Oh this was just brilliant and so entertaining.

And I'm utterly surprised that it was a debut novel, it was just that good and accomplished.

We have husbands hiring hitmen to protect themselves after one of their group dies, after all they are all hiding something major.
We have wives plotting to kill husbands.
There is a double dipping hitman with a fair bit of humanity too.
Add in a dog, a lot of assumptions, a boss that is having to deal with a matchmaker and a mother, while trying to prove herself, and all sorts of miscommunications - and you have the recipe for one incredibly amusing, dark and twisted and just all around addictive book.

I read this in one sitting, totally hooked on all the various goings on. For the second we think we know exactly what is happening, something else is revealed and the truths as you know them are developed further with more layers.

I think what is fairly safe to say is that Pam, Nancy and Shalisa are not totally happy in their marriages, and that all of their husbands are total schmucks!

And to make this even better, the main characters, all good friends, are in their sixties. This is golden age crime plotting at its very best. It's amusing and addictive and just an all around great read.

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

Funny, clever, and utterly satisfying ✨. The Retirement Plan flips expectations on their head, delivering a witty, heartwarming story about reinvention, friendship, and finding joy later in life. Sue Hincenbergs' characters leap off the page, full of life, humour, and relatable struggles. It’s uplifting without being saccharine, reminding us that it’s never too late for new beginnings. I laughed, I rooted for the characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. A must-read for anyone who loves feel-good fiction with sharp humour and heart.

This book just kept me chuckling and in some ways reminded me of a 1980s farce. Four friends dream of the perfect retirement but when an investment goes very wrong they are left counting every cent. When one of the husband dies in slightly odd circumstances and the window is left with very welcome seven figure insurance policy the others make a plan to improve their own lives and that doesn’t include their husbands. But little do they know that their husbands have their own plans! This book has so many twists and turns that at times it made me breathless and it was so funny it left me with a smile on my face. I willdefinitely be recommending it to all my friends. The character of Hector just shone ,I can’t say anymore as it would spoil the novel. Just get a copy and find out. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for honest review.

This was such a fun enjoyable concept that I couldn't resist requesting. Whilst it didn't love up to the hype I still had a good time reading.

This was such a fun book to read, a change from all the psychological thrillers around at the moment. I could relate with a lot of the characters, being of a certain age myself! Lots of twists and turns and a happy ending what not to like!

I sailed through it and it was such a joy to read. Lighthearted, clever, and genuinely funny, it had everything I needed in a feel-good escape. I caught myself laughing out loud more than once and couldn’t wait to see how it all unfolded.

The story follows a group of longtime friends whose lives take a sharp (and hilarious) turn after their husbands lose all their money in a dodgy investment. What starts as a story about frustration and friendship quickly spirals into something much more unexpected and so much fun. The plot is full of twists, and I loved not knowing what was coming next.

There was so much heart that the friendships felt real and warm, and even with all the chaos, there was something deeply relatable about the characters. I found myself genuinely rooting for them the whole way through.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy through @netgalley and I’m always so grateful when books like this are available to read ahead of publication. A tad late with my review as this book was just published in May! So yes it's out for you to read!

If you’re looking for something funny, fast-paced, and full of charm, The Retirement Plan is a total winner. I really hope there’s more to come from the debut author, Sue Hincenbergs!

This was a lighthearted read which took what is effectively the miscommunication trope, which I usually hate, and used it to push the plot along in a way that ended up being a lot of fun. It went in directions I wasn’t expecting and it stayed pretty well paced throughout.

The ending went on a bit long, and wrapped things up a little too neatly, for my personal taste but I think a lot of people will appreciate it.

I absolutely loved this book, the dark humour used was just what I needed. It was so cleverly written, it was entertaining from start to finish. I loved the characters, their connections and how they came together, I have a massive sweet spot for Hector and Brenda. I can imagine it being turned into a show, the plot is so out there it would be perfect.

Talk about miscommunication or getting the wrong end of the stick which resulted in an amusing book to read! It felt like you couldn’t make it up over what was happening to the characters but at the same time, it felt very believable in the circumstances too! Good characters you could enjoy and a storyline that keeps you glued and amused!

Fun.

Pam and her friends aren’t my kind of people but I enjoyed spending time in their company.

I imagine this will do well as a poolside read, and deservedly so.

Okay this was a fun read, I definitely feel like it lived up to the hype & written well, a great standalone holiday read

A funny cautionary tale of what can happen when marriage goes sour. Fed up of their husbands’ fecklessness, their wives decide to have them killed and claim on the life insurance. The husbands are also fearful someone is theming to kill them and hire the same ‘gun for hire’ to kill whoever is trying to kill them! It’s a very funny read whilst also having poignant moments.

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs is a dark comedy set in America about 3 middle aged women who are unable to retire due to their husbands losing all their money and decide to hire an assassin to kill them to claim the insurance money.

