November Road
A Novel
Book - 2018
"Set against the assassination of JFK, a poignant and evocative crime novel that centers on a desperate cat-and-mouse chase across 1960s America--a story of unexpected connections, daring possibilities, and the hope of second chances from the Edgar Award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone. Frank Guidry's luck has finally run out. A loyal street lieutenant to New Orleans' mob boss Carlos Marcello, Guidry has learned that everybody is expendable. But now it's his turn--he knows too much about the crime of the century: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Within hours of JFK's murder, everyone with ties to Marcello is turning up dead, and Guidry suspects he's next: he was in Dallas on an errand for the boss less than two weeks before the president was shot. With few good options, Guidry hits the road to Las Vegas, to see an old associate--a dangerous man who hates Marcello enough to help Guidry vanish. Guidry knows that the first rule of running is "don't stop," but when he sees a beautiful housewife on the side of the road with a broken-down car, two little daughters and a dog in the back seat, he sees the perfect disguise to cover his tracks from the hit men on his tail. Posing as an insurance man, Guidry offers to help Charlotte reach her destination, California. If she accompanies him to Vegas, he can help her get a new car. For her, it's more than a car-- it's an escape. She's on the run too, from a stifling existence in small-town Oklahoma and a kindly husband who's a hopeless drunk. It's an American story: two strangers meet to share the open road west, a dream, a hope--and find each other on the way. Charlotte sees that he's strong and kind; Guidry discovers that she's smart and funny. He learns that's she determined to give herself and her kids a new life; she can't know that he's desperate to leave his old one behind. Another rule--fugitives shouldn't fall in love, especially with each other. A road isn't just a road, it's a trail, and Guidry's ruthless and relentless hunters are closing in on him. But now Guidry doesn't want to just survive, he wants to really live, maybe for the first time. Everyone's expendable, or they should be, but now Guidry just can't throw away the woman he's come to love. And it might get them both killed."--provided by publisher.
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Publisher:
New York, NY :, William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers,, [2018]
Edition:
First edition
Description:
299 pages ; 24 cm
Copyright Date:
©2018
ISBN:
9780062663849
0062663844
0062663844
Branch Call Number:
Bern
Additional Contributors:
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Add a CommentCould have been a good book. Plot is really a dud.
Two unlikely runaways (a professional fixer/con man for the mob and a desperate housewife) hit the road together and form a strong bond in the wake of the Kennedy Assassination of 1963. There's great character development here, taking a potentially flawed polarizing character (mob member Frank Guidry) and turning him into a guy to root for. When you compare Frank to the really big bad guys (think head mob bosses), he's a hero by comparison. The book successfully integrates fact with fiction to weave a believable narrative that will captivate readers.
This was a fun mobster story set in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, which it used as it's catalyst. The writing was fast-paced and the characters had some depth. Some of the writing reminded me a little bit of Lee Child (in a good way). There is some violence but nothing too graphic so that was nice - just enough to get the point across. I also liked that there was not a swear word used as every other word.
I would read another book by Berney, if I was looking for a lighter book with which to escape for a time.
A great crime novel. Guidry is a mob man, no emotion no guilt until he is the one who needs to be erased. He falls in with Charlotte and her daughters and suddenly his emotions wake up and he falls in love. Will love win and happy ever after take over? Not your usual love story. Cant wait to read another by Berney.
I'm a nut about anything with historical fiction in it and this did not disappoint
Good story line even if you don't care for organized crime based stuff. Didn't disappoint me at all in fact, the second half was better than the first where Berney set up the chase. Has a lot going for it.
A mobster Frank Guidry who knows too much about the Kennedy assassination crosses paths with a runaway housewife seeking a better life for herself and her two daughters.....an enjoyable, suspenseful novel
Beautiful writing that supports the characters and story without getting in the way. This is a bittersweet but joyful tale that embraces life and those with the courage to take the path less traveled. Echoes of A Tale of Two Cities and Casablanca were invoked for me because of the things unwritten in the white spaces between the lines.
Wonderful reading experience.
Really enjoyed this mystery
Excellent novel all around. Characters come to life against a "tragic " time in U. S. history. The novel flows smoothly , with twists and turns that compel the reader towards the end. One of the best novels that I have read in some time.