This is my first Elmore Leonard read, and it will not be my last. I was introduced to Leonard through the show “Justified” which is based on his stories, and because of the unwavering devotion I have to the series, I suspected I’d enjoy his works, and I was right. With rich dialogue, unique characters and a twisty plot, Leonard tells a story you just can’t put down.
George Moran lives a quiet life as a hotel owner in Miami who through a chain of events faces his past colliding with his present, and his possible future. Reunited with the one that got away, they spend an unexpected weekend in Santa Domingo, kindling a romance that never was and have to find resolutions in the present in order to be together, though their survival is also on the line. Luckily Moran is no slouch so we wait with baited breath to see how it will all turn out in the end. The cast of supporting characters enrich the story and the reader is kept guessing as to who is going to come out on top, not to mention be left standing.
I couldn’t help but view this with Justified glasses and saw many parallels between Moran and the protagonist of the show, Raylan Givens. Where Raylan has a dark streak and toes the line between good guy and bad guy, Moran is good to the core.
The study started a little slow, but if was worth it in the end and I’ll certainly be reading, and recommending Leonard in the future.