Living With Your Kids is Murder

I bought this 2nd book of the series after buying the third one at my local used bookstore and after a couple chapters I knew I had to start at the beginning. I bought this used from glenthebookseller as used, but it looks to me to be brand new. Great seller and arrived quickly. I anticipate another fun read.

“Living with Your Kids Is Murder” by Mike Befeler is part of the “Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery” series. This series was recommended by a friend who described it as books about the funniest things you are afraid your grandparents might do, and that certainly is correct. The main character, octogenarian Paul Jacobson, has short-term memory issues and every day crime issues. He forgets everything when he goes to sleep, so he keeps a journal to remind himself of what happened previously. The time between reading up every morning and writing every night, is spent in the middle of every crime, infraction, argument or other dastardly deed in the small town where he went to live with his children and grandchildren. Befeler creates scenarios that are felonious, offensive, or just plain annoying, and drops Jacobson in the middle. The results are hilarious as he tries, with the help of his granddaughter, to extract himself from the clutches of the law, annoying neighbor, and middle school juvenile delinquents. Jacobson makes fun of himself and everyone else. Obviously, no real people are as mean as those he meets, as incompetent as those he encounters, or as funny as he is, but this is fiction, so it is entertaining. The entire cast of characters is likeable, and this is an enjoyable book. It is easy to read, does not cause excruciating headaches, and yet has crimes, both big and small, that need to be solved. I listened to the audio book narrated by Jerry Sciarrio who did a wonderful job with the multiple characters and conveyed the humor and sarcasm perfectly. I am glad my friend recommended this book; sometimes readers just need to laugh right out loud.

This is the second in the Paul Jacobsen "geezer-lit" series. 85-year-old Paul Jacobsen moves from a senior living community in Hawaii to Boulder, CO to live with his son, his son’s wife, and his 12-year-old granddaughter. Paul suffers from severe short-term memory loss, and while he is fine during the daytime, he has to write daily notes of what is happening in his life into his journal, for as soon as he falls asleep, he forgets everything that has occurred. Somehow, he manages to be present for a series of crimes, starting with arriving on the plane from Hawaii sitting next to a dead man–who has not died of natural causes. Along with his granddaughter, an aspiring lawyer, he tries to prove his innocence in the crime spree, while juggling not one but two lady friends. Just plain fun–that’s my short summation of this book. Even the methods of getting the old guy into the picture of several crimes is not unbelievable, although the cops seem to find it so! The granddaughter, Jennifer, is simply a great character, giving warmth to the character of Paul and making him vulnerable. It is refreshing to read of a elderly person living with a disability who is still full of life.

great book. great service

Predictable but still such fun to read!

I realy enjoy the Paul Jacobson books by Mike Befeler and have told other readers how good they are, I hope he continues writing them

All of the Mike Befeler Geezer-Lit books are very enjoyable. It is interesting having a character that has problems other readers do not have; also it is interesting to have the main character be a detective type who is in his eighties. He ends up doing things that I would not have done when I was younger. I have not finished reading all of his books but I am working on it. I really do not wish to miss one of them. I started on something like the fifth book and then had to go back to the start which has worked out just fine.

The best of the genre, and well-written enough to keep turning the pages. I’m reading the entire series. A fun read, nothing deep, but good characters and a clever twist to the Geezer Lit concept.

Again the old geezer is at it. With his bad memory and penchant to get in tight spots, he delights readers.

You can’t miss Mike Befeler at the annual Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s conference–he’s the cheerful guy with the straw hat that says, “Geezer Lit”. I bought this book as a gift for my mother, and she said it was one of the best stories she’s read in a long time before asking me to pass it along to my aunt. Of course, that peaked my interest, so I had to read it myself before passing it on. The main character in Living With Your Kids Is Murder will have you snickering as you turn the pages. Despite his faulty memory, this “old fart” has a sharp-as-a-tac wit that is comedy show worthy as he bumbles into one crime scene after another. Many women have been inspired by Jenny Joseph’s poem, “Warning, When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple”. Perhaps Mike Befeler’s books are the male equivalent. When you are old, you can have selective memory, use your age as a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, and say absolutely anything that comes into your mind without having to bite your tongue like you did in your younger days, and amuse yourself all the while. If this story doesn’t give you a few laughs, check your pulse!

You can’t miss Mike Befeler at the annual Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s conference–he’s the cheerful guy with the straw hat that says, “Geezer Lit”. I bought this book as a gift for my mother, and she said it was one of the best stories she’s read in a long time before asking me to pass it along to my aunt. Of course, that peaked my interest, so I had to read it myself before passing it on. The main character in Living With Your Kids Is Murder will have you snickering as you turn the pages. Despite his faulty memory, this “old fart” has a sharp-as-a-tac wit that is comedy show worthy as he bumbles into one crime scene after another. Many women have been inspired by Jenny Joseph’s poem, “Warning, When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple”. Perhaps Mike Befeler’s books are the male equivalent. When you are old, you can have selective memory, use your age as a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, and say absolutely anything that comes into your mind without having to bite your tongue like you did in your younger days, and amuse yourself all the while. If this story doesn’t give you a few laughs, check your pulse!

Paul Jacobsen is a fun character whose realistic outlook and humor survive each day better than his memory, or at least his memory since 2000 A.D. He says pretty much what he thinks to everyone he meets, and if he sees something that needs to be done, he does it, regardless of the consequences to himself. His forthrightness gets him into trouble with the murderer, of course, but also leads to some funny scenes that emphasize the social change between the WW II generation and today. This is a tightly constructed story where every detail given comes into play later on, even the mention of his granddaughter’s tennis lesson. What he says in his granddaughter’s classroom, where the teacher assures the students that she was sure nobody really wanted to be in the fighting in WWII, is poignant as well as funny. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan on getting the first in the series, which I have not yet read. According to the title of another review, it is even better than this one.

Paul Jacobson is an old man with a memory problem. When he falls asleep, his short term memory bank erases. He starts each day by reading a journal, telling him who he is and what he did the day before. He’s a little like the character in 50 first dates, but older and with a lousy sense of humor. The old coot finds himself as a person of interest in two murder cases, two petty thefts, and having two girlfriends at the same time. He takes on the services of his 12-year-old granddaughter, who wants to be a lawyer when she grows up, to solve the cases. She’s the perfect child who always has a smile on her face and knows everything she needs to know to help solve the crimes. The story is written in first person, a style that lacks a lot of description and scenery. It’s told like a fire-side chat, without a lot of details. Much of the information isn’t really needed for the plot; just day to day details of an old man living with his son and daughter-in-law. It’s written from a man’s point of view with a man’s choice of words and a lot of lame puns. I’m not sure how to feel about it. The plot wasn’t full of twists and turns, and the problems were resolved very easily, maybe a little too easily. It didn’t have the cliff-hanger hooks that make you start the next chapter, and yet, I continued to read it just the same. It finally reached a climax that made me nervous and scared, but the resolution was contrived, too easy, and without setbacks. I’ve never read a book in this genre before. It was a nice change of pace. If you’re looking for a low-key mystery with romantic elements that isn’t your usual paperback, I also recommend Stars Shine After Dark. This story is about rumors and bending the truth, and how damaging a rumor can be to one’s reputation.