Praise
"A highly entertaining caper novel...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 novel as compelling as the mystery."
– The Boston Globe
"A fast-paced, sexy novel packed with spine-tingling intrigue."
– Las Vegas Review Journal
"(An) elegantly entertaining entry into the world of crime fiction...When it comes to world-class capers, Lou Berney is the real deal."
– Open Letters Review
"Fast, funny, and smart...The snappy dialogue and bad-guy stuff whizzes along and will be welcomed by fans of Elmore Leonard."
– The Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Shake and Gina are familiar faces, but they develop in believable, occasionally surprising ways, and their growing commitment to each other is sweet without ever compromising either character. The the dialog is clever without being glib, and the ending ties it all together just perfectly enough to be a little messy. Whether Shake and Gina manage to find love amid the chaos always comes across as a question worth asking; it's just too bad that finding the answer means reaching the last page."
– The Onion AV Club (A- grade)
"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 – Las Vegas and Panama – are vividly drawn. The estimable Elmore Leonard might be very pleased to call Gutshot Straight his own."
– Booklist (starred review)
"A fast-moving caper novel, which smoothly blends humor, action, and romantic frisson...Shake is a quick-thinking fellow with dreams of owning a restaurant, but if fate is kind, he'll return for the same kinds of adventures as those Berney recounts in this engaging debut."
– Publishers Weekly
"There are plot twists that are wondrously and skillfully navigated, one of the most unique MacGuffins I have encountered recently, and, perhaps most importantly, Gina, a strong, smart, attractive and dangerous woman who you won't soon forget. Nor will you forget Gutshot Straight."
– Bookreporter.com
"Lou Berney's debut novel, Gutshot Straight, is proof positive that he's the unholy spawn of Carl Hiaasen and Don Winslow. He's that damn good. I defy you to guess where the story on any particular page will end up and you'll have a marvelous time being led astray yourself."
– JB, Seattle Mystery Bookshop
"Gutshot Straight is chock full of characters right out of an Elmore Leonard/Carl Hiassen roadhouse. Berney's debut is a shot to the gut for crime fiction fans. I can't wait for more Shake and Gina misadventures. That is, if they don't get one another killed in between novels."
– Madison Country Herald
"A rare and riveting romp of a crime caper, with both a charming con artist and one of the most fascinating femmes fatales in the genre."
– Bookloons
"Don't let the title fool you. Gutshot Straight is 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
"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 Gates of the Alamo and Challenger Park
Critical praise for The Road to Bobby Joe and Other Stories, by Lou Berney:
"Lou Berney's first collection of stories introduces a writer with tremendous range....Mr. Berney manages to write about decent, suffering people without resorting to manipulation or sentimentality.
– Valerie Sayers, The New York Times Book Review
"Lou Berney's fiction in 'The Road To Bobby Joe' sings with modern slang and timeless insight…While Berney is sharply satirical...his touch is optimistic and sympathetic…Berney's fiction is charming and important. His characters are often the forgotten citizens at the edge of town, but they're intimately familiar."
– Jackie Jones, The San Francisco Chronicle
"A masterfully crafted debut collection of 12 short stories...Berney's stories deftly explore the dreams and disappointments of ordinary, working-class people...Berney's tales are wonderfully rich in atmosphere and, remarkable in light of their compactness, paint indelible portraits of some fascinating true-to-life characters."
– Booklist
"Berney portrays people in extreme situations or at the breaking point in these 12 memorable stories...an outstanding debut collection."
– Publisher’s Weekly
"Berney refuses to offer easy resolutions to the complexities that crop up in his stories…Throughout this book, Berney proves himself a writer of ambitious versatility, whose reach rarely exceeds his grasp."
– Douglas Siebold, The Chicago Tribune
"Berney inhabits disparate, desperate characters like a mockingbird inhabits its nest. All the stories are rich in suggestion and allusion and miraculous detail...It's a dazzling debut – crackling with crisp description and dialogue, subtlety and surprise. When it comes to character and circumstance...Berney is more than versatile. He's a virtuoso."
– Susan Williams, Minnesota Public Radio
"Berney has an eye for pointed absurdities, and he can be devastatingly, if blackly, funny...his best stories are wonderful: observant, irreverent, sometimes sad and often bitingly funny.”
