Review of NOVEMBER ROAD
Much better than the usual 'sick bay' read ... and, yes, there was another shooter.
I had resisted the bugs & viruses that had taken down all around me since Thanksgiving. I felt good about that until a few days ago I knew it had caught up with me. With early warning signs beginning to flare, I browsed through Vroman’s Bookstore realizing that it might be time for lighter fare. I had never heard of Lou Berney but a staff recommendation, good blurbs, a quick read of randomly chosen paragraphs and a rapidly congesting head convinced to give November Road a try. I read it in three sneezing and sniffling sessions. It was terrific! It felt like the old days when I discovered Raymond Chandler, John D. McDonald, and the likes. Great characters getting better as the plot unfurls and twists combined with bits of penny philosophy and terrific dialogue … what’s not to like?
As you likely know by now, I resist outlining outline plots and that applies particularly with a good mystery/thriller; however, a little context will not spoil anything. The plot revolves around the JFK assassination and the Mob. Teaching US History for so many years required me to read at least a dozen term papers on the assassination and all the different theories. It also happens that one of the most entertaining books I have EVER read is Stephen King’s brilliant 11/22/63 where he imagines a world where JFK might have not been shot. Add to this the many documentaries absorbed over the years, my own very powerful memories of those days and the ultimate conspiracy trip, Oliver Stone’s “JFK”, and you have a sucker for any story around this moment in our history. While not up to the genius of King’s opus, Berney’s November Road lives up to the high standard that comes with toying with that still all too vivid American nightmare. It helps that I suspect the Warren Commission knowingly suppressed the truth. There was another shooter … isn’t that obvious?
I must admit that one reason I do not go into these genres more frequently is that all too often the endings are rushed or implausible. This was only very slightly the case with this stylish piece of work. I look forward to digging into Berney’s other works.
November Road
Lou Berney
2019 299 pages (paperback
)