#42: Five for Them, One for Me, with Lou Berney
Lou's latest, CROOKS, is out September 9. It's available for pre-order now.
The thing is, Lou Berney looks like such a nice guy. But when writers talk about Lou Berney, they say things like, “I hate him.”
Not because they don’t actually like Lou. To know Lou is to like him. He is a quietly funny, supremely nice person in a way that may simply be in the Oklahoma City air where Lou lives. It’s could be pathologically impossible to actually hate him.
So then why would anyone even say they hate him?
Because Lou Berney is so good at what he does. He’s a writer who seems to build character and story and suspense effortlessly, and he makes it look easy. And on top of all this, he is—let’s say again—a really nice guy.
The author of seven novels, Lou’s won (take a breath) the Edgar, Hammett, Steel Dagger, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity awards, and is a three-time finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize. He also worked on the new FX series THE LOWDOWN, starring Ethan Hawke and created by Sterling Harjo, who created the brilliant RESERVATION DOGS.
Lou’s latest novel, CROOKS, is a multi-generation, multi-decade journey through the criminal lives of the Mercurios—a family best defined by the adage “the family that scams together, stays together.” It’s a fun and rollicking ride from page one, an audacious and always entertaining swing from a writer defined by those very swings.
Lou’s also the latest Five for Them, One for Me.
Let’s go.
FIVE FOR THEM
1. What was the origin point for your new novel, CROOKS?
As I’ve grown older, I’ve noticed more and more the alarming fact that certain of qualities were formed long ago–and I’ve never really outgrown them. I thought it would be fun to look at family and crime through that lens. How much a prisoner of the past, of our upbringing, are we? How much can we change? Do we even WANT to change.
2. The cover for CROOKS strikes a certain 70s vibe—fitting for the early chapters set during the 70s disco craze—and the book’s episodic structure harkens somewhat to books of the era. Was this a conscious choice while working on CROOKS? Were there writers of the era who influenced you?
THE GODFATHER was a book I read when I was way too young to read a book like THE GODFATHER. That was definitely a kind of family story and structure I wanted to play around with. I also love a lot of 70s low-budget shaggy crime films, the vibe and unpredictability of those. THE LONG GOODBYE, CHARLIE VARRICK.
3. Of the Mercurio children’s stories—Jeremy in 1980s Hollywood, Tallulah in post-Soviet Russia, Ray in the changing Las Vegas of the 1990s, attorney Alice in the 2000s, and eventual author Piggy in 2016—was there was a particular story or era that resonated with you the most?
They all resonated for me in different ways. I almost went to college in Los Angeles in the 1980s, but went to New Orleans instead, so that section was kind of like an imagined alternative reality for myself (though I am nothing like Jeremy). I also really wanted to go and live in Russia in the early 90s, just for the experience, but good sense (of my wife) prevailed. So I was excited to live that parallel life vicariously.
4. Readers of your work know you’re never afraid to go dark—I’m still working through the ending of DARK RIDE—but here the tone feels lighter, even as your characters face all forms of peril. Talk a little about balancing this lighter tone with keeping things suspenseful.
It’s always a tricky balance, because I don’t know if I really can or want to write a novel without SOME lightness to the tone. At the end of the day, I think it’s mostly about just trusting the characters, and following them were they lead you.
5. You wrote screenplays early in your career. It's such a different, somewhat restrictive form of storytelling, but also extremely structured and focused. Did this affect how you wrote your books?
Definitely! Screenwriting is such a great education in storytelling and structure. It’s easy to get lost in the interiority of a character when you write novels, but a screenplay background has made me always remember that you have to keep the plot wheels turning too.
ONE FOR ME
An early section of CROOKS revolves around the Mercurio parents running an Oklahoma City disco. What's the go-to disco song that will get Lou Berney on the dance floor?
“Livin’ for the Weekend,” by the O’Jays!
BOUCHERCON 2025
Yes, it’s Bouchercon week—basically “Crime Fiction Prom”—in New Orleans. One of my favorite times of the year, a chance to hang out with writers and learn from their experience, to discover new talent, and celebrate the fine art of writing about murder.
In addition to being a fanboy and taking so many selfies, on Saturday I’ll be joining Michael Amos Cody, Michael Ferreter, D.R. Ransdell, Brian Silverman and moderator Lawrence Allen to talk “Murderous Melodies—Weaving Music into Your Mystery.”
Hope to see you there!
That’s all we’ve got for now. Thanks for coming. See you next time, and hey, let’s be careful out there.
Right on -- see you in New Orleans!
I can't wait to read CROOKS. Lou Berney is the best!