Kills Well with Others

Killers of a Certain Age #2

by Deanna Raybourn

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 rest, but the lack of excitement is starting to a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions before she gets the itch to get back in the game. When they receive a call from Naomi Ndiaye, 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, all of them connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster who rules her business empire with an iron fist and plays puppet master in international affairs. Naomi is convinced this criminal queen is bent upon revenge, killing off the agents who attempted to thwart her, 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 and her assassin. But their nemesis is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their experience and a whole lot of luck to get out of this mission alive.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Adult

368 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2025

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation native Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of one, Raybourn makes her home in Virginia. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including two RT Reviewers’ Choice awards, the Agatha, two Dilys Winns, a Last Laugh, three du Mauriers, and most recently the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Novel. She launched a new Victorian mystery series with the 2015 release of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, featuring intrepid butterfly-hunter and amateur sleuth, Veronica Speedwell. Veronica has returned in several more adventures, most recently AN IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSTOR, book seven, which released in early 2022. Deanna's first contemporary novel, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, about four female assassins on the cusp of retirement publishes in September 2022. (Please note: Deanna is not active on GR.)

Reviews

[Kate Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Deanna Raybourn, don't ever stop. As long as you keep writing about the amazing Fearsome Foursome of 60+ female assassins, I will be reading and buying (in hardback, on launch day).

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great to see a second book in Deanna Raybourn’s Killers of a Certain Age series. Kills Well with Others brings friendship, humor, danger, suspense, and action to this thriller. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have retired work as assassins after forty years, but are still waiting on their pensions. The Museum, an international clandestine organization, recruited them in the late 1970’s and its new interim director, Naomi Ndiaye, calls them back into action for an off-the-books assignment.

A mole within the Museum has leaked information on important kills connected to an Eastern European gangster. Naomi is certain someone connected to the gangster is killing off Museum employees and wants the quartet to stop the individual.

The novel is mainly written from Billie’s point of view and has a few flashback scenes to some of the four women’s earlier missions. Ms. Raybourn knows now to create dynamic characters that feel real and relatable despite the main characters being assassins. I loved the character depth, but missed the amount of humor that was in the first book.

Once again, the narrative immediately captivated me and drew me into the story with extraordinary characters, travel across the globe, wonderful world-building, and exciting scenes. There are unpredictable moments in the story that provide some unexpected twists. I think it was extraordinary how the Museum has rules and guidelines for its assassins.

While this novel has some explicit depictions of violence and murder, it is about more than just assassins and their work. There’s a focus on friendship, connections, age, perceptions and invisibility of older women, trust, adaptability, ethics, greed, relationships, and much more.

Overall, this is an engaging, fascinating, fast-paced, and well-plotted mystery that is entertaining and unique. If you like mature characters and plenty of action with a little humor, then this is a series to consider reading. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.

Berkley Publishing Group and Deanna Raybourn provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 04, 2025.
--------------------------------------
My 4.05 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.

[K.J. Charles]

The second outing for our group of menopausal murderers, an all female squad of assassins pulled out of retirement by treachery and revenge. Think RED but if all the characters were Helen Mirren and thus it was a much better film.

Once again, a thoroughly enjoyable read. I didn't feel it was quite as tight as the first, possibly because it was a bit more focused on relationships, and also I'd love to see our heroines being more active on the whole murder front rather than reactive. Go on, get out there for a last hurrah and assassinate a tech billionaire or three.

Gleefully amoral and cathartic for your suppressed rage. Plus, it's populated by super glam, high powered older women with sex lives and just a few token men who are basically there to be eye candy or die, and I feel balance being restored to the world.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billie, Helen, Mary Alice and Natalie aren’t typical retired co-workers who have been summoned by their former employer ‘the Museum’ for a reunion. They are trained ‘retired’ assassins. For those who are unfamiliar with these characters, start with the author’s first book in the series, “Killers of a Certain Age.”

Even though the author does a relatively good job of bringing readers up to speed with the women and their history in this book, it is best to read this series in order.

