Road Dogs

Must admit to have been an unabashed fan of Elmore Leonard for years, and his new offering, Road Dogs, is sure to satisfy old diehard fans and new ones alike. This new offering is a sort of sequel to another earlier favorite, Out of Sight, and in the new book we find the return of some favorite characters. Bank robber Jack Foley has been released from prison. He's living in Venice, California, but his life gets complicated by Cuban gangster Cundo Rey (from LaBrava, who engineered his release, the gangster's girlfriend Dawn (from Riding the Rap, and a vengeful FBI agent who won't give up. Many of this prolific author's works have been turned into films and/or television series, for the simple reason that Elmore Leonard knows how to entertain... but this isn't the place for that; just look them up for yourself. This is Leonard's 43rd novel, and it proves that he still has the power to keep producing page-turners that will often make the reader laugh out loud at the frequently witty dialogue between characters. Simple scams usually turn complex in his books, and before you know it, you're into an often darkly humorous that that'll keep you turning the pages straight through to the end. Each of those of us who are Elmore Leonard fans have our personal favorites. Along with the ones above, and in no particular order, this reader lists those as Get Shorty (also made into the film by the same name), Riding the Rap, Freaky Deaky, Killshot, and Maximum Bob. And where does this newest offering fit in? For the long-time Elmore Leonard fan, this one is a winner. For the newly-introduced reader, it's a great place to start. It's right up there with his best: a 5-star read, that's hard to put down once you're started.

The hand of the master is sure and steady in this dark romp of a comedic crime story. Elmore Leonard has brought back the suave Guinness record-breaking bank robber, Jack Foley, and set him at play in the L.A. beach town of Venice. Foley has been befriended by fellow inmate, Cundo Rey, who finances the successful appeal of Foley's long sentence for bank heists and sends him off to keep an eye on his exotic professional psychic wife, Dawn Navarro, until he, Rey, can join them both anon. Rey went to prison with millions stashed in California real estate and has big plans to enjoy and expand his fortune once out of the big house. Foley may figure in those plans. Rey's wife, Dawn, has been waiting for him for eight years and has plenty of plans of her own. Larceny, infidelity, fraud, and mayhem are just a few of Dawn's preoccupations. The good-looking and notorious Foley arrives and she decides he may the perfect partner for some of the crooked escapades she has on the drawing board. No need to get into the plot here. The story line is smart, opaque and completely engaging. Even better are the characters that author Leonard has constructed in this novel and the interplay--often completely off the wall--that transpires between them. These folks are all completely original and intriguing; most of them bent in some way; and all effective servants of the dark and hilarious story that Leonard has laid out. This is a terrific yarn--mystery or whatever--with no obvious ending until the last page and consistently challenging to the reader. Highly recommended.

Friends watch out for one another. Jack Foley, America's foremost bank robber, and Cundo Rey, millionaire Cuban hustler, forge a friendship in prison. When Cundo intercedes to have Foley's sentence reduced from thirty years to thirty months, the bank robber is certain the Cuban will expect a pay-back. How that comes to pass and the Road Dogs watch one another's back is at the heart of this stellar Leonard tale. Foley and Rey are resurrected from previous Leonard books, as is Dawn Navarro, the professional psychic who has been waiting seven years for Cundo's release and provides the catalyst for the fast-paced plot. There are other Leonard characters who add meat to the tale: Lou Adams, an FBI agent who is betting his career Foley will soon be tempted to rob another bank; Little Jimmy, Cundo's accountant, who is tempted both by Dawn and the Cuban's money; Tico Sandoval, a Costa Rican thug with plans of his own, among others. It's vintage Leonard. Snappy dialogue, quirky characters, lots of surprise twists in a plot moving fast as a bullet. No complaints from this reader.

Elmore Leonard brings back three characters from previous books for an encore performance in his latest comedic foray into the criminal world. Bank robber Jack Foley (Out of Sight), and Cundo Rey (LaBrava), meet in prison and quickly become friends, referring to themselves as Road Dogs. Rey's lawyer has arranged for his early release from prison and Rey offers her services to Foley, who's in for thirty years. She manages to get Foley's prison term reduced to 30 months and Foley is released two weeks before Rey. Rey offers Foley one of his houses in Venice Beach but admonishes him to keep his hands off his girlfriend, Dawn (Riding the Rap), a psychic/ghost hunter patiently waiting for Rey's release so she can con him out of his millions. When she meets Foley, Dawn knows he is her way to the money and tries to work her magic on him. Foley is intrigued but distracted by an FBI agent tailing him, waiting to capture him after he robs his next bank. As usual, Leonard adroitly moves the story forward through realistic, at times quirky, dialogue and the inner thoughts of some pretty wacky people. He excels at delivering entertaining scenes of duplicity and complicity among characters on the wrong and right side of the law. Foley takes the lead in this comedy and is a cool guy who manages to stay one step ahead of those who have no qualms about taking him out, legally or illegally. The interplay between Foley and the others will keep the readers turning pages, laughing along the way. This is one fun read.

"Road Dogs" is my first Elmore Leonard book so I can't compare it to any of his previous books. My review is for any others who are new to Elmore Leonard and want to start with this book. I should have been prepared, having seen the movies based on Get Shorty and Be Cool, but this book was not what I was expecting. I enjoyed it and think anyone who is already a fan of his work will love this one too. The book is very much character driven and these people are real characters. With only a couple exceptions, they are all criminals; but even the ones who aren't criminals are at least a little bent. The three main characters are all making return appearances from previous books. I assume that anyone who has read those books will have an edge in understanding and caring about those characters. Even without reading the previous books, there is plenty of information for the new reader to get the measure of these characters - at least as much as the author wants you to know. There is always a question in your mind as to whether they are sincere in what they are saying or if (when?) they're going to turn on each other. It takes a lot of talent to turn a bunch of criminals into characters a reader cares about but the author does just that. Jack, Cundo, Dawn and Little Jimmy are much more likeable than Lou Adams and the few other "straight" characters. This is not a book with long descriptive passages of elegant prose. The reader primarily learns about the characters and the locations by what the characters say, do and think. When they speak, they have very distinctive voices. I'm not sure there is a physical description of Jack Foley. The reader understands that he is sexy by how women in the book react to him and that is has some combination of charisma and physical strength by how the men in the book (particularly his fellow prisoners) react to him and by what he can do. My biggest criticism of the book is the abrupt ending. The plot is moving along with some twists and turns and you wonder if there's going to be another surprise and then -- poof! -- it's just over. This was a fast and enjoyable read and I intend to go back and read the books where Jack, Cundo, and Dawn make their first appearances. Out of Sight: A Novel, LaBrava: A Novel, & Riding the Rap