Lou Berney is among that rare breed of crime fiction authors whose work can’t be pinned down into clear and concise marketing silos. He allows the story at hand to dictate subgenre, structure, tone, and goal. So much so that when readers pick up a new Lou Berney novel, they never know what to expect. The one consistency is that his novels always rank among the best books released each season. His new novel, Crooks, only continues this trend.
Crooks is a crime novel—but one that forges its path more as a portrait of a family rather than the more traditional linear plot structure. Think of it as a family saga, where the entire family is unethical, although to varying degrees and for differing reasons. Once met, the members of the Mercurio Family are unforgettable. Epic in scope, Crooks covers decades in the life of this one family—documenting as each decision made by individual members has ramifications for others down the line.
Lou Berney has essentially written a series of short stories/novellas that are linked by their focus on members of the Mercurio Family. Buddy and Lillian start the legacy into motion. When Buddy first sees Lillian, he sees not only a beautiful woman—but also one who will likely be comfortable with his work on the fringes of legality. Fleeing Las Vegas for their safety, they open a discotheque in Oklahoma, before making the decision to start a family.
The Mercurio siblings eventually number five: Ray, Alice, Jeremy, Piggy, and adopted child, Tallulah. Each of these children get their own sections in the novel. For example, readers watch as Jeremy—a wannabe actor—works as a gigolo in 80s Hollywood. The sections all differ in tone, but the common bond between them, besides the family, is that each ends with the central character at some type of crossroads—typically a criminal element that has gone bad.
Lou Berney is such a gifted writer that he can elicit compassion from readers even though many members of the Mercurio family are less than upstanding citizens. He manages to give them each a logical reason for their nefarious activities and keeps their crimes low level enough that there are times when readers may actually cheer for them to succeed.
In the end, this rag-tag family becomes endearing, and each reader will walk away with a favorite member of the Mercurio Family—hopefully only taking them on as role-models as it relates to their family loyalty. The whole of Crooks ends up presenting a portrait of an American family with struggles and differences who somehow manage to come together in a crisis.
Lou Berney’s Crooks is one of the most unique crime novels of the year and it also happens to be one of the best written. Not a surprise coming from an author who always prioritizes the reader experience and never fails to deliver.
BUY LINKS: Crooks by Lou Berney
Disclaimer: A print galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
