The suburbs are killing them . . .
Soph Kowalski is starting over. Having a hitman for a husband has always meant living in the shadows – but now Mike is hanging up his gun and Soph is ready for a new life in suburbia, bonding with neighbours over white picket fences.
But their new neighbourhood is no sleepy hollow. In fact, it quickly becomes clear that it’s a hotbed of intrigue when Soph discovers someone wants to kill the local Queen Bee. Who could possibly want Lauren dead? And how can Soph and Mike keep their shady past under wraps – or join Lauren’s close social circle – if she’s murdered?
It’s time to dig into their neighbours’ secrets and stop the murder – before their own secrets come tumbling out.
Soph Kowalski is starting over. Having a hitman for a husband has always meant living in the shadows – but now Mike is hanging up his gun and Soph is ready for a new life in suburbia, bonding with neighbours over white picket fences.
But their new neighbourhood is no sleepy hollow. In fact, it quickly becomes clear that it’s a hotbed of intrigue when Soph discovers someone wants to kill the local Queen Bee. Who could possibly want Lauren dead? And how can Soph and Mike keep their shady past under wraps – or join Lauren’s close social circle – if she’s murdered?
It’s time to dig into their neighbours’ secrets and stop the murder – before their own secrets come tumbling out.
Reviews
Sue Hincenbergs' novel is so deliciously slippery, funny and unpredictable. A heady cocktail of Desperate Housewives and Elmore Leonard, served with a refreshingly amoral cast - I gulped it down
Twisted, unexpected and a total riot. The most fun I've had with a book in ages
Ingenious, twisty and often hilarious. Certainly a match for The Thursday Murder Club
I loved every minute of this hilarious and suspenseful page-turner. What elevates Hincenbergs' work from other novels in this genre is the humanity she shows her characters. She clearly wants the best for them, and so do we. (Well, except for one character, whom we long to see get her comeuppance - and again the author does not disappoint)
If crazy, switcheroo mysteries with a dark comic edge are your thing, then The Retirement Plan is the summer read for you . . . A triumphant crime caper that is funny and exciting
A sure-footed and deeply funny debut. Readers will turn the pages with glee as the interests of the desperate husbands and determined wives collide with a pack of Mumbai gangsters and a dog-loving private investigator. Hincenbergs knocks it out of the park on her first time at bat
This crime romp is full of characters who will make you laugh out loud even while they are plotting their dark and dastardly deeds. Riotously funny and twisty
The perfect cocktail of well-plotted, good-hearted, murderous fun. Sue Hincenbergs has created a world of lovable characters, surprising twists, and satisfying resolutions
Pure, unadulterated fun. A darkly comic, delightfully devious, wickedly addictive caper from a new author to add to your must-read list!
Madcap and action packed, Sue Hincenbergs' Very Bad Neighbours will have you flipping pages and laughing out loud! When Soph Kowalski moves to an idyllic new neighbourhood with her young family, she is hoping for a fresh start. She is not prepared for the secrets, lies, blackmail, and illegal antics lurking beneath the surface. Luckily, as the wife of a (retired) hitman, Soph is prepared to do what it takes to ensure her family thrives in their new community, even if it means taking on some Very Bad Neighbours. A heartfelt, hilarious delight!
I loved every minute of this hilarious and suspenseful page-turner. What elevates Hincenbergs' work from other novels in this genre is the humanity she shows her characters. She clearly wants the best for them, and so do we. (Well, except for one character, whom we long to see get her comeuppance - and again the author does not disappoint)
Sharp, wicked and thoroughly addictive!
Deliciously dark, twisty and packed full of humour and charm, The Retirement Plan had me racing through the pages to witness the hijinks unfold. A hugely impressive debut from a real star in the making
The story carries the same darkly humorous vibes as Apple TV's Bad Sisters, as the wives and husbands struggle with their decisions to do very bad things for somewhat good reasons, in very funny ways. A perfect read for those who are looking to lose themselves in a world of likable, flawed characters and are up for some wildly over-the-top hijinks
A razor sharp, clever, funny novel . . . It's a triumph
Oh, what a wicked web we weave when first we practice to deceive! The Retirement Plan has deception upon deception and twist upon twist as a group of unhappy couples plot to put an end to their marriages in ways that will surprise and delight you
Relentlessly and rambunctiously entertaining
Blending Desperate Housewives and White Lotus vibes, this is a darkly funny crime novel about three women and their three useless husbands
Absolutely hilarious is the only way to describe Sue Hincenbergs' debut, The Retirement Plan, with a cast of charming but deeply flawed characters I couldn't help rooting for!
In Very Bad Neighbours, Sue Hincenbergs takes readers on a wild ride through an idyllic suburban community where all is not as it appears. Underneath the birthday parties, coffee dates, and backyard barbecues roils something far more sinister... and funny, too. Hincenbergs writes with humour and heart and a deep understanding of our quirky human species.
Very entertaining, not least because of Hincenbergs' sharp focus on the fault lines to be found in marriages almost four decades old . . . Great fun
This funny, twisty read about three girlfriends who turn to murder (husbands watch out!) had me turning the pages late into the night. Razor-sharp and deviously dark!
Incredibly funny with plot twists you won't see coming
Life in the suburbs was never so funny or diabolical. With laugh out loud twists and complications for all, Very Bad Neighbours is sure to cement Sue Hincenbergs as the queen of Women Behaving Badly fiction
Life in the suburbs was never so funny or diabolical. With laugh out loud twists and complications for all, Very Bad Neighbours is sure to cement Sue Hincenbergs as the queen of Women Behaving Badly fiction
Think Richard Osman mischievous, elderly pensioners meets Bad Sisters and Desperate Housewives . . . the shenanigans move fast and furiously
-- PRAISE FOR SUE HINCENBERGS --
An absolute scream from first page to last