67 pages • 2 hours read
Deanna RaybournKillers of a Certain Age
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaChapter 40-Author’s Second NoteChapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 40 Summary
Naomi arrives, tired and pregnant, asking Helen to put down her gun. Naomi has been suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a form of nausea and vomiting that often accompany pregnancy, and is carrying ginger ale, not weapons. Naomi reminds them that she is not a trained field assassin and that she would only fight to protect her baby. That settled, they let Naomi call in crime scene technicians who will remove the bodies, and she is surprised at the extent of their thoroughness in taking out all the bodyguards as well as Vance. Billie thinks to herself, “we could have taken her if we chose, but we didn’t choose” (339). They sit in the garden shed since the house is half demolished and discuss the situation.
Naomi is surprised to learn that Paar did not die of natural causes, pronouncing the nicotine effort “real old-school shit” (339). Billie refuses to disclose Taverner’s role, knowing he has made his escape as instructed. She tells the others she will restore their pensions and safety because they helped her remove Martin, whom she had previously been trying to prove was a traitor. She knew about the assassination attempts but had no ironclad proof of Martin’s malfeasance. Naomi believed the women would find a way out of their situation and is impressed by Billie’s bravery in setting her trap. She explains that Carapaz did not expect an attempt on his life to succeed and that Vance only used the auction as a lure once it was clear he was in danger. As they wrap up their conversation, the crime scene professionals arrive.
Chapter 41 Summary
The four friends reach an agreement that they will get their pensions back in exchange for supporting Naomi as the new head of the Museum. Mary Alice and Akiko are overjoyed at a return to normal life, and the team makes travel plans to avoid Museum attention: Mary Alice and Akiko opt for Norway, Natalie for Japan, and Helen will make Benscombe her new home. Billie decides to go to Greece, hoping Taverner will join her.
Billie walks Naomi out, showing her the painting of Astraea Constance so prized. Naomi reveals she has an art history background and that she is eager to have the Museum return to its original values. Naomi disappears quietly, and Billie listens to the birds. She thinks, “they were tired, and their song was quieter now. But they were still singing” (348).
Author’s Second Note Summary
The second author’s note assures the reader there is no more resolution to be found. Further, the reader is warned away from trying to pursue any of the characters. Instead of an ending, the reader is reminded, “People have died for less. I know. I was there.” (349).
Chapter 40-Author’s Second Note Analysis
The narrative’s falling action allows the team to get full credit for their ingenuity and an acknowledgment of their skills. Naomi celebrates them and is impressed with their work, unlike Vance, who consistently dismissed their abilities. Naomi, interestingly, is pregnant, and her only murderous impulses are directed toward protecting herself and her future child. The fact that a younger member of the Museum pursues both work and family suggests that future generations may have more choices than Billie and her friends did. Naomi does not apologize for choosing to protect herself rather than exposing Martin’s treachery sooner. She presumes competence rather than acting as a savior figure and does not question any of the women’s choices to kill as a form of self-preservation.
Naomi’s new role as head of the Museum creates a small fictional corner of the world where a Black woman can bring about her own vision of justice and women as a whole will not be forced into subordinate roles. Billie deliberately takes Naomi to Constance’s study, where Naomi proves herself a worthy successor by decoding the symbolism in the painting of Astraea.
Billie and her friends end the narrative no longer thinking of the past but planning for their futures. Mary Alice has her marriage, and Helen is ready to build from the ruins of Benscombe. Billie dreams of a different tropical vacation, and Mina’s determination to accompany her, along with the possibility of a reunion with Taverner, assures the reader that she will remain independent but not necessarily solitary. Billie closes the narrative listening to hopeful songs, leading the reader to know that she is finally at rest.
The cryptic author’s note, in the same tone as the one that opened the text, reminds the reader that the thriller genre always contains an element of danger and a warning. There is no tidy ending here, only the assurance that the Sphinxes and their allies remain determined to defend themselves—to preserve their story on their own terms. Billie is not named as the author, but it seems most plausible that she is—underlining her role as key protagonist and the group’s protector.
