My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Humor
Spice Level: Innuendo
Language: Plenty of cursing
Representation: Gay characters and "mature" women
Format: Dual time line (more explained below)

I found this to be quite hilarious. Part of that is because this group of assassins are in their 50-60s and are back on a job, but they're even more undercover than before. That's partly because this is fixing a new problem from a previous hit.

Multiple jobs from the past are revealed in flashback chapters. These flesh out the characters and might include failures, successes, and points of interest for their characters. I can see this might be confusing if you're not paying attention.

I loved how things wrapped up (not exactly in a tidy bow). Is there room for more in this world? Absolutely!

Happy reading!

** “Sometimes pain just gets in the way of what you have to do. So you put it down until you can stand to carry it again.” **

Deanna Raybourn offers another fun yet thrilling tale of four sort-of retired assassins in “Kills Well with Others.”

Helen, Natalie, Mary Alice and narrator Billie have retired from the Museum, an extra-government organization that neutralizes people who deserve to be neutralized. But when a death hits close to home, they are called in for another project, one that just might have connections to one of their cases from 1994.

An elite assassin squad that was the first all female team, the four women find themselves in all sort of dangerous situations, trying to determine who they are after and why.

Raybourn does a great job of combining intensity with comical moments to make a great thriller. She fills the plot with twists and turns, all while creating a delightfully lovely set of characters filled with pluck, courage and even relatability. She even fills the story with some good themes, like the power of adaptability; making being underestimated a superpower; loyalty; and overcoming pain.

One word, this book does contain quite a lot of cursing as well as some crude references.

This novel is a bit of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series meets the movie “RED,” so fans of those types of stories, as well as C.L. Miller’s Antique Hunter series, will love “Kills Well with Others,” which is due out March 4.

Five stars out of five.

Berkley provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley and the author for this advance copy of Kills Well With Others - I finished this book one day before pub date, this one is available Tuesday, March 4, 2025!

I really liked the first one in this series, but in my honest opinion, this one should just remain a standalone. I had a really rough time getting into the story and premise behind this one - our main character is Billie, but she works with three other friends, and there’s not enough character development to separate all of the friends from Billie. If we were looking at conversations, it was hard to differentiate who was doing things outside of Billie. We also have time jump chapters going to the past sprinkled in and I had a tough time remembering when we were. Unfortunately, I’m landing on 2.5 stars rounding up because there were a few good one liners, but I felt this one dragged.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this honest review. Pub date is 3/4/25 this week!

Our four senior assassins are back in Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn.

"Billie, Helen, Nat and Mary Alice have had a little down time and now they're bored. they really want to get back to what they do best - assassinations. Naomi - acting director of the Museum - comes to them with an off-the-books project. A mole has stolen files and it looks like a European gangster is coming after anyone involved in their father's death. All four women are included in that group. So off they go - trying to find a mole and kill a gangster - and restore a lost treasure."

This book is more about the action and less about the ages of the four women. There are still references to old people aches and pains, but age is not the issue it was in the first book. Lots of fun banter in the group along with their partners. The story includes some of their earlier missions and ties them in with the current one at the end. Each of them question what they want their life to look like in this season, especially since they all want to keep being assassins. Lots of fun banter

A wild ending on a train and a surprising find.

Another fun story from Raybourn. So glad to see the team back.

More

This book was a great read for me. I couldn't put it down and just kept turning the pages. The four women were so fascinating I just couldn't figure out how they became the way they were.

Description:
Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.

My Thoughts:
I missed the first book so I have to get it as soon as I can! I didn't realize when I read it that it was a series. The premise is amazing - a company that dispatches assassins. It sets up a whole new set of rules and makes for amazing adventures. The four women are hard not to like - eve considering their profession. I guess a lot can be forgiven the women when you consider the victims' crimes. The book was fast-paced and I seriously could not put it down. I was fascinated and totally engrossed. I recommend to anyone who likes thrillers and internationaly intrigue.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I love these characters! Our main gals—Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, Natalie—and their supporting characters: Akiko, Taverner, Minka, and Naomi. And Nula!

"Kills Well with Others" is equally as charming and witty as "Killers of a Certain Age" but our girls' badass meter is off the charts on this one. It's hard to root for trained assassins, but you will absolutely root for these women. They're the best.

A year has passed since we last saw the gang, and retirement is still out of reach. This time, the Museum head, Naomi, assigns them a new mission: uncover a mole within the organization. Someone has been leaking details of their kills to a powerful Eastern European family, putting them all at risk. Now, it's up to them to expose the traitor and eliminate their latest enemy—before they become the next targets. Raybourn takes us on a high-stakes global mission filled with danger and deception and a crack at righting the past.

Just like the first novel in the series, you’ll be hooked from the start—laughing at the snarky dialogue while rooting for our favorite killers. So curl up with this cozy international thriller, where richly drawn characters settle scores and rid the world of evil, one criminal at a time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, & Deanna Raybourn for the ARC in exchange for my authentic review.

