Crooks
- Judith D Collins
- Sep 8
- 8 min read
A Novel About Crime and Family
By: Lou Berney
Narrator: Johnathan McClain
HarperAudio
ISBN: 9780063445574
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 09/09/2025
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
From award-winning author Lou Berney comes an electrifying new novel that follows a uniquely American crime family on an unforgettable journey across four decades.
A Suspenseful Multigenerational Saga of a Crime Family's Dark Legacy, Unforgettable Corruption, and the Inescapable Shadow of the Underworld...
You’ve never met a family like the Mercurios.
They say the American dream is going farther in life than your parents ever did. But how does that work if your parents are criminals?
For Buddy, a low-level mob wise guy, and Lillian, a charming pickpocket, the criminal underworld is the only life they’ve ever known. When they’re forced to flee the glittering Babylon of Las Vegas, they end up opening a club in Oklahoma City—a town that quickly feels like a gold mine of fresh marks and easy new money. Along for the ride are their five children, all of them raised into the family business of crime—until the day comes when they each have a chance to make their own way in the world, even if they can never completely escape the family’s long, dark shadow.
Jeremy, the family’s Golden Boy, will throw himself into the glittering excesses of a drug-fueled Hollywood in the roaring 1980s.
Tallulah, the daredevil, will find herself in the deadly Wild West of post-communist Moscow.
Ray, the dope, the dumb muscle since he was a kid, wants nothing more than to put down his gun, but following orders is all he’s ever known.
Alice, the genius who renounced her life of crime long ago, now sees her white-shoe law firm being blackmailed and must tap into old skills to save both the company and her own life.
And Piggy, a civilian always on the outside looking in on his crime family, desperate to be part of the gang.
Crooks is an epic novel about a truly unforgettable family–forty years of peril as each Mercurio has to grapple, in their own way, with the family’s powerful criminal legacy.
My Review
From the master storyteller and award-winning bestselling author Lou Berney, celebrated for his engaging narratives, comes a thrilling new adventure—CROOKS. Following the success of Dark Ride, which topped the charts of 2023, this latest offering plunges readers into a darkly comedic world of crime and family ties.
CROOKS is a rollicking tale brimming with clever dialogue and infectious charm, weaving together a vibrant tapestry of criminal exploits and the complexities of familial relationships.
This bold and hilarious novel spans four decades, showcasing a multi-generational family saga filled with con artists, laugh-out-loud moments, and a deep emotional core.
Join in on a wild ride packed with wit and heart—a true testament to Berney's skill in crafting unforgettable stories.
About...
Five siblings.
Four decades.
Two continents.
One riveting, bold story.
Meet the Mercurio family.
What do you do when you are born into a legacy woven with the threads of crime? Can you escape the shadows that loom over your lives?
Parents:
~Buddy: A low-level mobster with a charming grin and quick wit, navigating the gritty underbelly of Las Vegas.
~Lillian: A beguiling pickpocket with nimble fingers and an irresistible smile, always one step ahead of the law.
When a fateful decision sends them fleeing Las Vegas in the dead of night during the turbulent 1960s, they set up a vibrant nightclub in Oklahoma City, a new stage for their alluring escapades and perhaps a chance to carve a new path—or tumble deeper into chaos.
Children:
~Jeremy, the Golden Boy: An ambitious dreamer, he takes Hollywood by storm in the 1980s, chasing stardom while battling the ghosts of his family's past.
~Tallulah, the Daredevil: Fearless and audacious, she finds herself entangled in the perilous Wild West of post-communist Moscow, living on the edge with danger as her closest companion.
~Ray, the Simpleton: Often underestimated, he is the obedient brother who follows the crowd, yearning for freedom but shackled by his upbringing, trapped in a world he doesn’t know how to escape.
~Alice, the Intellectual: Once a rising star in the legal profession, she has left her tumultuous past behind. However, when blackmail threatens to unravel her hard-earned life, she must delve back into her criminal roots to save herself and her prestigious law firm.
~Piggy, the Outsider: Forever on the periphery, he craves acceptance in the family of misfits, desperately longing to prove himself as more than just an observer in a world where crime feels like home.
Buckle up for the WILD RIDE of a lifetime, as the Mercurio family navigates crime, love, loyalty, lies, betrayal, and the relentless pull of their past!
My thoughts...
A huge fan of the author, CROOKS stands out as a captivating blend of humor, heart, and an abundance of humanity. For those familiar with the masterful storytelling of Lou Berney, a celebrated author in the realm of crime fiction, you’re in for an extraordinary delight.
As a reader, you are invited into the intricate lives of each character, with every chapter unfolding like a delicate tapestry of interconnected novellas. You will find yourself enchanted by these richly developed individuals, their quirks and complexities sparking laughter and ensuring you’re fully engaged with every turn of the page.
The narrative is thoughtfully divided into parts, each dedicated to a unique character:
Part I: Buddy and Lillian
Part II: The Mercurios
Part III: Jeremy
Part IV: Tallulah
Part V: Ray
Part VI: Alice
Part VII: Piggy
Berney deftly explores the profound impact of family dynamics, illustrating how parents and siblings shape our identities through a cast of eccentric, vibrant characters.
This thrilling journey traverses time and space, taking us from the vivid backdrop of the 1960s to the 1980s, with escapades spanning Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles, Moscow, and back to Phoenix and Vegas.
Masterfully told, the narrative weaves together generations of experience and wisdom, infused with charm and deep emotional resonance.
Gritty, wickedly clever, proposing the question, can you truly escape the intricate legacies woven by our families? Can't wait to see what Berney comes up with next.
My Recommendations...
With Berney's distinctive signature style, readers will eagerly immerse themselves in the gripping narrative of CROOKS. This novel is a delightful blend of literary finesse, crime, suspense, intricate family dynamics, and sharp humor—perfectly crafted for those who appreciate an engaging read.
The character of Alice brings to mind the unforgettable character in John Grisham's The Rainmaker (2025), where sharp-tongue, street smart Attorney Jocelyn "Bruiser" Stone (portrayed by Lana Parrilla) takes the reins as Rudy's new boss, albeit at a firm with a questionable reputation and daughter of the disgraced J. Lyman Stone (prison), now heads his former strip-mall law firm.
For fans of TV series (& novel), Blake Crouch's Good Behavior con woman, Letty Raines, and hitman, Javier, will resonate, just as the quirky family of Daryl Gregory's Spoonbenders captivates. Those who have enjoyed the thought-provoking, quirky works of Dan Chaon and the thrilling crime narratives of Don Winslow, and the gritty Southern works of S.A. Cosby will find themselves right at home within these pages.
Special thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing a memorable and unforgettable advanced review copy for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Sept 9, 2025
Praise
"A truly stunning masterpiece of crime fiction. Lou Berney's Crooks stands with some of the finest crime novels ever written which is no surprise since it comes from one of the greatest literary crime novelists in the world. A fascinating family crime cocktail with elements of Goodfellas, Boogie Nights, and The Godfather all brilliantly mixed together in one unforgettable novel."
— Don Winslow, #1 Internationally bestselling author
"Lou Berney is always good, but this book is dazzling: a panoramic, cross-generational look at a unique family pursuing their individual visions of the American dream. I wanted to spend more time with every one of these characters, and not just to make sure they weren't looting my bank account. Vivid, ingenious, compassionate — a tour de force."
— Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of The Oligarch's Daughter
"Crooks is a smart and funny crime novel with a big, big heart. The characters are so easy to love, and Lou Berney's writing is alive with wit and warmth and joy. He's such a gifted stylist and a terrific storyteller. I've read all of his books and this is my new favorite. I would recommend Crooks to just about anyone. Don't miss it!"
— Jason Rekulak, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Pictures
"The incomparable Lou Berney does it again. Spellbinding, gritty, wickedly clever, and utterly addictive, Crooks is superior crime fiction with a global reach."
— NYT and #1 International Bestselling author, Karin Slaughter
"Berney continues to expand the genre of Midwest noir with style, humor, and a deep understanding of human frailty and flaw."
— Kirkus Reviews
"I love this book. I love these messy rogues and their incompetent capers, I love the richly disparate settings and pitch-perfect eras, I love the ebb-and-flow pacing and the lightning bolts of humor, but most of all I simply love Lou Berney's sentence-by-sentence writing, offering profound reading enjoyment on every page."
— Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of Two Nights in Lisbon
"A remarkable, memorable novel from a master of crime fiction."
— Booklist
"Darkly funny, wildly stylish, and full of heart, Lou Berney’s CROOKS is a tour de force, a decades-spanning epic of the most charming, eccentric family you could hope to meet. Every setting dazzles, every sentence crackles, and every character steals the scene. What a fantastic, voice-driven triumph. I am in awe!"
— Angie Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls and Miracle Creek
"Crooks is a propulsive, big-hearted crime saga that somehow manages to be both wildly entertaining and deeply moving. In Crooks, Lou Berney reimagines the American dream through the eyes of a crime family chasing success one con at a time. It's a tender, shrewd, and often darkly funny portrait of a family bound by love, lies, and larceny. With his signature warmth and precision, Berney explores what it means to belong—to a country, a family, and a legacy you didn’t choose."
— Jean Kwok, NYT best-selling author of The Leftover Woman
About the Author
Lou Berney is the Edgar Award-winning author of Dark Ride, November Road, The Long and Faraway Gone, Whiplash River, and Gutshot Straight, all from William Morrow/HarperCollins.
Lou Berney is the author of the novels Dark Ride (Sept. 19, 2023), November Road, The Long and Faraway Gone, Whiplash River, and Gutshot Straight. His books have won the Edgar, Hammett, Steel Dagger, Barry, Macavity, Lefty, and Anthony awards, and he has been a finalist twice for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His short fiction has appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, Ploughshares, and the Pushcart Prize anthology. He teaches at Oklahoma City University. WEBSITE
Double Barrel Bluff (Shake Bouchon #3) (Nov. 5, 2024)
Dark Ride (2023)
November Road (2018)
The Long and Faraway Gone (2015)
Whiplash River (Shake Bouchon #2) (2012)
Gutshot Straight (Shake Bouchon #1) (2010)
MORE...
My two older sisters liked to play school with me, whether I liked it or not, and so I learned to read, whether I liked it or not, at a very early age.
Between the ages of 12 and 19, I was fired from approximately nine different jobs. A representative sampling: newspaper delivery boy (dereliction of duty), grill cook (lying about my age to get the job), apartment complex maintenance man (general incompetence), photo darkroom attendant (dereliction of duty, general incompetence, inappropriate use of darkroom).
Since the age of 19, I have not been fired from a job.
A (very) small and incomplete sampling of my favorite writers, in no particular order: Kate Atkinson, Elmore Leonard, Kelly Link, Walter Mosley, Laura Lippman, Flannery O’Connor, Don Winslow, Megan Abbott, Rachel Kushner, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Louise Erdrich, Stephen Harrigan, Dorothy B. Hughes, Ivy Pochoda, Lynda Barry, Tod Goldberg.
A few excellent new/newish crime writers to check out: David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Angie Kim, S.A. Cosby, Erica Neubauer, Joseph Schneider, Nadine Nettmann, Wanda Morris.