– Gail Pool, The Houston Post
– The Boston Globe
"A fast-paced, sexy novel packed with spine-tingling intrigue."
– Las Vegas Review Journal
"(An) elegantly entertaining entry into the world of crime fiction...When it comes to world-class capers, Lou Berney is the real deal."
– Open Letters Review
"Fast, funny, and smart...The snappy dialogue and bad-guy stuff whizzes along and will be welcomed by fans of Elmore Leonard."
– The Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Shake and Gina are familiar faces, but they develop in believable, occasionally surprising ways, and their growing commitment to each other is sweet without ever compromising either character. The the dialog is clever without being glib, and the ending ties it all together just perfectly enough to be a little messy. Whether Shake and Gina manage to find love amid the chaos always comes across as a question worth asking; it's just too bad that finding the answer means reaching the last page."
– The Onion AV Club (A- grade)
"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 – Las Vegas and Panama – are vividly drawn. The estimable Elmore Leonard might be very pleased to call Gutshot Straight his own."
– Booklist (starred review)
"A fast-moving caper novel, which smoothly blends humor, action, and romantic frisson...Shake is a quick-thinking fellow with dreams of owning a restaurant, but if fate is kind, he'll return for the same kinds of adventures as those Berney recounts in this engaging debut."
– Publishers Weekly
"There are plot twists that are wondrously and skillfully navigated, one of the most unique MacGuffins I have encountered recently, and, perhaps most importantly, Gina, a strong, smart, attractive and dangerous woman who you won't soon forget. Nor will you forget Gutshot Straight."
– Bookreporter.com
"Lou Berney's debut novel, Gutshot Straight, is proof positive that he's the unholy spawn of Carl Hiaasen and Don Winslow. He's that damn good. I defy you to guess where the story on any particular page will end up and you'll have a marvelous time being led astray yourself."
– JB, Seattle Mystery Bookshop
"Gutshot Straight is chock full of characters right out of an Elmore Leonard/Carl Hiassen roadhouse. Berney's debut is a shot to the gut for crime fiction fans. I can't wait for more Shake and Gina misadventures. That is, if they don't get one another killed in between novels."
– Madison Country Herald
"A rare and riveting romp of a crime caper, with both a charming con artist and one of the most fascinating femmes fatales in the genre."
– Bookloons
"Don't let the title fool you. Gutshot Straight is 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
"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 Gates of the Alamo and Challenger Park
Critical praise for The Road to Bobby Joe and Other Stories, by Lou Berney:
"Lou Berney's first collection of stories introduces a writer with tremendous range....Mr. Berney manages to write about decent, suffering people without resorting to manipulation or sentimentality.
– Valerie Sayers, The New York Times Book Review
"Lou Berney's fiction in 'The Road To Bobby Joe' sings with modern slang and timeless insight…While Berney is sharply satirical...his touch is optimistic and sympathetic…Berney's fiction is charming and important. His characters are often the forgotten citizens at the edge of town, but they're intimately familiar."
– Jackie Jones, The San Francisco Chronicle
"A masterfully crafted debut collection of 12 short stories...Berney's stories deftly explore the dreams and disappointments of ordinary, working-class people...Berney's tales are wonderfully rich in atmosphere and, remarkable in light of their compactness, paint indelible portraits of some fascinating true-to-life characters."
– Booklist
"Berney portrays people in extreme situations or at the breaking point in these 12 memorable stories...an outstanding debut collection."
– Publisher’s Weekly
"Berney refuses to offer easy resolutions to the complexities that crop up in his stories…Throughout this book, Berney proves himself a writer of ambitious versatility, whose reach rarely exceeds his grasp."
– Douglas Siebold, The Chicago Tribune
"Berney inhabits disparate, desperate characters like a mockingbird inhabits its nest. All the stories are rich in suggestion and allusion and miraculous detail...It's a dazzling debut – crackling with crisp description and dialogue, subtlety and surprise. When it comes to character and circumstance...Berney is more than versatile. He's a virtuoso."
– Susan Williams, Minnesota Public Radio
"Berney has an eye for pointed absurdities, and he can be devastatingly, if blackly, funny...his best stories are wonderful: observant, irreverent, sometimes sad and often bitingly funny.”
– Gail Pool, The Houston Post
