KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS is the delightful follow-up by romance and mystery author Deanna Raybourn, building on the surprise smash hit of KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE.  Having book two makes me hope that the Killers of a Certain Age series will continue further!  I am a huge Raybourn fan, and it’s great to see her lean into her own life experiences to bring us capable and successful middle-aged women.

The blurb describes this as “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.”  This captures the joie de vivre of this rollicking caper.  Told with two interweaving timelines, we follow professional killers Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie as they take care of unfinished business from the annals of their elite assassin organization known as the Museum.  They must uncover the mastermind before they are erased themselves.

These ladies are resourceful and competent.  I revel in picturing myself as one of these intrepid spies, righting wrongs and pulling capers while having a grand time with their mutual hijinks.  Fast-paced and full of action, Raybourn nonetheless manages to once again draw the reader’s eye to how women are discounted throughout their lives, even more so as they age.  It’s so darned pleasing to see women be successful killers, and for them to exhibit panache and own their James Bond-like skills while doing the killing.   KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS is tremendous fun with dry wit, social commentary, and international intrigue galore.  Someone described this as Golden Girls meets Charlie’s Angels, and I am here for it!