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Babs Dionne #2
We Will See You Bleed
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"We Will See You Bleed, is a thriller in the best sense. You can’t put the damn thing down, and the story of these down-and-outs fighting the powers that be will stay with you a long time. Solid-gold guarantee." —Stephen King
It's late summer 1984, and Babs Dionne’s hometown of Waterville, Maine is on the verge of collapse. A strike at the paper mill has dragged on for a year, pitting neighbor against neighbor, leaving everyone broke and exhausted.
As head of the union local, Babs has presided over Little Canada’s decline. She's sworn off violence since killing a man when she was a teenager, and has stuck to this vow even as it's become clear that only violence can save their community. When Babs’ best friend Rita returns home after five years away, she is shocked by the state of things. And as the strike comes to a head, Rita notices something the men may be broken, but the women are furious, ready to do whatever necessary to take back Little Canada.
They just need Babs to be the fearless woman who emerged from the woods fifteen years ago, drenched in blood. They need Babs to face what she already that the only way to fix things is to assume control. Completely. Mercilessly.
Poignant, unflinching, and brimming with sharp humor, We Will See You Bleed is a triumphant second installment in this electrifying crime thriller series by award-winning author Ron Currie.
It's late summer 1984, and Babs Dionne’s hometown of Waterville, Maine is on the verge of collapse. A strike at the paper mill has dragged on for a year, pitting neighbor against neighbor, leaving everyone broke and exhausted.
As head of the union local, Babs has presided over Little Canada’s decline. She's sworn off violence since killing a man when she was a teenager, and has stuck to this vow even as it's become clear that only violence can save their community. When Babs’ best friend Rita returns home after five years away, she is shocked by the state of things. And as the strike comes to a head, Rita notices something the men may be broken, but the women are furious, ready to do whatever necessary to take back Little Canada.
They just need Babs to be the fearless woman who emerged from the woods fifteen years ago, drenched in blood. They need Babs to face what she already that the only way to fix things is to assume control. Completely. Mercilessly.
Poignant, unflinching, and brimming with sharp humor, We Will See You Bleed is a triumphant second installment in this electrifying crime thriller series by award-winning author Ron Currie.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published July 7, 2026
About the author
Ron Currie Jr.
9 books627 followersRon Currie, Jr. was born and raised in Waterville, Maine, where he still lives. His first book, God is Dead, won the Young Lions Fiction Award from the New York Public Library and the Addison M. Metcalf Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His debut novel, Everything Matters!, will be translated into a dozen languages, and is a July Indie Next Pick and Amazon Best of June 2009 selection.
His short fiction has appeared in many magazines and anthologies, including Alaska Quarterly Review, The Sun, Ninth Letter, Swink, The Southeast Review, Glimmer Train, Willow Springs, The Cincinnati Review, Harpur Palate, and New Sudden Fiction (W.W. Norton, 2007).
His short fiction has appeared in many magazines and anthologies, including Alaska Quarterly Review, The Sun, Ninth Letter, Swink, The Southeast Review, Glimmer Train, Willow Springs, The Cincinnati Review, Harpur Palate, and New Sudden Fiction (W.W. Norton, 2007).
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 21, 2025
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review which you can read below:
Wow! I loved this book so much more than I expected! This is not my typical genre, but as a born and bred Mainer I love to read fiction that takes place in my home state. This book did not disappoint! Even if you are not usually someone who reads action type fiction, if you are familiar with Maine and Maine’s history with mills you will love it. It is a very powerful read. If I had to compare this to any other book I’ve read I would compare it to No Country for Old Men. I would absolutely recommend this book to any action lover, and I think this book would some day make a great movie!
Wow! I loved this book so much more than I expected! This is not my typical genre, but as a born and bred Mainer I love to read fiction that takes place in my home state. This book did not disappoint! Even if you are not usually someone who reads action type fiction, if you are familiar with Maine and Maine’s history with mills you will love it. It is a very powerful read. If I had to compare this to any other book I’ve read I would compare it to No Country for Old Men. I would absolutely recommend this book to any action lover, and I think this book would some day make a great movie!
February 12, 2026
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, having it on my shelf for months . But I was so wrong! It was a fantastic read with multiple stories that seemed to be happening simultaneously, but everything tied together.. It’s definitely my favorite book of 2026. That being said, I don’t think it’s for everyone.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance book.
