Review: Killers Of A Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

ByMary Emmer Updated on

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Sometimes older women can be made to feel invisible. You know, over the hill, out of sight and out of mind. But for the ladies in Killers of a Certain Age, they can only hope they remain invisible.

Because for them, it’s kill or be killed. So what would you choose?

Author Deanna Raybourn veers off with something a little bit different in her latest book!

Start with four women who are newly retired women of a certain age. Age 60 to be exact! Then throw in some James Bond-ish action along with a little mystery and thriller, and suddenly, you’ve got Killers Of A Certain Age.

My review will give you a short synopsis of the book along with my thoughts on whether you should read it, reread it, or reconsider whether you want to read it at all.

Killers Of A Certain Age

book cover for killers of a certain age

Killers Of A Certain Age is the latest book published by author Deanna Raybourn, and it’s a little different than the mystery books that Deanna Raybourn usually writes, like the Lady Julia Grey series!

If you’re not yet familiar with Deanna Raybourn, she is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 25+ books (as of now), and this is her first contemporary novel. Killers of a Certain Age was an instant New York Times bestseller, and it will take you on an action-packed doozy of a romp around the world.

Publisher’s Synopsis of Killers Of A Certain Age

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

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.

Killers Of A Certain Age – What I Liked

This book has been described as a Golden Girls meets James Bond thriller, and I couldn’t agree more. I especially loved the “Golden Girls” aspects with all the humorous mentions about life as an older woman. There is a lot to like about this book for almost any reader, but if you happen to be a “woman of a certain age”, you’ll love it!

The four girls entertaining us throughout this book are Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie, and I loved them all! These ladies start out the book by going on an all-expenses-paid cruise to celebrate their retirement. Who doesn’t love a great retirement gift, right? Unfortunately, these ladies have retired from killing people, so while a retirement cruise may sound kind of boring, this particular retirement cruise gets a little dicey shortly after they set sail.

I didn’t realize the book was going to be so funny before I actually read it. It’s witty, and the characters have a sort of lively banter between them almost all of the time. Just like you would with a lifetime friend.

There’s also plenty of action here, and that creates a fast page-turner of a book. I almost devoured the whole thing in one sitting. And I liked that we not only had the mystery of the moment going on throughout the book, but we also learned something about how these girls got started in the assassin business 40 years earlier. That completely rounded out the story and I enjoyed that connection with the earlier years.

Despite the humor throughout the book, Killers Of A Certain Age is still very much an action-packed suspenseful thriller with some tie-ins to the OSS and SOE for those of you who are fans of historical fiction set in the WWII era and featuring the SOE operatives.

This story is completely unpredictable and totally unique! And also quite different from anything Deanna Raybourn has given us as of yet.

The moral of this story may be that you should never underestimate the power of a 60+-year-old woman LOL! The older gals may not be able to physically do everything that a younger one can, but they’ve got 60+ years of experience behind them and, where there’s a will there’s a way. So look out!

Killers Of A Certain Age – What I Disliked

There isn’t anything that I, personally, disliked about this book.

This is, however, a crime story, so if you’re offended by accounts of killing people or mildly graphic descriptions of such, or the humor that’s mixed in with it all, then this might not be the book for you.

There are quite a few age-related jokes in this book. Didn’t bother me, and I thought they were quite funny, but if that gets to you then you may not appreciate the humor.

Killers Of A Certain Age – Read, ReRead or Reconsider?

And now, for my 3 Rs of book reviews. Should you read, reread or reconsider reading Killers Of A Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn?

Read!

Oh my, if you love a smart, witty, tangled-up romp of a funny crime novel featuring over-the-hill female assassins, then you’ll absolutely love this book.

If you prefer to “listen” to your books rather than read them, here’s a nice opportunity to try Audible free for 30 Days.

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Mary Emmer, is the founder of Looks Like Books. She is an avid book enthusiast and self-employed entrepreneur, with an inspiring passion for reading and learning.  With a background in the travel industry spanning four decades, Mary has cultivated a diverse range of experiences that have shaped her unique perspective on life and storytelling.  More about Mary.

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