Absolutely fab book, a definite comedy of errors. I don't want to give any spoilers but the disparities on the way the wives and husbands viewed their marriage and their misadventures along the way were totally compelling and will ring true to anyone who's ever been married. Would highly recommend to anyone who fancies a lighthearted but fascinating insight into peoples lives.

The Retirement Plan is an incredibly entertaining story. It’s hard to believe this is Sue Hincenbergs' debut novel, given the accomplished writing, tight plot with numerous twists and turns, and wonderful characters.
The narrative follows four couples in their 60s, lifelong friends who have saved hard for their retirement dreams. However, when their husbands—Hank, Larry, Andre, and Dave—lose their entire retirement savings on a poor investment, the women—Pam, Nancy, Shalisa, and Marlene—are left feeling lost, angry, and utterly disillusioned with life and their spouses. After Marlene’s husband dies in an unfortunate accident, she receives a million-dollar life insurance pay-out. Her friends soon start to consider that widowhood might not be such a bad idea, especially when they discover all the husbands had the same life insurance policy.
Enter Padma, the manager at the casino where Hank and Dave worked, who suspects the four men of embezzling millions from the casino. Add in Hector, the local barber and man who ‘can get things done’, and his wife Barbara, and the stage is set for a fun adventure filled with confusion, misunderstandings, plot twists, and double-crossing galore.
I had no idea what to expect from this book when I requested it, but it was pure joy. I loved the entire cast, especially Pam, the lead character, and her lovable dog Elmer. The ‘kookiness’ of the story reminded me of Jonas Jonasson’s books, with misunderstandings leading to further confusion. While it may fall under the new umbrella of cosy crime, it is far less predictable than many books in that genre.
I would definitely recommend this book and have already done so to several of my friends. I look forward to seeing what Sue Hincenbergs writes next.

What a fun book! And considering the subject is paid-for murder, that’s not something I expected to say. The set up is skilfully handled, the characters understandable, if not always exactly likeable (though even the worst have their redeeming features) and the plot twists are great fun. Definitely one to recommend as a light and entertaining holiday read.

Absolutely hilarious. I loved this book. It’s an easy, entertaining and at times laugh out loud story about four couples; a mob boss; a grand plan and miscommunication.
I loved the twists and turns and was genuinely entertained by the author weaving the ins and outs of the concept.
Brilliant.

Hank has invested all of his and Pam’s life savings in a scheme which was ‘too good to be missed’. His close friends Dave, Larry and Andre also invest and all of them lose everything. Dave and Hank work in the local casino and that is where the plan is hatched to steal from the casino so that they can all retire in the way they thought they were going to. The wives know nothing of this scheme but all of their marriages are in trouble because of the worry about funding their retirement. Pam and Hank have had to sell their lovely home and move to a poorer part of town and as a result of losing all their savings they have had to change their lifestyle. When Dave dies Hank is convinced that they are all being targeted by thugs from the casino where he and Dave work who have worked out that they are stealing. The manager of the casino is an Indian lady called Padma. Padma is the daughter of the casino owner who lives in India. Padma’s mother is desperate to find Padma a husband and employs someone to make this happen. These are the main threads of the story which is quite fun with lots of things happening which could all have been resolved if there hadn’t been so many misunderstandings. Hector is another key character in the book and he is the local barber who can turn his hand to many things including being a hitman for the right price. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book to begin with but I really wanted to know what would happen by the end. The characters are colourful and brought to life on the page. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

A very funny book, with a great story, and excellent characters. Yes, the story is ridiculous, but it is great fun, and actually very good-hearted.

Loved this book, I felt as if I was reading a Westend farce. It was funny, entertaining, witty so much so I found myself giggling. It was so well written, the characters amazing and extremely realistic, in fact I found myself wishing I was in their ‘gang’. They were so down to earth and echoed the reality of being married for 30+years. They were so storyline was exceptionally well constructed and it flowed so well from beginning to end. Would thoroughly recommend it.

I absolutely loved this book. I thought I had it sussed and another curve ball came flying. It had me giggling out loud in places and worried for the ladies at others. A perfect fun and very clever read.

Retirement is close, but the husbands of Pam, Nancy and Shalisa are really infuriating them. So they come to hatch a plan to dispatch of them. But how? And then, it appears, the men seem to be having ideas of their own.

I cannot believe that this is a debut novel, so polished, so entertaining, so fantastic. I can’t wait for more books from Sue Hincenberg.