Readers soon learn there is something off with this reunion summons. Used to 1st class accommodations, the women are taken aback when they realize that this ‘trip’ is Best Western hotel, with a compact rental car, and flying in coach economy. What is really going on?

Well, could it have anything to do with a revenge plot against the women who may have assassinated someone in the past?

What will the girls do to save themselves, and find the mole that is trying to bring ‘the Museum’ down?

For those who like a little sense of humor with their killings, this page-turning romp should be an easy-breezy, read. But to be honest, I think I am done with the series. It lacks substance. And, I am over the gore.

[MagretFume · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Killers of a Certain Age a while ago and don't remember much except that I liked it. 

I was a bit disappointed with this one, and I had some trouble getting into it. 

I was a bit thrown off by the first flashbacks, but most of all I feel like the characters felt flat and their relationships were underdeveloped. 

It still an entertaining story but somehow a miss for me, which is sad because I was really looking forward to it.

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 solid stars - I really enjoyed the second outing with this “retired” group of female assassins - just love these strong female characters! The story itself had quite a lot of action and I really liked the way there were other timelines brought in and used well to help connect a lot of dots. I also appreciated the nostalgic 80’s & 90’s vibes and the clarity they brought in. I’d be down for a third installment for sure!

["Avonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS (Killers of a Certain Age Book #2) by Deanna Raybourn is another thrilling assignment with the four senior female assassins introduced in Killers of a Certain Age. These books are fast paced, twisted crime thrillers/mysteries with a memorable group of assassins, but keep in mind, the books are in no way cozy.

Since their last adventure to save their own lives, a year has passed. Now, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie “Nat” are called back into action by Naomi, who is the head of the Museum to go after a dangerous European gangster. This hit is off the books though because the Museum has a mole who has traded the ladies’ identities and those, they hold dear up for a trade.

The ladies discover there is more to the threat than they initially believed, and they are now chasing a gangster from Venice to Eastern Europe bent on revenge as well as trying to uncover the identity of the Museum’s mole. It will take their combined years of experience and a whole lot of luck to survive this mission.

I was very excited to read this second book in the series. It is as fast paced, exciting, and twisted as the first. Once again, the story is told from Billie’s point of view. Even though these friends are lethal, they care about each other deeply and their dialogue is sharp and witty. The descriptions of kills are very graphic and not for the squeamish. (I will never look at a wine opener the same way again.) The crime thriller/mystery plotline is well paced and plotted with many twists, fights, and action scenes threaded throughout. The reason I did not give this review five stars like the first book was that the flashback chapters, while giving information, took me out of the story flow. Otherwise, everything else was entertaining, scary, gripping, and edge-of-your-seat thrilling.

I highly recommend this second outing with the ladies and cannot wait for more.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

[SusanTalksBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

****3/11/25**** Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This sophomore follow up to the first Killers of a Certain Age delivers global adventure, with the 4 "older" female agents traveling throughout mostly Europe in the search for clues and to unravel the mystery of a mole within The Museum. There is a good amount of detail on spy strategy and tactics, some lighter romance, and a thread of female friendship woven in. The novel also utilized flashback chapters to provide backstory on the events that led up to their current case.

Although I loved the first in the series (5* review from me), this novel fell a bit short for me in a few areas. First, I felt the character descriptions could have been more robust and frequently referenced to give the reader a stronger sense of who each person (and their partners) were. The differences between the women felt like they were mentioned maybe once or twice and then as a reader you would lose track of who was who as you went through the book. Or even facts from book 1 would be mentioned so briefly that you couldn't really remember the importance of certain people or facts - like the house that was destroyed, or who was the main case manager for the Museum. As a result I didn't care emotionally about these characters as much as I expected to. I didn't have a strong sense of how they would handle certain things or what to expect from them.

I also felt the narrative transitions were very abrupt. We would get a long chapter about current events and then we would jump back in time and have to figure out who was who and why were they there. Then we would jump back to current events. Or there would be a long technical description of some form of spycraft, and then we'd jump to the action. It felt disjointed to me rather than a smooth progression of events to a climax of the action.