July 11, 2026
Ron Currie, Jr is one of my favorite Maine authors. This book is a prequel to The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne and from the afterward, I'm betting we see one or two more in this series set after The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne. This is for sure a thriller and will keep you on the edge of your seat. It has a lot of history with respect to the relations between the French residents and workers in Maine's mill towns and the others who live there. You need to know that in Maine, it historically took generations of living in a town to be considered a "true" resident and that for a long time most people in rural and small town Maine are white and of Anglo-Saxon ethnicity. Before one needed a passport to go to and from Canada, many French Canadians made their way to Maine and many worked in the mill that lined Maine's fast-flowing rivers. But they were discriminated against, as it seems most every immigrant group has been.
The mill-working French Canadians in this book live in "Little Canada," a neighborhood in Waterville, Maine. There was a paper mill near Waterville but I'm not sure it was in the exact location where Currie puts it but close enough. I'm pretty sure there was not a French Canadian like Babs in Waterville in 1984, and I'm not sure when the mill ceased operating but both it and the shirt factory have been gone for a long time. But it matters not. The two-cent bridge is there and pedestrians can cross the Sebasticook River from Waterville to a site that once was a mill.
Babs controls Little Canada and her husband and his friends from Vietnam (special forces guys) help with enforcement, although Babs is pretty competent on her own. The Union has been striking for over a year. Scabs have been brought in. People are having it hard. Some give up and cross the line. Then the National Union removes its support. The local priest takes a stand and Babs changes her stance on violence as she makes a deal with the deputy police chief. The mill owner is a rich jerk focused on making money and getting rid of union. There's a storyline about pedophile priests and church management, as well as drug dealing and a kidney transplant (think insurance and the high cost of health care).
The book does not lack for action. The writing is very good. There is a tiny bit of humor. While I did not enjoy it as much as the first Babs book, it was good. This "series" is a different route for Currie, and perhaps one that is more lucrative! I'll continue to read anything he writes.
The mill-working French Canadians in this book live in "Little Canada," a neighborhood in Waterville, Maine. There was a paper mill near Waterville but I'm not sure it was in the exact location where Currie puts it but close enough. I'm pretty sure there was not a French Canadian like Babs in Waterville in 1984, and I'm not sure when the mill ceased operating but both it and the shirt factory have been gone for a long time. But it matters not. The two-cent bridge is there and pedestrians can cross the Sebasticook River from Waterville to a site that once was a mill.
Babs controls Little Canada and her husband and his friends from Vietnam (special forces guys) help with enforcement, although Babs is pretty competent on her own. The Union has been striking for over a year. Scabs have been brought in. People are having it hard. Some give up and cross the line. Then the National Union removes its support. The local priest takes a stand and Babs changes her stance on violence as she makes a deal with the deputy police chief. The mill owner is a rich jerk focused on making money and getting rid of union. There's a storyline about pedophile priests and church management, as well as drug dealing and a kidney transplant (think insurance and the high cost of health care).
The book does not lack for action. The writing is very good. There is a tiny bit of humor. While I did not enjoy it as much as the first Babs book, it was good. This "series" is a different route for Currie, and perhaps one that is more lucrative! I'll continue to read anything he writes.
November 9, 2025
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
Ron Currie’s We Will See You Bleed is a ferocious, emotionally charged thriller that fuses working-class rage with moral complexity, delivering a story as politically incisive as it is narratively gripping. It’s not just a novel—it’s a reckoning.
Set in the late summer of 1984 in Waterville, Maine, We Will See You Bleed follows Babs Dionne, a union leader in a town on the brink of collapse. The paper mill strike has dragged on for a year, leaving families fractured, wallets empty, and tempers frayed. Babs, once a teenage killer who swore off violence, now finds herself at a crossroads: the system is broken, her community is bleeding, and the only path forward may be the one she’s tried hardest to avoid.
Currie’s prose is raw, muscular, and unflinching. He doesn’t romanticize the working class—he dignifies them by showing their contradictions, their desperation, and their resilience. Babs is a revelation: a woman forged in trauma, tempered by principle, and pushed to the edge by a world that refuses to listen. Her internal conflict—between pacifism and the seductive pull of righteous violence—is the novel’s beating heart.
The setting of Little Canada, a neighborhood steeped in French-Canadian heritage and economic decay, becomes a crucible for Currie’s exploration of power, loyalty, and justice. The town’s decline is not just backdrop—it’s a character, shaping every decision Babs makes. Currie’s depiction of the strike is granular and authentic, capturing the procedural grind of labor negotiations and the emotional toll of collective action.
Currie interrogates the ethics of resistance, the cost of leadership, and the blurred line between martyrdom and madness. The novel’s title is both a threat and a prophecy—an acknowledgment that change, real change, demands sacrifice.
The pacing is relentless, yet introspective. Currie balances action with reflection, allowing readers to sit with the consequences of each choice. The supporting cast—fellow union members, family, adversaries—are vividly drawn, each representing a facet of the community’s unraveling. And while the novel is steeped in 1980s politics, its themes feel urgently contemporary: economic inequality, institutional failure, and the weaponization of despair.
For fans of Don Winslow, Stephen King’s Billy Summers, or the social thrillers of Richard Price, We Will See You Bleed offers a visceral, morally complex ride. It’s a novel that doesn’t just entertain—it indicts, inspires, and refuses to let go.
Ron Currie’s We Will See You Bleed is a ferocious, emotionally charged thriller that fuses working-class rage with moral complexity, delivering a story as politically incisive as it is narratively gripping. It’s not just a novel—it’s a reckoning.
Set in the late summer of 1984 in Waterville, Maine, We Will See You Bleed follows Babs Dionne, a union leader in a town on the brink of collapse. The paper mill strike has dragged on for a year, leaving families fractured, wallets empty, and tempers frayed. Babs, once a teenage killer who swore off violence, now finds herself at a crossroads: the system is broken, her community is bleeding, and the only path forward may be the one she’s tried hardest to avoid.
Currie’s prose is raw, muscular, and unflinching. He doesn’t romanticize the working class—he dignifies them by showing their contradictions, their desperation, and their resilience. Babs is a revelation: a woman forged in trauma, tempered by principle, and pushed to the edge by a world that refuses to listen. Her internal conflict—between pacifism and the seductive pull of righteous violence—is the novel’s beating heart.
The setting of Little Canada, a neighborhood steeped in French-Canadian heritage and economic decay, becomes a crucible for Currie’s exploration of power, loyalty, and justice. The town’s decline is not just backdrop—it’s a character, shaping every decision Babs makes. Currie’s depiction of the strike is granular and authentic, capturing the procedural grind of labor negotiations and the emotional toll of collective action.
Currie interrogates the ethics of resistance, the cost of leadership, and the blurred line between martyrdom and madness. The novel’s title is both a threat and a prophecy—an acknowledgment that change, real change, demands sacrifice.
The pacing is relentless, yet introspective. Currie balances action with reflection, allowing readers to sit with the consequences of each choice. The supporting cast—fellow union members, family, adversaries—are vividly drawn, each representing a facet of the community’s unraveling. And while the novel is steeped in 1980s politics, its themes feel urgently contemporary: economic inequality, institutional failure, and the weaponization of despair.
For fans of Don Winslow, Stephen King’s Billy Summers, or the social thrillers of Richard Price, We Will See You Bleed offers a visceral, morally complex ride. It’s a novel that doesn’t just entertain—it indicts, inspires, and refuses to let go.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
A mill town on strike. A community bound by faith and language. A union leader flirting with violence. And Stephen King’s endorsement? I was all in.
I wanted to read We Will See You Bleed by Ron Currie because it is set in Waterville, Maine --a mill town close to where I live part-time. I’ve long been fascinated by the mill history of Maine and New Hampshire, so the setting immediately drew me in. Add the promise of a gritty crime thriller, and this novel moved straight to the top of my list.
One of the most compelling aspects of this book is its rich historical and cultural backdrop. Many mill towns along the Canadian border drew large numbers of French-Canadian workers, who often referred to themselves as “Francos.” The story unfolds in Little Canada -- a real neighborhood in Waterville -- where faith, language, and loyalty shape the community. Deeply Catholic and fiercely protective of their own, the French-American residents trust only those who speak their language, especially their priests. If the priest isn’t French, counsel is refused. Currie vividly portrays a tight-knit, insular community where bonds run deep and outsiders are viewed with suspicion.
The novel is set in 1984, when the mill union is in turmoil. An ongoing strike, fueled by sharp economic disparities between workers and management, has pushed tensions to the brink. Babs Dionne, the formidable and passionate head of the local union, begins to toy with the idea of violence to force management’s attention. Currie expertly captures the political and social unrest of the era, including the far-reaching shadow of the Boston Diocese and Cardinal Law’s influence, even within labor politics. The economic anxiety of the 1980s is seamlessly woven into the narrative. Currie excels at depicting a town slowly unraveling under pressure.
This is a gritty, unflinching read. Babs is a compelling character -- driven, complex, and full of conviction. The townspeople feel authentic and fully realized. Yes, there are a few over-the-top moments , but what great thriller doesn’t have them? Those scenes never distracted from my overall enjoyment.
Highly recommended for readers who appreciate crime thrillers grounded in place, history, and social tension.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for early access to the eBook.
Expected publication date: July 7, 2026.
All opinions are my own.
July 11, 2026
For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com
We Will See You Bleed by Ron Currie Jr. is a dark, gritty, but very lively novel about modern-day outlaws.
Mr. Currie, a Waterville native, is a published author of fiction.
In "Little Canada" or its official name Waterville, Maine where French is spoken just as much as English there are trouble brewing. The town is on the verge of collapse after a bitter, two-year long fight between the town's residents and the owners of the mill which the whole town depends upon for survival.
Babs Dionne, a strong-willed woman whose husband has lost his job attempts to lead the union for a peaceful resolution. But "Little Canada" is rotten and diplomacy is no longer an option.
I enjoyed the author's previous book, The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne and was excited to read this prequel. Waterville, ME is already a run-down town, but Babs is not yet the ruthless mob boss-like figure she is in the first book. In fact, Babs has sworn off violence until events forced her hands.
We Will See You Bleed by Ron Currie Ir. drops the reader right into a town on the verge of collapse. The citizens are exhausted, neighbors battle each other, scabs from Virginia are like a stap in the face, and the rot of it all comes from the inside.
Much like its predecessors, the characters are what makes the book so much fun. Babs is forced to quickly figure out the local corruption schemes to win each small battle, which are both exhausting and dangerous. Everything is corrupt, from the police to the church, and the mill owner who is working in conjunction with the local drug lord to provide security.
The colorful mix of townsfolk, along with the bleak humor was what made me love the first book and enjoy the second just as much. Babs must become a cold, calculating, immortal leader in order to protect her neighbors and town from skirmishes that have huge consequences for them, but would garner a paragraph in a newspaper.
The book does have a bunch of subplots and could feel overwhelming. Nevertheless, Mr. Currie navigates them beautifully with grace and brutality alike.
The novel is about small town America, on the brink of collapse experiencing economic violence is something that, the cynic in me believes, many experience. An origin story that Babs deserves, a deeply tragic and fragile character transforming into a mythical, battle-hardened antihero.
We Will See You Bleed by Ron Currie Jr. is a dark, gritty, but very lively novel about modern-day outlaws.
Mr. Currie, a Waterville native, is a published author of fiction.
In "Little Canada" or its official name Waterville, Maine where French is spoken just as much as English there are trouble brewing. The town is on the verge of collapse after a bitter, two-year long fight between the town's residents and the owners of the mill which the whole town depends upon for survival.
Babs Dionne, a strong-willed woman whose husband has lost his job attempts to lead the union for a peaceful resolution. But "Little Canada" is rotten and diplomacy is no longer an option.
I enjoyed the author's previous book, The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne and was excited to read this prequel. Waterville, ME is already a run-down town, but Babs is not yet the ruthless mob boss-like figure she is in the first book. In fact, Babs has sworn off violence until events forced her hands.
We Will See You Bleed by Ron Currie Ir. drops the reader right into a town on the verge of collapse. The citizens are exhausted, neighbors battle each other, scabs from Virginia are like a stap in the face, and the rot of it all comes from the inside.
Much like its predecessors, the characters are what makes the book so much fun. Babs is forced to quickly figure out the local corruption schemes to win each small battle, which are both exhausting and dangerous. Everything is corrupt, from the police to the church, and the mill owner who is working in conjunction with the local drug lord to provide security.
The colorful mix of townsfolk, along with the bleak humor was what made me love the first book and enjoy the second just as much. Babs must become a cold, calculating, immortal leader in order to protect her neighbors and town from skirmishes that have huge consequences for them, but would garner a paragraph in a newspaper.
The book does have a bunch of subplots and could feel overwhelming. Nevertheless, Mr. Currie navigates them beautifully with grace and brutality alike.
The novel is about small town America, on the brink of collapse experiencing economic violence is something that, the cynic in me believes, many experience. An origin story that Babs deserves, a deeply tragic and fragile character transforming into a mythical, battle-hardened antihero.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Last year, I read The Savage, Noble, Life of Babs Dionne, a real knockout tale of an older woman whose life in Waterville, Maine, brutalized her until she responded by trying to make herself tougher than anything that life could throw at her. After reading that book, I couldn’t help but wonder about what Babs was like as a younger woman—and what do you know, author Ron Currie must have heard the readers who felt the same.
This is a prequel, going back to 1984, when most people Babs knows in the Little Canada neighborhood of Waterville have been unemployed for more than a year, since going on strike at the paper mill. The company is determined to saddle the strikers with a punishing new contract, the local police protect the company, and the men have mostly given up. Now, even the union national has lost interest and wants the local to settle. Babs, as head of the local, can’t agree to that, but what is she to do? Her friends tell her it’s time for her to play hardball, resort to violence, which she’s always decried. At the same time, Harold Aucoin, the drug kingpin from Lewiston who has been trying to make Waterville his territory for years, has also thrown in with the company to try to bust the union. Even a local police captain tells her the only way to beat Aucoin is to fight dirty.
So there’s your setup. What follows is thrilling, scary, bloody. heartbreaking, and at times pretty darned funny.
I grew up in a different Maine mill town, and Ron Currie really brings to life what that’s like. He should know, as a native of Waterville, who still lives there, but knowing and conveying are two different things, and Currie dazzles with his all-too-real descriptions of a town and people that tourists never see.
This is a prequel, going back to 1984, when most people Babs knows in the Little Canada neighborhood of Waterville have been unemployed for more than a year, since going on strike at the paper mill. The company is determined to saddle the strikers with a punishing new contract, the local police protect the company, and the men have mostly given up. Now, even the union national has lost interest and wants the local to settle. Babs, as head of the local, can’t agree to that, but what is she to do? Her friends tell her it’s time for her to play hardball, resort to violence, which she’s always decried. At the same time, Harold Aucoin, the drug kingpin from Lewiston who has been trying to make Waterville his territory for years, has also thrown in with the company to try to bust the union. Even a local police captain tells her the only way to beat Aucoin is to fight dirty.
So there’s your setup. What follows is thrilling, scary, bloody. heartbreaking, and at times pretty darned funny.
I grew up in a different Maine mill town, and Ron Currie really brings to life what that’s like. He should know, as a native of Waterville, who still lives there, but knowing and conveying are two different things, and Currie dazzles with his all-too-real descriptions of a town and people that tourists never see.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A prequel to the crime thriller, The Savage and Noble Death of Babs Dionne, We Will See You Bleed is a dark outlaw thriller about a saving a town and righting wrongs.
It’s 1984. Babs Dionne’s hometown, Waterville, Maine, is in the midst of a strike at the paper mill that has dragged on pushing the town to the brink of ruin. Twenty-nine year old Babs and her husband, Rheal, are union leaders and they know they must get help from the other unions. In the meantime Rita, Babs’ friend, returns home and advises Babs to take “the war” to the company. Learning of a way to do this, Babs breaks the company - I don’t want to give away what she did; you have to read the book - and is in control with the help of the corrupt police chief. There is blood in doing this but it’s done to protect the working folks from the greedy capitalists.
A subplot concerns the relationship of the people with the Catholic Church and the exposing of pedophilia as a Boston reporter is trying to expose this as well. The people trust the priest, Father Clement Thibault, because he can speak French which is important in this town that straddles the French Canadian border with the US.
I gave this book five stars because I was captured from the first sentence and the chapter’s introduction to Babs who’s a marvelous character. The author created a realistic setting with people who resonate in their exhaustion and anger. The villains are great - I thought the Godfather at times. And the subplot was clever and rounded out what I considered to be the people’s endurance with people like the plant owners who are willing to exploit them. And finally I didn’t even know there was previous book about Babs until I was done. So to me this is a fine standalone read.
