The Big Bounce

The big bounce threw me until I realize it was in the tradition of the noir such as I married a Dead Man, The Postman always rings twice, The Killer inside of me and Pick-up. It was't going to follow the more modern concrete line but a more abstract plot. If classic noir isn't your strong point you might be totally lost if you expect a version of Mr.Paradise, Rum Punch or others of his work. The characters are strong, the plot is noir which might seem pointless or weak to those expecting a 'traditional' mystery. [Agatha Christie is over to the left thank you.] The play between the thrill seeker in life and those who just coast a long is strong. It is suprising who wins in the end or do they? If you are looking for a nice tight sewed up ending where the bad guys are carted off to jail and everything is sewn up neatly in a cute little package.. Aggie, the Cat who, and Sandford is off to the left thank you. If you want a bit of intellectual exercise or just plain miss the old noir of the 30s to the 50s come on down. It is a real rare bird these days.

I picked up a paperback of THE BIG BOUNCE somewhere and was thrilled because I thought it was a new Elmore Leonard. It wasn't until I was halfway through the book that I discovered it was written in 1969, almost 35 years ago. That is how well this book has held up: it reads like a fresh story. And smooth. That is the word that comes to mind: the writing in THE BIG BOUNCE is smooth. It flows and moves along easily. Maybe the best writing I've read of Elmore Leonard's works and I've read many. It's a subdued, subtle story with a great fight scene and a tense house B & E scene. It features Jack Ryan, maybe a little slow en la cabeza but who can swing a bat (or a tree limb) and knows a 100 ways to break into a house, and Nancy as the ambitious rich guy's GF who is more than a little psychotic. Rather than a roller coaster ride of plot twists, this novel is like like a fine vintage wine to be savored and enjoyed on the veranda with a good cigar. Get this book and light one up.

Bouncing around is what Nancy Hayes does best, flitting out into the resort town, shooting out windows, leading men astray, planning for that big, cheap, yet dangerous, thrill.But Jack Ryan stays oh so close to her, hoping, hoping ... for what? Certainly Nancy is stylish and cunning, but a psycho-babe is not what he needs, now that he's escaped from the dangers of migrant work. Why doesn't he just go home to Detroit, grab himself a beer and a nice woman?Elmore Leonard, author of THE BIG BOUNCE, probes his daring hero's motivation, but can never give us a clear answer to Jack's attraction. Why would anyone want to climb into Nancy's web willingly? Why get that close to such a manipulator, unless, oh the horror, he's just too stupid to leave?Once again, Leonard creates a fictional woman we've read about in our local papers. She's the babe who got our friend in jail on trumped-up sex charges. She's the one who was involved with the captain of the college basketball team, causing him to lose his scholarship. She's the one who smiled as the TV cameras whirred, designating her as the most dangerous woman in black. Oh boy, she loves fame, and she doesn't mind taking you to your own grave, while she shovels the first load of dirt on top.Gentlemen, read this cautionary tale before some mysterious lady winks at you in the cocktail room of your neighborhood motel, and you go along with one of her intrigues.Larry Rochelle, author of the mysteries DEATH & DEVOTION, DANCE WITH THE PONY and TRACETRACKS.

Dutch Leonard doesn't like to let you relax. He keeps you wondering if Jack Ryan is a bad guy or a good guy with some bad habits. Every time you begin to get comfortable with the direction of the story, a new twist triggers the anxiety attack that won't allow you to set it down. And then there's Nancy, I've known a few like her and she's downright scary. A book that will genuinely hold your interest.

This novel is not a mystery, rather an all-to-true to life expose of the kind of characters that we read about in newspapers (or know in real life) that live on the fringes. I couldn't help but see Hillary Swank as Nancy and George Clooney as Ryan (if I am not mistaken Jack Ryan reappears in Out Of Sight) the same role he did play in the movie.I love Leonard and think he is a must for any serious lover of crime fiction (not just "mystery novels") read him all the way through and you will have fully explored unknown territory though the American psyche....If Out Of Sight is a 5, then The Big Bounce is a 4. I'd give Swag 4.5, Be Cool a 4.5, Get Shorty a 5, and Cuba Libre only a 3. If you like Leonard go to Jim Thompson next, or vice versa, or Andew Vacchs, but also I would say Cormac McCarthy (the writer that most resembles Leonard in my opinion)or even Russell Banks, Raymond Chandler or Richard Russo.