Product Description
No one breaks out of the brutal convict labor camp at Five Shadows -- but Corey Bowen is ready to die trying. They framed him to put him in there, and beat him bloody and nearly dead after his last escape attempt. He'll have help this time -- from a lady with murder on her mind and a debt to pay back. Because freedom isn't enough for primed dynamite like Bowen. And he won't leave the corrupt desert hell behind him until a few scores are settled...permanently.

Customer Reviews (4)

a lesser entry
This one is not a grabber. You can see the respect for the Apache and Mexicans, that play larger in other, better books. But you have to work to finish.

Escape from FiveShadows
Elmore Leonard is the reigning master of crime fiction.Earlier, he established himself as a worthy inheritor of the mantle of the masters of western fiction:Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour.This novel is one of his best and cries out for a film treatment.If I could option it, I would.A great read on a trip to Africa.

If You Don't succeed At First
Leonard is a great writer, I love his stories. At times you have to pay very close attention to what he is saying or you might get lost. Leonard is not the type of writer to tell you over and over again what he wants to tell you just so he can get in a few more lines. Often times I have to reread a page because I was not paying attention. In 5 Shadows the main character, Corey Bowen keeps trying to escape the prison, thus my title to this review.Corey is going to get help from a lady who has murder on her mind. After his freedom he then settles some scores permanently.A very good book.

BORING!!!!!
I have read several westerns by Leonard, this is the worst one I have read. Corey Bowen is trying to escape from the prison camp Five Shadows. He tries and is caught but does he give up, NO. He lives to try again. Page after page is spent talking about the escape. A girl he has seen one time, Karla Demery, likes his looks and contacts an Attorney to see if he will help him. The Attorney agrees and has a new trial set up when Bowen tries another break out. The big villian is Frank Renda who is in charge of the prison. He and his side kick will shoot you for nothing and call it an attempted excape. The book was slow, I found my self wanting to skim pages to just get it over with. If this happenes to be the first Leonard book you have read don't think they are all like this one. He does write some good westerns. ... Read more

Product Description
Black Ordell Robbie and white Louis Gara have lots in common--time in the same slammer, convictions for grand theft auto, and a plan for a big score. They're going to snatch the wife of a Detroit developer and collect some easy ransom money. They don't figure on a bum of a husband who has a secret mistress and no desire to get his wife back. Or on his crazy, beautiful broad of a housewife who's going to join Ordell and Louis in the slickest, saviest crime of all... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

finally!!!
yes, finally an Elmore Leonard book that is as good as it gets, AND has a brilliant ending... I always smile thinking about it...
endings are one of the (if not the only) weak point of Leonard... his books are so good and compelling that the endings tend to be anticlimatic...
this one though... oh, my!!!
just amazing!!!

From the Leonard Reviews: Make "The Switch" from "Rum Punch"
For anyone who saw "Jackie Brown" or read the Leonard novel on which it's based, "Rum Punch," try to get your hands on this far superior first-appearance of the loveable criminal trio, Ordell Robbie, Luis Gaza, and "that fine big woman," Melanie.

This simple story of a loveless marriage whose seams truly start showing when the docile, country club wife, Mickey is kidnapped by Ordell and Luis is good, solid, 70's era Leonard. Mickey's marriage is many ways a mirror image of the married couple at the center of Leonard's previous "marital troubles cum crim" novel, "52 Pickup." Her husband is a brute who flies to the Bahamas to dally with his street savvy mistress, Melanie, a day before he serves Mickey a divorce summons.

The husband's refusal to pay ransom becomes the epiphany for the mouselike Mickey's transformation into the smart, independent woman--in some ways, she is the chrystalis for a whole series of strong female Leonard heroines who appear in later novels.

If the story sounds like the movie "Ruthless People," you can bet that the movie was probably based in part on this novel. In fact, in the vastly inferior sequel, "Rum Punch," the characters allude to the movie when recalling the events that happened in "The Switch." Frankly, the criminal trio is much more appealing here than they were in "Punch," when they became more violent, more hardened, and more cliched.

While not the best of his classic 70's novels, "The Switch" is definitely top-drawer Leonard, filled with the same sharp dialogue that has been his stock in trade for more than forty years. If you like "The Switch," I recommend you seek out "52 Pickup" and compare the ways Leonard explores the "criminal" aspects of infidelity.

