"Monsters"--or Heroines--Who've Gone Through Menopause? Reviewing KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS (by Deanna Raybourn)
There are friends... and then there are your Ride-or-Dies, The People Who Have Your Back (No Matter What).
One thing I’ve learned, over the years, is that it really doesn’t matter how many “friends” or “followers” you have, or how many “likes” you get, on whatever social platform.
The real test is when you’re at the bottom. Your ugliest. Your neediest (or, your I-absolutely-don’t-need-anyone-iest, which of course, is when you absolutely-really-do).
Because the people who show up for you then, in all your whateverness? They’re the ones worth holding onto, listening to, and sharing your best—and your worst—with, forever.
Deanna Raybourn’s newest thriller, Kills Well With Others, gives us a masterclass in the why... and does so, in the most poignant and sparkling of ways.
No, the ladies at the heart of this series are full-on, literal killers... assassins, if we’re being entirely accurate.
[As a mentor tells them early on, “Do not grieve for the life you have not chosen... We have different gifts and are called to a different path. The world needs us to remove what stands between the good and decent people and chaos. We are necessary monsters.”]
They’re also well into their prime (for assassins, at least), having all crossed the age of 60.
They’re semi-retired... as they should be, having worked as agents for a shadowy organization known as the Museum, dispatching certifiable “bad guys” for some 40 years.
[Okay, so I’m a native Midwesterner. EVERYONE was a “you guys” or “those guys” or “us guys”... regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. It just works, trust me.]
Anyway, back to our female assassins.
Billie, Helen, Natalie, and Mary Alice—working together, on and off, since the late ‘70s—are reunited for a case that requires their particular strengths, histories, and expertise... because this one goes all the way back to one of their earliest assignments.
One of their first hits—that of a truly horrible man—it seems, is coming back to haunt them... with a little help from someone on the inside.
A list with their names is now out there... only made possible, obviously, by someone with
access to historic files.
And this case? It’s a doozy. An Eastern European gangster, who left unsavory progeny in his wake, after his demise... whose sole aim in life seems to be long-after-the-fact revenge for their father.
The worst part is there’s precedent. Another well-respected agent with ties to that case—known by these women—has already been murdered... with an unmistakable calling card, warning them of more to come, left behind.
Clearly, there’s nothing to debate. The foursome reunite for another escapade—this time, with a “support staff” that includes their significant others, wannabe significants, and a pair of cats [and hell yes, I’m grinning!!] in tow—on a madcap, dangerous adventure around the world.
Oh, and so you know how the media like to remind us that “age is just a number”? Well, Billie, Helen, Natalie, and Mary Alice are damned-well determined to live up to that. In spades.
Kills Well With Others first of all, was an absolute breath of fresh air.
I mean, female killers—total badasses, smart and skilled—in their 60s?!? How often do we get to see that??(Oh, hey, I’ll answer... NEVER.)
Seriously, what was the last book you read (or show/movie you watched) that featured not one post-menopausal woman, but four of ‘em, using their brains, their wiles, and kickin’ ass (okay, technically, killin’ass)... on the reg? (Um, yeah, you didn’t, because that isn’t a thing... and more’s the pity.)
[Meanwhile, we still see movies featuring the likes of Tom Cruise, George Clooney, and Brad Pitt—all in their 60s—doing all the above, on the big screen, for millions of dollars, like it’s NBD. Ugh.]
But Kills Well With Others is about so much more than just showing how strong and resourceful women can be, at any age.
Because at its core? It’s a continuing (apparently, as it seems to be a series!) tale of friendship. Of the ties that bind us, oh-so-tightly. Of knowing someone so well that you can bicker and hate and love and heal, all in the space of a few minutes.
And that, well... at the end of the day, that’s everything, really, innit?
Final Thoughts...
While this book will appeal to many (many) women, no one who doesn’t identify strongly as a woman should worry about being put off by it, because this—as I’ve said—is truly a story about friendship, love, and longevity... things that tend to mean more to all of us as the years go by.
(Also? Not everyone is “straight”. Which is awesome. )
I can only hope that Raybourn sees additional outings in these wonderful womens’ futures... because I definitely want to see more of them. I’m not in my 60s, but they’re absolutely giving me hope... ;)
This is definitely going to be one of my fave books of 2025, because it gives me hope. Hope for OUR futures.
Comments
Post a Comment
No ads or shilling, please. And always, always be polite.