Review by Helene_2008 -- Arsenic and Old Men

Helene_2008 · Post by **Helene_2008** » 13 Jul 2019, 12:31

[Following is a volunteer review of "Arsenic and Old Men" by Glenn Ickler.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Mitch, Al, and Dave are sometimes referred to as the three stooges and sometimes as the three musketeers. It depends on what kind of day they are having. The three friends and their wives make a trip to Martha's Vineyard, an island off of Massachusetts. They are there to take care of some business regarding Dave's Uncle Walter, but also enjoy the nice weather of October with few tourists around. In a place with beaches, great food, wine, and the wealthy, what could go wrong?

Dave's Uncle Walter was recently found unresponsive in his home by his cleaning lady. Without evidence of foul play or otherwise, he is believed to have passed away from a heart attack. Therefore Dave is there to take charge of the body, hear the reading of his will, and take possession of Uncle Walter's rather large cottage home. He finds out his uncle left him a large sum of money, a house worth close to a million dollars, and a small patch of land nearby. Only problem with the land is someone is currently occupying it. Next problem is an autopsy reveals Uncle Walter didn't actually die of a heart attack.

As problems keep piling up, the three men decide to stay on the island and investigate into matters themselves. Meanwhile, the three wives return home and one of them, Martha, starts to have some problems of her own. Glenn Ickler tells a story that has you guessing and laughing from the first page to the last. With a naked lawyer, sassy identical twins, and a grumpy policeman, there is something for everyone to find some humor in. It is clear in the book that the characters have been to Martha's Vineyard before and had some eventful visits previously. It was not necessary to read these previous novels and the author gave enough context that I knew what was going on.

The author does a great job writing a mystery novel. There was always something going on to keep my attention. At the end of every chapter, just as I was going to take a break from reading, a new twist or discovery happened and kept me going. When I wasn't wondering who did what, I was laughing from all the silly humor and puns throughout the book. My favorite part had to be reading all the banter between the "old men". The book was very well edited and I only found one mistake. I couldn't find anything about the novel that I disliked. Therefore I rate the book a 4 out of 4.

Arsenic and Old Men is a light, humorous mystery novel. Someone who likes their mysteries dark and dismal may not enjoy this novel. This book would be appropriate for adults only. There is a scene in the book bordering on erotica that I hadn't quite expected. Otherwise there is just some occasional profanity. Overall, I really enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading other mysteries involving the three musketeers.

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Arsenic and Old Men
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Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 15 Jul 2019, 16:16

I love mystery novels with humor in them. I will have to take a look at this one. I really like your writing style, clear and concise. Thanks for a great review!

RaeReadsandReviews · Post by **RaeReadsandReviews** » 17 Jul 2019, 15:09

I'm a huge mystery lover, but sometimes I just get tired of how serious and dramatic they are. This sounds like it still has suspense without being so heavy. Thanks for the review!

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 18 Jul 2019, 08:01

I know what you mean about books where each chapter ends with a cliffhanger....and before long, you've read the entire book. This sounds like a book that I would love to read with its combination of humor and mystery. Thank you for your great review!

Areej Tahir · Post by **Areej Tahir** » 18 Jul 2019, 12:41

This novel has piqued my interest not only because of the mystery but because of the humor as well. I have never read a book like this before so will definitely give it a go!