The Short List

In Beetner and Zafiro’s stirring sequel to 2015’s The Backlist, co-narrators Paula “Bricks” Brickey and her partner, Cam, who are kill-for-hire “button men,” find themselves in perilous situations resulting from previous assignments—Bricks in New York, Cam in Boston. Though Cam has stumbled onto some backup in the form of the steadfast Vincent the tailor, and Bricks is left with just her wits (and her worries, when she can’t reach Cam), their experiences are so similar that sometimes the reader has to recheck whose reportage they’re reading. But that doesn’t dampen the entertainment in any way. Though there are some grisly scenes, a shoot-out that’s unexpected for both its violence and outcome, and a rather stereotypical representation of the Mafia in the form of the Fazzio father-and-son team, Bricks and Cam are two of the most resourceful and likable paid killers one is ever likely to meet. The suspense and action keep the reader transfixed to the end. (Aug.)