My thanks to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam & Sons for allowing me access to this ARC.
It’s 1984. Babs Dionne’s hometown, Waterville, Maine, is in the midst of a strike at the paper mill that has dragged on pushing the town to the brink of ruin. Twenty-nine year old Babs and her husband, Rheal, are union leaders and they know they must get help from the other unions. In the meantime Rita, Babs’ friend, returns home and advises Babs to take “the war” to the company. Learning of a way to do this, Babs breaks the company - I don’t want to give away what she did; you have to read the book - and is in control with the help of the corrupt police chief. There is blood in doing this but it’s done to protect the working folks from the greedy capitalists.
A subplot concerns the relationship of the people with the Catholic Church and the exposing of pedophilia as a Boston reporter is trying to expose this as well. The people trust the priest, Father Clement Thibault, because he can speak French which is important in this town that straddles the French Canadian border with the US.
I gave this book five stars because I was captured from the first sentence and the chapter’s introduction to Babs who’s a marvelous character. The author created a realistic setting with people who resonate in their exhaustion and anger. The villains are great - I thought the Godfather at times. And the subplot was clever and rounded out what I considered to be the people’s endurance with people like the plant owners who are willing to exploit them. And finally I didn’t even know there was previous book about Babs until I was done. So to me this is a fine standalone read.
My thanks to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam & Sons for allowing me access to this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Nobody is better than me at doing terrible things," says Babs in this prequel to Ron Currie's dynamite Savage, Noble Death of Babs DIonne. We will See You Bleed opens in the 1980s when a massive strike at the local paper mill has put nearly the entire French-Canadian population of Waterville, Maine,on the picket lines. As leader of the local union, Babs watches scabs come in and the company simply refuse to negotiate. Babs loves her Franco community more than anything, and while she's always been tough, she ratchets it up to where people understand that you have to do what she says because you'll be sorry if you don't. She and her chain-smoking, coffee-chugging buddies take over the local drug trade and use the money to support the strikers, which sounds noble but is pretty bloody. Her husband backs her, as do his buddies, former Marines now "wet workers." Some of these scenes are very funny, and others are hair-raising. Babs is a is one of those characters you never want to meet but who are great to read about. Currie's characters are real enough to jump off the page (scary thought) and you will know Waterville as if you lived there.
This novel stands alone but you will want to move right on to the Savage, Noble Death because you HAVE to know where this is going. The Savage, Noble Death was one of my ten best books of last year. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital review copy of this experience. All opinions are my own.
This novel stands alone but you will want to move right on to the Savage, Noble Death because you HAVE to know where this is going. The Savage, Noble Death was one of my ten best books of last year. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital review copy of this experience. All opinions are my own.
July 7, 2026
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book to review! Happy Pub Day for this one.
This book intrigued me on netgalley with the cover, title and interesting plot. I love a good female rage book and the idea of raging against union busting companies, drug lords and super corrupt cops felt like it could be very satisfying.
The writing in this book was fantastic. It was third person with multiple POV's which I really like in a book, especially a plot driven one like this. Watching the characters, especially the main protagonist Babs, descend into the dark side was thrilling at first and eventually tittilating in a 😬😬😬😬 kind of way. She had it in her and spent her life trying to hold it back but once she decides "Well, F* it" and metaphorically steers the car completely off the rails all you can do is drop your jaw every few pages.
In the end, what kept this book from being a favorite is the how dark it went by the final pages. I haven't read the first book in this series, which takes place many years later when Babs is a drug kingpin in her small town. I did read the description though and knew where this book would end up. Still, there was lots of sorrow before that other book's story picks up. If you don't mind dark books and a very, very morally grey protagonist, the writing and story in this one was very good. 4.25 stars for me and this book fulfills my summer book bingo square for "Hard to love Protagonist".
This book intrigued me on netgalley with the cover, title and interesting plot. I love a good female rage book and the idea of raging against union busting companies, drug lords and super corrupt cops felt like it could be very satisfying.
The writing in this book was fantastic. It was third person with multiple POV's which I really like in a book, especially a plot driven one like this. Watching the characters, especially the main protagonist Babs, descend into the dark side was thrilling at first and eventually tittilating in a 😬😬😬😬 kind of way. She had it in her and spent her life trying to hold it back but once she decides "Well, F* it" and metaphorically steers the car completely off the rails all you can do is drop your jaw every few pages.
