What do you think?
Rate this book
Gutbuster
When times turn dark, even a good man’s hands get dirty.
Mackenzie “Mac” Doubleday is a young man with a pure heart and a chin made of granite. A bouncer at his uncle’s club, Mac is always exceedingly polite when tossing the boozehounds and loudmouths into the parking lot. Familial obligations force Mac out of his hometown and into a seedier world, collecting a debt owed by a stand-up comedian and her agent. When the comedian—a firecracker of a girl who just might be the love of his life—goes missing, Mac soon finds his loyalties divided and that sturdy neck of his on the line.
Perfect for fans of gritty noir escapades, hardboiled crime fiction, and neo-noir mysteries with a romantic edge. Can Mac save his love, or will both become victims of deadly forces?
Mackenzie “Mac” Doubleday is a young man with a pure heart and a chin made of granite. A bouncer at his uncle’s club, Mac is always exceedingly polite when tossing the boozehounds and loudmouths into the parking lot. Familial obligations force Mac out of his hometown and into a seedier world, collecting a debt owed by a stand-up comedian and her agent. When the comedian—a firecracker of a girl who just might be the love of his life—goes missing, Mac soon finds his loyalties divided and that sturdy neck of his on the line.
Perfect for fans of gritty noir escapades, hardboiled crime fiction, and neo-noir mysteries with a romantic edge. Can Mac save his love, or will both become victims of deadly forces?
125 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 17, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 14, 2026
A Sucker Punch Short Story...
...'Sucker Punch' in a good way! This short story is one I expected to take my time with, knowing it was a dark thriller with potential scenes of violence, but I have literally just finished reading it straight through!
The story follows Mac, a bouncer at his uncle's comedy club, who gets led down a darkened path, after he forcefully removes an obnoxious heckler from the bar one night. He ends up taking on a side job for his uncle, to reclaim a debt from one of the comedians called Angelica, and her agent. It just so happens that this woman was Mac's high school crush, and now it appears he's falling for her all over again. Reading this book reminded me of episodes from The Sopranos, and anyone who likes gritty mobster boss stories with corrupt law enforcers will enjoy this.
Reading a graphic thriller like this was a complicated experience for me. On one hand, the writing was undeniably excellent - tense, immersive, and skilfully crafted in a way that made every scene feel intimate and real. But as someone with a history of trauma, the vivid depictions of physical violence and sustained suspense were difficult to sit with.
Certain moments felt less like fiction and more like something my body instinctively reacted to, making it hard to stay grounded in the story. I found myself pulled between admiration for the author's craft and the need to step back for my own well-being. It's a testament to how powerful the writing is, but also a reminder that powerful doesn't always mean easy to endure.
The use of dark humour, dotted throughout the story, will go over most people's heads, or they simply won't find it funny. However, I thought it was a clever way for the author to lighten some of the scenes. Also, I liked how Mac's backstory was that he once considered joining the church, and in many ways this served a point to show the reader that he had a conscience, that he knew right from wrong, and good verses evil.
Despite the trouble Mac found himself in, I did warm to his character and was quietly rooting for him all along. Without revealing any spoilers, I really liked how the author chose to end this story. It wraps up in a way that could easily lead into a second book. I could even see it having the potential to becoming a gritty, and bingeable mini-series on screen! I readily give Gutbuster by Gene Kendall 4.5 stars
...'Sucker Punch' in a good way! This short story is one I expected to take my time with, knowing it was a dark thriller with potential scenes of violence, but I have literally just finished reading it straight through!
The story follows Mac, a bouncer at his uncle's comedy club, who gets led down a darkened path, after he forcefully removes an obnoxious heckler from the bar one night. He ends up taking on a side job for his uncle, to reclaim a debt from one of the comedians called Angelica, and her agent. It just so happens that this woman was Mac's high school crush, and now it appears he's falling for her all over again. Reading this book reminded me of episodes from The Sopranos, and anyone who likes gritty mobster boss stories with corrupt law enforcers will enjoy this.
