The Switch

By: Elmore Leonard

Narrated by: Mark Hammer

“My favorite Leonard book….He writes the way Hammett and Chandler might write today, if they sharpened their senses of ironic humor and grew better ears for dialogue.”
—Dallas Morning News

“The best writer of crime fiction alive.”
—Newsweek

Dangerously eccentric characters, razor-sharp black humor, brilliant dialog, and suspense all rolled into one tight package—that’s The Switch, Elmore Leonard’s classic tale of a kidnapping gone wrong…or terribly right, depending on how you look at it. The Grand Master whom the New York Times Book Review calls, “the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever,” has written a wry and twisting tale that any of the other all-time greats—Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, John D. MacDonald, James M. Cain, Robert Parker…every noir author who ever walked a detective, cop, or criminal into a shadowy alley—would be thrilled to call their own. Leonard, the man who has given us U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (currently starring in TV’s Justified) is at his storytelling best, as a spurned wife decides to take a rightful—and profitable—revenge on her deceiving hubby by teaming up with the two thugs he hired to abduct her.

The Character Development

The story along with outstanding narration drew me in and kept me right up to the end.

Fun short book; enjoyed the read but a B

If you could sum up The Switch in three words, what would they be?

Enjoyed the listen

Would you be willing to try another book from Elmore Leonard? Why or why not?

yes, I like Elmore Leonard but he has written so much over such a long career that some are just better than others

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending

Any additional comments?

Worth the time

Trick or treat, Mama!

A solid early Leonard Detroit crime novel with all the usual Leonard suspects. Filled with great dialogue, fantastic characters, it sets the reader up well for each of Leonard's funky plot twists. More than anything, this novel is a modern-day "awakening" of the female protagonist/victim. She moves from being a passive victim/wife to being an agent in her own new destiny; from being a scene in her own life to being the principal actor. That arc alone makes this novel worth it.

There is always a slight Karmic vibe to the Leonard novels I've read. It isn't just a simple equation of crime ≠ pay. No. Leonard isn't that trite. But stupidity, arrogance, selfishness, laziness and wickedness are all given the proper time and fertilizer to bloom and decay in the short 200 pages of his hardboiled garden.

Very good, but........

..........look, you know that Elmore Leonard is one of the best, if not the best, story tellers of all time. In addition, his books are perfect for audible. But, the narrator was okay but not great. What I did not like was the ending. Then again you may think it is a great ending. Anyway, take the time to listen to this book, it's worth the time.

Inept criminals in a madcap caper

A friend of mine told me about Elmore Leonard, so I decided to give him a try. Now I wonder what took me so long! His use of dialog was excellent and his characters well rounded. I have heard his endings were weak, but I thought this one was great. You don't really know the whole story until the last sentence, like a touché in fencing. I loved it, although I can see where some people would have found it rather abrupt.

A little about the plot: Louis Gara and Ordell Robbie met in prison and became quick friends. When Louis got out from another stint in jail, he went to Detroit to stay with his old friend. Ordell had been busy putting a can't miss scam together. The plan included kidnapping Mickey Dawson, a crooked land developer's wife, and holding her for a 1 million dollar ransom. Frank Dawson couldn't go to the police because he was hiding money in an off shore bank account. Add in a Neo-Nazi ex-security guard, a mistress on the side, and a hostage reluctant to return to her previous life, and what you get is an on-the-fly 'switch' in plans.

A very enjoyable read! I will definitely put more Elmore Leonard on my 'to read' list.