Audio: "Bust" by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr

 Audio: Bust by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr, 2001, downloaded from Hoopla. Narrated by Peter Berkrot.

Dang. 2001? I selected this after reading the second in the series and there was a six year gap between the two. From the Max and Angela series.

Max runs a computer networking and support business in Manhattan. Max is a major narcissist and all-around asshole. Angela is Max's personal assistant with the same personality issues. Mac and Angela start schtuping. Max hates his wife and wants to her gone. Angela loves Max's money. Max and Angela conspire to have Max's wife murdered.

Angela uses her psychotic live-in boyfriend to kill the wife. The murder works out fine but Max's niece si also murdered. Oops. Max is a little bit bummed about the niece, but Max figures he does a fair job of faking sorrow during the entire process.

Anyhoo. Things happen. Genital herpes is spread. Max starts falling apart when people start blackmailing him and the cops are all over him. Max starts boozing like a madman. Angela has to deal with a uber-violent nutcase boyfriend. Most everything ends sadly for most everyone.

Fun stuff because this is all dark humor as all these idiots and assholes try to cheat one another. Bruen and Starr do a fantastic job of creating Max as a narcissistic bastard who will delude himself and cares for no one.