A Serial Killer’s Secret Is on the Line in Samantha Downing’s ThrillerToo Old for This(Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Samantha Downing and the cover of ‘Too Old for This’.Photo:Jacqueline Dallimore, Berkley

Jacqueline Dallimore, Berkley

Samantha Downing is back on her thriller game with her upcoming release.Downing is the author of bestsellers likeMy Lovely Wife,A Twisted Love StoryandFor Your Own Good. PEOPLE can exclusively share the cover of the author’s forthcoming thriller,Too Old for This, due out this summer from Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House.Lottie Jones, a retired serial killer, thought she left her life of crime behind. She moved to a small town, changed her name and has largely stayed out of the spotlight. That is, until Plum Dixon arrives at her home.

Berkley

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Plum, an investigative journalist, is quick to hound Lottie with questions about her past, not to mention her involvement with a number of unsolved crime cases. All chances Lottie has at trying to silence Plum become more complicated when another mysterious guest appears on her doorstep — someone who may be the end of her, too.Read on for an exclusive excerpt fromToo Old for This.

Samantha Downing.Jacqueline Dallimore

Jacqueline Dallimore

“As I was saying, Reboot Productions specializes in telling the story behind the story. Here let me show you the site.” She pulls out her phone and jumps out of her seat, shoving the screen in front of my face.“Looks nice.”“What I like to do is really dig into a story, I investigate—”“So you’re a reporter.”“No, I’m the producer. I own the company.” Plum smiles. She is quite proud of this. I’m sure it is a tremendous accomplishment but I would be happier if she stopped hounding me.“Congratulations.” The teapot whistles. I pour boiling water into our cups.“Thank you. But I’m more interested in talking about you, not me.”Here it is. I may be 75 years old, but I know a sales pitch when I hear one. It hasn’t been that long since I bought my last car, and Plum reminds me a little of the car salesman. Not a compliment.

I set the tray of tea and sugar and milk and spoons down on the table.“You really didn’t have to go to this much trouble,” Plum says.“I think I have some cookies as well.”“You don’t have to—”“It’s no trouble. No trouble at all.”She puts a dollop of cream in her tea, ignores the sugar and stirs it before removing the tea bag. Now the string is all wound up in the stem of the spoon. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch her try to discreetly untangle it.We all have different skills, I suppose.“Mrs. Jones, I think—”“Please. Call me Lottie.”

“Lottie, okay. Well, Lottie, you’ve had one of the most fascinating lives I’ve come across. Lots of people would love to hear your side of the story.”I sit down and stir my own tea, not adding sugar or milk. Both are bad, according to my doctor.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.This girl has some bite. Good for her.“Let me be very clear,” I say. “I don’t want this brought up again, and I don’t want a docuseries made about me.”“I’m not going to blame you for the murders or claim that you should’ve been arrested. I want to exonerate you once and for all. And just so you know, I plan to make the series anyway.”That’s a new piece of information.Plum has aquamarine eyes. Clear, translucent, beautiful. Long, natural lashes and rosy cheeks. The glow of youth radiates out of every pore.

Too Old for Thiswill be published on Aug. 12, 2025 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

source: people.com