“You don’t have to play poker to enjoy Gutshot Straight, a highly entertaining caper novel with a title straight out of a high-stakes game…. Like Carl Hiaasen, Berney delights in the cartoonish. Like Elmore Leonard, he can drive a plot. What sets him apart is how well he evokes love, making the romance at the heart of this cinematic book as compelling as the mystery.” — The Boston Globe, on GUTSHOT STRAIGHT“Louis Berney’s first collection of stories introduces a writer with tremendous range. . . . The . . . funny, Gothic cadences call to mind William Faulkner’s story ‘A Rose For Emily’ .... Mr. Berney manages to write about decent, suffering people without resorting to manipulation or sentimentality. . . . The language of these stories is rich in metaphor . . . the narrative voices are playful. . . . Mr. Berney has written a fine collection of stories.” — New York Times Book Review, on THE ROAD TO BOBBY JOE AND OTHER STORIES New York Times Book Review, on THE ROAD TO BOBBY JOE AND OTHER STORIES New York Times Book Review, on THE ROAD TO BOBBY JOE AND OTHER STORIES New York Times Book Review, on THE ROAD TO BOBBY JOE AND OTHER STORIES“You don’t have to have read GUTSHOT STRAIGHT to thoroughly enjoy WHIPLASH RIVER, but you’ll want to, simply to savor more of Berney’s work and characters while you’re waiting for what hopefully will be next year’s installment.” — Bookreporter.com“Fast, furious, with characters that spike higher than the scatterbrain action, Berney has a hit on his hands with Whiplash River. Ferociously funny, endearingly romantic, annoyingly buzzed, slapstick and chaotic.” — The Review Broads blog“This witty, comedic tale is filled with romance, mystery and intrigue. A good caper with well-developed characters, Whiplash River is a winding adventure.” — Express Milwaukee“A delirious caper in the spirit of Hiaasen and Leonard.” — The Barnes & Noble Review“If you like crime fiction, do yourself a favor and read Lou Berney’s thrilling, funny and whipsmart novel Whiplash River. Then, if you haven’t read its predecessor, Gutshot Straight, Berney’s debut novel, read that one too.” — Virginian Pilot“Lou Berney’s debut thriller, GUTSHOT STRAIGHT, was a home run. WHIPLASH RIVER is a grand slam. I loved loved loved this book! I laughed so hard people on the subway edged away nervously. A funny, sexy, and thrilling caper, filled with characters you’d want to drink with. Read it now - you’ll thank me later.” — Sean Chercover, awardwinning author of The Trinity Game“Berney takes his rightful place as heir to Elmore Leonard with this witty and nimble comedic thriller . . . the exotic locales are vibrant, the supporting cast larger than life, and the plot hums along without a wasted page.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)“One day a gunman takes aim at a customer, and turns Whiplash River into a non-stop comedy-thriller-romance that Elmore Leonard would proudly keep on his nightstand . . . Shake gets entangled with a mysterious older character, his former girlfriend Gina, a persistent FBI agent and a gunman you’ll root for -- all with dialogue that ricochets faster than the bullets.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer“A non-stop comedy-thriller-romance that Elmore Leonard would proudly keep on his nightstand . . . Shake gets entangled with a mysterious older character, his former girlfriend Gina, a persistent FBI agent and a gunman you’ll root for -- all with dialogue that ricochets faster than the bullets.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer“Wonderfully flawed characters . . . Berney keeps you guessing until the very last chapter. Fun, exciting and deadly, Whiplash River is not to be missed.” — SheKnows.com“Whiplash River is nonstop action, filled with humor, plot twists and even romance . . a hilarious crime caper spanning the globe.” — Shelf Awareness“Whiplash River recalls the best of the off-the-wall crime fiction impresarios - Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen, James W. Hall, Robert Ferrigno, Tim Dorsey - while establishing its own unique orbit in the noir universe.” — Iron Mountain Daily News“This is pure breezy reading — a fun little crime novel that will pass the time as you lounge out on beaches or by pools this summer.” — Bookgasm“Berney blends equal parts action and humor, topped with the right amount of romance, for a summer read that’s a firecracker . . . fun, clever and well-written fiction with protagonists you can really root for.” — Oklahoma Gazette“Some writers can make me laugh and some can make me gasp, but Lou Berney can make me do both at the same time, and then get me all misty, too. Whiplash River belongs at the very top of the bestseller list.” — Timothy Hallinan, author of The Queen of Patpong“Slick, sleek, and wildly entertaining, Whiplash River is pure pleasure. I’m a snob for prose, and these words sing, managing to be at once lean and evocative, confident and wry. Lou Berney is that kind of annoyingly skilled stylist who makes everything look easy.” — Marcus Sakey, author of The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes and host of the Travel Channel's Hidden City“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), on GUTSHOT STRAIGHT“[A] fast-moving caper…smoothly blends humor, action and romantic frisson.” — Publishers Weekly, on GUTSHOT STRAIGHT“In this entertaining sequel to Gutshot Straight, Berney has a great time tweaking the familiar . . . featuring a number of great set pieces, snappy dialogue, and colorful characters, the plot hums along like a mosquito cloud over a puddle.” — Publishers Weekly, staff pick for Best Summer Books 2012“Berney’s plot makes as many sharp turns as San Francisco’s famously curvy Lombard Street. His characters . . . are brilliantly drawn . . . the dialogue is crisp and often funny, or laced with irony. Gutshot Straight made Booklist’s 2010 Best Crime Novels list. Whiplash River should be a contender for this year’s list.” — Booklist (starred review)“Berney’s plot makes as many sharp turns as San Francisco’s famously curvy Lombard Street. His characters . . . are brilliantly drawn . . . the dialogue is crisp and often funny . . . Whiplash River should be a contender for this year’s [Booklist’s Best Crime Novels] list.” — Booklist (starred review)
