Four senior female assassins make a comeback to solve a mystery involving an old Russian gangster and a Museum mole that has them travelling the globe in this fast-paced and funny espionage novel perfect for fans of Richard Oseman's Thursday murder club series. It was good on audio but not quite as compelling as the first book in the series for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This is the second book featuring the four dynamic women of a certain age who “stand between good and decent people and chaos…necessary monsters.” In other words, assassins.

Called out of semi retirement, the four have a new mission. Back together again and reliving some of their past assignments, Billie, Helen, Natalie, and Mary Alice each bring certain skills and abilities to work. Their activities take them to many exciting places and often in dangerous situations with only each other and their wits for success and survival.

I enjoy the characters and their relationships with each other. Not exactly friends but bound by camaraderie much stronger as they have faced many life and death situations. I like that they are older, basically 60ish, and have a unique attitude about their lives and their jobs with the Museum.

In this particular main duty, the group’s focus is on chasing down a lost piece of art that was looted during WWII and hidden away until the bad guys decide to bring it out for sale on the black market. There are reminisces about the past and some of their other kills.

I love the way the author writes and I’ve fallen in love with another historical mystery series but I am quite fond of these killers of a certain age as well. I’d definitely read another book about them and more missions. They are getting a little tired, however!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for the e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I do suggest you start with the first in the series.

Four retired female assassins - pulled back together for another job. A mysterious death that leaves a calling card tied to a hit the 4 did years ago.

This was such a fun read! I love these four women and their adventures. I love their old stories of hits, their stories of now and their retirement, and the struggles they have with normal relationships. It all feels realistic and is mixed in with such good humor and witty banter.

And the mystery was great! It was an absolute race, from one surprise to the next as they juggled globe trotting hunting down the next clue in the puzzle and trying to stay ahead of the mysterious person bringing up their past. Having the history with the fun friend group from the first one made the banter and adventures just a little sweeter this time. I loved this one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I was late to discover Deanna Raybourn's "Killers of a Certain Age" series, featuring a quartet of assassins in their sixties and seventies, so I didn't have to wait long for this second story. In "Kills Well With Others," readers reunite with Billie, Helen, Natalie, and Mary Alice a couple of years after the events of the first book, where they narrowly escaped elimination by their former employers. Now, they're pulled from retirement again when it appears a surviving relative of a former target is seeking revenge on everyone involved in that operation. The ladies track down the likely suspect, but somehow, the danger only escalates after they think the job is done.

Raybourn has again crafted a clever mystery with twists, turns, and cutting wit. Her signature humor shines across a globe-trotting canvas that takes readers from familiar settings to exotic locales. The charm of this series continues to be the dynamic between these four unforgettable women, whose decades of friendship and professional partnership make for compelling reading. Readers are also treated to flashbacks that deepen our understanding of how these four women became the team they are today.

The international chase sequences are impressive. The writing showcases the author's research and imagination. However, things started to feel drawn out and confusing about three-quarters of the way through the book. I got lost amid the rapid succession of European locations—Budapest, Vienna, and former Yugoslav territories. Everything kind of blurred together and gave me a "can we get to the end" feeling.

Nonetheless, "Kills Well With Others" delivers exactly what fans of the first book will be looking for: more adventure, danger, and heartwarming moments between these unforgettable characters. I have high hopes that this assassin quartet has more missions ahead!

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn.

I loved Killers of a Certain Age, so was looking forward to seeing my favorite senior assassins back in action in this sequel. And it was such a fun book!

Billie, Helen, Mary Alice and Natalie are back in action when they receive a call to tackle the greatest challenge of their career. In a globe trotting adventure my favorite assassins are dealing with a case from 30+ years ago and trying to root out a mole in their organization.

This book was just as much fun as the first and full of action, entertainment and snark.

I highly recommend reading KIllers of a Certain Age prior to Kills Well With Others if you haven't.

KIlls Well With Others comes out March 4th.

Four retired assassins are pulled back into the deadly game when a shadowy figure targets their organization. Tasked with eliminating the threat and exposing a mole, the women embark on a perilous global mission, facing their most challenging enemy yet.

