The Sisters Brothers

(via)

I'll be honest: the cover is a major reason I was drawn to this book.  Check out that bold graphic!   Skull or brother assassins?  

Patrick DeWitt has crafted the story of Charlie and Eli Sisters, hired killers in the 1850s who are sent to kill Herman Kermit Warm.  They are employed by The Commodore, an unseen figure, and Eli is beginning to question his career path in light of The Commodore's need for a "lead man" on their latest mission.  Not only is Eli unsure of why they have been sent to kill Warm, but he is no longer interested in simply living job to job.  He decides this will be his last mission, which Charlie is not happy about.  

Why have they been hired to dispense with Warm?  Will any of Eli's romantic plans work out?  How did Eli get his freckles?  Although there is an overarching plot to the book, it meanders into a number of detours on the way to Warm.  The brothers face bears, numerous brandy benders, and one-eyed horses, among others.

This book is startlingly violent at times, so I won't recommend it to absolutely everyone.  It was a fun, quick read, though, appropriate for a weekend in a secluded lake house or road trip with a guy.  Enjoy!