Shake Bouchon believed that he was thousands of miles removed from his past until he came face to face with a hulking enforcer named Dikran Ghazarian. Shake’s reluctance at this unprompted reunion is illustrated when he attempts to flee from the thug and later hopes to incapacitate him when he is unable to escape his clutches. After landing a few impactful hits on Shake, Dikran explains the reason for his arrival. Shake’s former boss and one-time love interest, Lexy Ilandryan, has gone missing in Cambodia, and Dikran requires his help.

French and Ramos are two men conducting surreptitious surveillance on a female tourist exploring the sites and scenes of Cambodia. While French is a frustrated writer and former professor, Ramos is an ex-convict seeking a quick score. Their job is high risk, but the reward may surpass the danger. They move quickly, but Ramos’ hair-trigger reaction leads to the death of an associate.

"...[a] rip-roaring page-turner... Lou Berney continues to produce outstanding books that are funny, intelligent and entertaining."

Shake has been living a new and reformed life in Indiana with his wife, Gina. He is reluctant to travel halfway around the world and risk his neck for a former flame. However, pangs of guilt and loyalty toward a friend put him on the red-eye journey. Shake and Dikran are not friends, but they must work together as their shared concern for Lexy overrides their mutual disdain. Shake doesn’t believe that Lexy is in any immediate danger, yet there is more than enough evidence pointing to her abduction.

Shake knows that he has his work cut out for him. The appearance of Armenian mob underlings inquiring into Lexy’s whereabouts only hastens the need for locating her. A power vacuum in the mob is probable if her disappearance is known, and her safety might be in further jeopardy. In addition, Shake left Gina back in Indiana, and the couple parted under questionable circumstances. He doesn’t know which will lead to more headaches: an answered or a missed phone call. In order to locate Lexy, Shake will need to rely on instinct, along with dicey underworld connections. With each passing day, Dikran’s instability threatens to go off the rails, and Shake knows its only a matter of time before he’s in the crosshairs.

DOUBLE BARREL BLUFF is Berney’s latest rip-roaring page-turner. Shake Bouchon returns as the affable knockaround guy turned upright citizen who faces a jump back into the unfathomable and murky depths of the underworld. The danger posed to Lexy is just one of many compelling complications that push this great story forward.

Shake’s tenuous alliance with Dikran threatens to dissolve at any minute, often in a way that will leave one or the other bruised and battered. The contrast to their partnership is the criminal association of French and Ramos. French is the more erudite of the pair but often acts condescending to the volatile Ramos. Both pairs operate under the thinnest layer of trust. However, the relationship at the heart of the story revolves around Shake and Gina. The couple long for an idyllic life but also gravitate toward the dangerous. Their love is pure, and their interactions are genuine.

Lou Berney continues to produce outstanding books that are funny, intelligent and entertaining.