Gutshot Straight: A Novel

Gutshot Straight: A Novel

“Lou Berney’s novel is so energetic, so droll, and so wheezingly funny that it accomplished what no book ever has before: it made me forget to eat lunch.” —Stephen Harrigan, New York Times bestselling author of Challenger Park A fast and funny caper in the tradition of Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen, and the Coen Brothers, Gutshot Straight brings a fresh new talent into the crime fiction fold: Louis Berney. He’s already won raves for his short fiction collection The Road to Bobby Joe and Other Stories (“Rivals the work of contemporary hotshots T.C. Boyle and Ralph Lombreglia” — Chicago Tribune ). With Gutshot Straight, Berney is “all in”—sure to win a fervent following with the story of “Shake” Bouchon, fresh out of prison and on the straight and narrow path…after maybe just one last job. *Starred Review* Charles “Shake” Bouchon leaves prison intending to go straight. But, within hours, lovely, lethal Lexy Ilandryan, head of LA’s Armenian mob and Shake’s one-time lover, has him running an “errand” for her. The task seems simple: drive a car to Las Vegas and turn it over to Dick Moby, a 400-pound sadist who runs a strip club. Moby will give him a briefcase that he is to return to Lexy. Shake needs the three large Lexy hands him, but he quickly learns that nothing is as it seems; in short order, he’s ditched by a gorgeous young stripper who had been stuffed in the car’s trunk and is on the run from the Armenians and Moby’s able henchman. She’s also searching for the briefcase, which contains a priceless religious relic. Virtually every character is memorable, and the chemistry between Shake and Gina, the gorgeous and devious stripper, is brilliant. The plot turns are constant, and the dialogue is sharp. The bad guys are wonderfully scary, and the locales—Las Vegas and Panama—are vividly drawn. The estimable Elmore Leonard might be very pleased to call Gutshot Straight his own. --Thomas Gaughan “Louis Berney is a talented writer whose first collection of stories . . . offers a range of voices and a detailed knowledge of cultures amazing in one so young. . . . Berney . . . is a subtle, amusing storyteller, tied with bonds of affection and woe to his characters. . . . He tells a story as though he’s really there, really interested in what he’s finding out.” - New Orleans Times-Picayune, on THE ROAD TO BOBBY JOE AND OTHER STORIES “Full of intriguing characters and violent action.... Highly entertaining, the serpentine novel has unexpected twists and turns. Berney, a talented and experienced author, has crafted one of the most unusual and enjoyable crime novels of the year.” - Lansing State Journal “A fast-paced, sexy novel, packed with spine-tingling intrigue and money-induced lust...Excellent.” - Times Record News (Wichita Falls, Texas) “Virtually every character is memorable, and the chemistry between Shake and Gina is brilliant. The plot turns are constant, and the dialogue is sharp. The bad guys are wonderfully scary, and the locales are vividly drawn. Elmore Leonard might be very pleased to call Gutshot Straight his own.” - Booklist (starred review) “Gutshot Straight has my vote for, among other things, Best McGuffin Ever. Just when you think it can’t get any weirder or quirkier, here comes the scene where... well, I better not give that away. Energetic, droll, and wheezingly funny.” - Stephen Harrigan, New York Times bestselling author of Gates of the Alamo and Challenger Park “Fast, funny and smart.... The snappy dialogue and bad-guy stuff whizzes along and will be welcomed by Elmore Leonard fans. Grade: A-.” - Cleveland Plain Dealer “Awesome debut novel by Lou Berney, everyone needs to read this book. Look for it later this year on awards nomination lists.” - Crimespree Magazine “GUTSHOT STRAIGHT has my vote for, among other things, Best McGuffin Ever. Just when you think it can’t get any weirder or quirkier, here comes the scene where... well, I better not give that away. Energetic, droll, and wheezingly funny.” - Stephen Harrigan, New York Times bestselling author of Gates of the Alamo and Challenger Park “An exciting read you can’t put down. A definite must read.” - Abraham Rodriguez, 2009 Dashiell Hammett Award finalist and author of South by South Bronx “A literary sucker punch -- surprising, funny, effervescent. It’s a cocktail that won’t let you off your barstool till closing.” - Ted Griffin, screenwriter of OCEAN'S ELEVEN, MATCHSTICK MEN and BEST LAID PLANS “Virtually every character is memorable, and the chemistry between Shake and Gina is brilliant. The plot turns are constant, and the dialogue is sharp. The bad guys are wonderfully scary, and the locales are vividly drawn. Elmore Leonard might be very pleased to call GUTSHOT STRAIGHT his own.” - Booklist (starred review) “[A] fast-moving caper…smoothly blends humor, action and romantic frisson.” - Publishers Weekly “[Has] a fast-paced