Reviewing: Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Read time: 2 minutes

Edition:

🎧 Listened in audio
📢Narrated by Jane Oppenheimer & Christina Delaine
⏱ Duration: 10 hours

Book Blurb:

Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that’s their secret weapon. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie, all sixty, have been the deadliest assassins for the Museum, a clandestine international organization, for forty years. Their old-school skills are now undervalued in a tech-driven world. Sent on a lavish retirement vacation, they discover they’re targets of their own organization. Only the Board can order agent terminations, and the women realize they’re marked for death. To survive, they must turn against the Museum, relying on their experience and each other to outwit their hunters.

Let’s talk about the book:

I dove into Killers of a Certain Age with stars in my eyes. Women in their 60s as elite assassins? Yes, please! The premise promised a fresh spin on the thriller genre, blending experience with undercover grit.

But a few chapters in, my hype hit a wall. Instead of the seasoned, cohesive team I expected, Billy, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie came off like typical old people trying to relive their “cool” days boasting “I could’ve done that better” without actually doing it. Their constant bickering, and really silly mistakes (while undercover, mind you!) felt like a teenage clique, not a squad with decades of shared covert ops experience. Why the need to one-up each other like they’re auditioning for a superhero flick? The insecurity in their 60s felt jarring like, haven’t you proven yourselves after 40 years? The plot had sparks: a betrayal-fueled retirement cruise, dodging the Museum’s hit squad, and some clever twists. But the action often took a backseat to their peacocking, which dulled the suspense.

Raybourn’s writing had wit, and the ladies’ backstories hint at depth, but the focus on their “who’s the coolest” contest left me craving more substance. There’s a second book in the series, Kills Well with Others, but I wouldn’t dare take on that challenge.

Would I recommend it?

This one didn’t quite land for me. The premise is killer (pun intended), but the execution felt like a missed shot. It was nominated for “Readers’ Favorite Mystery & Thriller” in 2022 by Goodreads, which shows there’s an audience for every kind of book (no judgment!). If you love action with a side of sass and don’t mind some juvenile vibes, you might dig it.

What do you say?

Have you read Killers of a Certain Age? Did you vibe with the ladies’ dynamic, or did it feel like a high school reunion gone wrong? Drop in your thoughts below. I need to know if I’m alone on this one!