First Elmore Leonard novel I've read.
This was the first Leonard novel I've read, and I was disappointed.Maybe it's his reputation as being such a great crime writer, but the plot seemed familiar (i.e. the movie "Ruthless People" and others) and it ran out of steam at the end.I liked some of the characterization and some specific scenes, but it wasn't a great book.

A Little Less Satisfying...
than Leonard's usual. But of course, that's still high praise, given thathe's far and away the best crime writer of this or any other generation.The first two-thirds of the way through I was captivated, enthralled,wondering why this one, like so many others, hadn't already spawned ablockbuster movie. As the remaining pages grew thinner and thinner, though,I had my answer: an anticlimactic ending in which Leonard just seemed torun out of gas. Nonetheless, if you've read the others you should certainlyread this--a 4-star effort from Elmore Leonard still beats the best thatanyone else working in the genre today can muster.

Switch to this book now
This is possibly the most enjoyable Leonard novel I have read. It really is superb, mixing violence and humour to great effect. The story is streamlined, with no unnecessary characters or plotlines, and the jokes arevery funny. The ending is especially enjoyable, the type of ending you wishfor but know that the author won't deliver...unless it's Elmore Leonard. Itreally ties things up nicely, and there's not a cliche or stereotype to beseen. That's what makes Leonard so enjoyable...it's believable people doingbelievable things. Funny, clever, engrossing. I couldn't put it down, andthat's a cliche I don't mind using... ... Read more

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Product Description
New York Times Best Selling Author Elmore Leonard is America's hottest, coolest crime writer. Get ready for a pedal to the metal romp with this dazzling and outrageous thriller set in Florida that is Leonard at his absolute best. Gold Coast is filled with the crackling dialog, dazzling plot twists and quirky characters that are the author's staples. Narrated by Frank Muller - Unabridged Edition. 6.5 hours of narrated reading time. ... Read more

Product Description
For six decades now, American crime novelist Elmore "Dutch" Leonard has been entertaining readers around the world with his unique style, gritty dialogue, and quirky characters. Beginning as a writer of Western stories in the 1950s and moving into the crime genre in the 1960s, Leonard has published 36 novels, and many of these-including the recent hits Out of Sight, Get Shorty, and Jackie Brown-have also been made into hit movies. Through it all, Leonard has won legions of crime fiction fans who can't get enough of his dialogue-driven narratives and intricate plots. Get Dutch! A Biography of Elmore Leonard is the first full-length biography of Leonard in over a decade. Author Paul Challen has mined a number of key sources in the search to uncover the story of this remarkable writer, including in-depth interviews with Leonard himself, his personal research assistant, the screenwriter responsible for bringing Out of Sight and Get Shorty to the big screen, academics who have studied Leonard and his place in the literary world, and with crime fiction experts who have analyzed the impact of Leonard's novels on the reading public. Get Dutch! presents the life of Leonard from the perspective of a long-time fan, and gives the reader an up-to-date look at how this genre-defying author went from advertising copywriter to best-selling novelist over the course of his long career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

a really amateur piece of work
This is quite possibly the worst biography I've ever read.There's some interesting information about Leonard's work habits and a broad overview of his life, but these elements are overwhelmed by some truly terrible writing. The author has a very annoying habit of injecting himself into the narrative,frequently writing "I asked Leonard if..." or "I asked (so-and-so) if," and giving totally extraneous and uninteresting details about how he got and conducted the interviews with Leonard and his friends and associates.Moreover, he writes his trite observations in the first person - "...thinking about it later, I thought, yeah, well, it does make sense - the guy is a fiction writer... he makes things up... the research, the attempts to attain accuracy in plot, character and setting, are, after all, secondary to spinning a good yarn...." I don't think this style of writing would pass muster in a high school paper.You'd be better off reading a Leonard novel you haven't gotten to yet. Hell, you'd be better off EATING a Leonard novel you haven't read yet.Get it from the library if you feel you must read it, but don't spend one red cent.

