In this anthology of 15 stories (11 of which have never been previously published), the early Leonard is working through the quirky, tough, humorous, and always surprising characters his many fans have come to expect. The geographical settings as well as the time periods vary, which gives readers a taste of a young writer's ability to experiment and flex, finding new voices and locations with which to captivate his audience. Featuring characters from an aging territorial lawman still capable of outsmarting hooligans to a matador-turned-migrant farm worker, the stories take us down bumpy dirt roads in New Mexico and on to villas in southern Spain and back to stage props and Hollywood sets.
VERDICT There's a reason Leonard has been labeled one of the best crime writers in America and why his clipped and witty dialog and economical writing style have found their way to television and film. He's just a great storyteller. Leonard devotees will love this book, and new readers will want to check out his novels after reading this work of short fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 12/15/14.]
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