Richmond Book Club June 2025 Meeting

The Richmond Book Club's June meeting will be held Wednesday, June 18, 2025, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at the Capital Ale House, Midlothian, 13831 Village Place Drive. June's book is Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. Thanks to Sherry Kilmon for the suggestion.

From Kirkus Reviews:
Four female assassins on the brink of retirement are brought back into the game by a surprising assassination attempt—on them.
Since they were recruited in their 20s, Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have been working as secret assassins for a clandestine international organization originally created to hunt Nazis. Now they're in their mid-60s, and the Museum—as its denizens call the elite group—has sent them on an all-expenses-paid cruise to celebrate their retirement. Several hours into the trip, though, Billie discovers another of the Museum's assassins onboard the ship. It turns out that she and her colleagues have uncovered a plot to end their own lives. They're forced to flee while simultaneously solving the mystery of why their employers have put targets on their backs. The story jumps back and forth between the late 1970s and early '80s, when the women were first recruited, to the present day, when the female assassins have all lived long, full lives and worry about menopause and lost spouses more than whom they might kill next. Juxtaposing the two timelines creates an interesting dichotomy that examines the nuances of the female aging process from a unique angle. The writing is witty and original, and the plot is unpredictable; Billie is a complex and likable character, but the other three women, while easy to root for, tend to blend together. As the women race around the world trying to stay alive, Raybourn vividly evokes a number of far-flung locations while keeping readers on their toes trying to figure out what's going to happen next.
A unique examination of womanhood as well as a compelling, complex mystery.

I've already started casting the movie. With her performances in Red and Red 2, my nod goes to Helen Mirren in the role of Billie (there is a website for that sort of thing). I hope you enjoy the book.

Join us to talk about it and whatever else is of interest, while having something to eat &/or drink. Looking forward to seeing you there. If you have questions/comments, let me know at pawoodson@msn.com or call/text at 760-650-6953. You can also use the Notifications or Messages functions on the club's group page.

Thanks.

Pat Woodson