Whiplash River: A Novel

WHIPLASH RIVER is the sequel to LB’s GUTSHOT STRAIGHT (with a third Shake Bouchon novel DOUBLE BARREL BLUFF on deck). It is even more successful than the first novel (though I didn’t think that would be possible). Again, the major influences are Carl Hiassen and (especially) Elmore Leonard, with dialogue that rises to the level of the master’s and a plot that is nothing short of dazzling in its architectonics.To summarize that plot would be to spoil it, but I will offer a small outline. Shake (an ex-wheelman for the L.A. Armenian mob) has always dreamed of being a chef. Here his dream is realized (sort of). He is operating a restaurant in Belize, but Shake’s Ambergris Caye is not very much like the one you see regularly on House Hunters International. In addition to giant insects and annoying tourists it houses a druglord named Baby Jesus (yes, he is that counter-nominally fat), linked to a major Mexican cartel. Shake has borrowed money from him (duh) to operate the restaurant and Baby Jesus is squeezing him, a fact that is complicated by an explosion which blasts the restaurant to tiny bits. Meanwhile, Shake has encountered an elderly international man of mystery with likely CIA connections, an FBI special agent who would like Shake to dime the Armenians as well as take her out to dinner, an odd amateur hit team, and a professional killer whose quarry is the elderly gentleman. The latter offers Shake a business proposition that involves a caper/heist of a terrific McGuffin (in, of all places, Cairo). Shake is wary and wants to fly to Frisco and link up with his ex-lover Gina (who figures prominently in GUTSHOT STRAIGHT). After a futile attempt to kick Shake in the pills she agrees to join Shake and the old man (Harry Quinn) in Cairo, whereupon all of the half-dozen or so plotlines come together in a beautifully orchestrated conclusion.The book is unputdownable, the characters truly memorable (with Harry Quinn a lovely new addition to the cast). LB’s descriptions of exotic locales are worth the price of admission (the third novel is set in Cambodia). This is the new master of comic/caper fiction. Long may he reign.Highly recommended.

Didn't know what I was getting into with this book, however, the story has a great cadre of characters. All the players were fully fleshed out. There is a lot of humor in the dialogue, along with an extremely twisting plot line. The author knows his subject and then, so do we. I highly recommend this book.

Shake and Gina are at it again. Another tension filled adventure trying to outwit the bad guys and hit the big pay day. Nothing ever seems to go according to plan though. And that is where all the fun and excitement comes from. Simply to much conscience. Too much sexual tension. Too much fun and excitement. I love these characters. I hope Mr. Barney has more Shake in that devious mind of his and shares it with us.

Sometimes, a second book in a series is a step up from the first. Sometimes it’s a step down. This second book in Berney’s Shake Bouchon series is the latter.Like the first novel, Whiplash River is a darkish caper novel. But it lacked the crispness that made that book so enjoyable.Berney delivered a full load of twists and surprises here but some of them felt a little forced and some of them really went nowhere, as if he put them in just to have a twist. He also included two characters who seem to have no real role in the story except to get Shake and his partners out of a corner Berney had written them into.I looked forward to reading this book after finishing Gutshot Straight. Sad to say, I was disappointed. That over 10% of this download was material from another of Berney’s books didn’t help.Berney left the door open at the end of this book for Shake to have more adventures, and I will probably give the next one a shot. But if it’s no better than this one, it will be the last Lou Berney book I read.

Whiplash River can easily be enjoyed as a standalone read. The story doesn't rely on any knowledge of prior events to understand the plot, but it is a sequel to a great novel called Gutshot Straight, some of the characters are back so by reading this first you'll not only know who survives in that one but also the dialogue in this novel's plot gives away a few key outcomes of the first novel, so the enjoyment of the surprise twists won't be there for you when you read Gutshot Straight. If you're a fan of comic capers (fun crime novels with eccentric characters) by authors such as Donald E Westlake or Carl Hiaasen then you'll enjoy Lou Berney's novels.In Whiplash River the basic plot again starts off as a fly on the wall experience of former getaway driver Charles Bouchon (or as he prefers to be known Shake) who is living his dream of a life away from crime as a new player in the restaurant ownership game. Problem is like most people who try their hand at this industry, reality is not like the dream, customers aren't in the numbers he assumed would come and the local underworld who he borrowed his start-up capital from aren't sympathetic to slow business days. When an amateur hit man tries to kill one of his few customers, Shake isn't having that and saves the old guy. But now he's made himself not only another enemy in the hit man but also his girlfriend who isn't going to tolerate anyone punching her boyfriend in the face. To make matters worse he's also been hitting on an FBI agent who is on vacation, but chose Belize since she has plans to use Shake for her own purposes.I didn't think Whiplash was quite up to the masterpiece level of Gutshot Straight. It did have its slow moments for the first half of the book, unlike that first novel that was nonstop from page one to the end. Once the book moves on from Belize, and onto the country where a caper is planned to fix all the problems and a character from Gutshot Straight joins the pages, it becomes just as much fun as the first book.

Lou Berney's novels are an absolute delight to read, he is by far one of my favourite ever authors. Whiplash River is exciting, very very funny, and has more twists and turns than any other book you may care to mention.Highly recommended

brilliant

Love every book he’s written

Enjoyed, hope the series will continue

Lou Berney is a newcomer to the fiction scene, but he's already a winner. Love his humor, and his excellent ear for dialogue. Am anxious to read his next one!

Quite amusing and well plotted

tutto ok