Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn – a Review

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Description:
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.

Review:

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn is a fun, exciting & and entertaining standalone novel.  I have not read Deanna Raybourn for many years, and was so pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book. Our heroines, Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie, have worked for the secret Museum, an elite private network of assassins for 40 years. We get to see them in action during their first assignment (after much training, becoming the first all-female group), and now 40 years later, they have retired, with the company sending them on a bon voyage cruise trip.  The story line is split between two time periods, the present and many of their past escapades.  In the early days of their unique career, they were assigned to kill as many Nazi’s as they can, with after the war and more to the present, their assignments become dangerous murderers, drug dealers, dictators, etc.

The ladies came from different backgrounds, remained friends, though many of their assignments were not together. While enjoying their cruise, they recognize someone who one of them knew from years ago, who worked for the Museum, and they realize that because of their knowledge, they are in danger of being targeted for death. The ladies manage to escape the ship, and begin the process of trying to get more information, as they know they are in a race for their lives.  When an old friend makes an attempt on their life, Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie, step up their game to eliminate the leaders who have targeted them.  These ladies were so much fun to watch, as they were not only smart, but tough and amazing.  To say too much more would be spoilers, and you really need to read and enjoy this book.

Killers of a Certain Age was fast pace, at times tense, entertaining, and a fantastic thriller; and very well written by Deanna Raybourn.  The banter (lots of humor) between the ladies was great, as this was so much fun to watch them, with us praying they will survive.  Great concept that at their age (60’s), that they can still fight and prove that they will not go down quietly.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and bravo to Deanna Raybourn for a wonderful story. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher