A SOLID, WELL-PACED TALE
This was the first book I'd read by Leonard. Nothing about the book itself is revelatory or particularly illuminating, but it is a very good read. A quick, mindless yet enthralling, read populated with many great characters.Leonard constructs a well-made yarn, wastes few words and no chapters, then ends the book. It's easy to believe this guy has produced roughly 35 books or so; his prose is tight, his dialogue crackles, and the plot was okay. He stretched the limits of believability a couple of times along the way, but I had little trouble overlooking those slips. Now, it's time to rent the movie!