Lou Berney's skill for weaving dark humor into his neo-noir novels erupts in full force in Double Barrel Bluff, which brings back former getaway car driver Shake Bouchon.
Shake and his wife, Gina, both of whom have checkered backgrounds, are happily retired in Bloomington, Ind., and enjoying their quiet, fairly mundane lives. Then Shake is tracked down by Armenian mobster Dikran Ghazarian, who once vowed to kill Shake. But to Shake's surprise, Dikran has come to ask for Shake's help to find Los Angeles mob boss Alexandra "Lexy" Ilandryan. Though Dikran is Lexy's "right hand," their relationship is more "like brother and sister" than employee and boss. She's also Shake's former lover. Lexy has disappeared from her annual off-the-grid trip, this year to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Dikran has lost communication with Lexy and she missed a usual check-in on a significant date. Reluctantly, Shake agrees to help find Lexy, who has been kidnapped by a former professor and ex-con who believe she is just a wealthy tourist. The clueless criminals have no idea about her true identity.
Betrayal upon betrayal fuel Double Barrel Bluff. Rescuing Lexy becomes more complicated as her "new number two" sees the situation as an opportunity to seize power. The wisecracking Shake and the "mean, dumb, brutal" Dikran make uneasy allies but are determined to outmaneuver the others and save Lexy. Berney (Whiplash River; The Long and Faraway Gone) propels Double Barrel Bluff with fully realized supporting characters, a vivid depiction of Cambodia, and action that enhances the story. Berney tackles his exciting plot with both barrels. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer