The casual manner of the frequent and brutal killings in this novel is slightly disturbing, but then a number of the characters are mob hitmen. It is New Orleans in 1963, and Frank Guidry knows too much the role of the mob in the assasination of President Kennedy. He’s loyal to his mob bosses, but they’re going to hunt him down anyway.
While fleeing, Frank meets Charlotte, a gutsy housewife at her own personal crossroads, having just left her husband. She has two daughters and an epileptic dog. She’s a real and quite beautiful character, and she and Frank form a relationship on the road. She knows it won’t last: he doesn’t. Frank’s contact with his criminal associate Ed puts them all in danger, culminating in a day long trip on a boat that is little short of harrowing.
The writing in this book is simple but electrifying. It cuts deep. The violence made me too uncomfortable to say that I loved it, but my, it does get under the skin.
If you love November Road do try reading Don Winslow’s The Force and Peter Temple’s Truth; all three novels are impressive and as uncompromising as a punch in the face.
