Call number
MYST SWA
Collections
Genres
Publication
Soho Crime (2023), 360 pages
Description
"It has been an eventful morning for Agnes Sharp and the other inhabitants of Sunset Hall, a communal home for the old and unruly in the sleepy English countryside. Although they have had their share of issues (misplaced reading glasses, conflicting culinary tastes, mobility issues, and unruly grandsons), nothing prepares them for an unexpected visit from a police officer with some shocking news. The body of one of their neighbors was discovered earlier that morning on the lawn. The members of the house put on long faces when the officer begins asking questions, but they are secretly relieved the body in question is not the one they're currently hiding in the shed (sorry, Lillith). After holding an emergency house meeting, they decide that the answer to their little problem with Lillith may have fallen right into their lap. All they have to do is find out who murdered their neighbor, so they can pin Lillith's death on them, thus killing two (old) birds with one stone (cold killer). With their plan sorted, Agnes and her geriatric gang spring into action. After all, everybody likes a good mystery. Besides, the more suspicion they can cast about, surely the less will land on them. To investigate, they will have to leave their comfort zone and journey into the quaint village of Duck End and all around town as they tangle with sinister bakers, broken stairlifts, inept criminals, local authorities, and their own dark secrets"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member bfister
I have such mixed feelings about this book. I nearly put it down early on - the twee treatment of a tortoise as part of an eccentric chosen family as well as the sheer implausibility of much of the action put me off, but I was intrigued by the challenge of crime solving when old and infirm, and the
Also - a very minor irritant! The constant uses of exclamation points! It was too much!!
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idea of co-living among elderly folks who don't want to life past their ability to see themselves as fully themselves was rather nicely complicated by characters realizing they weren't sure when that moment might come. In the end, I found myself enjoying it, for the most part, but it was something of an uneven ride. Also - a very minor irritant! The constant uses of exclamation points! It was too much!!
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LibraryThing member jetangen4571
elderly, ex-spy, ex-military, local-law-enforcement, care-home, pet-dog, pet-tortoise, murder, murder-investigation, burglar, situational-humor, verbal-humor, cosy-mystery, twins, ex-cop*****
This is a terrific fun read for a retired nurse who once spent several years working in care
The tortoise, the wolfhound, and a houseful of old dears. And a murder or two. They're not so much dotty as having blinks in their memory to match their physical failings. Some are former secret service and even an ex-copper, but they are much more fun than most can expect. Absolutely loved it!
Thanks to Amy Bojang for translating from the original.
I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from RB Media/Recorded Books via NetGalley! Voice artist Moira Quirk added many good things to the fun and entertainment.
This is a terrific fun read for a retired nurse who once spent several years working in care
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homes/centers.The tortoise, the wolfhound, and a houseful of old dears. And a murder or two. They're not so much dotty as having blinks in their memory to match their physical failings. Some are former secret service and even an ex-copper, but they are much more fun than most can expect. Absolutely loved it!
Thanks to Amy Bojang for translating from the original.
I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from RB Media/Recorded Books via NetGalley! Voice artist Moira Quirk added many good things to the fun and entertainment.
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LibraryThing member jillrhudy
The seniors who live in Sunset Hall, in Duck's End, struggle quite a bit more with physical and mental limitations than others in similar novels. While sometimes their mental confusion got me lost while reading, I admired the dose of realism.
The novel is translated from German into English, and may
The quirky cast of characters are Hettie the tortoise, Agnes Sharp herself, Edwina, Bernadette, Winston, Marshall, Charlie, and Brexit (the dog). Charlie and Brexit move into Sunset Hall and upset the apple cart in a very Barbara Pym-esque manner. Straight humor and dark humor are plentiful as the story is told from different viewpoints (including Hettie's)! Agnes in particular tends to stumble into dangerous situations, considering she can't even climb the stairs.
Agnes is the owner of Sunset Hall and she does not want dogs in the house, or grandchildren. However, the appearance of Charlie with her dog Brexit, and the later appearance of Marshall's food-adoring grandson, cause minor upheaval compared with not one, but two murders of women of a certain age in this peaceful English town. It will fall to Agnes, with the help of the inhabitants of Sunset Hall, to solve the murders. The twists at the end are surprising and satisfying.
The novel is translated from German into English, and may
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have lost something in translation. I did have an easier time reading the last third of the book.The quirky cast of characters are Hettie the tortoise, Agnes Sharp herself, Edwina, Bernadette, Winston, Marshall, Charlie, and Brexit (the dog). Charlie and Brexit move into Sunset Hall and upset the apple cart in a very Barbara Pym-esque manner. Straight humor and dark humor are plentiful as the story is told from different viewpoints (including Hettie's)! Agnes in particular tends to stumble into dangerous situations, considering she can't even climb the stairs.
