Bust

Bust, this terse, sometimes brutal, often funny caper turns on one of the oldest genre conventions — husband hires killer to off his wife so he can scram with a bimbo who's out to fleece him — and makes it vividly fresh. You won't be surprised when the blond floozy turns out to be a smart cookie who falls for the shooter, an Irish psychopath with a gift for florid come-ons (''Jesus, she thought, poetry and violence, how could a girl resist?''). You will be surprised by the authors' plot twists and multiple betrayals. This first-time collaboration between Irish hard-boiler Ken Bruen (The Guards) and Brooklyn noirist Jason Starr (Cold Caller) reads seamlessly — and mercilessly.