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clayton_moser's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jhoffmann's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
dsands's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5) Standard fare from Leonard with one memorable guy (Clinton Mansell, seriously one of his best characters ever), one good guy trying to do what's right, a handful of scenes that have no reason being there in the first place, and great dialogue. This one was a solid three star read but the last ten pages made me give it an extra half.
generalalarm's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a bit of a disappointment compared to others I've read by Leonard. Even more than usual, the use of racial slurs and violence against women is bothersome. The female characters were slightly more active than those in most books of this genre, but not even up to the usual level of strength that Leonard allows them. On the plus side, as usual, the dialogue and language is crisp and the scenarios fascinating. However, even the plot feels a bit disjointed in comparison to the stark simplicity of other stories and novels by the author.
legendaryfatcat's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
steffiraquel's review against another edition
Hmmmmm, the jury is out on this one...
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up at a library sale I attended about a month ago. I had never heard of this book by Leonard. It was published in 1980 and only has 221 pages. This is a gritty crime novel set in Detroit. This is classic Elmore Leoanard. Tough, hardboiled crime drama with lots of quirky off beat characters and dialogue.
I think this may have been one of Leonard's first forays into writing crime and his later novels are really a lot better, but this was a fascinating read.
A crafty criminal,Clement, escapes justice and shoots an unpopular judge and a woman that was with him. Homicide detective Raymond Cruz is determined to see that Clement doesn't get away with murder again. So begins a clever cat and mouse game between Clement, his girlfriend, Sandy, Raymond and Clement's lady lawyer. Raymond will do whatever it takes to take Clement down. The two outwit one another up until the final showdown.
Keep in mind the time frame the book was written in if you happen to come across this book somewhere. It is a little dated. The decriptions of the clothing and music of the era are sort of funny and can either add to the enjoyment of the book or take away from it, depending on your frame of mind. Another thing to keep in mind is that the language used and the attitudes in that era can be offensive.
Overall a B
I think this may have been one of Leonard's first forays into writing crime and his later novels are really a lot better, but this was a fascinating read.
A crafty criminal,Clement, escapes justice and shoots an unpopular judge and a woman that was with him. Homicide detective Raymond Cruz is determined to see that Clement doesn't get away with murder again. So begins a clever cat and mouse game between Clement, his girlfriend, Sandy, Raymond and Clement's lady lawyer. Raymond will do whatever it takes to take Clement down. The two outwit one another up until the final showdown.
Keep in mind the time frame the book was written in if you happen to come across this book somewhere. It is a little dated. The decriptions of the clothing and music of the era are sort of funny and can either add to the enjoyment of the book or take away from it, depending on your frame of mind. Another thing to keep in mind is that the language used and the attitudes in that era can be offensive.
Overall a B