Maybe it is just me, but this book didn't hit me as well as the first novel, and although I value the effort to represent 'women of a certain age' narratively, I can't rate this book as highly as I'd expected to. 3-stars.

**** 3/1/25 **** Just got this March 4, 2025 release from NetGalley and am looking forward to reading it soon! I read Deanna Raybourn's first in the series and really enjoyed it. Love books about strong, powerful, smart women! Review coming soon.

[Barbara K · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the passage of time, I’ve come to notice exactly how much my overall mood is affected by the quality of the book I’m reading at the moment. A book doesn’t have to be funny to brighten my mood. It just needs to be well written and hold my attention. If I feel some commitment to finish a book I’m not really enjoying (maybe I’m hoping it will get better), my whole day turns sour.

“Kills Well with Others” was a definite mood elevator on a gloomy day when I could no longer put off a trip to the grocery store or dealing with the last of the laundry.

Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie, introduced in Killers of a Certain Age, are in their 60s, now semi-retired from their careers as assassins. Their employer is a private organization, the Museum, that started by hunting down Nazis and has now expanded to disposing of all manner of bad guys - political, criminal or any other form of evil. They also return art works stolen by the Nazis to their rightful owners.

The four each receive a summons to meet with their chief, who has determined there is a mole in the organization. A former employee has been found dead, and a calling card left with the body indicates that the killer is connected to a man the four women murdered decades before.

Bored with their quiet lives, the women readily jump into tracking down the responsible party, at the same time avoiding becoming victims themselves. Their pursuit takes them from NYC to England on the Queen Mary, then on to Sardinia, Venice and Montenegro. The relationships among them and with their partners are both entertaining and poignant. A strong current of humor flows through the whole book, making the most of how they leverage their ages when preparing disguises or infiltrations.

This book is more polished than the first. With that one I had a few quibbles about how Raybourn connected the women with real events in the past; at times it made no sense of the ages they were supposed to be. That’s not a problem here.

On the other hand, once again Raybourn handles extremely well the dual timelines needed to establish the background for the current events. She has an expert touch with how much to reveal and when to reveal it. I noticed that as I read, and then later realized that I’d commented on the same thing in my review of Killers of a Certain Age.

I don’t know, maybe that polished feeling comes from having met all the key characters previously. Whatever, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Especially the chicken, which made me laugh out loud.

[Valerie Book Valkyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Hexagenarian Fairytale Stars rounded down to 4 Dispatcher Damsel Stars for neglecting to include instructions regarding the referenced knitted penis warmers.
"Much like fine wine, battle-hardened assassins grow better with age."
It's impossible not to root for this quartet of dangerous dames and their refusal to let themselves be put on the ash heap - a phrase that, for these ladies, could be taken literally!

Billie, Helen, Mary-Alice and Natalie are not your run of the mill hit-women; they are Killers of a Certain Age, working for an NGO euphamistically referred to as The Museum. "We only kill people specifically targeted by The Museum for extermination and we don't freelance, ever. We don't murder on our days off any more than a thoracic surgeon will cut your rib cage open for kicks. We have standards.”

This foursome of professional female "hit-women" is accustomed to 40yrs of 1st class travel, chauffeured cars, corner suites & concierges however, this trip finds our tenacious team relegated to tavelling "Premium Economy" with coach plane seats, two-to-a-room accomodations at the Best Western, and a compact rental car. Story's POV is Billie's who muses,"I had my own theory about why we were being summoned on the cheap, and I didn't like it one bit. Nobody wants to be a bargain basement killer."

A very fun "thriller", gratuitous knitted penis warmers, velvety rich wine and buttery pound cake, recreational red razzies, transatlantic cruise on the QE2, safe house in Sardinia, a globe trotting job with phenomenal perks! So what if you have to discretely "off" a sadistic drug lord in his QE2 cabin, evade near death retribution, and hide out in that shanty of a safe house

On the hunt for Galina, decendent of an infamous Nazi art looter, the ladies snare an unwitting associate, "Well, as far as Aryan opera singers go I suppose Wolfgang Praetorious looks better in lights than Walter Krebs!" Having met one of our fab four for drinks, this young Teuton just can't hold his tone...
Indirecty he leads our team to Galina, who is recently in possession of the missing painting titled Leda And The Swan. A Cliff-hanging (literally!) tie-in with The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History ensues.