In the end, what kept this book from being a favorite is the how dark it went by the final pages. I haven't read the first book in this series, which takes place many years later when Babs is a drug kingpin in her small town. I did read the description though and knew where this book would end up. Still, there was lots of sorrow before that other book's story picks up. If you don't mind dark books and a very, very morally grey protagonist, the writing and story in this one was very good. 4.25 stars for me and this book fulfills my summer book bingo square for "Hard to love Protagonist".
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The story is set in the 1980s in small-town Maine where the largest employer, a paper mill, has had workers on strike for nearly a year. Everyone in town is broke, and scabs have come in to replace employees. At this point, let’s just say desperate time call for desperate measures.
This felt like a slow-moving freight train the entire time, steady, tense, and clearly heading toward something explosive. I loved how the story built that pressure instead of rushing it, because when everything finally hit, it really hit. The characters were deeply flawed and messy (especially Babs!), but I still cared about what happened to them. That combination made it hard to put down. Loved it, 5 stars!
This is the 2nd book in a series about Babs Dionne. I haven’t read the first, but this book is actually a prequel so don’t think it hindered my understanding of anything. If you haven’t read this first, it shouldn’t hinder you from picking this one up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam | G.B. Putnam’s Sons for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This felt like a slow-moving freight train the entire time, steady, tense, and clearly heading toward something explosive. I loved how the story built that pressure instead of rushing it, because when everything finally hit, it really hit. The characters were deeply flawed and messy (especially Babs!), but I still cared about what happened to them. That combination made it hard to put down. Loved it, 5 stars!
This is the 2nd book in a series about Babs Dionne. I haven’t read the first, but this book is actually a prequel so don’t think it hindered my understanding of anything. If you haven’t read this first, it shouldn’t hinder you from picking this one up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam | G.B. Putnam’s Sons for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is, if you will, the origin story for Babs Dionne, crime boss of Waterville, Maine. Babs leads the union for the paper mill, the mill that's been closed down for almost a year, leaving the men and women of the town on a thin edge. She's tough, she's determined and she's got a plan. And she's run a drug dealer out of town. Her husband Rheal, a vet with PTSD, and his friends become part of her plan to do the same to imported scabs. Then there's Father Clement, the priest. And Claude, Rheal's lifelong friend whose wife has end stage kidney disease, and the local police, both good and bad. This leans in on power, friendship, and loyalty. It's incredibly atmospheric to the point where Little Canada is a character itself. You might not agree with all (or any) of the decisions Babs makes but she's clever and driven to help her community. It's a compelling portrait. I was a huge fan of The Savage Noble Death of Babs Dionne and is sending me back to reread it. Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC. Terrific read.
July 9, 2026
Darkness in this Maine mill town
It's 1984 in this prequel to Ron Currie Jr's book The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne and a strike has been going on for a year at the paper mill in Waterville, Maine. People are getting desperate from no paychecks, no health insurance and starting to see scabs do their jobs.
This book tells of Babs Dionne, local Union president, and her plan to keep the Little Canada people fed and taken care of - kind of a modern day Robin Hood tale, just more in your face and brutal.
This story is about a Union strike, about crossing picket lines, has violence and mayhem in it (just like real life), brings in a heartfelt section about Catholic priests and the Catholic church, back to the mill and the town, and then back to Babs and her family.
This was such a great story...engrossing...heart wrenching. Most of the time I was cheering Babs on but occasionally whoa...too much.
I received this Digital Review Copy from G.P. Putnam's Sons through Edelweiss. Thank you.
It's 1984 in this prequel to Ron Currie Jr's book The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne and a strike has been going on for a year at the paper mill in Waterville, Maine. People are getting desperate from no paychecks, no health insurance and starting to see scabs do their jobs.
This book tells of Babs Dionne, local Union president, and her plan to keep the Little Canada people fed and taken care of - kind of a modern day Robin Hood tale, just more in your face and brutal.
This story is about a Union strike, about crossing picket lines, has violence and mayhem in it (just like real life), brings in a heartfelt section about Catholic priests and the Catholic church, back to the mill and the town, and then back to Babs and her family.
This was such a great story...engrossing...heart wrenching. Most of the time I was cheering Babs on but occasionally whoa...too much.
