by Lou Berney
First published 2012
Charles "Shake" Bouchon thought he had escaped his criminal past. The former professional wheel man runs a quiet beachside restaurant in Belize, far from the dangerous world he once knew. Then gunfire shatters his peaceful existence. A bullet rips through his restaurant, and suddenly Shake is running for his life again. His Caribbean sanctuary becomes a hunting ground filled with lawmen, con artists, and killers. Among them lurks a beautiful but lethal FBI agent and a murderous thug called Baby Jesus. Each step deeper into this twisted game puts Shake further from safety. The Boston Globe praised Berney's ability to blend cartoonish crime with genuine emotion, comparing him to Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard while noting his unique talent for making romance as gripping as mystery. This sequel to Gutshot Straight delivers the same lightning pace and clever plotting that earned Berney his place among crime fiction's top tier.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Belize
Period: contemporary
320 pages · Unknown Binding · William Morrow Paperbacks
Content warnings: violence