Raylan: A Novel

So . . . the jacket is covered with blurbs: "the best suspense writer in America"; "the dean of crime writers"; "a master of narrative"; "the best in the business" and the one that's closest to the truth: "his writing is pure pleasure."I had just finished the newest Robert Crais novel, Taken, and I turned to Elmore Leonard's Raylan. The Crais novel is full-tilt, piledriver suspense; the Leonard novel is pure pleasure. You gulp down the Crais novel a paragraph or page at a time; with Leonard you pause over every delicious word.Leonard usually writes two kinds of novels--the dark, brooding, soul-searing book like Killshot or the lighter, Runyonesque story of lame criminals who generate more laughter than violence (Freaky Deaky, Get Shorty). Raylan (whose title character is now a fixture in the FX series Justified) is among the latter books, but with a strong regional twist. Leonard can nail Detroit, of course, and both Hollyweird and Miami. Here he nails the Kentucky coal country.Fundamentally, Leonard is the master of dialogue, dialogue that reveals character, culture, inclination, motivation and essential nature in a single word. Black, white, male, female, wily fox or 78 IQ, hillbilly, faux hillbilly or more-hat-than-cattle Texan . . . he nails them all and always in the language of their time and place. Leonard lives in upscale Detroit; I grew up on the Kentucky border and have been through Shelbyville, Indiana on a Greyhound bus more times than I like to remember and Leonard knows it and feels it better than anybody, including the indigenous population.Raymond Chandler thought that one of the hallmarks of crime writing was a realist approach to language; characters should speak as the real people of the time speak. Leonard has internalized that notion for almost 60 years. He's pushing 90 and he still has the best ear in the game. Plus, he doesn't shrink from the writing of dialect, which may be the most difficult thing to do in crime writing. It can't be mannered; it can't be distracting; it has to be authentic and it has to be readable, even with the distortions of spelling and grammar that it entails. Leonard is its absolute master.And the story: it's actually three interconnected stories, with interlacing between what could have been three freestanding novellas instead of an episodic but integrated slice of Raylan Givens' life. The first deals with kidney thefts, the second with coal mining, the third bank thefts and high stakes poker. The third story introduces a character of whom we might see more: Jackie Nevada, Butler University senior and Texas hold `em player extraordinaire. All three of the stories are wonderful; all involve memorable characters who are represented with drop-dead perfect dialogue.I was a little hard on EL in my review of Djibouti, which had its moments but never quite came together for me. Now I'm on the floor, worshipping. This is as close to perfection in regional crime writing as we're ever likely to get. Do not miss it.

Received a note last week from Gerry about this one and was reminded that one of my all time favorite authors is this gem of a man from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Elmore Leonard has written so many books it's hard to keep track and while there are many which can be considered mystery or crime fiction there is really a little something for everyone. Quite a few of his offerings have been made into movies including Get Shorty, Hombre, Kill Shot, Big Bounce, Mr. Majestyk,etc, etc (50 novels?). He was the guest speaker at a ceremony where my brother in law Chris rec'd the teacher of the Year award for Michigan. Leonard's mind works the way his writing appears on the page so he is very engaging and probably explains his success in writing and as a screen writer. He will be 87 this year and you have to wonder how long we can expect him to churn out his stories.Raylan Givens is a recurring character (Pronto, Riding the Rap, Fire in the Hole). He is with the U.S. Marshall Service (USMS) and while he is honest to a fault, he retains a fairness streak which calls some of his conduct into question on the right/wrong scale. He wears a cowboy hat which rounds out his character as an intimidating force and has a coolness which allows him to operate under pressure as if he was doing his nails. He is not without a conscience but it won't spend time bothering him if the perp had it coming. At times he is judge, jury and executioner.He keeps a soft spot in his heart for the Kentucky, Southern Ohio, West Virginia type which while traveling in the world of the underground exhibits a strong set of rules by which the usual suspect will try to operate. The Mafia had such rules generally housed in the code of conduct we civilians like to call Omerta. You might say Raylan escaped from the drear life of coal mining and petty crime the features of which are early death, poverty, educational ignorance and fringe unlawfulness. Because of this he will cut a break where it is called for and he knows how to go back. He was born in Harlan County Kentucky and is known throughout the tri-state area where he is myth, legend and real deal. He carries a standard issue Glock chambered for S&W .40 caliber but is generally proficent in any weapon.In the TV series (Justified) based on his character he is portrayed by Timothy Olyphant which is not exactly how I would have cast him. I pictured him more on the line of a young (mid 30's) James Caan. He is a womanizer but with a respectful attitude. The main feature of his complicated personality is his ability to see through the fog and key in on the nugget which is the heart of the case. It is intended to appear uncanny but in his mind it is the familiar coupled with intuitive logic fueled by intense objectivity.In this book which is a show case for his talent for cutting to the chase he shows incredible patience in solving crimes especially suited to the USMS. These include, bank robbery, large scale drug trafficking, threats aimed at Coal Company executives, and the theft of kidneys from living breathing human beings. Leonard has seamlessly woven these arguably separate stories into one tale which is by turns disparate yet cohesive. The characters pop in and out of each scenario with ease which may be only a slight flaw in what is otherwise a fun, fast paced, action packed story. The folks run the gamut from top to bottom on the social and economic scales. One individual which Raylan is intensely fascinated with is a college junior who makes her living and expenses by playing Texas Hold'em. This is not a crime but there is speculation that she might be associated with other criminal elements and winds up on a fugitive list.In one part of the story Raylan finds himself serving as a body guard to a Coal Company lawyer who is doing damage control by trying to spin the company conduct into community service with only the miner, his family, and nature's best interest in mind. This is a tight rope for Raylan since this community is the one he escaped from and he is known by all. To add to the problem the attorney has designs on Raylan as a prospective sack mate. His extrication from this conundrum is fascinating, and rest of the story is the sugar which sweetens Leonard novels. His mastery of the black mountain vernacular lends that dash of realism necessary to elevate this adventure from tall tale to believing you actually witnessed the events. As with all of his myriad books this one will be hard to put down. 2.75* GIBO

