Former mob wheelman, Shake has married and settled down in Indiana when his past comes for him. Lexy, his ex, who happens to be an Armenian crime boss, has gone missing on a vacation in Cambodia. Shake teams up with Lexy’s dearest friend, a thug with an outstanding beef with him, to find her. But running off to rescue his ex creates tension in his relationship with his wife.

Killer characterization along with dark humor make this book a winner.

The narrative dips into various characters’ perspectives, giving insight into their motivations. Even the minor characters like Mitch, an aura-obsessed woman Shake encounters in his quest, and Yvette, a girl Gina helps through her non-profit, are fully developed. The settings both in Indiana and Cambodia are vividly created through description and the character’s interactions and perspectives.

Shake’s wife, Gina holds her own throughout the story as she finds her own trouble while Shake is away. I really liked the care with which the female characters were created.

The plot has plenty of twists and turns, leading to a satisfying ending. DOUBLE BARREL BLUFF is a fun, action-packed crime novel.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to HarperCollins for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

Shake is back. This often funny and over the top bad guys make for Barney to show off his great writing skills. Shake often reminds me of Carl Hiiason novels and styles. We are lucky to have Lou writing the great crime novels. Much enjoyment.

Thanks for the ARC! It's the first book by Lou Berney I've read, but I'm glad to see there are more books in the Shake series, will definitely be checking those out. I learned a little bit about Cambodia, and got a great story in the process. I'm traveling for work right now, and fairly busy, but couldn't stop reading it, and got through it quickly. So, two thumbs up (or five stars).

An absolutely terrific novel and great read.

I've lived in Asia for over thirty years now and it is always with some degree of trepidation and extremely low expectations that I approach any novel written by an American that purports to be set here. Very few ring true. Even fewer are any good. Virtually every single one of them reads like somebody was trying to write off the cost of a vacation on his taxes so he did a week or two here, and then rushed home to publish his 'Asian' novel.

Even Nelson DeMille made a mess of it when he tried. So did the great Michael Connelly. Lou Berney does not make a mess of it. Lou Berney doesn't just hit it out of the park, he breaks a window three blocks away.

Highly, highly recommended.

Lou Berney has become a literary giant with books like The Long and Faraway Gone, November Road, and Dark Ride. But, like so many others, I was first introduced to him through his Shake Bouchon books. The combination of action and wit made those books a sensational series. That's why I was thrilled to read the return of Shake in Double Barrel Bluff. The strong series gets stronger with this one. Naturally, no Shake adventure can take place in one zip code or time zone only. This time he finds himself in Cambodia and learns the world can be a small place sometimes. Double Barrel Bluff is a splendid mix of old characters and new characters. It's a whole lot of fun. Bravo Berney! Bravo! Thank you to William Morrow, William Morrow Paperbacks, & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.