November Road by Lou Berney

November Road by Lou Berney is a crime thriller centered around the assassination of JFK. Americans have long been fascinated by this mystery, myself included, and there seems to be more theories that you can shake a stick at.

In this fictional version of the assassination, a crime boss in New Orleans, Carlos Marcello, is the master mind behind the fatal shooting. He has personal reasons for wanting Kennedy dead. It is the crime of the century and it has been meticulously planned even down to getting rid of EVERYONE who has ties to the crime no matter how trivial.

Frank Guirdy has been a loyal employee to Carlos for most of his life. He has worked his way up in the crime organization and is now one of the top lieutenants. He is very valuable to Carlos…. until he is not. A little errand in Dallas to drop off a car for the boss two weeks prior to the assassination has made him expendable. Very expendable!

It does not take Carlos long to put two and two together. Since everyone, regardless of rank, who has a connection to the crime is being eliminated. He fears he is next and he runs. However, he finds that he is too memorable as a traveler alone and Carlos has a long arm. Therefore, it is fortuitous that he happens to run into Charlotte, a young mother with two young daughters, who is escaping her unpleasant life in Oklahoma. They become the perfect cover. Carlos’s agent will not be looking for a couple with two kids. But Paul Barone is not just any agent and he is very good at what he does. Now not only is Frank’s life in danger but also the lives of the innocents he has attached himself to.

What a great story. I loved the author’s take on the murder of JFK. The plot worked so well and it was paced to keep the reader interested without feeling rushed. And the ending, not what I expected but it was a perfect fit.

Still my favorite part was the main character Frank. I did not like him much at first, but as I got deeper into the story I started to connect with him. I can even say I felt sorry for him. This left me conflicted because you are not supposed to like a person like Frank. He has done horrible things and he is using Charlotte for his own personal gain. Yet, you want him to win because the only other option is Carlos to win and you do not want that either. Wisely, the author has Frank grow as a person; therefore, making him more likable.

The only thing I was not crazy about is when Frank’s meets up with his contact in Las Vegas. All the stuff that went on between them just did not seem to fit at well with the rest of the story. I know that it was a means to reach a desired conclusion but it felt clunky. In the end, it is such a minor thing I felt it did not impact my overall feelings about the book.

In short this was a well-executed, entertaining historical fiction. I recommend it to not only readers who love that genre but also to those that like thrillers and crime fiction.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.