Book Review by Julie Kish
Centennial resident and author Sue Hincenbergs has hit it out of the park with her debut novel and I predict it will be a bestseller. This clever and unique dark comedy is full of meticulously engineered plot twists and charmingly vivid characters. It’s hilarious but also warm-hearted and, above all, difficult to put down.
Pam, Nancy, Shalisa and Marlene are sixty-ish best friends and empty nesters planning their well-deserved retirements in a sunny destination when their reckless husbands lose their savings in a dodgy investment deal. They resign themselves to the fact that they will have to work until they die. Understandably, this puts stress on their already shaky marriages. The women find they have less tolerance for the drone of their husband’s CPAP machines and their habit of dropping dirty socks all over the house.
Marlene escapes the bleak future when her husband dies in an “apparent” freak accident. She collects a one million dollar life insurance policy and immediately retires to Florida. When the other women discover their husbands also have significant life insurance policies, they hatch a plan to hire a hitman, collect the insurance, and join Marlene in Boca Raton.
In the meantime, the husbands are busy with their own secret “get rich quick” scheme, which also involves a hitman. And so, the crazy cat-and-mouse game begins, along with wild shenanigans, freakish coincidences and ridiculous misunderstandings.
In addition to the fun and games, there are tender scenes that poignantly explore the themes of friendship, marriage and middle age.
Another colourful character is Padma, the frazzled boss at the casino where two of the husbands work. Padma’s terrifying mother owns the casino, has ties to Indian mobsters and spends most of her time trying to find a husband for Padma. Hilarity always ensues when Padma and her mother interact. Another significant character is the no-nonsense barber and part-time hitman, Hector. When everyone else is spiraling out of control, Hector is the one who calmly responds to the crazy couples. He thinks dealing with the wives is “like a Law & Order episode.”
The story takes place in an unnamed town, but the author describes the settings in various scenes using landmarks in her own neighbourhood of West Rouge and Centennial.
The Retirement Plan is a top-notch, thoroughly enjoyable read that will appeal to a wide range of readers. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy, well-written, laugh-out-loud story.
The Retirement Plan has been published in Canada, the U.K and the U.S. Multiple translation rights have also been purchased, and a Hollywood studio has optioned the film rights.
Sue has already written her next novel, which is scheduled to come out in the spring of 2027, so readers can look forward to another winner by this very talented writer.
You’ll be able to buy The Retirement Plan locally at Cherry Bomb Mercantile, 517 East Ave.