I picked up “Raylan” by Elmore Leonard after suffering withdrawals once the series “Justified” wrapped up. I wasn’t disappointed. It was great to see Raylon along with some of the other familiar characters at it again. High stakes poker, a kidney stealing ring, and bank robbing, all with the familiar Kentucky backdrop. I recommend it to all you US Marshall, Raylan Given fans or of Elmore Leonard. 👍

Liked everything so much I re read the whole book the minute I had finished it, well that's all I can say - an excellent read.

In Elmore Leonard's work there is always a large dose of coolness in at least one character. Here it's Rayland. Story is original and flows well. I recommend this book to all Leonard's fans.

Es ist das zweite Buch von Leonard, das ich gelesen habe, und das erste im Original.Eine sehr gute Kriminalgeschichte mit einem guten Einschlag Western. Leonard schreibt, dass ich den Eindruck hatte ein Film laufe vor mir ab. Die Figuren sind hoch lebendig gezeichnet. Bei einigen steht mir das Casting vor Augen. Ein lakonisches Buch, dass trotzdem oder vielleicht gerade deshalb Stimmung und Charakter sehr lebendig rüber bringt.Die Story ist raffiniert gemacht wie ein Episodenfilm, der am Ende alle Stränge bündelt und zusammenbringt. Es gibt erfreulicherweise keine psychologischen Erklärungen oder alte Traumata, die aufbrechen und zu Verbrechen führen. Figuren und Aktivitäten sind klar und gerade gezeichnet und handeln folgerichtig und logisch, manchmal sehr hart und brutal, aber nie aus irgendwelchen zwanghaften Anwandlungen oder weil es Psychopathen sind. Es muss auch Sicht der Figur eben so sein, um das Ziel zu erreichen, das sie vor Augen hat. Sehr erfrischend gegenüber den gerade modernen Psychokrimis. Dass keine Weltverschwörung vorkommt, sondern nur üblich gierige Kapitalisten, ist auch erfreulich.Die lakonische Sprache, die einen direkt in die Milieus hineinzieht, ist klasse und sehr genau. Im Original ist das für Leute, die nur wenig Englisch lesen, ist das vielleicht etwas anstrengend. Auch ich brauchte einige Zeit, bis ich in dem Duktus drinnen war. Aber dann ist es wirklich ein spannender, gut zu lesender Roman.

Raylan Givens, US Marshal, looks up a weed dealer in a hotel room only to find him sat in a tub with ice and his kidneys missing. From there a twisting trail of murder, blackmail, land dispute, and cards unfolds taking in everyone from an elderly drug baron operating out of a food stamps store to a disgruntled nurse who decides to strike out on her own, to a band of bank robbing gals, and a poker playing girl called Jackie Nevada with her ace in the hole. Elmore Leonard's back and he's packing heat.I loved this book. I thought he was going to spin out the organ trafficking storyline for the full 260 pages but he finished it at page 100, without introducing any new characters, making me wonder where he was going to take the story next. From there he goes into a murder story concerning a coal mining exec and an old man who happened to live nearby whose house was flattened by the coal company. Then from there Leonard introduces a new story of a trio of bank robbing girls and then another story of a poker playing 23 year old student on the lam.Elmore Leonard does some amazing storytelling weaving these fascinating individuals into a single storyline. It's masterful and incredible to see these disparate elements prove to be part of a larger whole. More amazing still is the way he creates characters. Each one had its own voice and seemed completely real. Leonard writes femme fatales like no other, making them sexy and deadly and smart and witty too, from the organ harvesting nurse to the ice queen coal mining exec to the smart and resourceful poker player to the drugged out bank robbing gals.The dialogue is the star, something Leonard is famous for and what everybody says about his books, but it's so true. Honestly, I was blown away by some of the scenes, particularly when the poker girl and the horse breeder rich guy have that exchange about playing cards - the dialogue is fast, musical, hits the ear perfectly, and is unlike dialogue in any other novel. Are you a first time reader of Elmore Leonard? Pick up this book and see why people praise his characters' speech like no other.Putting aside the technical majestic on display throughout the book, Leonard knows why people read and particularly why people read his books - to have fun. To relax, unwind, and be entertained. And for no other reason than entertainment, this book excels. Murders, kidnappings, shootouts, high stakes poker games, this book has it all and no-one reading this novel will come away feeling short-changed of entertainment value. Even the characters seem to be having a good time, Raylan moving from crime scene to shootout to bars and finally to bed with a good looking girl, I got the feeling his eyes were wide, his heart was beating, and a smile lay beneath his face the entire time.This is my favourite novel of 2012 so far. It's got everything from fine storytelling, superb writing, one of a kind dialogue from the man who sets the gold standard for dialogue, an array of excellent characters and some utterly brilliant setups, this is a novel that readers will rocket through with a big grin on their faces. You're looking for a good read? Stop reading this and pick up "Raylan" - he'll sort you out.