November Road by Lou Berney

In November 1963 Frank Guidry is a sybaritic low level associate/fixer for the New Orleans mob. When the boss, Carlos Marcello (via cut outs) asks Frank for a favor in Dallas, Frank does it with no questions asked. When Carlos asks for Frank to put an old friend on the spot Frank immediately does so. Frank's first concern is always Frank. But when another buddy of Frank's gets the dirt nap, Frank starts asking around to see what these men had in common. And when Frank is directed to do another favor for Carlos and stay in a particular hotel he realizes that Carlos is cleaning house after the events in Dallas. Frank runs for his life, trying to get to Vegas to make a deal with the only man he knows with the power and interest to make Carlos back off.

Charlotte is an Oklahoma woman with two daughters and a loser alcoholic of a husband. Charlotte is tired of being the primary provider and caregiver. She's tired of the condescension from her in-laws when she has to ask for money. Charlotte is inspired by the burgeoning civil rights/women's rights movements. Impulsively she decides to take her children and move to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of photography and journalism.

Running into Charlotte on the road, Frank selfishly figures that he's better off traveling with Charlotte and her daughters as presumably Carlos' people are looking for a single man. He doesn't expect to get feelings for her though. Charlotte is naive and a little affection starved but she's far from stupid. Her questions and presumptions both challenge and shame Frank. One of Marcello's most relentless hitmen is after Frank.

This is not really a mob novel despite the setting. It's a road novel. It's about personal growth, love, regret, and male assumption of female inferiority/incompetence. It is a good read.