Agnes is the owner of Sunset Hall and she does not want dogs in the house, or grandchildren. However, the appearance of Charlie with her dog Brexit, and the later appearance of Marshall's food-adoring grandson, cause minor upheaval compared with not one, but two murders of women of a certain age in this peaceful English town. It will fall to Agnes, with the help of the inhabitants of Sunset Hall, to solve the murders. The twists at the end are surprising and satisfying.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
Several years ago, I read Leonie Swann's Three Bags Full, and although I enjoyed it, it felt as though some undefinable thing were missing. I've had this happen before with other authors. Every once in a while, I come across a writer who comes up with ideas that delight me and grab my imagination,
Agnes Sharp has gathered together an interesting group of people with various skill sets that will ultimately help them find the killer of Duck End despite their individual infirmities. (One is blind, another is in a wheelchair, Agnes won't take her meds, etc.) She did this so that they could all be independent yet not die alone, which is an admirable aim indeed.
They find themselves in all sorts of predicaments, including babysitting a grandson, and Agnes herself goes undercover in a nursing home. I think my favorite part of the book was when one of them drugged and locked a police officer in the cellar. I didn't expect that to be so amusing, but it was.
But as the story unfolded, I began to wonder just how reliable Agnes was as a narrator, especially since she refused to take some very important medication. In addition, the story had so many twists and turns that I began to get confused. As I sorted everything out, I began to visualize a tapestry with many loose, tangled, and knotted threads, and that's a reading experience I don't enjoy.
Leonie Swann's The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp has a surprising cast of lively old hippies... and a tortoise named Hettie who likes hands bearing lettuce. I may not want to sit down to tea with them, but I do admire their persistence and inventiveness.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
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yet there's something lacking in the finished product. After reading The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp, I feel the same way about Leonie Swann; however, in her case, my problem may lie in the fact that humor doesn't always translate well into other languages.Agnes Sharp has gathered together an interesting group of people with various skill sets that will ultimately help them find the killer of Duck End despite their individual infirmities. (One is blind, another is in a wheelchair, Agnes won't take her meds, etc.) She did this so that they could all be independent yet not die alone, which is an admirable aim indeed.
They find themselves in all sorts of predicaments, including babysitting a grandson, and Agnes herself goes undercover in a nursing home. I think my favorite part of the book was when one of them drugged and locked a police officer in the cellar. I didn't expect that to be so amusing, but it was.
But as the story unfolded, I began to wonder just how reliable Agnes was as a narrator, especially since she refused to take some very important medication. In addition, the story had so many twists and turns that I began to get confused. As I sorted everything out, I began to visualize a tapestry with many loose, tangled, and knotted threads, and that's a reading experience I don't enjoy.
Leonie Swann's The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp has a surprising cast of lively old hippies... and a tortoise named Hettie who likes hands bearing lettuce. I may not want to sit down to tea with them, but I do admire their persistence and inventiveness.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
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LibraryThing member Twink
I've discovered I have a newly found affinity for mysteries with seniors as the protagonists. Why? Maybe because I'm getting closer to that age group!
The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann is one of those books.
Swann opens the book with Hettie perusing a curious set of shoes. Hettie just
A body is found in their greenhouse (classic) and then another next door. There's no doubt about it - these are both murders and it's definitely too close to home! And of course, they start their own investigation. Given that memory loss is at the top of the list, we have more than one unreliable narrator.
The past and present collide many times. What's now and what's then? As a reader we don't know and the path to the final aha moment doubles back on itself more than once.
I quite enjoyed this book, the characters, the premise and the plot. I do think it could be shortened up a wee bit though.
The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann is one of those books.
Swann opens the book with Hettie perusing a curious set of shoes. Hettie just
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happens to be a tortoise! But she's one of a group of characters that populate Sunset Hall. The Hall is home to a group of seniors that live as a family. They're determined to not be sent to a institutional care home. They're a quirky bunch, all with some health issues, with memory loss being one of them. Swann alludes to their past employments, but I'll let you discover what those might be.A body is found in their greenhouse (classic) and then another next door. There's no doubt about it - these are both murders and it's definitely too close to home! And of course, they start their own investigation. Given that memory loss is at the top of the list, we have more than one unreliable narrator.
The past and present collide many times. What's now and what's then? As a reader we don't know and the path to the final aha moment doubles back on itself more than once.
I quite enjoyed this book, the characters, the premise and the plot. I do think it could be shortened up a wee bit though.
