Call of Vultures

In Kessler’s overheated sequel to 2019’s Seven Crows, ex-con Killian Delaney is happy with her new job with the Initiative, “a secretive network of gray-work specialists,” who ensure bad guys get punished for their crimes. After Killian delivers a pimp to four mothers of his victims for vigilante justice, the Initiative tasks her with rescuing Hollywood celebrity Ilyana Woodward’s two daughters, Dylan and Lyria, from the New York compound of Incarnyx, a cult masquerading as a self-help group. Killian goes undercover inside the compound, where she learns that the truth is not as Ilyana made it out to be and that both a drug cartel and the FBI have operatives within Incarnyx. Killian’s mission is further complicated by Dylan’s refusal to leave the cult—and Lyria won’t go without her sister. Meanwhile, Killian must take care to keep her parole officer in the dark about her work for the Initiative. An exhilarating pace helps compensate for a predictable plot, stereotypical characters, and a surfeit of graphic violence. Fans of two-fisted women bent on avenging wrongs will find lots to like. Agent: Deidre Knight, the Knight Agency. (Dec.)