The Bang-Bang Sisters

Bandmates Jessie Steen, Brea Steen, and Flo Bello, the protagonists of this turbo-charged outing from Youers (No Second Chances), play bars and clubs across America while secretly working as assassins for Trace, an underground hacker network dedicated to tracking down criminals who’ve slipped through the cracks of the justice system. When a routine assignment takes the Bang-Bang Sisters to Reedsville, Ala., to deal with a serial killer, they unwittingly walk into a trap. The women’s target is nowhere to be found; instead, they’re abducted by thugs working for crooked politician Chance Kotter, who holds a grudge against the trio for killing his nephew. Turns out Chance has constructed a sadistic game of revenge: Jessie, Brea, and Flo will be released in separate parts of Reedsville and tasked with assassinating each other. If anyone refuses to participate, Chance will murder a member of her family. As the game gets underway and the bandmates fight to stay alive, signs emerge that they might be involved in a larger plot than any of them realize. Youers sketches three distinct, well-rounded heroines and gets a lot of mileage from their impossible situation. The finale drags on too long, but for the most part, this is a high-octane good time. Readers seeking fast action and strong female characters should check it out. Agent: Howard Morahim, Howard Morahim Literary. (July)