February Book Club: Dying to Go by Marcy Blesey
Dying to Go (Nothing to Gush About) by Marcy Blesy
If you live in Illinois in the winter and someone offers you a trip to sunny Arizona, you say yes. Immediately. No questions asked.
That’s exactly what recently divorced Rosi Laruee thought she was doing — heading to Tucson Valley to “help” her parents after her dad’s knee surgery. Fresh air. Sunshine. A little reset on life.
What she did not anticipate? Her mother and the retirement community welcome committee having a fully developed life plan for her. Complete with matchmaking, showcasing, and a side of gentle but relentless gossip.
When the local bookstore owner (who everyone loves to hate — which in cozy mystery circles means definitely doomed) turns up dead, Rosi’s journalistic instincts kick in. If the police won’t handle it properly, well… fine. She will.
Now, if you’ve read enough mysteries, you might assume the local policeman is going to be the slow-burn romantic interest. Nope. Officer Dan is not broody. He is not charming. He is… deeply incompetent. Honestly, it’s a miracle any crime gets solved in this community.
Instead, Rosi finds connection in the most unexpected places — especially in the evolving relationship with her mom. Watching the two of them navigate old tensions and figure out who they are now (not just who they were when Rosi was married) was one of my favorite parts. There’s something tender about second chances in midlife that just works.
And then there are the residents. The retirement village is packed with quirky personalities, activity calendars bursting with karaoke, pickleball, and golf, and enough side-eye to fuel three more books. It honestly reminded me a bit of the Netflix series A Man on the Inside with layered characters, unexpected depth, and plenty of humor. If you haven’t watched it yet, please do. Ted Danson is hilarious and surprisingly nuanced. The side characters steal every scene.
Back to the book: Rosi’s age-peer in the community turns out to be a hunky landscaper who, refreshingly, gives her space instead of pressure. Can she figure out her next chapter without repeating unhealthy patterns from her past? That question gives the mystery some emotional backbone.
Also: there’s a fluffy new dog. You knew that was going to win me over.
I loved the twist of setting a mystery in a retirement community instead of the usual small-town-thirty-something-sleuth vibe. It adds heart, humor, and a different rhythm to the story.
If you like: Second chances, a solid mystery puzzle, mild romantic tension, quirky senior citizens with packed social calendars, and a sleuth figuring herself out along the way, you’ll enjoy this series.
And if you’re like me, you’ll also quietly wonder whether pickleball is the gateway drug to both romance and murder. I’m now slightly suspicious of every retirement community center I see.
Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 17 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children’s literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.
And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.