KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE by Deanna Raybourn

 I just finished Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, and it’s a fun, fast-paced thriller with dark humor that fits perfectly with the mysteries and thrillers that are so popular lately.

The story follows four women in their early sixties who’ve spent forty years as elite assassins for a secretive organization. Their retirement cruise turns into a hit job from their own employer, forcing them to rely on their experience, wits, and the way people constantly underestimate them to survive. 

The narrative alternates between the present-day chase and flashbacks to their earlier missions, which nicely builds the characters and their deep friendships.

What stood out most for me were the sharp banter, strong sisterhood, and how they weaponize their “invisibility” at this age. It feels empowering without being preachy, and the action stays entertaining rather than overly grim. It gave me similar vibes to The Thursday Murder Club—clever older characters who are far sharper than anyone expects—but with more edge and professional assassins.

I flew through it and am already starting the sequel. If you enjoy lighthearted thrillers (yes, it’s possible!), I’d recommend this for your next pick. An excellent book-club choice that should spark great discussion about loyalty, aging, and friendship under pressure.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 ⭐

THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA by Lisa Scottoline

When I picked up The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline, I expected a straight psychological thriller. What I got was something more atmospheric and genre-blending: a young widow grappling with profound grief, a mysterious Tuscan inheritance, adoption secrets, and a healthy serving of the paranormal.

Julia Pritzker is still reeling from her husband’s brutal murder in a Philadelphia mugging when she receives shocking news—she’s inherited a crumbling villa and vineyard in Italy from a complete stranger, Emilia Rossi. As Julia travels to Tuscany to sort out the estate, she’s plagued by disturbing dreams, eerie feelings of being watched, ghostly apparitions, and visions that blur the line between hallucination and something more. Throw in a real estate conspiracy, hidden rooms, family mysteries, and possible blood ties to her benefactor, and the stage is set for a twisty, transportive read. 

What Worked for Me

The emotional core and human mystery are the book’s greatest strengths. Julia’s grief feels authentic and raw, and the adoption/inheritance storyline hooked me immediately. The Italian setting is vividly drawn (food, landscapes, culture), providing a welcome escape while the suspense builds. Once the real threats—stalking, drugging, and a dangerous conspiracy—kick in, the thriller aspects deliver solid tension and satisfying revelations. The later sections tie up the human plotlines effectively, and I appreciated how Scottoline explores themes of fate, intuition, family, and empowerment.

A key turning point for me was the revelation around the drugging, which offered a rational explanation for some of the early “supernatural” sightings and hallucinations. From there, the story felt more grounded as a suspense novel, with Julia’s emerging psychic abilities adding an interesting (if unconventional) layer rather than pure creepiness.

What Didn’t Work as Well

I’ll be honest: the supernatural/paranormal elements were a mixed bag and nearly sent the book to my DNF pile early on. If you’re not a fan of ghosts, apparitions slipping through walls, blue auras, or spiritual interventions, they can feel jarring in what starts as a psychological thriller. While some of it serves the plot (guiding discoveries and protection), it occasionally pulled me out of the story. I preferred the subtler psychic intuition over the more overt gothic moments.

Final Thoughts

The Unraveling of Julia is bold and ambitious—Scottoline ventures into new territory with spiritual thriller vibes while keeping her signature character-driven suspense. It’s not a pure legal thriller like some of her earlier work, but if you can embrace (or tolerate) the paranormal alongside strong themes of grief, identity, and female resilience, there’s a lot to enjoy. By the end, the human drama and resolutions won me over enough to round up to 3.5 stars.

Would I recommend it? Yes, with caveats. Skip it if heavy supernatural elements are a hard no. Otherwise, it’s an atmospheric, twisty ride perfect for fans of authors like Ruth Ware or those who enjoy a touch of the mystical in their thrillers.

Have you read it? What did you think of the balance between the mystery and the spiritual aspects?

Rating:  (3.5/5) ⭐

STRANGERS on a TRAIN by Patricia Highsmith...

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith was published in 1950 by Harper & Brothers. If you are looking for a cozy mystery, this book is not for you. If you expect this book to be anything like the 1951 Alfred Hitchcock movie, you're also in for a bit of a surprise. The movie is a slightly whitewashed version of this novel.

Guy Haines and Charles Anthony Bruno are two strangers that meet on a train. Haines is an architect on his way back to his hometown to confront his cheating wife, Miriam, hoping to finally settle the terms for a divorce... three years in the making, so that he can marry the woman he loves, Anne Faulkner. 

Bruno is a spoiled, ne'er-do-well playboy with a psychopathic bent from Long Island, New York. He has a strong affinity for his mother and an equally passionate hatred for his father. 

Bruno proposes a solution that, in his mind, will solve both of their problems... "swap murders," with Bruno killing Miriam if Guy kills Bruno's father; since neither has a motive for the murders they committed, the police will have no reason to suspect either one of them of the killings. Guy, of course, doesn't take Bruno seriously, but Bruno kills Miriam anyway while Guy is out of town. When Bruno informs Guy of his crime, Guy is reluctant to turn him over to the police for fear that Bruno will claim that Guy is complicit in the murder exchange plan. Unfortunately, the longer Guy remains silent, the more he implicates himself, and the longer Guy delays in 'fulfilling his end of the agreement,' the more impatient and dangerous Bruno becomes to him. 

Strangers on a Train is a psychological thriller much darker than the film adaptation. Further details on the plot twists will spoil the book for you, but believe me...there are a few. However, the novel starts out a little slow but does pick up speed in the third chapter and only lets go at the end. If you like any of Highsmith's other books, like "The Talented Mr. Ripley," it's worth reading, especially if it's been a while since you've seen the film. 

My personal rating... ⭐⭐⭐½