Killers of a Certain Age

By: Deanna Raybourn

Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer, Christina Delaine

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

“This Golden Girls meets James Bond thriller is a journey you want to be part of.”—Buzzfeed

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 60 years old, four women friends can’t just retire—it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times best-selling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for 40 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.

©2022 Deanna Raybourn (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“[An] unpredictable and propulsive romp of a thriller…an inventive and distinctly feminist escapade.”—Oprah Daily

“A singular suspense story thanks to its deftly fluctuating tone, which is by turns comical, violent and unexpectedly affecting…it’s impossible not to root for these dangerous dames and their refusal to let themselves be put on the ash heap—a phrase that, in this thriller, should be taken literally.”—The Washington Post

“A sharp and witty thriller.”—PopSugar

Insulting to “older” women

I’m 64 and not elderly or old. The description of 60ish women in this book is insulting. Why not just tell the story without bringing the wrong kind of attention to the age of the characters throughout the entire book? We get it they’re in their 60’s but that doesn’t mean they’re elderly. Books about men in their 60s would never describe them as elderly or old. My mom is 98. She still plays bridge every day, hosts get togethers in her apartment, is a huge, very involved sports fan and socializes with friends. Even though she is very active, she is elderly. She uses a walker and her legs are wobbly. Her life would make a good story and her age would be a huge part of it in a way that wouldn’t apply to a 60 old year woman. Let’s leave the ageism and misogyny to men. After reading half of this book I thought it must be written by a man using a pseudonym and was surprised to find out it was actually written by a woman. If you really want to support women of a certain age with good stories, try to see past the age and write the stories accordingly.

A Pleasent Suprise

Being one of the over 60 crowd this was a book I really enjoyed. And to be honest I should say the over 70 crowd. Well written and enough action without being hard to believe. I really enjoyed the nuances of the characters and how the author blended them together so well.

Loved it!

Being a woman of “a certain age” I really enjoyed the book. The characters were engaging and diverse in backgrounds and believable. The plot was fresh and imaginative. Overall a great book! I hope this yields a series for these aging dames! I would love to read more with these ladies.

Fun Read

There should be more books like this. Refreshing to see women portrayed as something other than victims or as a princess in a romance novel. Loved the humor in writing about women’s issues as well as age issues. Five star read for me. It was like the Golden Girls meet The Gray Man.

Excellent Story!

Great book and narration was excellent! So many books on audio I cannot get through due to the narrator but this one was so very good! I wish I could search by narrator!

A new genre for Deanna Raybourn, and it's great!

I do not even like suspense novels, but Ms. Raybourn could write a novel about brushing your teeth and it would be great! I did not love the narrator of the past, but I did love the narrator of the present. At first, as a 58 year old, I was annoyed at being lumped in as "old" but it is explained very well - they aren't old, they just aren't as young as they used to be. All the characters are drawn so artfully - just like the characters in her other books - they become almost real. This is not a relaxing book - it is wildly exciting and hilarious - perfect for walking fast and far while listening.

Reader of a certain age!

Please write more mysteries about women of a certain age. We read - a lot, and it’s nice to see ourselves sometimes!

Fun light read

This was a fun, light read. Always great finding a story where the male characters are secondary to strong female leads.

Loved it!

Loved it! Couldn’t “put it down” aka stop listening! It was my pick for book club this month and it didn’t disappoint!

unconventional..... ladies with experience

I really enjoyed this book. The aging assassin story turned on its head. I liked all the characters and wish this could go further, but because it starts at their retirement, there's nowhere to go. And please don't do prequels.