Murder in Retirement: A Laura Michaels Mystery

Laura Michaels #2

by John Miles

Laura couldn't believe it. Well, yes she could: Why shouldn't she suddenly be told that an acting troupe was coming to Timberdale to perform a mystery play, one in which the residents of the retirement center would participate by playing detectives. Maude Thuringer was going to love it. She was collecting clues already and the show was still in the planning stages. In the meantime, Laura just had to take care of the details... When J. Turner Redwine and his group show up, Laura realizes that the details are the least of her worries: There's so much backbiting, jealousy, thievery, chicanery, and debauchery going on, it's a wonder the troupe ever has time to rehearse. Redwine is full of surprises, all of them nasty. But he does do one thing that makes the Timberdale residents a happy group: He announces that he's retitled his play, and one of the actors is going to portray a newcomer to the center... and then wind up dead! What he doesn't know at the time is who is going to be the victim and that the body isn't just going to be a part of a play but of a murder most foul. Timberdale hasn't seen so much excitement in, well, oh so long, and Maude just loves having another real case to work on. Now, if they could only find that sweet Laura...

Genres: Mystery

246 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Ben Boulden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous and entertaining cozy whodunit set in the eccentric Timberdale Retirement Center outside Norman, Oklahoma.

[Stina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book #27 for 2017
Personal Challenge: A book set in a retirement community
PopSugar Ultimate Reading Challenge (max. 3):
- A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long
- A book by an author who uses a pseudonym
- A book with an eccentric character
Possible Book Bingo Square: A Book with a Female Heroine
Mt TBR Challenge #10
Follow the Clues: Trail 1, Clue 9

I have never read Writing and Selling Your Novel by this author, but perhaps I should. If Bickham can write crap like this and get it published, he clearly knows a few tricks. Or knew. My understanding is that he hid his cozy mysteries under this pseudonym until his death.

I do not want to waste a whole lot of time reviewing this book, so I will just hit the lowlights of why this book is a serious contender for Stinker of the Year this year:
- Except for the sleuth (Laura), all of the characters are cartoonish in the worst possible way. They are not fun and interesting. They are boorish and tedious, and Jack gives them odd nicknames that he uses constantly without ever explaining. And he keeps sticking them in completely nonsensical slapstick scenes.
- Jack clearly has no respect for women. Laura is the only "normal" woman in the story, and she has no agency. She spends the entire book kowtowing to somebody more powerful, daydreaming about her deputy boyfriend, being rescued by a man, fretting over her childcare arrangements, or being sexually harassed and assaulted on a regular basis. Our boy Jack not only likes to play this for laughs, it is evident that he gleefully identified with the resident lech. Asshole.
- Want to know how I figured out the murderer right away, even before anybody got killed? Jack was constantly dropping broad, offensive hints that the character was not heterosexual.

So yeah, this book pretty much sucked. I do not recommend it to anybody.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book is a murder mystery weekend in a retirement home and it seemed a little far-fetched. Some of the characters were over the top although I liked Laura, the social work student who practically runs the home.

[Joann · Rating 3 out of 5]

an easy read.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Acting troop comes to retirement home and all hell breaks loose!
OK