Raylan by Elmore Leonard

This latest effort by one of those very few authors who is close to the mountaintop would be hard to find inadequate. It has a number of things going for it - Elmore Leonard, Deputy US Marshall Raylan Givens, Boyd Crowder, and other colorful folks from back in the hills of Harlan County, Kentucky.

I am an unapologetic fan of Justified, the TV show on FX based on the Raylan Givens character. Being so familiar with the character(s), it's neat to read a book and see in come to life on my mind's eye as I read. This is very typical Leonard with is razor sharp dialogue and that little wink to let you know something else might be lurking.

I actually thought this looked a bit like 3 plot lines for the TV show that he lengthened and revised a bit so they'd be somewhat connected.

Plot line 1: Dewey and Coover (who else) help their dad in the family business - growing and distributing marijuana. A potential windfall of money crosses their path and they join up with a transplant nurse at the University of Kentucky Medical Center to harvest kidneys, then extort the former owner to buy them back at an exorbitant price. Good money in body parts, until Raylan gets on the trail of the nurse who promptly tries steal Raylan's. Bad idea.

Plot line 2: The main coal mining company has shifted from deep to surface mining and the waste has poisoned everything around it. When one old coot confronts the lady lawyer/company spokesperson about the death of his pond, she tries to get Boyd Crowder (on her payroll now) to shoot him. He balks, so she takes care of business herself and now she and Raylan are dancing around each other as he tries to make a case against her.

Plot line 3: Jackie Nevada is a 3.something student at Butler up in Indianapolis. She also is a vicious and successful poker player, but one night she drops $20K. Next thing you know, banks in Indiana are getting robbed by 3 women. Local law thinks she's desparate and crossed the line. She's decided to head on to Las Vegas for some poker tournament, but gets sidetracked in Kentucky by a high stakes game. So while Raylan is on this case, the bank robbing team is falling apart. What's a Marshall to do? You can bet one of the things is Ms. Nevada.

While I'd never be so presumptuous to say what others are saying, that Leonard cashed in on this book because of the success of the TV show. Count me out of that. Sure, it's maybe 3 novellas, but Givens is one helluva a character and his one line replies are both direct and funny. Great stuff.

I'd love to get a t-shirt from FX: "I've shot people I like more for less". But no one would want to be seen with me.

East Coast Don