Whiplash River, Lou Berney's follow-up to 2010's Gutshot Straight, finds Charles "Shake" Bouchon living his dream, with his own restaurant on a beach in Belize. The dream has some rough edges, though; being in debt to the biggest drug dealer in the country wasn't part of the plan. So the last thing Shake wants or needs is more drama, but that's what he gets when a masked gunman walks into his restaurant one night and targets one of his guests. Shake does his best to defend the guest, only to find himself in the midst of a manhunt--and he's the man being hunted.
Whiplash River is nonstop action, filled with humor, plot twists and even romance. Berney adds a cast of new characters, all of them distinct and colorful, with a few veterans returning from Gutshot Straight as well. One of the outlying delights of this novel is travel. From the beaches of Belize to the pyramids of Egypt, Berney illustrates his settings subtly yet powerfully. Whether Shake is in a Mennonite village or a street packed with tourist traps, the geography enhances the chase rather than slowing or impeding it.
While Whiplash River can definitely be enjoyed without reading Gutshot Straight, it can be fully appreciated only with that background. Luckily, both novels are exceptionally fun reads! --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts