Charlie Martz and Other Stories

The Unpublished Stories

By: Elmore Leonard

Narrated by: Will Patton, Mark Bramhall, George Newbern, Tish Hicks, Nick Toren

A collection of fifteen stories, eleven of which have never been previously published, from the early career of bestselling American master Elmore Leonard.

Over his long and illustrious career, Elmore Leonard was recognized as one of the greatest crime writers of all time, the author of dozens of bestselling books—many adapted for the big screen—as well as a master of short fiction. A superb stylist whose crisp, tight prose crackled with trademark wit and sharp dialogue, Leonard remains the standard for crime fiction and a literary model for writers of every genre.

Marked by his unmistakable grit and humor, the stories in Charlie Martz and Other Stories—produced early in his career, when he was making his name particularly with westerns—reveal a writer in transition, exploring new voices and locations, from the bars of small-town New Mexico and Michigan to a film set in Hollywood, a hotel in Southern Spain, even a military base in Kuala Lumpur. They also introduce us to classic Leonard characters, some who recur throughout the collection, such as aging lawman Charlie Martz and weary former matador Eladio Montoya.

Devoted Leonard aficionados and fans new to his fiction will marvel at these early works that reveal an artist on the cusp of greatness.

Vivid, well written stories

It’s hard to imagine that these are the unpublished stories, presumably, not the best by Elmore Leonard. I thought they were unbelievably well crafted, and also well performed here.