Famous and infamous artists alike have sketched and painted Leonardo da Vinci’s much-copied lost painting:

You can read more about the seductive history of Leda And The Swan here: https://www.italian-renaissance-art.c...

The chapters are well organized alternating between present day and past missions relating to the present day dilemma. The humor is sardonic rather than saccharine, the plot outlandish at times but never twee, an enterprisingly humorous hexagenarian thriller 👍🏻🧚‍♀️🙋🏼.

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2022, I read Killers of a Certain Age and loved it! Kills Well with Others is the sequel.

Four retired women assassins are brought back into action to accomplish a secret mission. As a woman in the same age range as the badass protagonists, I was thrilled to see women strategizing killing techniques, disguises, and determining who is double-crossing them.

Looking forward to the next book in this series!

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

begging to be them when I grow up

[Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many deaths, too many plot points, too much jumping back and forth in time, and much-too-much sangfroid. (Think 4 female James Bonds all popping out one liners one right after the other.) My head was spinning, and not in a good way.

I did not find it believable that these women were in their sixties. Maybe because the story kept switching back to when they were younger, so that was the picture that was imprinted in my mind? Or maybe because despite a few gray hairs they were still being portrayed as being as highly athletic as James Bond in his prime? Dunno.

All of the women seemed pretty indistinguishable to me in this one. Was I supposed to remember all of the character development from the first book in the series? I did not. It got to the point where I didn't care either.

Audiobook BRK
Narrated by Jane Oppenheimer & Christina Delaine
Duration: 10:19:59

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A fabulous follow up!

[Sunny Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

So so fun and brutal

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS by Author Deanna Raybourn is the sequel to the bestselling KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE featuring four, deadly, elderly women assassins. The gang is reunited when the fabulous four are called out of retirement by the head of an organization known as the Museum. Resuming about a year after the end of book one, the four are ready, willing and able to come out of retirement to take on what proves to be the challenge of a lifetime. Prepare to laugh at the snarky banter, but don't mistake this for just another cozy mystery because there's plenty of gory scenes to go around.

Four former women assassins of a "certain" age, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie, are rested and let's face it . . . bored out of their minds by retirement. An off the book assignment is just what the doctor ordered to cure what ails them. The challenge is to uncover the mole working on the inside leaking information, specifically a list of major kills carried out by the agency's assassins over time, while tracking down the Eastern European criminal seeking revenge by working her way down the kill list and ordering her own assassinations in retaliation. It's no surprise that the four retirees' names make a prominent appearance on that kill list. Their mission is to find and take out the evil queen bee before they get taken out. As the story unfolds, the ladies travel across the globe in a race against time to face the most challenging opponent of their long careers. Who will emerge the winner?

Author Deanna Raybourn excels at rendering well-developed, unique characters who are slightly larger than life facing seemingly impossible odds while delivering hilarious one-liners - all the while making it believable and entertaining. KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS is delivered via present and flashback chapters through Billie's point of view allowing readers insight into Billie's past and her trust issues. Interaction between the four friends is not always smooth highlighting the many nuances of long-term, complex friendships. The author's ability to showcase the character and relationship development in these women through interactions among themselves and others and flawlessly weave it into the story is the mark of an expert. The steadily increasing pace is driven by swift action through twists and turns as they race towards the final showdown. A snarky dose of humor lightens the load of blood and gore making KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS a witty, engaging, highly entertaining read that's hard to put down. Think Golden Girls meets Charlie's Angels and you have these four, intelligent, funny women defying their age who just happen to kill people who commit unforgivable crimes. Highly recommended to fans of humorous mysteries and suspense thrillers.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for a complimentary arc of this title released on March 4, 2025. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. My review is published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine and is now available on my blog Cross My Heart Reviews.