Reading a graphic thriller like this was a complicated experience for me. On one hand, the writing was undeniably excellent - tense, immersive, and skilfully crafted in a way that made every scene feel intimate and real. But as someone with a history of trauma, the vivid depictions of physical violence and sustained suspense were difficult to sit with.
Certain moments felt less like fiction and more like something my body instinctively reacted to, making it hard to stay grounded in the story. I found myself pulled between admiration for the author's craft and the need to step back for my own well-being. It's a testament to how powerful the writing is, but also a reminder that powerful doesn't always mean easy to endure.
The use of dark humour, dotted throughout the story, will go over most people's heads, or they simply won't find it funny. However, I thought it was a clever way for the author to lighten some of the scenes. Also, I liked how Mac's backstory was that he once considered joining the church, and in many ways this served a point to show the reader that he had a conscience, that he knew right from wrong, and good verses evil.
Despite the trouble Mac found himself in, I did warm to his character and was quietly rooting for him all along. Without revealing any spoilers, I really liked how the author chose to end this story. It wraps up in a way that could easily lead into a second book. I could even see it having the potential to becoming a gritty, and bingeable mini-series on screen! I readily give Gutbuster by Gene Kendall 4.5 stars
August 1, 2026
This was a quick read, and if you like noir, then this might be a good one to check out. Gutbusters by Gene Kendall, was partially set in the outskirts of Giumara, then Los Angeles, and the climax settling in the desert near Joshua Tree, and it has the feels of an L.A. film Noir vibe. It starts out a little slow but picks up and brings you in once the story reaches the character of Moody.
I was lukewarm on “nice guy” protagonist, Mac Doubleday, and he reads a little stiff but that's in line with his character. Mac’s love interest, the comedienne Angelica, feels a little one dimensional and might be the only character in the story that doesn't really tell many jokes but she serves her purpose and helps push the action along. But of all the characters, Moody, really shines in Kendell's sharp witted writing style. I enjoyed his character so much, I wouldn't mind a spin off or prequel about him.
The big bad is never really revealed and that's ok and works in this story. Once, I was engrossed in the story, I really needed to see how it shook out. Solid premise, good writing, and a memorable villain made this story worth checking out.
I was lukewarm on “nice guy” protagonist, Mac Doubleday, and he reads a little stiff but that's in line with his character. Mac’s love interest, the comedienne Angelica, feels a little one dimensional and might be the only character in the story that doesn't really tell many jokes but she serves her purpose and helps push the action along. But of all the characters, Moody, really shines in Kendell's sharp witted writing style. I enjoyed his character so much, I wouldn't mind a spin off or prequel about him.
The big bad is never really revealed and that's ok and works in this story. Once, I was engrossed in the story, I really needed to see how it shook out. Solid premise, good writing, and a memorable villain made this story worth checking out.
May 10, 2026
This was an interesting story.
At the beginning we’re introduced to Mac, a bouncer who wants to join the clergy. Now, that immediately caught my attention! Why would a potential man of the faith be doing such a job? That question is answered quickly as the story clearly outlines the significant day to day struggles that Mac is experiencing in his life. I found the story intriguing especially when Mac gets drawn into a missing person case and has to make questionable decisions in order to protect his family. This was an interesting story!
At the beginning we’re introduced to Mac, a bouncer who wants to join the clergy. Now, that immediately caught my attention! Why would a potential man of the faith be doing such a job? That question is answered quickly as the story clearly outlines the significant day to day struggles that Mac is experiencing in his life. I found the story intriguing especially when Mac gets drawn into a missing person case and has to make questionable decisions in order to protect his family. This was an interesting story!
November 17, 2025
Not a bad book.
First, I must address the elephant in the room—or, on the front cover, which you should not judge the book by. Right now, it displays some really hideous AI-generated “artwork.” Whoever put the cover together might not have even bothered opening up free editing software like Photopea to add the text—the font of the title and the author's name look weird. Somehow, even the text AI generates is deep in the uncanny valley. Nobody would blame you for glancing at the cover and assuming the book is LLM-generated/assisted slop, but based on my testing and opinion, it seems to have been written at least primarily by hands or a voice—fingers/vocals with a story to tell and some skill in telling it. Still, aesthetics do matter, so I must sadly remove one star from my final rating for the ugly cover.