The Retirement Plan is a glorious dark comedy about getting old and suddenly realising that you are never going to be able to retire despite doing all the right things for most of their lives.

However while the novel is full of dark comedy it is definitely not for raiders who do not like miscommunication in their novels.

As the whole novel would not work if most people just talked to each other, however in most romances this leads to a third act break up in The Retirement Plan we have an immigrant barabar, being both hired to protect the husbands as well as kill them.

With each chapter of the novel, Sue Hincenbergs plot line gets more obscured; however it does somehow click together in the world she created.

While comedy in novels can be hit or miss, The Retirement Plan, gets its humour from the situation each character finds themselves in.

Yes you may not find it laugh out loud there is enough of a plot line that is just the right side of believable, that will keep you reading all in all well worth reading.

The Retirement Plan is a fresh, darkly funny debut that cleverly subverts expectations about aging, friendship, and domestic life. What begins as a story about three retired friends—Pam, Nancy, and Shalisa—lamenting their financial woes quickly spirals into a deliciously twisted tale of betrayal, crime, and surprisingly tender camaraderie. What follows is a wild, witty ride involving dodgy casinos, a possibly shady barber, and an accidental murder plot that none of them are entirely prepared for. Think Golden Girls meets Breaking Bad, with just a dash of Fargo-style chaos.

Hincenbergs writes with sharp observational humour, poking fun at suburbia, marriage, and the myth of graceful aging. But beneath the satire, there’s genuine heart. The strength of the novel lies in its characters—flawed, funny, and surprisingly resourceful women who navigate both absurd and deeply human challenges. Their friendship is the grounding force amid the madness, and watching them rediscover themselves (even if through slightly criminal means) is part of the book’s great charm.

While the plot veers toward the outrageous at times, the pacing keeps it engaging, and the humour never feels forced. It’s the kind of story that sneaks up on you with its emotional depth while keeping you entertained with every twist.

The Retirement Plan is a sharp, entertaining debut perfect for fans of dark comedy and strong female leads. Hincenbergs proves that retirement may be the end of a career—but not the end of adventure.

A farce based on misunderstandings and featuring three wannabe Golden Girls plotting their husbands’ deaths in order to retire on their insurance. Meanwhile, the husbands have had their own retirement plans and orchestrate their own deaths to escape from would be assassins. The humour and contrived situations was, sadly, not for me, though it might work on screen with the right cast.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Entertaining and sneakily addictive, full of colourful characters all firmly grasping the wrong eng of the stick...

Sadly, a DNF for me. I couldn't get on board with the characters and the writing style irritated me a bit. I think I went in expecting one type of story and ended up reading the first few chapters of another. Not for me.

Going in to this book I was hoping for a fun, laugh out loud, enjoyable time. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
The main issue I had with this book, was that right from the start I just couldn't get invested in the plot or the characters. The plot idea sounded great but the execution didn't quite work for me.
The writing was fine and it is an easy read but sadly I just didn't care about it at all.
I did like the characters (especially all the wives) but even that didn't help me love this book.
The whole side plot with Padma just did not interest me in the slightest and I would have preferred not to have had chapters about her at all.
This was a book that I just didn't want to reach for after I put it down.
I found it to be quite slow paced, I wanted it to progress faster and it definitely needed more humour in my opinion.
Despite it being less than 400 pages it felt really too long and drawn out for me.
Sadly I just didn't get invested in the book, so I might be the problem here, but this was a disappointment.

This was such a chaotic delight — equal parts madcap crime caper and sharp commentary on long-term relationships gone stale. I went in expecting a quirky comedy and was instead treated to a tightly plotted story full of twists, paranoia, and very questionable decision-making (in the best way).

The dual POV structure — husbands vs. wives — worked brilliantly, especially as their increasingly absurd assumptions about each other spiral out of control. It’s got Finlay Donovan vibes but with a cast pushing 60, and it’s all the better for it.

At times it leans into the ridiculous, but that’s exactly what makes it work. The humour lands, the pacing keeps you hooked, and the chaos escalates in such a satisfying way. Hector the barber-turned-hitman and Elmer the dog are scene-stealers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up on screen.

A darkly funny, well-crafted debut. I’ll be keeping an eye out for what Sue Hincenbergs does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Retirement is meant to be fun and relaxing, isn’t it?
This group of husbands and their wives have other ideas, whilst they should be sipping margaritas and soaking in their hot tubs, they are spending their time losing their life savings, plotting with a hitman and having the most epic of marital miscommunications.

I started this book expecting a bit of laughter, a fun light easy read but what I actually got was side splitting laughter. I was taken on such a ride and loved every minute of it, each twist was a bit of a surprise that blended in to the story seamlessly, but on reflection were to be expected.

This book was a pleasure to read and I was disappointed when it ended. I will certainly be recommending it to anyone and everyone, my only regret was that I wasn’t laying by the pool whilst enjoying the story unfold.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for offering this ARC in exchange for my personal thoughts.