Elmore Leonard is known for his convoluted crime plots and his memorable characters, with a special emphasis on the bad guys, whom he imbues with actual personalities as opposed to goals and desires. Leonard is the only author I’ve read whose villains seem like they might go to the movies or have a favorite drink, for example. In Cat Chaser, Leonard’s gift for creating realistically complicated situations in which human failings and foibles lead to plans going awry and poor decisions being made is as […]

Justified is one of my favorite TV shows of all-time, so when I read recently that the producers of that show are in talks to bring the character of Raylan Givens back in a new series, I quickly snapped up the book in question. At first, City Primeval seems like odd choice, since Raylan does not appear in it, but TV writers are clever and I’m sure they’ll figure something out. Otherwise, the novel is Leonard in top form and thus perfect fodder for television. […]

Swag is classic Elmore Leonard. Criminals who think they’re smarter than they actually are, heists that are too complex for their own good, double-crosses motivated by greed and mistrust, and crisp pose packed with crackling dialogue. When used-car salesman Frank Ryan catches Ernest “Stick” Stickley trying to drive off the lot with a stolen car, he decides to see it as an opportunity. Refusing to identify Stick in court, Ryan approaches him with a business proposition. He wants the two of them to join up […]