Three wives wanting a new life. Three husbands in their way.
This is a book I wouldn’t have necessarily picked up but it did intrigue me!
It was funny and entertaining and a tale of cat and mouse whilst also looking at marriage, friendship and middle age life.
It gave me The Thursday Murder Club vibes but with a twist and I did enjoy it!
However I did think it was predictable and a bit far fetched and I wanted more from Marlene and she kind of just disappeared!
The epilogue and bonus chapter of how Dave died were good additions as they both rounded up the story and I wasn’t left with any unanswered questions.

Be careful what you wish for!
This is a deliciously humorous and exciting novel. 4 married couples, lifelong friends in their 60’s who should be looking forward to retirement. Except that everything has gone tits-up. The women are disillusioned with their men, and the men are hiding a huge secret which will make all their lives turn out better- except they can’t tell their wives about it, Until it’s too late. Great fun and a real page-turner, and full of very dark humour.

What a fabulous read - very engaging and very amusing! It’s a total comedy of errors from the start to the end, told from multiple points of view. This would make a fabulous series on tv, cliffhangers at then end of each episode with a feel good ending - just perfect.

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

An entertaining read with lots of twists, turns and double crossing. Set in a small ocean side town in America with a group of friends, four couples. Early on one the men dies in a freak accident which sends alarm bells though the rest of the men as they are involved in shady dealings at the local casino. The wives of the men are totally fed up with their husbands who they feel are taking them for granted. What unfolds is a fun tale, a little predictable maybe with the many misunderstandings, but that doesn't detract. I loved the 'go-between' character the barber, Hector and his wife, they really made the book together with the new Casino owner, Padma, whose mother is trying to marry her off in an arranged marriage . The group of friends are what I perceive as typical American friendship group, I am reading this on the other side of the Atlantic, and enjoyed despite this and the American English.

If you’re after a lighthearted tale of some husbands being bumped off by their wives for the insurance, then you’ve come to the right place! This book is hilarious and surprisingly warm, even a little sentimental at times. The characters feel like friends straight away and their hapless husbands certainly reminded me of men I’ve known and loved. With a bit of rom-com, some chick-lit and a healthy dose of mystery, it packs a lot into its very readable pages.

This is a book that definitely lived up to the blurb and I am so pleased that I decided to read The Retirement Plan. I read it straight after reading a much more serious and well written family drama which was going to be a really hard act to follow. I needed to read a completely different type of book and this was just right.
Th story centres around four couples in their 60’s, lifelong friends who have a nice nest egg for their retirement dream. Pam, Nancy, Shalisa and Marlene like to compare themselves to the Golden Girls and when their husbands Hank, Larry, Andre and Dave invest and lose their retirement money in a hare-brained adventure they are totally deflated and angry. When Marlene’s husband dies in an accident and they realise that she has the benefit of life insurance of a million dollars it isn’t long before they all decide that widowhood might be a good idea for them all especially as they find out that all the husbands took out the same life policy.
I won’t spoil the story by saying more about the plot but this book was so funny it had me laughing out loud so much and was a joy to read. Imagine a barber/hitman in a quandary; the boss of a casino in the throes of trying to get to the bottom of inside theft whilst negotiating her mother’s match making and some very nervous husbands who need to disappear and you have mayhem ensuing that makes a most entertaining story. I loved it! Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

I was glued to this book. It is funny, with believable characters, and never-ending twists and turns. I enjoyed reading it immensely.

This was a fabulous book, which will really work for fans of Jesse Sutanto's Dial A or Vera Wong series. A fun, wry look at what happens when husbands and wives contract the same hit man to kill each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and can see it being a big hit this summer.

I really enjoyed reading this book. So many plot changes and twists. Just when you thought you knew what was going on, turn the page and everything had changed. In the end I could not put this book down. Very happy with the ending.

A group of forward thinking women realise they can retire somewhere nice and say goodbye to their dull and troubled lives if it wasn’t for their husbands. Commence ‘Operation Husbands’ and what ensues is a twisted tale of events -are the husbands suspicious? Would anyone know they were planning to kill them? An entertaining book. I highly recommend reading this.

I really could not get into this book. I tried several times. Why 60 something women are using the F-word so liberally beats me. Unappealing characters and a plot that just didn't get going.

Grateful ARC recipient here.

Loved his book. A funny tale, well-paced and full of misunderstandings, centred around people at a stage in life where they could expect to be written off but who are far from ready for that.

Really enjoyable read that I didn't want to put down and was sorry to finish.