Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

30 reviews

aubrea27h's review

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was such a cute buddy comedy. Lots of murder but in a lighthearted way? I would love to watch this movie one day!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Cursing, Death, and Sexism

catreynolds28's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

After four decades of working as elite assassins for an organization known only as the Museum, Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie are ready for retirement. Well they’re not ready but they don’t have much of a choice - their talents are considered old-school and the organization has started to recruit more and more “gym bros” that like to blow things up rather than women that blend in and sever arteries with sharpened hair pins. The friends are gifted an all-expenses-paid vacation to mark their retirement and they get together to toast to the new chapter in their lives and live happily ever after. Just kidding - someone tries to kill them. When they discover top-level members of the Museum have ordered a termination order, they must rely on their experience, friendship, and several ways to make poisons from household objects to get their lives back.


Killers of a Certain Age is the movie RED if RED was a book, not the CIA, and the main characters were all women. It was fun. It was a fun, quick read and I enjoyed it. Billie was the narrator for most of the story and, while I liked her quick wit and sarcasm, her vague but tragic backstory didn’t add anything to the plot except to explain why she carries around a lighter. Same can be said for her “long lost love.” I also don’t really understand where her assistant/adopted daughter/minion came from and there was truly no explanation. Most of the characters had tidbits about them that I feel like were supposed to advance the plot but they missed their mark.

I’m a huge Deanna Raybourn fan and I prefer her Lady Julia Grey and Veronica Speedwell works to this book but it was cute. All in all it was a four and a half hour read and I think it was time well spent. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore

faduma's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, and Misogyny

spineofthesaurus's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Murder, Death, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Medical content, Self harm, Blood, Body shaming, Misogyny, and Stalking

Moderate: Chronic illness, Racism, Ableism, Antisemitism, Classism, Gaslighting, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault

Minor: Trafficking, Confinement, Xenophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny informative lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A clever and witty tale of retiree assassins who are targeted by their own agency for removal. People generally don’t pay much attention to old women so they can slip past unnoticed - a good skill for a killer. They’re always underestimated by ageist misogynists and that’s definitely to the detriment of the person making the wrong assumption. 

This book is a really violent cozy mystery - not very cozy at all but with cozy main characters, four women who’ve studied and killed together for forty years. We learn about their training and how it molded these women into such dangerous assassins. They’re comfortable together, playing off each other’s talents and covering for each other’s weaknesses. 

It’s very funny - instead of a James Bond sort of suave killer, these women are coping with osteoporosis and bad backs. I love their strength and resilience, but even more I love that they didn’t take any $hit from anyone. Definitely a hit book for older women readers!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Misogyny, Abandonment, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Violence, Gore, and Grief

alllis's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

it was ok - just interesting enough to keep reading - story idea was good but i wasn’t fond of the writing style or the characterization

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Cursing, and Drug use

Minor: Cancer, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Excrement

happyblkhippie's review

The narrator wasn't good and the gore was too much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, and Murder

the_book_nook's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Misogyny, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abandonment, Vomit, Cancer, Trafficking, Medical content, Homophobia, Sexual assault, War, Stalking, Alcohol, and Sexual content

greatexpectations77's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I  thought this was just perfection. I absolutely flew through it, and it was one of those reads where I got mad at other tasks in my life that took me away from it lol. The writing is tight and descriptive, the story flowed forward effortlessly, and I LOVED older women getting to be the heroes. What a treat. I can't wait to read this author again. And that she dedicated it to anyone who identifies as female and feels rage - that got me right in the ol' ticker.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Bullying, and Misogyny

Minor: Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Cancer, and Confinement

indyfoodgal2023's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was fast paced and exciting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Death

Moderate: Misogyny and Gore

Minor: Cancer