Elmore Leonard – The King of Cool

Elmore Leonard was perhaps the greatest crime writer of the 20th century. No-one did dialogue like Elmore – it was slick, spare and real. His characters were all shady and shifty and always on the make. And his hip novels and stories formed the basis for several cool films and TV series, among them Jackie Brown (Tarantino is a huge fan), Get Shorty, 3:10 To Yuma, Out of Sight, Hombre and Justified.

I have loved his work for years and always return to him for a pick-me-up when I am in a bit of a reading slump. Ed, my esteemed colleague at Mr B’s, claims no-one except me reads him any more so here is a selection of his best novels which I hope might change that!