The thing about second-tier Elmore Leonard is that it’s still perfect crime fiction. This is what he does best: 5 or 6 characters – among them a bad badguy, a good badguy, a good goodguy, a bad goodguy, a buffoon, and a couple others. Hijinks ensue. Great dialogue, especially when it’s not related to the plot.

It works almost every time. This time was extra because the book starts at an old hotel bar in Toronto where I have many hazy memories from my younger days seeing bands play.

So anyway the book is great! Like stumbling across an old Law and Order rerun that you didn’t see the first time around. You know what you’re getting into, but the details are different. It’s not among Leonard’s best, but it’s still a good time.