Gutshot Straight

By: Lou Berney

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

A crime caper in the tradition of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, this fast and funny debut is the story of "Shake" Bouchon, fresh out of prison and ready for life on the straight and narrow—well, maybe after one last job....

When Charles "Shake" Bouchon, professional wheel man, walks out of prison after a three-year stretch for grand theft auto, he's got only two problems: he's too nice a guy for the life he's led and not nice enough for any other. So he says yes when he's asked to run a simple errand for his former boss and lover, Alexandra Ilandryan, the formidable pakhan of the Armenian mob in Los Angeles. All Shake has to do is deliver a package to Las Vegas and pick up a briefcase. Only the package turns out to be a wholesome young housewife named Gina whose husband has run afoul of Dick Moby, aka "The Whale", an unpleasant 400-pound Vegas strip-club owner. Shake hates to think what's going to happen to Gina when he delivers her to The Whale, so in a move that's as noble as it is boneheaded, he decides to set her free.

Now Shake and Gina are on the run to Panama, hoping to unload the very valuable—and highly unusual—contents of The Whale's briefcase. Shake could end up a rich man, but first he'll have to outmaneuver two angry crime bosses, a murderous Armenian thug plagued by erectile superfunction, a former pro football player who blames Shake for his romantic woes, and a billionaire swindler with a flair for the theatrical. Not to mention, and not the least, Shake will need to survive his own heart, since he's going to discover that wholesome housewife Gina is even more intriguing, and a lot more complicated, than he ever imagined.

Full of blindsided double-crosses and hard shots to the head, Gutshot Straight is a tale of love, luck, and larceny against the odds.

©2010 Lou Berney (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"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)

“This book is full of crooks, murderers, Mafia, strippers, and assorted villains, and Ballerini gives each character his or her own identity. This book is smart and sexy, and easily could be turned into a movie. Nonetheless, with Ballerini's performance, you don't need a screen—you can see it come together just by listening.” (AudioFile)

"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)

A Very Entertaining Caper!

This was my first experience with Lou Berney and I was quite pleased.

While some of the reviewers and critics describe the story as hilarious, rib-tickling, or knee slapping, it is not by any stretch - so don't expect an outright comedy. The book was simply a very entertaining caper-style story, which was also very well written with a few chuckles and snickers along the way.

The Publisher's Summary nails the story line as the main character "Shake", goes on a crazy roller coaster ride through Vegas and Panama, linked to a girl he meets (Gina) while on a "job" a driver.

The character development is good in that there are a lot of twists and turns along the way, which fits these types of characters perfectly - all of them.

All in all, I enjoyed this one and may look for another book by Lou Berney as well.

Recommended!!

Entertaining

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Of course it is not great literature but, for its genre, it is right up there with Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen and Donald Westlake. The narration was spot on and enhanced the book.

Rocking The Twisties... 15 Stars

You know when you're caning it through twisties on a high end bike and how you're tucked into that way-lean... Left. Then right... Then back... Forth... And you grab a handful of throttle and you're so on the rails you almost giggle?

Okay, maybe neither of us has done that, but... but... That's the feeling Lou Berney blows in your face from Gutshot Straight. So many twists yet this guy makes them all feel so perfectly designed and the ride so tightly engineered that... Whoa!

Was the ending improbable? Which one? OK, let me try a different metaphor. Imagine a heavy metal rift and the final chord that resolves ... That sucker never comes... Just another explosion of finger popping mega-watts.... Think Ratt! Or think Shake Buchon and the bomb-shell Gina... And, well I can't wait to read the next in this series... Both for the rifts... or the twists... Or maybe a resolution.

Know what? I hope it doesn't come... Um, I think I hope that... Or maybe I just want to lean into twists, and feel the axe-man-Berney blow his stuff through my hair.

Oh, the front man here... Edoardo Ballerini? Yeah, he rocks like that high end hog leaning into a....

One of my very favorites!

Would you listen to Gutshot Straight again? Why?

Yes, the writer made a great story that held my attention and I loved his characters. They were believable and most interesting.

What other book might you compare Gutshot Straight to and why?

Creole Belle, storyline somewhat the same and both narrators really make a great story even better!!!

Which character – as performed by Edoardo Ballerini – was your favorite?

Shake of course. He is the main character that is tough but likable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I had a hard time putting it down.

Any additional comments?

I am looking for more audios by these two!

Excellent!!!

Genius! splendid work!!! uplifting inspiring!!! Philip Roth and Dostoyevsky eat your hearts out!!! hitchcockian mastery of genre while laying bear the truth suffering and finally redemption in modern life.

If you like Elmore Leonard - give Gutshot a try

I liked the story - moves fast. It's a bit quirky but entertaining. If you find yourself sometimes cheering for the bad guys you should give this one a 'shot'.

Fun characters in a fast moving story, well read!

Mr. Ballerini's narration is perfect and makes the characters come to life. The plot, though predictable at times, still manages to be riveting. A great listen I hated to put down!

Fewer laughs, more adventure than I was expecting

The jacket blurb had me looking forward to comedy...but it was more of an adventure than a laugh-out-loud novel. That said, Shake is a funny guy -- and the twists and turns his life takes are full of irony.

I spent a lot of the novel being ticked off at Gina -- and annoyed that Shake keeps giving her a pass. I guess that means the author was able to get me emotionally invested in the characters.

It is a fun story -- but it is all-over-the-map, literally. Shake finds himself in 4 or 5 different cities and two different continents in a matter of hours. I kept wishing he would have a chance to take a shower, a nap and find a fresh set of clothes!

The scenario surrounding the climax was predictable. The author continued to revisit several unrelated characters that I thought should no longer play a part in the action -- so I knew that they would all reappear in the same room at some point near the end. But even so, I enjoyed the chance to get to know those various characters a little more.

I find myself searching for the most helpful thing to say in this review. When the recording ended I was not fully sated -- but as I dissect the book in this review, I realize that it had all the elements. Fun, fully formed characters, an exciting adventure, unexpected twists and turns. I guess the only thing really missing was an epilogue that assured me that Shake ended up with his restaurant. I guess I'll have to listen to the sequel!

A comedy, a parody, a thriller ??????? - FUN

Would you consider the audio edition of Gutshot Straight to be better than the print version?

I don't know. I really enjoyed Edorado Ballerini, he did a great job.

If you’ve listened to books by Lou Berney before, how does this one compare?

Haven't

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

NO

Any additional comments?

It was purely entertainment. As stated it was almost a comedy, almost a parody, almost a thriller. It was fun to listen to. It was like a game trying to anticipate the next surprise, much the same as the story line. I was glad I bought it. will check into some of his other books. The reader was great!!! The author took a great position, he is writing almost tongue in cheek it seems, and therefore doesn't try to push anything beyond his goal. He never got in his own way in terms of story line, ability, humor, etc. Well done.

Jump back, what's that sound?...Panama...

Charles Atkinson (reader I follow) does it again - another on point recommendation. Thanks!

It's like Get Shorty. It's Like Pulp Fiction. It's a little Hiaasen. The story is a witty and suspense-filled weave of characters and sub-plots all after double crossing each other for the sake of some "stamps" worth over 5 million dollars. Hoping there is a sequel that's how much I enjoyed it.