As for the inside of the book, I had a little trouble tracking down the genre, at first thinking it was a comedy. It's not—if it's trying to be funny, it falls flat, but that's okay because it's mostly a thriller. However, even as a thriller, its shine isn't perfectly immaculate. The story seems to open far too early with scenes that don't have much bearing on the overarching plot. And throughout the middle, very often the thrills will stop dead in their tracks in favor of boring exposition about stuff that would be better left in the subtext. This issue is so prominent that the author even tries to joke about it in one of the chapter titles. For a novella, there's a lot in this book that should've been cut out. I don’t think you’d have to cut out so much that it would become a short story, but you might come close if you were extra strict about what stays in.
The protagonist is fairly dull. Interest is sacrificed in favor of likeability. I didn't find myself wondering or caring too deeply about Mac. He's got an interesting plight, but the way he deals with it comes off as how any bland self-insert type character might deal with it. Oddly, the protagonist has been given a prominent flaw, a common technique to draw interest to a character. But the flaw is naivete with a dash of dunderheadedness, which might not be the most intriguing.
All that said, this book isn't a bad one, and I recommend it. The parts that aren't overly expositional are effective in dealing thrills and chills. Some heavy themes are tackled: I won't spoil anything, but a good way to follow up this book is with “One Nation Under Blackmail” by Whitney Webb. There are also neat religious allusions and other cool motifs. With some adaptation, I could see this narrative shining bright on the big screen. Fingers crossed that Hollywood comes knocking!
This review was given as part of a Goodreads review group.
First, I must address the elephant in the room—or, on the front cover, which you should not judge the book by. Right now, it displays some really hideous AI-generated “artwork.” Whoever put the cover together might not have even bothered opening up free editing software like Photopea to add the text—the font of the title and the author's name look weird. Somehow, even the text AI generates is deep in the uncanny valley. Nobody would blame you for glancing at the cover and assuming the book is LLM-generated/assisted slop, but based on my testing and opinion, it seems to have been written at least primarily by hands or a voice—fingers/vocals with a story to tell and some skill in telling it. Still, aesthetics do matter, so I must sadly remove one star from my final rating for the ugly cover.
As for the inside of the book, I had a little trouble tracking down the genre, at first thinking it was a comedy. It's not—if it's trying to be funny, it falls flat, but that's okay because it's mostly a thriller. However, even as a thriller, its shine isn't perfectly immaculate. The story seems to open far too early with scenes that don't have much bearing on the overarching plot. And throughout the middle, very often the thrills will stop dead in their tracks in favor of boring exposition about stuff that would be better left in the subtext. This issue is so prominent that the author even tries to joke about it in one of the chapter titles. For a novella, there's a lot in this book that should've been cut out. I don’t think you’d have to cut out so much that it would become a short story, but you might come close if you were extra strict about what stays in.
The protagonist is fairly dull. Interest is sacrificed in favor of likeability. I didn't find myself wondering or caring too deeply about Mac. He's got an interesting plight, but the way he deals with it comes off as how any bland self-insert type character might deal with it. Oddly, the protagonist has been given a prominent flaw, a common technique to draw interest to a character. But the flaw is naivete with a dash of dunderheadedness, which might not be the most intriguing.
All that said, this book isn't a bad one, and I recommend it. The parts that aren't overly expositional are effective in dealing thrills and chills. Some heavy themes are tackled: I won't spoil anything, but a good way to follow up this book is with “One Nation Under Blackmail” by Whitney Webb. There are also neat religious allusions and other cool motifs. With some adaptation, I could see this narrative shining bright on the big screen. Fingers crossed that Hollywood comes knocking!
This review was given as part of a Goodreads review group.
October 22, 2025
Do you love gritty noir thrillers like Chinatown? When I was reading Gutbusters by Gene Kendall, I found myself enchanted by the subtle similarities.
Partially set in Los Angeles and then the desert near Joshua Tree, I found myself slipping into the total L.A. film Noir vibe. Author Gene Kendall has a way of using words and phrases that read like you’re watching a film, with a good thriller’s fast pace to match. I
fell in love with his “nice guy” protagonist, Mac Doublday, and like Mac’s love interest Angelica too, though I was upset at her for causing “my man” so much trouble.
Beyond the film noir plot what I liked best about this work was Gene Kendall’s writing style, which may be described as “literary” but in a modern, fresh, fast moving way. We come to know his characters through their action and the words they use. Author Kendall never “tells the plot” - it reveals itself in a series of cinematic action scenes. Loved the book, highly recommended..
Partially set in Los Angeles and then the desert near Joshua Tree, I found myself slipping into the total L.A. film Noir vibe. Author Gene Kendall has a way of using words and phrases that read like you’re watching a film, with a good thriller’s fast pace to match. I
fell in love with his “nice guy” protagonist, Mac Doublday, and like Mac’s love interest Angelica too, though I was upset at her for causing “my man” so much trouble.
Beyond the film noir plot what I liked best about this work was Gene Kendall’s writing style, which may be described as “literary” but in a modern, fresh, fast moving way. We come to know his characters through their action and the words they use. Author Kendall never “tells the plot” - it reveals itself in a series of cinematic action scenes. Loved the book, highly recommended..
May 26, 2026
“Gutbuster” by Gene Kendall is a superbly written, humorous, dark thriller about a bouncer, Mac Doubleday, working at his uncle's comedy club, who gets in over his head when asked to use his bruiser methods to generate extra cash for his boss. Although it starts slowly, it eventually develops into an edgy page-turner with sharp, witty dialogue typical of Kendall’s longer works. The plot centers on Mac’s efforts to coerce the agent of a highly successful comedian, his uncle discovered, into paying the uncle a finder's fee after she lands a multi-million-dollar television contract. The comedian, Angelica, is Mac’s former childhood friend and high school crush, so he reluctantly takes on the job. While he is never able to meet the agent, he encounters various lowlifes with varying reasons to take advantage of the pretty and talented comedian. While the writing style is highly entertaining, I found several issues with the plot that kept me from enjoying it more, most of which could have been resolved by expanding the novella into a full-length novel. The relationship between Mac and Angelica would have been more believable if Angelica’s character and history with Mac had been further developed. The same goes for the motivations of all the characters who are impacted by Angelica’s surprising decision, as well as the choice itself. The ending is also fairly abrupt, and again, the underlying rationale for the antagonist’s final actions is difficult to follow/believe. Still, I feel this is a story that lovers of dark thrillers will enjoy.
November 25, 2025
I could be wrong, but imho, this is not a book that shouldn't be taken too seriously, despite it dealing with some serious problems. For some reason, it reminds me of Kill Bill, although I'm not even sure they are in the same genre because tbh, I'm not familiar with this style.
It follows the young protagonist, Mac, who is doing a job he shouldn’t be doing with the kind of character he has, someone who tries to be ethical, adores and calls his mother to ask for advice, and is a shy, hopeless romantic.
And I think he is not great at his job. And I assume that is intentional. It makes me impatient sometimes, but it's endearing over time. He is not the best character, far from that. I'd prefer the nutcase Moody, who is far more entertaining, and I always picture Jon Bernthal as the suitable actor, should this become a movie. Some of his shit talk reminds me of a scene in The Accountant 2. And he is one of the gutbusters, literally and figuratively.
The dialogues are witty, although some are ridden with references and analogies I need to double-take to make sure I get the meaning right. The plot itself gets a bit stagnant at times, most of them are revealed only near the end with an arguable payoff. I wish I cared more about Angelica to ride on the empathy the MC has.
Fans of this genre will appreciate the actions, settings, and tone of this book. It's well-written, very descriptive, with clever showing and rich imagination.
It follows the young protagonist, Mac, who is doing a job he shouldn’t be doing with the kind of character he has, someone who tries to be ethical, adores and calls his mother to ask for advice, and is a shy, hopeless romantic.
And I think he is not great at his job. And I assume that is intentional. It makes me impatient sometimes, but it's endearing over time. He is not the best character, far from that. I'd prefer the nutcase Moody, who is far more entertaining, and I always picture Jon Bernthal as the suitable actor, should this become a movie. Some of his shit talk reminds me of a scene in The Accountant 2. And he is one of the gutbusters, literally and figuratively.
The dialogues are witty, although some are ridden with references and analogies I need to double-take to make sure I get the meaning right. The plot itself gets a bit stagnant at times, most of them are revealed only near the end with an arguable payoff. I wish I cared more about Angelica to ride on the empathy the MC has.
Fans of this genre will appreciate the actions, settings, and tone of this book. It's well-written, very descriptive, with clever showing and rich imagination.
December 24, 2025
Amen and Hallelujah
This is my third Gene Kendall book, and I always appreciate his masculine style and wicked wit, as well as his well-drawn characters. I found these again in Gutbuster. The novel follows the misadventures of one Mac Doubleday, who acts as the bouncer for his uncle’s nightclub. Soon, good-natured and devout Mac is drawn into the much more dangerous world of organized crime when he attempts to collect a debt from a stand-up comedian named Angelica and her agent, only to fall desperately in love with the girl.
Mac is a likeable and sympathetic protagonist, despite his bad choices, including trusting the villain of the piece, a certifiably crazy character called Moody who, strangely enough, has considerable self-awareness, making him the most interesting of Kendall’s cast of misfits. The only character I thought could be better developed is Angelica who appears, to me, at least, a thoughtless twit of a babe not worthy of Mac’s devotion. However, the conclusion of the novel is a strong one, ending with a joke about a traveling preacher who commands his horse to stop and go using the words “Amen” and "Hallelujah." Might the words predict the future of Mac and Angelica – or perhaps a sequel to Gutbuster?
This is my third Gene Kendall book, and I always appreciate his masculine style and wicked wit, as well as his well-drawn characters. I found these again in Gutbuster. The novel follows the misadventures of one Mac Doubleday, who acts as the bouncer for his uncle’s nightclub. Soon, good-natured and devout Mac is drawn into the much more dangerous world of organized crime when he attempts to collect a debt from a stand-up comedian named Angelica and her agent, only to fall desperately in love with the girl.
Mac is a likeable and sympathetic protagonist, despite his bad choices, including trusting the villain of the piece, a certifiably crazy character called Moody who, strangely enough, has considerable self-awareness, making him the most interesting of Kendall’s cast of misfits. The only character I thought could be better developed is Angelica who appears, to me, at least, a thoughtless twit of a babe not worthy of Mac’s devotion. However, the conclusion of the novel is a strong one, ending with a joke about a traveling preacher who commands his horse to stop and go using the words “Amen” and "Hallelujah." Might the words predict the future of Mac and Angelica – or perhaps a sequel to Gutbuster?
May 26, 2026
This took me right back to the golden era of film noir in the 1940s and 1950s and I loved it. In a good way it seemed to play out to me in black and white. Mac Doubleday is the hero of the piece. He’s a classic type in the genre: warm heart wrapped in hard-hitting fists. It’s the former of these that drags him ever deeper into danger as he abandons his work as a bouncer to hunt for what might be the girl of his dreams after she goes missing.
The often seedy world he moves through is evocatively described as he encounters a cast of memorable characters. Mac has enough back story and personality traits to make him more than two dimensional. You will be wanting him to battle through and, hopefully, get the life he wants rather than the one he’s been saddled with.
I’ve read some of Gene Kendall’s short stories before and it was a relief to see that high quality writing reflected again in this longer work. I’d highly recommend ‘Gutbuster’ – it’s a good story well-told and if you’re a fan of the genre you won’t be able to put it down.
The often seedy world he moves through is evocatively described as he encounters a cast of memorable characters. Mac has enough back story and personality traits to make him more than two dimensional. You will be wanting him to battle through and, hopefully, get the life he wants rather than the one he’s been saddled with.
