Those Girls

At the start of this gripping thriller from bestseller Stevens (That Night), the three teenage Campbell sisters flee their rural Canadian home in the summer of 1997 after the youngest, Jess, kills their widower father, an abusive alcoholic. When the sisters’ truck breaks down near a town called Cash Creek, they encounter Brian and Gavin Luxton, sadistic scions of a local ranching family, who rape and torture them for five days until the girls escape. Eighteen years later, the Campbells live under different names in Vancouver, but the past still haunts them. When Crystal, the middle sister, experiences a troubling flashback, she decides to return to Cash Creek to kill the Luxton brothers. Stevens skillfully builds suspense, but often draws characters with broad strokes, sacrificing depth for pacing, and a few niggling details (such as the timing of Brian’s marriage) remain unexplained. Despite its flaws, this fast-paced nail-biter will keep readers up late—and may evoke a few tears. Announced first printing of 150,000. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Agency. (July)