Lou Berney: Just finished burning through Lou Berney’s 2024 Double Barrel Bluff. I discovered him through The Long and Faraway Gone, a terrific story of two characters looking for answers, twenty-five years later, to separate 1986 tragedies in Oklahoma City. I then loved two other stand-alones, November Road and Dark Ride. But I didn’t realize he started with a series starring “Shake” Bouchon. Double Barrell Bluff’s the third one and a great ride. If you don’t know Lou Berney’s books, they’re all damn good.
Sinners: A mythic story of twin brothers, returned from mob life in Chicago to start a juke joint in their hometown in 1930s Mississippi. Vibrant characters, great blues music (here’s looking at you, Buddy Guy), the Klan, charismatically evil Irish folk music & dance, and vampires, all set in the Delta backwoods. What more could you ask? Kudos to Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan and all the cast and crew.
James McMurtry, Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore: Three great songwriters, sharing the Lensic stage on June 6 here in Santa Fe. An evening of words, music, stories & warmth. Dave Alvin has said: “ There are two types of folk music: quiet folk music and loud folk music. I play both.” And they did.
Department Q: It’s been some time since I tore through Jussi Adler-Olsen’s terrific series featuring Carl Morck, a detective solving cold cases with keen insight and a mordant sense of humor. Now the first book is a show on Netflix, moved from Copenhagen to Edinburgh and starring Mathew Goode as Morck. The setting, cast, and writing capture the terrific flavor of the books. Reminds me of Slow Horses. Highly recommend.
