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DYING TO GET IN
Golden Shores in Maine is the ultimate five-star retirement community for the fortunate few, with a waitlist five years long. Fear for his wife's health has sixty-eight-year-old Bill Hurley dying to get in-and killing to get there.
Bill Hurley is a quirky former MIT professor and nerd legend. His lovely wife Hillary is a talented artist. They live on eighty pastoral acres in Stoney Creek, Maine. Life is good for this prosperous and likable duo. Until Hillary has a stroke. Though she recovers fully, the trauma of that tragic event is a catalyst for change. Waiting five years to get into Golden Shores so that Hillary can get the medical help she may need in the future is intolerable to Bill. His resolution? Kill a few residents and one person ahead of them on the waitlist. While he struggles with the ethical dilemma of planning the murders of four Golden Shores residents, the story is a fun, fast comic beach read bursting with unpredictable twists and a satisfying ending.
Dying to Get In is a cozy mystery/dark comedy brimming with eccentric but likable characters peppered with a tasty blend of weird and witty murderous intentions. Not your average who done it, this is a cozy how does he do it. Or does he? An inverted mystery. It's a contemporary Kind Hearts and Coronets meet The Golden Girls and Coen Brothers at Cabot Cove. It's a thoroughly entertaining and immersive beach read that fits perfectly within the efficacy range of your SPF 50. If you loved Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, you will love Dying to Get In!
Bill Hurley is a quirky former MIT professor and nerd legend. His lovely wife Hillary is a talented artist. They live on eighty pastoral acres in Stoney Creek, Maine. Life is good for this prosperous and likable duo. Until Hillary has a stroke. Though she recovers fully, the trauma of that tragic event is a catalyst for change. Waiting five years to get into Golden Shores so that Hillary can get the medical help she may need in the future is intolerable to Bill. His resolution? Kill a few residents and one person ahead of them on the waitlist. While he struggles with the ethical dilemma of planning the murders of four Golden Shores residents, the story is a fun, fast comic beach read bursting with unpredictable twists and a satisfying ending.
Dying to Get In is a cozy mystery/dark comedy brimming with eccentric but likable characters peppered with a tasty blend of weird and witty murderous intentions. Not your average who done it, this is a cozy how does he do it. Or does he? An inverted mystery. It's a contemporary Kind Hearts and Coronets meet The Golden Girls and Coen Brothers at Cabot Cove. It's a thoroughly entertaining and immersive beach read that fits perfectly within the efficacy range of your SPF 50. If you loved Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, you will love Dying to Get In!
134 pages, Paperback
Published January 7, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 2, 2022
This was a great read. Lots of twists and lots of laughs. I looked forward with each twist to how the next one would turn out. Loved the characters. Well worth the time to read this story. Did I have a favorite character? Yes !! Read to find out who your favorite will be !!
February 1, 2022
I really liked this cozy mystery with a twist. Just clever all around. It was a quick, easy read…with puns, laughs, quirky characters…I also loved the names for the characters. I will read it again because I may have missed some of the puns or tongue in cheek. Lol.
January 14, 2022
Surreal, dark comedy set in an upscale retirement community
After his beloved wife, Hillary, experiences a stroke, retired cybersecurity expert Bill Hurley decides it's time for them to relocate to a seniors' community closer to doctors and medical support than their beautiful Maine country home. The only problem is their choice of retirement community has a five-year waiting list: the only openings occur when a current resident dies. Being a man of action, Bill plans to find a way to lessen the wait.
Dying to Get In is a new dark comedy by husband and wife writing team Peter and Laurie Interland that had me laughing out loud and cringing (but with delight!) at times. It's a shorter novel and PERFECT for reading straight through from cover to cover as you'll want to know what is coming next!I loved the main character, Bill, and seriously rooted for his success. I laughed at what his son, Paul, was having to deal with as his frisky, talented, genius, and fun-loving parents cruised into their golden years. I also liked the friends they were making at Golden Shores; they seemed like fun people, too (well, except for those that weren't supposed to be!)
The age group we're reading about at Golden Shores is beginning to include the children of the 60s and 70s, and it was fun to see that the vices of their youth followed them into their golden years. There is drinking, smoking, pot, THC, and sex featured in the story, so be aware if any of these are an issue for you as a reader.With a plethora of great characters, a fun, irreverent plotline, and a lovely setting on the coast of Maine, I recommend DYING TO GET IN for general fiction readers, cozy mystery lovers, and readers who enjoy a story with older characters.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.
February 17, 2022
I found this book to be confusing. Guess it isn’t my type of book. Sounded better than it was.
January 22, 2022
Cute quick read
January 24, 2022
He’s a Serial Killer - but a perfect neighbour, a good friend
What would you do to ensure the perfect life for you and your soulmate? What if she had already had one near fatal stroke and you lived miles from them type of medical facility needed to keep her alive? You can afford the type of facility she needs, you BOTH need to feel secure. Unfortunately there’s a wait list and you have an engineering background, the time and the money to - help things along…
What would you do to ensure the perfect life for you and your soulmate? What if she had already had one near fatal stroke and you lived miles from them type of medical facility needed to keep her alive? You can afford the type of facility she needs, you BOTH need to feel secure. Unfortunately there’s a wait list and you have an engineering background, the time and the money to - help things along…
April 24, 2026
DYING TO GET IN by Peter Interland is a darkly comedic and cleverly twisted take on the cozy mystery genre. Set in a desirable retirement community, the story blends humor with moral absurdity in a way that keeps readers both entertained and slightly unsettled.
Bill Hurley is a fascinating protagonist whose internal conflict drives the narrative, and the inverted mystery structure adds originality.
Overall, it’s a witty, offbeat read with sharp satire and unexpected turns that will appeal to fans of quirky crime fiction.
Bill Hurley is a fascinating protagonist whose internal conflict drives the narrative, and the inverted mystery structure adds originality.
Overall, it’s a witty, offbeat read with sharp satire and unexpected turns that will appeal to fans of quirky crime fiction.
April 27, 2026
3.5 rounded up…I thought this one moved kind of slow for such a short story. I also was turned off by the political references. I hate politics in my mysteries. I actually love books about senior citizen killers or would-be killers (especially with humor), but I didn’t find this one nearly as funny as so many of the reviews indicated. I didn’t really like any of the characters very much. The whole recreational drug scene did nothing for me either. To top it off, I tried to listen to the Audible, but found it was Virtual Voice which I hate. Definitely disappointing.
February 18, 2022
A fun, quick murder mystery, I couldn't put down!
June 22, 2022
The amazing things ,people will go to, to get what they want.
Almost a comedy of errors occur as Bill, tries to secure a place for him and his wife at Golden Acres.
Almost a comedy of errors occur as Bill, tries to secure a place for him and his wife at Golden Acres.
July 21, 2025
Were people paid to review this book and give it more stars? I never give up on a book. I gave up on this book. I couldn’t. I was attracted to the idea but the delivery was an absolute failure.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews