Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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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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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 October, 2022: Finished reading
  • 4 October, 2022: Reviewed