THE RETIREMENT PLAN, the debut novel by Sue Hincenbergs, is a wildly entertaining madcap crime comedy packed with long marriages, lousy investments, deep-seated resentments, harebrained schemes, and plenty of bad behavior.
Pam and Hank have been married forever and have remained close with three other couples for over 30 years. Retirement was looking good—until Hank and his friends made a disastrous investment and lost their retirement funds. Forced to sell their house and downsize, Pam now faces several more years stuck in a dull job just to stay afloat.
Then, one of the husbands dies in a freak accident at home. The wives rally around the widow, Marlene—who, to everyone’s surprise, seems to be thriving. With her husband’s insurance payout in hand, she’s off to a sunny condo in Boca Raton. That sparks an idea in the minds of the remaining wives—Pam, Shalisa, and Nancy: Could they also start fresh… without their husbands? All they need is a trustworthy hitman.
Meanwhile, the remaining husbands—Hank, Andre, and Larry—are caught up in a desperate plan to regain both their financial stability and their wives. Hank and his friends have been secretly stealing money from the local casino where he and Dave work. But now Dave is dead—and Hank doesn't believe it was an accident. He fears their scheme has been uncovered by casino management.
As both sides dig deeper into their plots, they begin to realize how easily ordinary people can cross the line when greed takes over and they lose sight of what truly matters.
THE RETIREMENT PLAN is a laugh-out-loud comedy of errors featuring frustrated wives, fumbling husbands, and good intentions gone hilariously wrong. With short chapters, witty chapter headings, and an addictive narrative, the novel moves at a brisk pace. The casino theft plot—based on a true story—adds intrigue and tension, especially as the walls close in on the men. Meanwhile, Hector, the barber serves as a sharp-eyed observer, offering an outsider’s perspective on the chaos as it unfolds. With its wild twists, emotional turns, and clever humor, THE RETIREMENT PLAN delivers a satisfying ending and a timely reminder about what’s really important in life. It’s a rollicking debut that will leave readers laughing—and eager for Sue Hincenbergs’s next book.
Three best friends turn to murder to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies… But the husbands have a plan of their own…
After thirty years of friendship, Pam dreams of her perfect retirement with Nancy, Shalisa, Marlene, and their husbands—until their husbands pool their funds for an investment that goes terribly wrong. Suddenly, their golden years are looking as dreary as their marriages.
But when the women discover their husbands have seven-figure life insurance policies, a new dream forms. And this time, they need a hitman.
Meanwhile, their husbands are working on their own secret retirement scheme and when things begin to go sideways, they fear it’s backfired. The husbands scramble to stay alive…but soon realize they may not be quick enough to outmaneuver their wives.