When I saw the synopsis for Killers of a Certain Age I knew I had to read it. Finally we get a book with assassins who are not girls in their late teens or early twenties. These are ladies in their sixties! Sign me up. I could very lucky and got an eARC, while the book released in September I finally finished my eARC and today I want to share my thoughts. So let’s jump in!

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.
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 by Deanna Raybourn
Published by Berkley Books on 06/09/2022
Pages: 353
Goodreads
I have been wanting to read Deanna’s other series, the Veronica Speedwell series. That one is a mystery series with a historical setting and I have heard great things. So my expectations for Killers of a Certain Age are pretty high. As I said, I love the premise, assassins but they’re 60 years old. That is not something we see a lot and I really enjoyed it. I also loved seeing them have back pain and other age related problems. It made the whole book more realistic and that is something I really appreciate.
“She might be less than what she had once been, but she was still worth a hell of a lot.”
The plot wasn’t the best, but it was really fun. Our main characters are about to retire but before they can really enjoy their retirement they are targeted by someone from their own organisation. We follow them trying to get out alive in a pretty straight forward way. The story moves from one part to another and all goes quite easily. There was a little twist in the end that I didn’t see coming though!
“…The entire plan was there in shimmering hot pink ink.
“It looks like a My Little Pony murder plot,” Mary Alice said. “Jesus, is that glitter?”
“I like it,” Natalie said loyally.
“I find it hard to take us seriously as agents of vengeance when our plot looks like a kindergarten craft project.”
We got to travel all over the world with these ladies. It was nice seeing all those places. And I really enjoyed the flashbacks we got to some of their first assignments. We got the first ever assignment they did and a couple more. I think those were the highlights of the story for me, apart from the ladies themselves. All four of them are very different but still great friends. We see them go through training, some of their assignments and now the start of their retirement. It was lovely seeing their interactions, sometimes irritated by each other but in the end they were friends and would fight for each other.
“It isn’t your anger that will make you good at this job. It’s your joy.”
This wasn’t the greatest book ever but I just really enjoyed it. Like I said, the plot wasn’t the best but it was fun! I guess it’s hard to describe haha, it was simply fun and the kind of story I wouldn’t mind reading more of. And I will definitely pick up Deanna’s other series soon now. I already own the first book and I can’t wait to dive in. Have you read any of her books? And have you read any with older, badass characters? Let me know in the comments!
Great review. This is waiting for me on me ereader as we speak. I’ve loved the Veronica Speedwell series.
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