I’ve read some of Gene Kendall’s short stories before and it was a relief to see that high quality writing reflected again in this longer work. I’d highly recommend ‘Gutbuster’ – it’s a good story well-told and if you’re a fan of the genre you won’t be able to put it down.
May 18, 2026
I enjoy reading material that is well-written. The style is smooth, spare, sometimes even a little more, and a good writer telling a good story together makes the pages turn quickly and the end comes all too soon. This is a pretty quick read, and a relatively short work - this is fine. I have read a compilation of short stories by this author and enjoyed them a lot. I had a problem with the motivation of the bad guys in the story - the credibility and degree of havoc they were willing to wreak for what seemed like very little reason, and then an about-face at the end that just didn't sit right with me. But I don't want to spoil the story for potential readers, so I'm not going to go into detail here to explain the matter further. If you like well-written, entertaining gritty stories with some violence thrown in, you'll be happy to pick this book and give it a read.
July 8, 2026
The novella Gutbuster by Gene Kendall is a well developed neo noir crime thriller that makes the reader invested from start to finish.
It tells a story of Mackenzie, a bouncer whose normal life is disrupted when he falls in love with a comedian named Angelica, who then vanishes without a trace. As love makes you do things out of the ordinary, Mackenzie makes it a mission to find the whereabouts of his beloved and bring the perpetrators to justice.
It's a tale that we have come across a million times, particularly in the movies but it's the treatment that makes this book so special to read. It has good dose of humour, nail biting suspense and some finely written action scenes.
I specifically liked the writing as it is direct, to the point and free flowing. The writer has a good knack of creating tension and suspense. Recommended.
It tells a story of Mackenzie, a bouncer whose normal life is disrupted when he falls in love with a comedian named Angelica, who then vanishes without a trace. As love makes you do things out of the ordinary, Mackenzie makes it a mission to find the whereabouts of his beloved and bring the perpetrators to justice.
It's a tale that we have come across a million times, particularly in the movies but it's the treatment that makes this book so special to read. It has good dose of humour, nail biting suspense and some finely written action scenes.
I specifically liked the writing as it is direct, to the point and free flowing. The writer has a good knack of creating tension and suspense. Recommended.
December 18, 2025
A Gritty Noir Thriller
Gutbuster is a novella about Mackenzie (Mac), a man considering the clergy as a future career, who works for his uncle in the interim. However, he inadvertently finds himself plunged into the seedy underworld while attempting to rescue his love interest, Angelica, who has mysteriously disappeared.
Gene Kendall possesses a distinctive writing style that deserves recognition: it is sharp, edgy, direct, and witty. Reading this book felt like following a film script, engaging me from beginning to end. I believe readers who enjoy a good, gritty noir thriller will appreciate this book.
Gutbuster is a novella about Mackenzie (Mac), a man considering the clergy as a future career, who works for his uncle in the interim. However, he inadvertently finds himself plunged into the seedy underworld while attempting to rescue his love interest, Angelica, who has mysteriously disappeared.
Gene Kendall possesses a distinctive writing style that deserves recognition: it is sharp, edgy, direct, and witty. Reading this book felt like following a film script, engaging me from beginning to end. I believe readers who enjoy a good, gritty noir thriller will appreciate this book.
July 21, 2026
Captivating Choices
I love a book with a dark dilemma, and Gutbuster delivers that with style. Mac, with his saint/sinner complex, moves deftly through other people’s lives. He cares for his sick mother like a saint and works for his uncle as a sinner with morales.
And then a femme fatale appears, and the circumstances that arise force the question: who has the greatest impact on Mac’s life choices? His criminal uncle, other criminal threats, or her? As the story unfolds, so does the answer.
A smoothly written classic and a super entertaining read.
I love a book with a dark dilemma, and Gutbuster delivers that with style. Mac, with his saint/sinner complex, moves deftly through other people’s lives. He cares for his sick mother like a saint and works for his uncle as a sinner with morales.
And then a femme fatale appears, and the circumstances that arise force the question: who has the greatest impact on Mac’s life choices? His criminal uncle, other criminal threats, or her? As the story unfolds, so does the answer.
A smoothly written classic and a super entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews