Review: November Road by Lou Berney

November Road by Lou Berney
Published by HarperCollins on October 9, 2018
Genres: Fiction, General, Historical, Literary, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher

Frank Guidry is a street lieutenant to mob boss Carlos Marcello.  As a loyal employee he's never turned down a job, but this most recent one is particularly treacherous.

Just a few weeks prior, he was assigned a job to deliver and park a car in Dallas.  Now, JFK has been shot.  In Dallas. His next task requires him to retrieve that same vehicle, in a different location, and drive it out of the city.  Guidry feels he knows to much for his own good.  His suspicions are confirmed when everyone tied to Carlos turns up dead.  Realizing he's next, he knows he has to vanish....quickly.  All his connections are tied to Carlos, so his options are limited.  He knows that soon hit men will be on his trail so he has to find a means to disguise himself.

He meets Charlotte, a housewife with two young daughters, fleeing a failing marriage.  It's as if the fates have aligned themselves.  Charlotte's car has broken down and she doesn't have the resources to replace it. They're heading to California to stay with her aunt.  Posing as an insurance man on his way to Las Vegas, he's promised Charlotte assistance in obtaining a new car when they arrive.

What starts as an "out" for the both of them turns out to be much more.  Unfortunately, fugitives shouldn't fall in love for it puts everyone in danger.

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I agreed to review this title. At first glance, it’s not something I would normally read, despite being a huge fan of crime fiction.  That said, I’d heard nothing but praise from others whose opinion I trust, so I went for it.  I thought I was going to experience yet another alternative history.  What I got instead was so much more.

Berney’s storytelling capabilities are outstanding. He quickly takes you back to 1960’s America in the wake of an act that shook not only the nation, but the world.  He reminds us of an innocence that once existed, a true love of nation.   This is far more than a tale of a man on the run from the mob.  Rather, it’s a deeply captivating examination of the human condition, how two very different people, running from different things, can come together.  The journey they take together, though brief, is more than just a physical journey but one in which each undergoes personal growth and self-realization.

If you are looking for a truly unique, wholly captivating read, this is the title for you. Highly recommended.