This is a compelling novel with a varied cast and heart-pumping action. The mystery is complex and takes the characters to multiple locations worldwide. It’s a fun read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I was so excited to see that there would be a continuation of the stories of the adventurous protagonists from Killers of a Certain Age, and the book did not disappoint! One thing I really appreciate about these books is the way Raybourn lets us have the action and fun of classic spy novels while still addressing the realities of trauma, sexism, and aging bodies. Many more to come, I hope!

What a perfect follow up to Killers of a Certain Age!

The four main characters are just as lovable in this book, and the banter and dynamics between them all had me laughing and getting sentimental the whole way through. I love having a strong and smart leading lady character, and the only thing better than that is having four of them. I love that this series touches on sexism and ageism, and how it shows that women can be just as capable and cunning (and deadly) in their 60s as they are in their 20s. The loyalty and love between these four women was my favorite thing about these books.

The side characters added a lot to the plot, and I liked seeing the growth in them between the first book and this book. As for the mystery/action plot, I found it to be a little confusing at times while reading, but once I got to the end and saw how things tied together, it made more sense.

I really loved the first book in this series, and this sequel felt like a nice little bow to tie up this story.

P.S. While I do think this could technically be read as a stand-alone, I think it’d be best to read them in order so you can understand everything better.

I really loved Killers of a Certain Age so I was so excited to get this title early. I loved revisiting this band of badass women on their next adventure in this well thought out and action filled book. It was chalked full of great humor, mystery and a lot of action. One thing I noticed in this one was there seemed to be a lot more smaller details in terms of works of art, locations, and characters who were ultimately very detailed with little to know significance, it became overwhelming for me to follow and ultimately made me enjoy it less. It was still a fun read and one I will recommend to others but at time I felt like I needed my own notebook or cheat sheet because by the time the big reveal came along, I wasn’t even sure who or what was happening which made it loose some of its edge for me and became a bit frustrating to follow.

Overall I gave it 3.5 for this reason since it is very well written, entertaining and fun to read which are all great qualities in a book

I’m glad to see that my girls are back! Billie, Natalie, Mary Alice, and Helen are such likable characters. Their chemistry and banter made the story so fun to read! I enjoyed this fast paced mystery.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the arc.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed Killers of a Certain Age, and was somewhat excited for a follow-up. But I think Kills Well With Others is yet another example, especially within the mystery/thriller space, of a premise being cashed in on because the first book was popular, when there’s no real engaging story to be told, at least not one that merits a full novel.
I definitely still liked the group dynamics overall, even if it was wanting in terms of execution with the plot. With these women being in their 60s and still incredibly spry, I love the concept of them continuing to go on mad capers together, defying the conventions of not just this genre, but most fiction, which often relegates women their age and older to the sidelines, if they merit a mention at all.
But the plot is where it lost me. I was very confused by the alternating timelines, and constant jumping back and forth, resulting in it feeling very disjointed. While it was high-action, it almost felt tedious in a way, which felt counterintuitive to the alleged purpose of the book. It just felt like this premise had run out of steam, and this felt very forced. And while it did not ruin the first book for me, this was a case where the first book should have remained a standalone, and I hope that Raybourn for once stops trying to make every popular book of hers a series.
That said, my opinion is definitely in the minority, and given this isn’t the first sequel of Raybourn’s I’ve either disliked or felt very “mid” about, this may be a long overdue sign that I should consider whether she’s an author I want to continue investing time in. But if you happened to enjoy the first book, and more consistently enjoy Deanna Raybourn in general, I’d recommend checking it out to form your own opinion.

𝘒𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 is a fun follow-up to 𝘒𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘨𝘦. Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie return as a retired assassin squad and now they must work together again to contain a security breach related to a past assignment. The mission, naturally, turns into something larger and more complicated, and the story is intercut with flashbacks from their other hit jobs to provide even more details and background.