I received this Digital Review Copy from G.P. Putnam's Sons through Edelweiss. Thank you.
March 27, 2026
This book is a hard-hitting thriller about the troubles that plague a small town in Maine whose primary employer in the paper mill. The workers strike and the mill fights back.
The pace was tense and unrelentless as the difficulties and problems just kept coming. The characters are flawed and messy and have to make decisions that were just overwhelmingly tough. Would you join the crime if it meant your family could live?
Currie's writing is gritty and raw, and his depiction of women's rage and loyalty was superb. In the end, it is the women who win this war...mainly Babs. (She's in a league of her own, I tell ya.)
While this book wasn't necessarily for me, it was an action packed book. The pace and crime was a little too intense. I struggled with some of the choices made (especially by Rheal), but it is a book that I think many people will love.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam/G.B. Putnam Sons for this ARC of the book. My opinion is freely given and my own.
The pace was tense and unrelentless as the difficulties and problems just kept coming. The characters are flawed and messy and have to make decisions that were just overwhelmingly tough. Would you join the crime if it meant your family could live?
Currie's writing is gritty and raw, and his depiction of women's rage and loyalty was superb. In the end, it is the women who win this war...mainly Babs. (She's in a league of her own, I tell ya.)
While this book wasn't necessarily for me, it was an action packed book. The pace and crime was a little too intense. I struggled with some of the choices made (especially by Rheal), but it is a book that I think many people will love.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam/G.B. Putnam Sons for this ARC of the book. My opinion is freely given and my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Ron Currie's first Babs Dionne book (The Savage Noble Death of...) was a home run of a crime novel that introduced a one-a-kind broke bad matriarch in her golden years, managing the mess of a Dennis Lehane meets the Coen Brothers kind of plot. I could not be happier to have continued on with Babs' story in We Will See You Bleed, where we get a prequel, the pivotal events that sent young Babs down her down her life path, and another heaping helping of blood & grit with perfect dollops of humor and humanity. I sure hope Mr. Currie is finishing up the mid-life Babs book right now, because it's going to make for an absolutely killer trilogy. 9/10
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What an incredible book. This is a prequel to The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne. This is the story of how Babs rallied other female females in Little Canada to stand up for their community. Babs has tried the no violence approach, but now she realizes, violence is the only thing some people understand. This is such a fun series, I just love Babs and her antics, at her core, she cares deeply about her family and community. She doesn’t not back down. This was a great beach read, the dialogue is witty and spot on. Highly recommended. With this being a prequel, you don’t have to read the first book published, but that story is just as amazing.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
It's a small town that is falling apart thriller. Neighbors who once got along are now at each other's throats. The main source of employment is the paper mill, but they have been on strike over a year. Babs, the head of the union, is thinking the only way to put an end to the strike is violence. But, will she resort to it?
Thanks for this gifted copy from Goodreads Giveaways and Putman Publishing.
Thanks for this gifted copy from Goodreads Giveaways and Putman Publishing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of an ARC received from NetGalley:
If you loved The Savage Noble Death of Babs Dionne but want to know how Babs became Babs, this book is for you. This follow up from Ron Currie focuses on Babs becoming the mob boss that we know and love from The Savage Noble Death. I love where this book picks up - in the middle of a strike in Little Canada with Babs at the helm of negotiations on behalf of striking Little Canada workers. As brutal as the first book, this book gives us a full view of Babs’ growth into a mob boss for her community. We also get to know characters and relationships that are only referenced in the first book, for example Babs’ husband and their relationship.
While technically, I think this could be read as a standalone, I think it’s richer having read The Savage Noble Death of Babs Dionne.
All in all, this was another great read.
If you loved The Savage Noble Death of Babs Dionne but want to know how Babs became Babs, this book is for you. This follow up from Ron Currie focuses on Babs becoming the mob boss that we know and love from The Savage Noble Death. I love where this book picks up - in the middle of a strike in Little Canada with Babs at the helm of negotiations on behalf of striking Little Canada workers. As brutal as the first book, this book gives us a full view of Babs’ growth into a mob boss for her community. We also get to know characters and relationships that are only referenced in the first book, for example Babs’ husband and their relationship.
While technically, I think this could be read as a standalone, I think it’s richer having read The Savage Noble Death of Babs Dionne.
All in all, this was another great read.
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