Killers of a Certain Age

“Those last few hours before a job goes down, the adrenaline is pumping and there are limited ways of releasing it. Sex and exercise are effective, but they’re a bad idea before a job. They can leave you tired and rubber-legged….”

Hello fellow book lovers!

It is not often that one reads two books at a time featuring a primary character with the same name, especially when that name is Mary Alice! What are the chances? Yesterday I reviewed The Old Place which I read in print while I was listening to the Killers of a Certain Age audiobook, and both had characters named Mary Alice! Coincidences like that tickle me 🤓

Here’s my review of Killers:

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, follows four 60-something talented and highly-trained assassins—named Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie --- who, like Mary Alice in The Old Place, are forced into retirement. Forty years ago they had joined the organization they refer to as The Museum, which was originally formed to hunt for Nazis, and eventually switched to targeting “…dictators, arms dealers, drug smugglers, and sex traffickers.” But now, The Museum has sent the four women on a farewell cruise, and the women soon realize they plan to blow up the ship!

After saving the passengers and themselves, the four embark upon an investigation to find out why the board of The Museum has put out a kill order on them. It becomes clear that they must kill the board members, or die themselves.

There are several book series out these days about older adults solving murder mysteries, and I have found many of them to be kind of silly and a bit demeaning. There is humor and irony in Killers of A Certain Age, but the plot is complex, the women are intelligent and capable, and we get the unique points of view of mature women making the most of their talents and strengths in a male-dominated "profession". I especially enjoyed Billie calling out the misogynistic attitudes and beliefs of her male colleagues.

Recommended for those who enjoy murder mysteries, and who enjoy rooting for strong older women characters.

Hardcover 368 pages, Audiobook 10 hours 15 minutes