The book has a fast-paced, action-packed plot and is full of amusing dialogue and interesting locations. I also got a better sense of the characters’ personalities and relationships with each other this time around since the first novel already did a lot of the work establishing the backstories. Although I felt the plot of the book did get convoluted at times and wasn’t as gripping as that of its predecessor, this is overall a fun read I would recommend to someone in need of a lighthearted spy thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely adored this much anticipated sequel! I loved seeing more glimpses into the past and training of the Sphinxes while also being highly entertained by their "retirement" antics. Seeing the character growth in this novel was so nice and I hope there is more to come!

In this follow-up to Killers of a Certain Age, semi-retired assassins Billie, Mary Alice, Natalie, and Helen have once again been targeted by someone from their past. This time, they're being tracked by the surviving child of a crime boss they killed 45 years ago, and evading the hit is going to take every bit of their wits (and several disguises) to pull off. Traveling the world by boat, train, airplane, and even an occasional car, the quartet of killers must kill or be killed.

This was a fun sequel, though I don't know that it brought anything particularly new to the story. That said, it does give everyone who was hankering for it (AKA everyone who read Killers of a Certain Age) a second helping of the senior assassins. Read only if you've read the first one, but settle in for a fun caper when you do.

"We are necessary monsters."

✍🏻 A few years back, I read Killers of a Certain Age with my local book club, and we all LOVED it. That book read like an action packed movie, and I couldn't get enough of this spunky bunch of retired (or are they?) female assassins! I had no idea that a sequel was written until I saw it on Net Galley last November; I couldn't have hit the request button any faster!

I loved how this book flipped back and forth between the ladies in the beginning stages of their career on missions to the present day situation. (I think the 1st did this, too, if I remember.) I also appreciate that both timelines are told from Billie's POV because I think flipping from the timelines AND flipping between all the characters would be confusing. I was drawn into both timelines with the same level of interest and intensity and kept trying to spy if there were any connections between what happened then and what was happening now.

These ladies are such an intriguing group of characters, and it's a joy to see the beauty and complications in their friendships to each other. With a group of women, not to mention assassins, there are bound to be times where they butt heads, but when push comes to shove, they have each other's backs to the end.

Deanna's writing is remarkable as ever. Between all the action and traveling through countries, there is also a lot of humor and heart. I would happily follow this crew on any past or future adventures that she ever feels the need to take them on further. And if I neglect to mention how much I love Mary Alice and her two cats, I will have two cats of my own disappointed in me so there's also that. 😹

🔸 I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
🔹 Thank you to Net Galley, Berkley Publishing and Deanna Raybourn for this eARC.
🎉 Publication date: March 11, 2025

If you loved the first book in this series, Killers of Certain Age, then you'll enjoy this new adventure with Billie, Helen, Natalie, Mary Alice, and the rest of the gang. When it seems that everyone is enjoying life, an off the books mission comes their way. After a retired Museum agent is murdered, it seems there's a mole giving out names, and this is perfect timing to put a little excitement in their lives and find out who has turned and why. They travel the globe to find out who and stumble across an elusive part of a former mission. This is a high energy, fast paced read and a worthy installment in the series. I can't wait for the next book!

Four retired female assassins are called back to action. A mysterious Eastern European figure with a connection to the four friends’ first mission is targeting the four ladies.

Kills Well with Others is the second book in the Killers of a Certain Age series. This book is better enjoyed if you have read the first book, Killers of a Certain Age, and are familiar with the characters – Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie.

This book is told through Billie’s point of view, and includes flashbacks from the past. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The story is action-packed and entertaining.

Kills Well with Others is a fast-paced and fun mystery.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fabulous follow-up to Killers of a Certain Age! The older, but nowhere near ancient, retired deadly women assassins are back. I love how Raybourn writes these four. She doesn't sideline them into cliches of aging women. It's still Golden Girls meets Kill Bill, with all the mental and physical acrobatics included. Occasionally, bloody and cold but also witty and charming. And personally, they're still growing, learning, finding themselves, coming to terms with their lives. It just happens amid deadly cat and mouse games across the world.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this digital e-arc.*

I really enjoyed this book. It was such a a fun read compared to my normal genre. The Author does an amazing job bring you into the story.

this was fine enough not sure we needed a sequel/for this to be a series, old women and murder mixed is fun!