In Deanna Raybourn's rousing, jet-paced thriller Killers of a Certain Age, four female assassins have spent 40 years assassinating people whose termination their employer deemed necessary to make the world a better place. Now the four killers, in their 60s, are set to retire.
The occasion is marked by an all-expenses-paid cruise to the West Indies. While enjoying Bloody Marys and mimosas on the ship, one of the women spots a junior field operative who has only one reason to be there: he's on a job. And his mark(s): one or all four of his former colleagues. What follows is an explosive chase as the retirees try to survive going up against the very organization that created them, and younger killers whose knees don't pop from exertion.
It's clear how much Raybourn enjoys writing about the adventures of these formidable women. And if they were underestimated when they were younger, they've become even more invisible as older women, something they use to their advantage to stay alive. Infused with humor, high-flying action, sharp dialogue and engaging characters, Killers of a Certain Age is a delight for readers of any age. --Elyse Dinh-McCrillis