Killers Of A Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

An elite, all female, group of assassins are approaching retirement age. The clandestine organisation they work for sends them on a retirement cruise. When they realise that they are now marked for assassination a game a cat and mouse begins as they try to figure out why they've been made a target and who is responsible.

This book is such fun. I read quite a few of Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey series a number of years ago and assumed this would be a period thriller (I really should read the blurb more carefully rather than just jump at a name I enjoy). Killers Of A Certain Age certainly isn't a period thriller, unless you count the 1980's as historical.

As I was reading I kept thinking "this is a cross between Charlie's Angels, Mission Impossible and The Golden Girls". We open in 1979 with a newly formed team of four female assassins carrying out a mission. The dialogue is crisp and witty, a tongue in cheek humour that continues throughout the story. There is pace, intrigue and action as Billie, Mary Alice, Natalie and Helen use their skills and feminine wiles to deal with their target. 

The story then jumps forward forty years and we discover that our group of four are about to retire after a successful career. As a reward the organisation they work for send them on a luxury retirement cruise. However, the skills the women have honed over forty years are always on alert and they realise they've now become the target. 

The story jumps backwards and forwards over a forty year period as we learn why the group was formed and who they work for. Some of the action and dialogue is dated and sexist but this fits perfectly with the time period. When the action moves back to now we see how modern the group of four are and that they have the ability to take on anyone. The action and pace never lets up throughout. You are constantly rooting for the group of friends to clear their names and be victorious. I really do hope that we'll see more from the team in the future.

Killers Of A Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn will be published on 9th March 2023 in paperback format. Hardback, ebook and audio format are available now. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy.