Mostly Murders

Ad/Pr/Patrocinado. Many thanks to Orrplace Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Retirees by Leah Orr. The Retirees was published Jan 5, 2026.

Never a dull moment where the land meets infinity. Discover the wonder at The Ocean’s Edge.

A fun, edgy and modern retirement community mystery with a paranormal element. When seventyfour year old Diana is forced into retirement from her family run, multimillion dollar sugar company, she moves to The Ocean’s Edge, a fancy retirement community, and almost instantly finds herself as the newest member of a quirky group of seniors who fuel themselves with boozy coffee drinks served in punny mugs, and investigate cold cases using everything from tarot cards to hacking to solve murders and disappearances. But The Ocean’s Edge is home to more than just amateur sleuths, and not all deaths among the senior citizens are from natural causes.

The story changes between three different points of view. The main bulk of the book is from Diana’s point of view, but she shares the job of narrating with Mr. Anderson, the resident retirement home cat and “Theo”, a made-up name for a longtime murderer.

The Retirees is labelled as a cozy mystery but make no mistake, this isn’t your innocent little bakery or bookshop cozy filled with cupcakes and kittens. This is bold and unapologetic, like Diana herself, and the inclusion of Thoe’s point of view makes it feel darker than most cozies. If I had to try to label this, I think I would classify it as a cozy serial killer thriller. In fact, this one felt to me like a lighter, non-gory version of The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi.

We have a fierce and feisty female main character, an eccentric but loveable supporting cast and a retirement home that is cozy on the surface but quite dark beneath the peaceful facade. And we have reflections on ageing, the meaning of life, death, love, family, friendship and a glorious representation of senior citizens as being capable, interesting and important regardless of their age and ailments.

If you loved the humour in The Thursday Murder club but want a story with a bit more bite, paranormal elements, a murderer’s point of view and a cat’s opinions on human nature, give this one a read.

Cozy mystery – Mystery thriller