"...A GOOD CAPER CAN'T BE BEAT." : DOUBLE BARREL BLUFF'S LOU BERNEY

With Double Barrel Bluff, Lou Berney returns to his former mob driver Shake Bouchon. Bouchon must go to Cambodia to save his former lover with the woman's enforcer and his wife, who both attempted to kill to kill him in the past. The book is a fun throwback to Lou's earlier work. The author was kind enough to take some questions from us.

SCOTT MONTGOMERY: What made you come back to Shake Bouchon?

LOU BERNEY: Shake and Gina are characters I miss when I’m not with them, so the pull is always there. And it made sense to round out their stories with a third and final episode. I wanted to do something different than the first two books, so when I thought of a kidnapping gone wrong, it all clicked.

S..M.: Your last three books were at least a touch more somber and grounded in reality. How did this return to a lighter, pulpier tone feel?

L.B.: My first love as a crime reader was Elmore Leonard, so going back to this kind of tone is always refreshing and kind of liberating. I love writing books with more layers, but a good caper can’t be beat for lifting my mood, either as reader or writer.

S.M.: How did you choose Cambodia for the backdrop?

L.B.: My wife and I visited Cambodia on vacation and we fell in love with it. Specifically, we fell in love with how complex it seems, both beautiful and friendly, but also mysterious and impenetrable. It was a perfect setting for the kind of story I wanted to tell.

S.M.: As funny as the book is, I never forget the life and death stakes involved. How do you strike that balance?

L.B.: That’s great to hear! My rule of thumb is to follow the story and follow the characters — don’t try to lead them anywhere. In other words, I kept my eyes open for moments that seemed like a good opportunity for humor, for moments that seemed like a good opportunity for ballast, and for moments that could combine the two.

S.M.: How has Shade changed since the first book?

L.B.: In some ways, he hasn’t changed at all. He just wants to settle down and have a nice quiet life! But he’s also, over the three books, learned what it’s like to be in a serious relationship, and how to navigate that, and how marriage is the best thing that ever happened to him.

S.M.: If you couldn't write, what other art form would you pursue?

L.B.: I would do found-art collages!