[Dayle (the literary llama) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Even better than book one and so very close to being perfect. There was just one particular section that felt muddled and a couple very brief slow spots. Barely matters, it’s so much fun. I’m obsessed.

The older, but nowhere near ancient, retired deadly women assassins are back. I love love love how Raybourn writes these four. She doesn't sideline them into cliches of aging women. No. It's still Golden Girls meets Kill Bill, with all the mental and physical acrobatics included. Occassionally 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.

There are a lot of great locales and plenty of new characters to inhabit them. But there is also the old faces that jump into the fray. The flashbacks are even better this time around. The glimpses at Billie's character in particular are eye-opening but it's how well it all blends with current predicaments that really makes the book shine.

Overall, the pacing and action, humor and heart, and the friendships and history, all come together to create a must read addition to this fantastic series.

* I received a free early ecopy from the publisher.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.3565949649746 stars

Were I not going through the worst book slump in the history of Worst Book Slumps (WBS™), I probably would have given this book a 4.7456568944589-star rating. But I am, so I didn't.



➽ Review to come and stuff. Sometime around 2056. When I get my reading/reviewing/everything mojo back.

· Book 1: Killers of a Certain Age ★★★★★

[Emms-hiatus(ish) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Well that was disappointing. I really enjoyed the first book. This one fell flat. I was bored 75% off the time and it felt more like reading a text book for school with all the info dumps.

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

... Deadlier Than The Male
A review of the Berkley hardcover (March 4, 2025) released simultaneously with the ebook/audiobook.

She is shown in, the last of the four to arrive, and after a round of greetings, they are seated at a table stacked with folders. The files are dark blue, each marked with a seal in gold, falling stars surrounded by an elegantly lettered phrase. Fiat justitia ruat caelum, the motto of The Museum. Let justice be done though the heavens fall.

Billie, Helen, Mary-Alice and Natalie are not your everyday assassins. They are in fact Killers of a Certain Age, who keep getting pulled back out of retirement. They originally worked for an organization called The Museum who collaborated with the Monuments Men (non-fiction book link) in tracking down looted Nazi art and treasures. Later it also expanded into criminal elements in general. The cases sometimes involved deadly consequences and an old mission has now come back to haunt them in the present day.

Some of the action antics here do get into quite improbable territory for a group of 60-year-olds, but we are in an entertaining fantasy regardless. For old friends who now only get together occasionally there does seem to be a lot of unwarranted sniping at each other, but that helps to keep up the ongoing banter. Discussing the situation further would be spoilage, but in general it looks like the group has become a revenge target by the family of an old adversary. Why now after so many years? Then it appears that a long-lost work by an Italian Renaissance master, a failed retrieval from the past, has reappeared on the black market as well.

Deanna Rayburn has crafted another winner here to follow her breakthrough success from the 1st book in the series. I found this to be more delightful than The Thursday Murder Club series, which I quickly grew tired of. It is in the same vein of "dangerous seniors" though, along with The Marlow Murder Club, although bloodier than that cozy series. Could there be a trifecta with yet one more TV-series, or has the sub-genre become too crowded?

Trivia and Links
Author Deanna Rayburn is interviewed about Kills Well With Others at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore YouTube channel which you can watch here.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are supposed to be retired assassins, but they are once again in someone's crosshairs and realizing that assassination is a difficult career to retire from. They are in their sixties and, although older and wiser, have physical limitations that make the gig harder. So they are understandably cranky and a bit snappish with each other. However, they are still a team, they know each other well, and are capable of quick and inspired planning.

Most of my pleasure in reading this novel was based on Raybourn's authorial voice. She lets us oldies sympathize with the women's aches, pains, reluctance and reservations while also smiling at our recognition of our identification with those same things. No matter what you are retired from, when forced back into the traces, we balk like old horses when they see a cart. She references recent pop culture just enough (Would Marie Kondo approve? Does this murder spark joy?)

