The Moonshine War

"The Moonshine War," is Grade-A Leonard. Written in 1969, one could say it was written at a time when Leonard was still a wonderful secret, and not yet a trendy discovery for People Magazine. What makes "The Moonshine War" a bit different than some of Leonard's crime novels, is that it is set in the not too distant past - 1931. So to some extent it is a historical novel. The setting is Eastern Kentucky. True, Leonard skates... Read Full Review

Maybe I'm biased because I'm from Kentucky and my mother's side of the family ran a still during prohibition. Nonetheless, this book dazzled me. The story and characters are of course fantastic, even gauged against Leonard's many other fine novels. But, the language and dialogue make Moonshine War a really phenomenal experience. As you read it, you can feel Kentucky staring back at you from the pages.If you've paged down... Read Full Review

I picked up this older Elmore Leonard at a used book sale -- very glad I did. It is one of the best Leonard books I've read. The main (male) character is a strong, silent type -- even more inscrutable than many of Leonard's other leading men. And there's a nice mixed bag of bad guys. The plot has very good momentum, and though it may seem to end somewhat "abruptly" I liked the ending because it wasn't pat.

I loved this book! It was so good, I couldn't put it down and finished it within 24 hours. The ending surprised me....I had another ending in mind. Don't get me wrong ...it was a good ending...it just surprised me. Happy Reading!

This is my first Leonard book and I have to say I was astounded. I have read a lot in the past and never before had I unwittingly invested so much emotion into a piece of art. In the course of the last few chapters, I found myself yelling obscenities, crying tears of joy, and laughing my head off. He is more than just a crime writer. He is a genius.