Book Review: Killshot

Title: Killshot
Author: Elmore Leonard
Reviewed Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 385
Rating:  3 1/2 Stars

Review: This is my first non-beer review.  I hope it does not suck, though reviewing something is fairly intimidating to me, so please bear with me.  This was my first Elmore Leonard experience.  I hadn't honestly heard of the author when the oft-mentioned Dusty was saying something about how Elmore Leonard was one of his favorites and recommending a novel called LaBrava.  Being the agreeable sort that I am, the next time I was at the bookstore I sought out Mr. Leonard and LaBrava.  I was to be disappointed on this particular day as the bookstore in question only had three offerings from Elmore Leonard.  Two were in hardcover, and I was feeling cheap I guess, so I picked up Killshot.

I would describe Killshot as a crime thriller.  It's set mostly in Michigan and Canada and just reeks of setting.  Some research confirms that Me. Leonard resides around the area so I'd suspect a fair amount of the details in the setting were researched primarily.  A bit of the story occurs in Cape Girardeau, MO, and the author painted such an interesting picture (and since it's reasonably in-range for me) that I'd like to visit that small city and take and compare the details of the novel with the reality.  The story itself revolves around a married couple that accidentally gets caught up in a scam being run by a couple of criminals.  Leonard adroitly keeps you on your toes as the plot unfolds.  The plot is tight and the characters are, if not particularly dynamic, interesting enough to allow Leonard's captivating style to take center stage.

Dusty mentioned that with Leonard the style is the thing... And the man was right.  Leonard writes excellent and realistic dialogue you can hear in your head as if it were in the same room.  It's not just the dialogue, though, Leonard's prose comes at you like a train.  It's quick to read and leaves a deep impression on you.  I checked up on the author on wikipedia and found that he believes things like grammar can't get in the way of the prose, and that if "it sounds like writing," then the author should "rewrite it." It's clear he believes it as the novel practically reads itself and I never found myself rereading a paragraph because I didn't get it.

Killshot was an enjoying read-- in fact the last 100 pages or so entered into can't put it down territory.  There were no notable flaws, and it turned me into an Elmore Leonard fan.  Leonard kept me guessing, and I couldn't tell until the very end which of the main characters would survive.  The style was the drive behind my enjoyment, though, while the plot and characters were just okay, and that's what knocks a star and half off the final rating.  In any case, I'm excited to read another Elmore story because the style was just that good.  If the next one mixes excellent style with a more interesting story or set of characters, I would be completely satisfied.  (3 1/2 stars)