What a fun read! These four ladies are incredibly fun to read about. They get put into some insane positions and manage to suceed at thier goal. I had no idea this was a sequel, I had no trouble keeping up with thier antics. Great locales throughout. Excellent fast pace no holds barred thriller.

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC.

More than a year after their last adventure, Billie, Mary Alice, Natalie and Helen are called back for another job. Someone on the inside of The Museum, the organization they once worked for, is killing agents who were associated with one Eastern European gangster with designs on expanding his power, and the foursome are all on that list. While trying to figure out who the mole is, they must also try to stay alive.

I really liked the first book in this series, and enjoyed this one just as much. The four women are perfect examples of why society shouldn’t overlook people, especially women, just because they’ve reached a certain age. They know each other and work together well, a plus on a mission like this. Some of their skills seem unrealistic, but maybe to fellow assassins, those skills would ring true?

We know from the start who the ultimate bad guy is, so most of the book focuses on identifying the mole within their organization. I was incorrectly suspicious of one character, but my next choice turned out to be the right person, although I did not figure out the motive before it was explained.

Although I hope that this series doesn’t mean the author has finished with her Veronica Speedwell series, I look forward to reading the next book featuring these women and their adventures.

Thank you for the free book @penguinrandomhouse and @berkleypub! #penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram. Thank you for the free audiobook, @prhaudio!

My favorite female assassins are back!!!

Guys, if you love Golden Girls but instead of sipping tea at the lanai, the female leads kick evil people’s butts, then you have to read this one!!!

My 30+ year old body is embarrassed with what these 60 year old ladies can do 😂 This book is packed with heart thumping action scenes and the audiobook really delivered in bringing those scenes to life!!!

And omg the dialogue between these four female leads is sooo hilarious! I was laughing most of the time 😂

Ive read Killers of a Certain Age and loved it. This is pretty much book 2 buuut it can definitely be read as a standalone although you’d just be more familiar with the characters and the backstory if you’ve read book 1

This has some mafia + art theft storyline, so this book will also armchair travel from Europe to Egypt!!

I dont think I’ll give a plot synopsis for this one. Just basically know that you’d be reading about senior female assassins who just can’t settle down in their retirement 😂

This books comes out March 4th, friends!!!
Highly recommend for you to add to your TBR!!!

💭 What book did you start March with?
☕️ I started Strawberry Patch Pancake House yesterday and just finished it at 2am this morning 😂

Deanna Raybourn's Kills Well with Others is a thrilling sequel to her bestselling novel Killers of a Certain Age, bringing back the dynamic quartet of senior assassins—Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie—for another high-stakes adventure. Released on March 4, 2025, this installment delves deeper into the complexities of aging, friendship, and the relentless world of espionage.

After a period of relative calm, the four women are thrust back into action when a new threat emerges: an Eastern European gangster with a penchant for eliminating those who stand in his way. Complicating matters further, a mole within their former organization, the Museum, has compromised their past missions, making them prime targets. The narrative weaves through various global locales as the team endeavors to unmask the traitor and neutralize the looming danger.

Raybourn's portrayal of her protagonists is both refreshing and empowering. These women, seasoned by years of experience, defy traditional stereotypes associated with aging. Their camaraderie and sharp wit infuse the story with humor and warmth. As noted in a Kirkus Reviews starred review, the novel is "a nonstop-action thriller that’s often disconcertingly funny in posing moral questions about the murder of horrible people."
KIRKUS REVIEWS

The plot is a tapestry of suspense and action, seamlessly transitioning between past and present assignments. This structure not only enriches character development but also maintains a brisk narrative pace. A reviewer from Bookshelf Fantasies remarked, "Both books prove that deadly women… of a certain age… make for excellent entertainment."
BOOKSHELF FANTASIES

However, some readers felt that the sequel didn't quite capture the same intensity as its predecessor. Lesa's Book Critiques mentioned, "While I enjoyed Deanna Raybourn’s second book featuring her retired spies, Kills Well with Others, I preferred the first in the series, Killers of a Certain Age."
LESASBOOKCRITIQUES.COM

In conclusion, Kills Well with Others is a commendable addition to Raybourn's series, offering a blend of action, humor, and insightful commentary on aging and resilience. Fans of the first installment will appreciate the continued adventures of these formidable heroines, while new readers will find an engaging and standalone narrative.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The girls ride again when The Museum is in trouble in this high stakes, high action foray away from their retirement. Definitely give this all-woman spy team a chance!

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn is a delightful, twisty, and hilarious novel that is a true page-turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it! This thrilling blend of Golden Girls meets James Bond is a journey that you won't want to miss out on.

Deanna Raybourn returns with a follow up to Killers of a Certain Age. Kills Well with Others is an equally funny adventure about the group of four female senior assassins reunited on another mission.

