WE WILL SEE YOU BLEED is a prequel to Ron Currie’s THE SAVAGE, NOBLE DEATH OF BABS DIONNE. As in Elmore Leonard’s best work, it is a mix of genres under the umbrella of a crime/thriller story. Currie’s dialogue and descriptions are just the right amount of snarky to keep readers engaged and grinning from start to finish.

The action is set in 1984 in the small town of Waterville, Maine. Twenty-nine-year-old Babs Dionne may be the only person standing amidst a complete scene of economic collapse in her community, which is known as Little Canada.

"WE WILL SEE YOU BLEED is compelling, utterly readable and hard to put down. Currie’s language is infectious, and he dares readers to believe in the power of these colorful characters."

The Mill represents the primary form of employment and income for Waterville and has been rolling out newspapers from all over the country since 1900. A strike has brought everything to a standstill for a year, with the fallout causing nearly every resident to suffer and lash out at each other in unexpected ways. It gets so bad that Babs’ husband, Rheal --- an army vet suffering from PTSD and alcoholism --- is nearly killed at a bar one night when a man wielding a chainsaw comes in to snuff him out.

Babs and Rheal know that this terrifying incident occurred because Babs is the head of the union for the Mill, making her and her family targets for anyone angry enough to act. When Babs’ best friend, Rita, returns after a five-year absence, she is horrified at what Waterville has become. While she supports Babs, she urges her to do whatever is necessary to end the strike.

When the national union withdraws its support for the strike, it will be up to Babs to tread these rough waters and try to convince her constituents of the importance of coming to a resolution. Babs is no pushover, though, and the residents are well aware that she once killed a cop when she was a teenager. As the strike continues to move forward, it becomes obvious that there is a serious schism. The men seem beaten and broken, while the women are determined to save Little Canada at all costs.

The ladies of Waterville come together to push their heroine to remember who she is from her own checkered and haunted past and rescue their town. This will come at a price, which will be paid in blood and violence, and not everyone may live to see the finale of this battle once the dust settles. 

WE WILL SEE YOU BLEED is compelling, utterly readable and hard to put down. Currie’s language is infectious, and he dares readers to believe in the power of these colorful characters.