Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition

This episodic hardboiled thriller from Kolakowski (Rattlesnake Rodeo), who has stitched together three previously published novellas with added material into one wild narrative, centers on Bill, a con man with expertise manipulating people and computer systems. When Bill steals millions from the Rockaway mob, their boss, the Dean, puts a bounty on his head. The Dean puts multiple assassins on Bill’s track, among them Fiona, Bill’s jilted and rightfully vengeful girlfriend. While on the lam, Bill is kidnapped in Oklahoma by a gang led by a corrupt sheriff who noticed his flashy convertible and assumed he has access to money. With the help of a hit man dressed as Elvis, Fiona rescues Bill, and after surviving a chaotic shoot-out, the couple hole up in Cuba, hoping to evade the Dean’s reach. When the price of hired protection becomes more than they bargained for, they’re yet again on the move with another group in pursuit. The exploits of Bill and Fiona are long on banter and short on causation. This one’s for die-hard Kolakowski fans. (Nov.)