The four characters come out of retirement to take on a revenge mission against the leader of a crime cartel. When one of their homes is burned to the ground, they all must find a safe house bringing their loved ones along. The women’s backstories and semi-retirement plans are revealed as they juggle their need for support with a fierce independence. Humor, twists and fast paced action make this sequel an enjoyable read. Raybourn makes it fun to root for killers. I can’t wait for more in this series!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I had always wanted to read this author and really enjoyed Killers of a Certain Age. I was thrilled the Killers of a Certain Age would continue as a series. The women seemed to be retired without being erased after the last adventure about two years ago. We have Helen, Natalie, Mary Alice and Billie. We mostly have Billie telling us their story.

The women are about 60 and worked previously for the "Museum." Now Naomi, the head of the museum summons them. But it is a personal mission, as an agent from Provenance, Lillian Flanders, has been murdered and Naomi herself is in danger and so are the four ladies. Lillian sent the four on a job about 40 years ago.

So now they go to end anyone who might be avenging that kill, since it was their only contact with Lillian. The ladies gather interesting information and work out various connections. We get flash backs in time to the original job and other related events.

It's exciting and dangerous. Our team of ladies have various circumstances since they were "let go" without the normal pensions of the Museum for retirees. But since they are probably also on the current killer's list, they work the case. We get an update on their current personal relationships as they end up bringing their loved ones to a safe house as things become even more perilous.

I liked these smart women, their skills, and how they cared for each other. Luckily they persevered and I have to wonder if they will have more adventures.

The sleek sexagenarian assassins are at it again. This time their retirement is disturbed when
a fellow operative is murdered, with a small carved black wolf left behind as a talisman Their organization, The Museum, takes blown covers very seriously and they are sent on a revenge mission with their unlikely target a socially avoidant member of a notorious Eastern European crime cartel, who seems to eschew the family business in favor of the companionship of a teddy bear. But when things go south, as they always do, and one of their homes are burned, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie, have to find a safe house, or more than one, which means they need to do some serious globetrotting, figure out who to trust, who is betraying them, and perhaps most risky, for these fiercely independent women, who they can rely on for support. Billie’s backstory deepens as the timeline shuttles decades earlier to unravel clues, including clues about Billie’s uncompromising, sometimes icy, dedication to her chosen occupation. Very dark humor, some fascinating spy tricks of the trade, hairpin plot twists and yes! even a life and death high speed train scene. Grab a handhold and enjoy.

This book invites readers to again spent time with the Killers of a Certain Age. Although I have not read the first in this series, I felt that I was able to jump right in.

Readers meet four women who have a spectacular skill set including proficiency in disguise, strategy and killing. They are Helen, Billie, Natalie and Mary Alice. These women are called back into service to avenge a colleague’s murder and the mayhem then briskly takes off.

This book is full of action, drama, excitement, good characters, a variety of global settings and more. It is a kind of James Bond for the older woman (but not too old) vibe. I found it to be very enjoyable.

I have read other series by this author. This one is a bit different. Kudos to Raybourn for doing something new …and succeeding.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS is the second book in the Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. I simply adored the first book, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, so the moment I found a sequel was available, I jumped at the chance to read it. In my humble opinion, I think this newest release is even better! There’s humor, suspense, mystery, action galore, and four sassy senior citizens who act nothing like their age. I enjoyed getting to know them better through the chapters that jumped back in time to when they were young women. The author did an amazing job tying the past in with the present. The story captivated me, and I didn’t want to put it down until I’d read the very last page. If you enjoy a humorous, action-packed read with memorable characters, then I highly recommend Kills Well With Others.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Deanna Raybourn’s Killers of a Certain Age carved out its own space in the mystery/thriller genre, proving that zany retirees aren’t just a Thursday Murder Club phenomenon. Her "retired" female assassins are formidable, and in Kills Well with Others, Billie, Helen, Natalie and Mary Alice are back in action. Tasked with eliminating a fellow assassin targeting people connected to a past mission, they also have to contend with a mole leaking information and keeping loved ones safe while traveling the globe. The novel shifts between timelines, offering thrilling glimpses into Billie's early days as an operative while providing some valuable context. Raybourn crafts fantastic characters—though Billie can be tough to warm up to—and delivers constant action. This series would be perfect for a limited-release adaptation, and since the books must be read in order, starting with book one is no hardship—it’s just as fun.

This follow-up adventure about a team of 60-somethiing-year-old women assassins is fast-paced, funny, exciting, and an absolute delight. Who knew that we'd all end up rooting for killers? There's much more to the story, of course, and there are plenty of reasons to put this deadly team into the "good guys" column. The book is lots of fun and impossible to put down. Highly recommended.

Thank you, Berkley, for sending me a copy of this one. I didn't really care for the first book in this series. I just don't really connect crime books. So this wasn't for me.