Poor read of interesting subject
This was a book I made myself read because I found the character Mr. Challen was writing about so facinating.Unfortunately, the writing did not match the long and prolific life of Dutch Leonard.This was more like a high school term paper than a biography and did a disservice to the subject matter.The author kept mentioning his favorite books (which were most of them) but gave no real insight as to his subject's motivations.All in all, a real disappointment. ... Read more

Product Description

In hindsight, Victoria's Secret model Kelly Barr thinks maybe it wasn't such a great idea to accompany her callgirl roommate Chloe to Tony Paradiso's house. The wealthy, eighty-four-year-old retired Motor City lawyer's idea of fun was innocent enough: watching old Michigan football games on TV while a sexy companion shakes her pom-poms and prances around topless in a U of M cheerleader's outfit. On this particular night, though, two killers decide to get into the action, leaving Chloe and "Mr. Paradise" dead in the old man's living room while Kelly is elsewhere with Tony's right-hand man. There is a bright spot, an opportunity for a very profitable score, provided that Kelly can convince the cops she's somebody else. But Homicide Detective Frank Delsa isn't stupid, even if he is lonely, good-hearted ... and about to sign up for more trouble than he ever bargained for.

After penning a string of character-propelled novels set in Florida (including Glitz, Out of Sight, and the particularly winning La Brava), it's good to see Leonard exploiting the Detroit backdrop again, as he did so expertly in a few of his earlier successes (City Primeval and Killshot, for instance). Yet while Mr. Paradise is rich with comic dialogue and cop-shop color, it never goes beyond the expectations of a Leonard work. This author is too good not to take more chances. --J. Kingston Pierce ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Top Notch - Leonard Returns to Detroit
Elmore Leonard has always been a favorite of mine. A reviewer once commented Leonard's novels seem effortless. His stories flow and sweep along the reader.
Leonard's best novels are set in his hometown of Detroit (Swag, Unknown Man #89, City Primeval, etc.). Therefore, I was thrilled when I saw that he had "returned" to Detroit with Mr. Paradise.

The plot is pure Leonard. A rich old man hires two beauties to serve as topless cheerleaders while he watches old tapes of University of Michigan football games. While the women are entertaining him, gunmen burst into the old man's home. From there, things go very wrong. As usual, there are other colorful characters in this novel.

The dialogue is superb. I don't know how Leonard does it, but he has an "ear" for the way we speak. The dialogue pushes the novel forward and makes it easy to read.

Mr. Paradise is not perfect. It is unrealistic. T he characters in Mr. Paradise live crazy, exciting lives that resemble what one sees on TV. For instance, there are two hit men who are just a little too stupid to believe. Finally, readers can guess the ending with ease. Leonard needed to throw us a curveball to heighten interest.

While, I have some gripes, I'm surprised at the number of middling reviews on Amazon. This is a solid, entertaining novel that is easy to read. I finished its 360 pages in about 24 hours. This would be a perfect beach book in that it offers action, sex, and thrills without demanding a lot of effort.

Entertaining, yet without much mystery or suspense
With a fairly straightforward killing, plenty of dumb criminals, a noble widowed detective, a deliciously attractive witness, and a follow-up scam attempt, you have a decent novel, with lively dialog set in Leonard's familiar Detroit. Leonard lays on the crime lingo, the street slang and, of course, cursing. What is missing is a suspense level appropriate for first-rate detective stories. We know the guilty parties and their motives early on, leaving little as potential surprise hooks, barring a really outside twist. A couple of possibilities, such as what's really up with Kelly, never happen.

The plot moves forward through the relationship of Kelly and Detective Delsa and playing out the action among the criminals, as we wonder who will get nailed and who might slip away or cut himself a deal.

The audio's narrator had an effective geographic accent, good at rendering the street talk and overall crime motif. However, the narrator did not show much range, so the characters ended up sounding very similar.

3.5 stars

Elmore Leonard scores another hit!
I've been a fan of Elmore Leonard for quite some time and I rate Mr. Paradise right up there with the best of his stuff.

A Disappointing Read
I've read a number of Elmore Leonard novels, and I would classify myself as a fan.Unfortunately, this novel just doesn't live up to the standard of fine fiction that he has created over the years.While most of Leonard's novels are short, I found myself constantly checking to see how many pages were left in the book, a rarity with his novels.The characters were unlikeable, and the plot twists were convoluted.Pass up on this novel and concentrate on some of his better novels, such as Maximum Bob or Rum Punch.

