Don't Ever Get Old

Don't Ever Get Old

Daniel Friedman

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Summary (from Goodreads): DON'T EVER GET OLD was one of mystery-publishing's biggest critical successes last year, earning starred reviews from every major trade publication, garnering nominations for the Edgar, Thriller, and Anthony awards, and winning the Macavity Award for Best First Novel. The producer of four Harry Potter films and the Sherlock Holmes sequel, Lionel Wigram, is writing the script for the movie and producing the film version.

When Buck Schatz, senior citizen and retired Memphis cop, learns that an old adversary may have escaped Germany with a fortune in stolen gold, Buck decides to hunt down the fugitive and claim the loot. But a lot of people want a piece of the stolen treasure, and Buck's investigation quickly attracts unfriendly attention from a very motley (and murderous) crew.

Review:  I really liked the crotchety elderly man at the center of this book, a long retired police officer and Jewish veteran of a Nazi prison camp.  His attitudes about growing old and his "things to remember" were humorous and insightful.  I also enjoyed his frat boy grandson Tequila, especially watching the interactions between the two men from completely different generations.  The action scenes, chase scenes, and murder scenes were descriptive and compelling.  However, I thought this novel was lacking in plot continuity; I never fully understood why all the victims were so violently murdered, and the resolution seemed a little hasty.

Rating: 4 stars