I was so disappointed with this I didn’t finish it. Seven Crows was an excellent book but this follow-up had minimal plot and no action. ( )

I read Kate Kessler's first Killian Delaney book earlier this year and quite liked it. The second book is the newly released Call of Vultures. It starts off with a great opening line..."It would be a great place to get rid of a body."

Killian is an ex-con and hard core fighter. After a tumultuous reentry into society in the last book, she's taken a job with a 'security' company. The jobs are dangerous and more than a little left of the right side. If there are vulnerable women to be rescued, Killy's the one to do it. She has her own unwavering sense of justice.

"Violence was something she was good at, and violence was pretty much the only thing the people she was sent after understood. "

This time, the job is to rescue two sisters, reportedly living in a commune. Seems like a straight forward job. Not so much....

Killy infiltrates the group, but finds more than she bargained for - including some faces from the past. And some new faces with their own agenda. The reader is privy to more information that Killian has. We can see the danger, but can't warn her. (I must admit, I took a little peek ahead to see if she figures it out!)

Those familiar faces include the enigmatic Story, another employee of The Initiative. As well as Dash, her boyfriend. I really like these two. Killian's sister and her family are Killy's weakness - their safety is everything to her. Her niece Shannon does grate on me though.

Killian is such a great kick butt female lead. The reader can't help but be on her side as she battles seemingly overwhelming odds. Kessler continues to build this character, with more insight into her psyche.

But what drives this series (aside from Killian) is the danger, the action and the darkness of Killy's world. Truly, Call of Vultures reads like an action movie. Kessler provides quite a few turns in the plot that I didn't see coming (and neither does Killian) that kept me turning pages quickly! Killian's own moral compass never budges. The reader can't help but be on her side as she battles seemingly overwhelming odds.

Gentle readers, this one's probably not for you. ( )

Killian Delaney is so refreshingly brutal. An anti-heroine you can’t help but root for – she doesn’t hold back in fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves. She honestly reminds me of a female version of The Punisher without the gunplay. Killian’s character and her relationship with others kept me entertained the entirety of the book. There were quite a few twists in Call of Vultures that I honestly did not see coming. I could have forgone a couple of the POV’s to keep the story more streamlined, the POV changes jarred me out of the story a little bit and I’d rather spend time with Killian anyway.

As the second book in the series, it was no less action-packed and while Killian was invested in assuring the girls returned safely home, it wasn’t as personal of a fight. I was surprised to learn new information about Killian’s background but it endeared and gave her an extra nudge into reality (even though she didn’t need it). New characters are introduced and I was surprised at who I admired at the end of the book besides the people Killian counts among her extremely limited group of friends. While I love Killian’s character, I would probably be wary of approaching her in person.

I would highly recommend this book (and Seven Crows) to readers who enjoy thrillers, crime, strong (physically and mentally) female protagonists, gritty novels, and while slight – LGBTQ+ content. I would like to thank Redhook and Kate Kessler for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Call of Vultures – all opinions are my own. I am so excited to see more from one of my favorite series! *Rounded from 4.5 stars* ( )