Brisk, entertaining read but...
...I had to skim and skip over certain parts that just seemed too meandering.As other reviewers have noted, there are simply too many characters in this novel, it's not as tightly focused as it should have been.This is the first Leonard novel I've read, coming off of his excellent book of short stories entitled "When the women come out to dance."

Already I'm starting to pick up on the "Elmore Leonard genre"---great dialogue and street smarts, the laconic but smart central character usually wins out over the dumb brutish crooks and often bags the seemingly out-of-his-league hottie in the process, or is reunited with some long-lost childhood flame.

I'm waiting to see if there's a Leonard novel where the protagonist is more of a bumbling schmuck anti-hero...LOL

Still, a pleasant way to kill a few hours.Would make for perfect reading at the beach or on a plane.

3 and 1/2 stars. ... Read more

Product Description
Ryan is employed to track down the whereabouts of defaulting debtors in Detroit. But now he's been offered a slightly different job: tracking down one Bobby Leary, owner of $150 million stock, on which someone wants to claim commission. Ryan finds Leary, but not before he's been murdered. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

elmore's best
I just finished re-reading Unknown Man #89, many years after the first pass through the book.It is Leonard at his very best.In fact, for sheer intelligence and craftsmanship, this is as good as the crime novel ever gets.Most crime writers can't write convincing love scenes or complex love relationships.This one does.The unfolding relationship between Ryan and Lee is by turns warm, loving, desperate, funny, and playful, bringing a depth of characterization to Ryan that one almost never sees in this genre.And the bad guys?Vintage Leonard slimeballs.Perez, and the burn he gets in the end, is vivid, plausible and delightfully odious.Rarely is a comeuppance as delicious as this fellow gets.But he keeps scamming to the very end.Elmore Leonard is the king of American crime writers, and one the great novelists in America.This is him at his best.

A Hidden Classic
A hero with a troubled past.A modern day damsel in distress.Villains with competing agendas who are themselves interesting but keep you guessing.What's not to love?This is Elmore Leonard at his best, epitomizing the genre.Several mysteries come into play as the story unfolds.Perhaps the biggest mystery of all, though, is why this book never got the recognition it deserved or caught the right attention to merit transformation into a great movie.Whether or not this happens one day, the book remains a great read.

great
My first approach to Elmore Leonard had been "Get Shorty".Nothing especial. But this crime story is really involving and impressing.Absolutely to read. ... Read more

Product Description

Roommates Kelly and Chlöe are enjoying their lives and their downtown Detroit loft just fine. Kelly is a Victoria's Secret catalog model. Chlöe is an escort, until she decides to ditch her varied clientele in favor of a steady gig as girlfriend to eighty-four-year-old retired lawyer Tony Paradiso, a.k.a. Mr. Paradise.

Customer Reviews (1)

Top Ten Stupid Criminals
"Mr. Paradise" has its moments, like when the Top Ten Dumb Criminals list comes up, or when Kelly, the beautiful model, sees through Frank the homicide detective immediately, or when Frank tries to concentrate on the crimes he's investigating rather than on Kelly's beautiful body.

And then, of course, is the whole idea of the "almost" twins play-acting as topless cheerleaders for Mr. Paradise. Or the flip of the coin by Paradise to see who gets which one. (Some TV show loves to depict women jumping on trampolines. Same appeal.)

Leonard aficionados will expect the worst, and they'd be right. One chopped up body, cut in six parts by a chain saw. One bungled stock transaction. Three criminals, three shots at a "business" meeting. Enough blood and bungling for even the choosiest of Leonard critics. Good job, Elmore.

