Killers of a Certain Age

by Deanna Raybourn

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

“This Golden Girls meets James Bond thriller is a journey you want to be part of.” -Buzzfeed

Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that’s their secret weapon.

They’ve spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can’t just retire – it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they’ve been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They’re about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman—and a killer—of a certain age.

• ISBN10: 0593550293
• ISBN13: 9780593550298
• Publish Date: 6 September 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Berkley
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Killers of a Certain Age is a well written cat-and-mouse mystery thriller by Deanna Raybourn. Released 6th Sept 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 353 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is definitely (emphatically) not your grandmother's cozy mystery. These four competent former assassings resemble 007 way more than The Golden Girls. Recruited to the shadowy "Museum" in the 1970s, they're ready to retire now and taking a celebratory cruise together when they figure out that it's a lot easier to get into the hired killer business than it is to get out.

This has aspects of a buddy mystery thriller, as well as deft touches of espionage and all-around good storytelling. There are some graphic descriptions of murder and violence. The characterizations really shine here and all four of the main characters are completely distinct and well rendered - impossible to blend them together. It's razor-wire sharp but I was surprised how wryly humorous and warm it was at the same time.

Four stars. Very well done. Ms. Raybourn is a gifted writer who is clearly willing to put in the work necessary to write about difficult/unappealing crimes in a way that renders the protagonists relatable. Dual timeline flashbacks and current time narrative are used to good effect and make the story readable as well as moving the plot along.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Kim Deister]

This was such an engrossing read! I love the premise of it, that they were an elite team of female assassins. I also loved the underlying code they lived by… no freelance assassinations, only those sanctioned by their organization. That provided an oversight and a level of morality that wouldn’t have existed in freelance work.

Much of the story is told from Billie’s perspective in the present, with flashbacks to the four friends’ recruitment, training, and missions over the years. The author has created dynamic, engaging characters. Each woman comes to the story with her own history, her own experiences, even with so much of their lives wrapped up in one another. Somehow, despite their shared career path, they seem real, like women the reader could know.

The storytelling is brilliant, with fabulous characters, international travel, twists and turns, and tons of action. And all of it is woven together with wit and depth, and a surprising amount of humor. There are so many unpredicatable moments, some leading to unexpected twists and others letting the reader learn more about who the characters are as individuals. There’s an undeniable James Bond/007-meets-RED feeling to the book, which I loved. For those not in the know, RED means “retired: extremely dangerous,” also the title to the film RED with Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovich, all of who are former black ops agents who’ve been targeted for death.

One of the best things about this story was the focus on the women “of a certain age.” It flies in the face of the all-too-often invisibility of older women, and the perception of them. That is something there isn’t enough of in literature, so it really stood out.

[Quirky Cat]

We hear all sorts of stories about assassins and how they're dark and brooding. But how often have we read about female assassins on the brink of retirement? If this is something you feel should be remedied immediately, pick Killers of a Certain Age, written by Deanna Raybourn.

Four women have been assassins for the last forty years. Their names are Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie. Now they're reaching sixty years old; it is time for them to finally retire. They've done their service – they've killed bad people and made the world a safer place because of it. They deserve a break.

Naturally, that is not how things are about to play out. It doesn't take long for these four to realize that somebody from their organization is out to get them. To survive, they will have to pick up their deadly tools again and get to work.

“Only women are ever called persnickety," Mary Alice said. "Men get to be 'detail oriented.”

Wow! Killers of a Certain Age is a breath of fresh air! This novel flips so many assassin tropes on their heads and has fun with the concept overall. If you're in the mood to read about four lethal ladies, it's time to tune in.

This novel is told mainly from Billie's perspective, though in two points of time. There's the present, and there's the past – back when she was in training or active duty. The two pieces help to explain the whole of her character. It also helps to explain the situation she and her allies are in.

Killers of a Certain Age has a lot of humorous elements, despite all the action and sometimes graphic violence. It isn't afraid to have fun. Likewise, Raybourn isn't afraid to get detailed when it comes to the battles being fought, and I do mean that literally.

I really enjoyed these details. It explained just how good these women are at their jobs. Every task they take is full of careful planning, and I love that we got to see a little bit of that. One case, in particular, is still giving me the chills, though that has more to do with the setup (you'll know which one I'm talking about when you get there, I promise).

While Killers of a Certain Age is a fully contained novel, I could see this becoming a successful series. Honestly, I wouldn't mind another book or two. I also wouldn't mind seeing it get adapted into another format, as I think that would be a blast.

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