About the Author

Lou Berney is the author of two previous novels—Whiplash River, nominated for an Edgar Award, and Gutshot Straight, nominated for a Barry Award-as well as the collection The Road to Bobby Joe and Other Stories. A television and film screenwriter, he also teaches writing at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University.

Reviews

“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)

“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

“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 style apropos of [Berney’s] title character Charles “Shakes” Bouchon.... With comparisons to Elmore Leonard, it’s apparent Berney is not simply riding out the success of his acclaimed short The Road to Bobby Joe and Other Stories.” — Daily Beast