It’s time for another issue in my long-running series, “I Appreciate…” in which I talk about a writer I admire in overly flattering terms and make everyone involved uncomfortable. Writers, as I often say, are desperate attention-seeking animals in constant need of the utmost praise…but we also hate hearing it. Although we need it. Ha ha, we’re pathetic. Anyway, let’s turn our attention to the subject of this newsletter…

Crooks, Lou Berney’s newest novel, isn’t the kind of novel I’m normally into. I’ll read anything, but my sweet spot for crime fiction (and all literature) is the psychological thriller. Crooks is an intergenerational crime drama, and I actually don’t find intergenerational stories terribly interesting. That’s not because of the topic, but because most writers don’t do them well. It’s a big swing. Most writers miss.

But I’ve read everything that Lou Berney has ever written, and he’s never missed, so I gave it a chance.

Crooks is a departure from his other work although, frankly, Lou’s books are often dissimilar. I first read Gutshot Straight and Whiplash River, a pair of capers featuring his character Shakes Bouchon, comedic, fast-paced thrillers that hearken back to Elmore Leonard. I loved those books and was hoping for more when, like a quick twist in one of the Shakes Bouchon novels, Berney slammed on the brakes and published The Long and Faraway Gone.

A writer’s early work, regardless of the quality, is often a promise to be delivered at some later date. The Long and Faraway Gone was the delivery of the promise Lou Berney made to fans with the Bouchon books. That novel, telling twin stories of the aftermath of a deadly armed robbery and a girl who disappeared from a state fair, was unsettling in its emotional reach, the kind of book that slowly breaks, then heals, your heart. The novel won the Edgar, Macacity, Anthony, and Barry awards, and placed Berney among crime fiction’s elite.

But as good as The Long and Faraway Gone was, it (amazingly) didn’t have the scope of Berney’s next novel, November Road. Arguably more of a crime story than its predecessor, November Road takes place during the days following the Kennedy assassination, and tells the story of two desperate fugitives racing across the country. I was astonished at how many themes Berney had in this book, how many vibrant colors it contained. November Road won another slew of awards, as well as praise from Stephen King and appearances on every “best of” list imaginable.

Anyway, remember when I said Lou takes departures? Well, there was a break between books, and I don’t know what Lou was doing. He lives in Oklahoma, so I’ve always assumed he was cattle ranching or chasing tornados (look, I don’t know anything about Oklahoma, but it was probably one of those things). But he returned after a five-year hiatus with Dark Ride, a book smaller-in-theme than either of its predecessors, but as richly drawn in character. The novel is about a carnival worker who gets obsessively caught up in the story of an abused child, and it has - quite honestly - one of the most haunting endings I’ve ever read. Dark Ride didn’t receive the accolades his prior novels has, which is a shame and, for reviewers and awarders, a blunder.

Fortunately, Berney has finished his cattle ranching apprenticeship (?) because he’s given us two books in the past two years - Double Barrel Bluff, a new Shake Bouchon novel (I’m reading it now, don’t tell me how it ends) and the book that started this essay, Crooks.

And, as I said, Crooks isn’t the kind of novel I normally read, so I wasn’t expecting to like it. But after a few pages, I was enjoying the story and happy to keep reading. After a few chapters, I was sad when I had to stop the book and dutifully watch Shark Tank with the family. At the midway point, I cared about these characters more than I do most of my friends. When I finished, I was deeply sad to say goodbye to this wonderful, astonishing, hilarious and heartfelt family.

Crooks is the best book I read this year. If you’re making a list of “Best Books of 2025” and you haven’t read it, here’s a link, do your thing. If you’re looking for something to end your year on a high note, clickety-click. If you have a friend who needs a gift, MAKE WITH THE CLICK. Lou Berney doesn’t disappoint.

EA

Speaking of writers I admire, I get to interview Christina Kovac about her new thriller, Watch Us Fall (next on the nightstand). Christina Kovac always brings her perspective of a former television journalist to her work, but she does so in a way that dives far deeper under the surface than most of her peers. Watch Us Fall is her long-awaited follow-up to her debut, The Cutaway, and it’s already received praise from Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, and more. Come check us out at Chantilly Regional Library on Sunday, December 14.

It's giveaway time! This newsletter, I’m giving away copies of Crooks and Watch Us Fall to one lucky winner. And that winner is:

Maria_______20@GMail.COM

Congrats, and I'll send you an email with more information soon.

I mentioned earlier that psychological thrillers are my jam. Of the novels I’ve published, the closest that comes to that subgenre is my 2020 novel They’re Gone, which was published under a pseudonym and was my first book to be released as an audiobook. To celebrate it’s fifth year, the publisher has put the audiobook on sale! It’s 70% off, which is a savings of 70%! (I did the math for you.)

Hold on, I did more math, and it’s actually $7.50, marked down from $24.99.

You can use this secret link to get your copy: https://www.audiobooks.com/promotions/promotedBook/453934/theyre-gone?refId=225655

Thanks for helping me celebrate!