Larry Rochelle, Author of the Palmer Morel Mystery Series" BLUE ICE, CRACKED CRYSTALS, GULF GHOST, DEATH AND DEVOTION, BOURBON AND BLISS, TRACETRACKS. ... Read more

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Mystery novels are published in a number of subgenres to satisfy the tastes of every reader. Not only do we have the traditional mystery—also known as the cozy—there are historicals, suspense and thriller novels, crime, police procedurals, private eyes and senior sleuths (also known as “geezer lit”). Then there are medical thrillers, romantic suspense as well as science fiction mysteries and the niche novels that cover endless subjects.
The mystery writers interviewed here have written articles about various aspects of publishing, including writing techniques, marketing, promotional advice and their opinions on the current state of the publishing industry.
Carolyn Hart, bestselling author of the Henrie O and Death on Demand series, talks about her new protagonist, Bailey Ruth Raeburn, who returns to earth as a ghost to anonymously solve mysteries. Jeffrey Deaver’s varied careers prepared him to write insightful as well as thrilling novels, John Gilstrap explains why some bestselling novelists hold down fulltime jobs, and Rick Mofina provides sixteen great tips for writing thriller novels.
A number of Canadian and UK authors share their publishing views as well as comparing books from their own countries with those of the U.S. suspense novelist Paul Johnston writes from his native Scotland as well as his home in Greece while Tim Hallinan divides his time between Thailand, Cambodia, and southern California, writing much of his work in Bangkok cafés. Gillian Phillip writes YA mystery novels from Barbados and her native Scottish highlands, and international airline pilot Mark W. Danielson composes his suspense novels during layovers in various parts of the world, while S. J. Bolton thrills us with snakes and other creepy creatures in and from the British Isles.
English native Carola Dunn writes historical mysteries about her countrymen as does Rhys Bowen, who writes about historical English royals. Other historical novelists include Larry Karp, who provides us with the history of Ragtime music and the people who made the genre popular during its heyday and Beverle Graves Myers delves into operatic mysteries set in 18th century Venice.
The work of several writing teams inhabits this book, including Eric Mayer and Mary Reed, who pen historical mysteries. Mark and Charlotte Phillips write suspense novels, and Morgan St. James and her sister Phyllice Bradner collaborate on humorous mysteries.
Jeff Cohen, Tim Maleeny, and Carl Brookins also add humor to their mysterious plots, so prepare to laugh when you open their books.
There are police procedurals, medical thrillers and romantic suspense novelists represented here as well as niche mysteries designed for readers who love dogs, scrapbooking, zoos, the Arizona desert, space shuttles, weight-loss clinics, actors, designer gift baskets and other specialty subjects.
Nonfiction books about the mystery genre round out this eclectic collection with Edgar winner E.J. Warner, Agatha winner Chris Roerden, Lee Lofland, Jeffrey Marks, and small press publishers Vivian Zabel and Tony Burton.
The advice offered here is invaluable to fledgling writers, so pull up a comfortable chair and begin the mysterious tour of nearly every subgenre. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

First rate, fantastic interviews of mystery authors
This is one of the most compelling, interesting and completely inspirational collections of mystery and suspense authors I have ever read. A wonderful collection and such a wide array of authorial voices to choose from that you in a sense get the entire rainbow or gamut of points of view. The collection really proves the old saying that there are many rivers to the ocean as each author hits on his or her methods and tools and what constitutes important in the way of storytelling. Anyone fascinated with mysteries and suspense and intrigue will love this book, whether a reader, a veteran author, or a new or aspiring author. Highly recommended, this book ought to win an award. Jean Henry, editor, ought to win an award for bringing such a wonderful collection to us all. ... Read more

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Destiny, restlessness, and greed moved the white man west, into lands occupied for centuries by a proud and noble people: Arapahoe, Navajo, Apache, Sioux. The bitter misunderstandings and brutal clashes of cultures that resulted ultimately shaped the nation we know today. In seven classic western tales, the New York Times-bestselling Grand Master re-creates a world of violence, deception, vengeance, and strange beauty with the same peerless storytelling power that distinguishes his acclaimed suspense fiction.

Customer Reviews (1)

Short, but pretty sweet
These two stories are taken unabridged from a larger collection of Elmore Leondard short stories called "The Tonto Woman and Other Western Stories".

Both stories last about 45 minutes each. The entire package consists of one audio cassette lasting about one and one-half hours. They are read by veteran television actors James Naughton and Dylan Baker.

I thought that "The Colonel's Lady" had a pretty good twist to it but was a bit slow. I would give it three stars. On the other hand, I enjoyed "No Man's Guns" and give it five stars. That makes an average of four stars.

... Read more