I find it interesting how many books I've run across recently that feature female assassins. My library delivered both this book and Louisiana Longshot within a very short time and I purchased Katya Noskov's Last Shot by a local author too, not so long ago. It feels like a safe way to channel some of the anger that modern life kindles in my soul.

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars-
~~~~
I love that there is another book about these four wild women. Perfect for those who love mystery, crime thrillers, and women who mean business.

This story has the women chasing all over Europe while working with some interesting characters. Some of them are supporting the story well and some will be dead soon. Two of the significant others are included for a bit in the book and add a lot to the story. I did not like how Billie treated her man at all. She was rude and mean and for me that made it tough to see her in a good light.

The author alternates timelines and that actually threw me off a bit, breaking the flow of the story. But the descriptive aspects were awesome. I love the change in locations that suck you in. They are unique and enhance the scenes.

One thing to remember here is that the ladies are supposedly in their 60s. However, their actions do not support that at all! The ladies are a riot together and bicker just like friends would that have known each other for 40 years. They have a history together and we learn how tight that bond truly is.

Kills Well with Others is a fun, action-packed story that is raw and gritty. The author does not shy away from the fact this is a story about killing others. The packs in the detail and ties everything up beautifully.

* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/kills-well-w...

[blank ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺]

HELLO??? THIS SOUNDS AWESOME!

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.5~

I hope I have as much energy and fortitude when I hit my 60s as Billie and the gang, because these ladies still got it goin' on!

The new adventure isn't as exciting as the original, and the characters' personalities don't shine quite as brightly as they did in the first book.

I question whether killing Pasha Lazarov was morally justifiable. He was undoubtedly a crook and well aware of his sister's murderous proclivities, but is that reason enough to take his life? The guy carried a teddy bear around ffs.

The train escapade was my favorite part. I couldn't read quickly enough.

Billie better start appreciating Taverner. That man is a stern brunch daddy indeed. Wolfy sure thought so.

One question: What happened to the chicken?

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four semi-retired femme assassins are being targeted after a mole leaked their identities and locations, thrusting them back into danger a year after their last unexpected mission. Our quartet of sexagenarian baddies set out across the globe to unmask their vengeful pursuer, and end up drowning a guy in his cruise cabin, sort of kidnapping an opera singer, and adopting a chicken en route to Montenegro. Death by corkscrew, art-thieving Nazis, crochet penis covers? The male sidekicks are two cats named Kevin and Gary, and Billie’s ex-assassin boyfriend who never travels without his sourdough starter. There’s an erectile dysfunction app that has a chat function for clandestine communication and is equally helpful if you have trouble getting your loaf up. After getting punched in the throat and throwing someone off a building, Billie complains that her ribs hurt, but is otherwise in good spirits. Meanwhile, I sleep the wrong way one night and want to punch everyone in the face for a week.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imo, this couldn’t hold a candle to the first book. I was BORED!!! The flashbacks were confusing and unnecessary. It felt like the author wanted us to care and connect to the romantic relationships of each of the four women but honestly, I had a hard time remembering their names and their relationship statuses. I came for the mystery and was let down.

[Elizabeth Haungs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so disappointed. I loved the first book—but the second one didn’t have the fun of the first. The action was slow, there was a lot of talk about traveling rather than plot, and I don’t think we learned anything new or different about the characters. I did a speed read to finish it for completeness—but just stick with the first one.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good as the first book!

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie are being hunted again! This is an entertaining book, an action thriller with bits of humor scattered throughout to diffuse some of the heavier moments.

It's narrated by Billie with flashbacks into the past to give the situation they face some context. I can totally see this as a movie but as a book it was predictable and lacked the depth of character development and plot twists that I normally desire.

The author does incorporate some resourceful and creative means to eliminate the enemy using common household items to active the desired effect.

There was a lot of commentary related to their age. These women are certainly not feeble nor frail so the premise that being 60 is old started to wear thin. lf you’re looking for a Kill Bill meets
Charlie’s Angels 44 years later then this maybe the book for you. It is an entertaining quick read.

Thank you to publisher Berkeley Publishing Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.