LaBrava

Joe LaBrava is an archetypal Leonard protagonist/hero who exudes that special air of quiet competence and integrity, always able to skate on the thin ice of danger and produce a result. You would want him on your side. The action is amplified by the brilliant dialogue and the sure touch that the author has for subtleties of characterisation and idiom. I enjoyed this very much. If you like literate crime thrillers and are a fan of Elmore Leonard's writing (and who isn't?)this book is for you and comes very highly recommended.

What is up with some of the reviews here? This truly is one of Elmore Leonard's very best books. Right up there with SWAG and his western HOMBRE. It possesses all the virtues of Leonard's best books: vividly drawn characters, great dialogue, and lots of atmosphere. As for the reviewer who says that nothing happens, we need to ask for a definition of "happens." I found it fascinating, with a rogue's gallery of characters each pursuing their own agenda. Joseph LaBrava, former treasury agent turned professional photographer, finds himself in something not unlike a play outside a play. When his friend and patron Maurice asks him to help a friend in need, he is called upon to help fifties noir actress Jean Shaw and finds himself in a situation not at all unlike those in her movies. And like in many of Leonard's best novels, the book contains some wonderfully eccentric and loopy bad guys, in this one the delightfully weird Cundo Rey and the stupidly thuggish Richard Nobles. This is one of Leonard's best books, and one of the best ones to read if you haven't read any of his work before. I'd place it alongside KILLSHOT and SWAG as perhaps his best crime work. And trust me, plenty happens.

I haven't liked all of Elmore Leonard's novels, but I've enjoyed a lot of them. La Brava is Dutch's (his nickname) best. I first read La Brava when I was in a catch-up and read all of Dutch's books about five or six years ago. I went on this Leonard reading frenzy after a friend of mine told me something I was writing reminded him of second rate Elmore. I wound agreeing with my friend and tossing that project aside. Leonard isn't known for writing overly complex or gimmicky novels. His narratives are short and to the point. He avoids fancy prose and concentrates on his shady characters and shows us who they are by what they do and how they talk. The characters are why anyone who likes Leonard, reads Leonard. Leonard generally chooses characters that few would make `heroes' of in their novels. Sleazy characters, low-lifes, good for nothings, three time losers, cheaters, petty criminals, blackmailers, alcoholics, hustlers, drifters and killers are front and center of most of Leonard's novels. He doesn't show them going through a make-over or redemption (usually). He gets inside these people's heads and concocts scenarios for them to act within. Sometimes the scenarios are pretty outrageous, sometimes they are pretty straightforward. You usually dislike most if not all of the central characters in a Leonard novel. You grow to understand them, perhaps pity them, but you usually don't wind up liking them very much. What's amazing, is how Leonard usually makes you care about them.In most of his novels, he really presents believable and authentic characters. These characters walk the walk and talk like they really talk. They say and do dumb things. They usually aren't too bright and when they think they are-they usually do something really stupid. Sometimes the characters have some like-able traits or attempt to conform to some strange code of ethics or morals that is rationalized internally to almost make sense (for the character). A lot of his novels don't have incredible or over-the top memorable endings. His novels are closer to slices of life, than genre fiction tends to be. There might be some twists and turns in the story, but they are not set up by Leonard to be big surprises or create surprising revelations. This tends to divide audiences. A lot of people just don't understand why Leonard is well liked by critics as well as a huge following of fans. I hope lot of people who have decided not to like Leonard will read La Brava. It's his best. His books aren't long, and they are generally pretty fast reads, full of lots of dialogue. Snappy, realistic dialogue that sometimes is very clever... but not clever at the expense of betraying the characters. For those that read several Leonard's in a row, you'll discover that sometimes characters from a previous book will make a cameo appearance in another book. The cameo appearance is a fun thing to spot and never is done as a gimmick but because it works perfectly

Most of leonard's books have complex characters and zero plot, or hey have a complex plot and characters without an ounce of depth (and I LIKE the guy, mind you). "LaBrava" has both. It's Leonard's best book ever. read it. Now.

There's something about Elmore Leonard's dialogue that has always struck me as true to life. I don't know why I know this, I've never met any of the people who populate his books. It's just that they talk to each other in the way that I imagine these people do.Of all Mr. Leonard's books (and I've read almost all of them), La Brava has always been my favorite. Mr. Leonard crawls inside his characters heads and lets us share what goes on in there. It's great fun and a wonderful read.