Retirement Homes Are Murder (Five Star Mystery Series) (Five Star Mystery Series)

August 31, 2008

Retirement Homes Are Murder (Five Star Mystery Series) (Five Star Mystery Series) This version is LARGE PRINT
Customer Review: retirement homes are murder
Mike really knows how it is to get older, but in spite of memory loss, still wise. His understanding of the Hawaii scene is outstanding, and historically relevent items are snuck in , only recognizable to a Honolulu native. I look forward to more of his work.
Customer Review: Geezer lit mystery for baby boomers
Reviewed by Mary Greenwood for Reader Views (4/07)

In “Retirement Homes are Murder” by Mike Befeler, Paul Jacobson, a widower who lives in an Assisted Living Facility, finds a dead body in the trash chute. Paul is the number one suspect and it is imperative that he find out who the real killer is before the real murderer kills him. Since Paul has short-term memory loss, he must write up the day’s events each night and leave the journal where he will see it the next day so that when he gets up, he can refresh his memory. Although this slows him down, he is still able to do his detective work and find out who the real killer is. “Retirement Homes Are Murder” is very funny as it weaves the frailties of aging, such as dementia and incontinence, with adventure, mystery and romance.

The author, Mike Befeler, started writing fiction after a career in high technology marketing. His short story “Never Trust a Poison Dart Frog” was published in the mystery anthology “Who Died in Here?” and was also submitted for Edgar Award consideration. “Retirement Homes Are Murder” is Mr. Befeler’s first novel and he is planning on writing six more in this series with Paul Jacobson as the protagonist. Mr. Beheler calls his genre “geezer lit mysteries,” which are at the opposite end of the spectrum as chick-lit. […]
Paul Jacobson, the geezer protagonist, must solve the murder mystery and deal with the obstacles of aging. One of the most humorous aspects of the book is that when he romances Marion, his new girlfriend, he temporarily revives his short term memory. Paul Jacobson enlists the aid of three geezers as well as his granddaughter in his various capers. As baby boomers themselves age, it makes sense that they would be interested in geezer retiree protagonists.

My parents, 92 and 90, live in an Assisted Living Facility and many of the scenes and characters in “Retirement Homes Are Murder” are familiar ones. I recommend “Retirement Homes Are Murder” to anyone over 50 and look forward to Mr. Befeler’s next six novels with Paul Jacobson’s geezer adventures.