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LibraryThing member rmarcin
I struggled through this book. This is the 3rd series where older people are trying to solve a crime. In this one, a few people have been found dead, and the housemates of Sunset Hill, along with a tortoise, attempt to find the killer.
The group falters in many ways, kidnapping a police officer,
I thought it was longer than it needed to be, and I am not sure I will read more in this series.
The group falters in many ways, kidnapping a police officer,
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pulling off wigs of people and accusing them of crimes, and more. One of the residents has a mental health issue, and the murderer turns out to be someone that may surprise you.I thought it was longer than it needed to be, and I am not sure I will read more in this series.
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LibraryThing member Maydacat
Sunset Hall is the home of some rather unusual senior citizens. When the story opens, they are wondering what do with the dead body in their shed and wondering what became of the gun. Luckily, they find a way to blame the body on another killer, and gun mysteriously reappears later in their
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kitchen. Yes, this is a rather quirky and twisty mystery as are the characters. Told from different points of view, it is at times a bit disjointed, especially when Hettie the lovable tortoise appears. But you have to love a group of seniors who, when confronted by a burglar, not only overpower him, but when he faints, revives him with tea and offers to help him in the future. This is my idea of a great group of seniors! There is, however, a bad apple in their midst, and that person must be eliminated. There are plenty of twists and other unusual occurrences in this rather strange tale to keep readers interested in what will happen next. Show Less
LibraryThing member jepeters333
It has been an eventful morning for Agnes Sharp and the other inhabitants of Sunset Hall, a house share for the old and unruly in the sleepy English countryside. Although they have had some issues (misplaced reading glasses, conflicting culinary tastes, decreasing mobility, and unruly grandsons),
It seems the answer to their little problem with Lillith may have fallen right into their lap. All they have to do is find out who murdered their neighbor, so they can pin Lillith’s death on them, thus killing two (old) birds with one stone (cold killer).
With their plan sorted, Agnes and her geriatric gang spring into action. After all, everybody likes a good mystery. Besides, the more suspicion they can cast about, surely the less will land on them. To investigate, they will step out of their comfort zone, into the not-so-idyllic village of Duck End and tangle with sinister bakers, broken stairlifts, inept criminals, the local authorities, and their own dark secrets.
Show More
nothing prepares them for an unexpected visit from a police officer with some shocking news. A body has been discovered next door. Everyone puts on a long face for show, but they are secretly relieved the body in question is not the one they’re currently hiding in the shed (sorry, Lillith).It seems the answer to their little problem with Lillith may have fallen right into their lap. All they have to do is find out who murdered their neighbor, so they can pin Lillith’s death on them, thus killing two (old) birds with one stone (cold killer).
With their plan sorted, Agnes and her geriatric gang spring into action. After all, everybody likes a good mystery. Besides, the more suspicion they can cast about, surely the less will land on them. To investigate, they will step out of their comfort zone, into the not-so-idyllic village of Duck End and tangle with sinister bakers, broken stairlifts, inept criminals, the local authorities, and their own dark secrets.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Dokfintong
I'm not a fan of cozy mysteries and I would not have read this one except that the description was so odd. I'm glad I took the plunge. The book is more Agatha Christie (if Dame A could be silly) than a cozy, a TV producer would say "zany!". Anyway, the important thing to understand from the
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGally.com.
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beginning is that all of the persons of advanced years who live in this sprawling old house, were once cops or spies. They may not be fully copos mentis, but but they definitely have skills. And there is a tortoise. I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGally.com.
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LibraryThing member quondame
Agnes Sharp lives in her families home with a handful of similarly retired not far from death adults of a similar background. They cover for each other's disabilities, mostly mental lapses. The story starts with one of their number in a shed, dead from a bullet wound and no mystery at all. But
This book spends time inside the clouded, sometimes confused, and frequently forgetful minds of the household members as they try to maintain control over their own lives - and deaths.
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another shooting death at a house within walking distance is unexplained. This book spends time inside the clouded, sometimes confused, and frequently forgetful minds of the household members as they try to maintain control over their own lives - and deaths.
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LibraryThing member kayanelson
Somehow I read two similar books very close together. A Thursday Murder Club book and this one, The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp. Both involve senior citizens living together solving mysteries. The Thursday Murder Club’s seniors still are “with it.” The senior citizens in The Sunset Years had
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a lot of maladies. It was very difficult to read about, although I feel probably realistic. Together as a group they functioned as one. Overall, the book was okay, I just prefer the Thursday Murder Club. Show Less
Awards
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — August 2023)
Pages
360
ISBN
1641294337 / 9781641294331