Carol is not your typical retiree. She arrives at Sheldon Oaks with a single wheeled suitcase—which makes sense, really, when you consider that the previous 35 years were spent in prison. But Carol is ready for a fresh start. Her days of murder are firmly behind her. All she wants now is to make a few friends and sharpen her crossword puzzle skills.

Then one afternoon, a body drops past her balcony. And suddenly, everyone is looking at Carol.

She’s faced with a choice: investigate to clear her name and protect the new beginning she’s worked so hard for—or give in to certain old urges. Complicating matters further, Sheldon Oaks turns out to be stuffed with former cops, politicians, barristers, and forensic experts. The neighbors who were just learning her name over baking and karaoke are now building a case against her.

Carol’s voice is delightfully deadpan throughout, and the entire book hums along on a tongue-in-cheek frequency that had me smirking, smiling, and snickering from start to finish.