my drive home from work. An enjoyable and entertaining way to wind down at the end of the day.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just good old fun! The ending is a little involved, but worth it.

[Jessica Ahlros · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stjärnor. Inte lika roande som de tidigare i serien men jag blev mer och mer road mot slutet.

[Jessie Lunan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want a 31/2 star for this one. It was an easy read - a light crime romp and kind of fun.