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CAT CHASER - Elmore Leonard
This is an homage to classic noir, pretty straightforward and gritty. Takes a little while for it to get rolling and it hinged on an aspect of American history that I was hithertofore unfamiliar with (US intervention in the Dominican Republic). But it ends up being a nicely hardboiled crime caper with interesting characters.
ARGYLLE - Elly Conway
So, this novel is a tie-in to the box office flop film of the same name, but isn’t anything like the film (which I actually enjoyed, fwiw).
“Ghostwritten” by screenwriter/novelist Terry Hayes and author Tammy Cohen, it’s the best assimilation of a James Bond novel I’ve read in years (and I have read all the Fleming books and all but 3 of the various post-Fleming novels).
Besides Bond, this endeavor owes no small debt to the likes of Indiana Jones and National Treasure.
In short it’s a snappy, fast paced spy yarn with interesting locales and Nazis or, more to the point, a classic summer read.
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I'd like to try something else by Elmore Leonard. Sorry to say I was completely underwhelmed by James.
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I like Leonard.
I always lump him in with Hiaasen, but generally find him to be more serious and hardboiled in his style where Hiaasen leans more into goofy satire and comedic hijinx.
One of my good buddies always felt that Hiaasen was riffing on Leonard, but I never have felt that way.
There is a brief period where Leonard wrote novels which took place in Florida which always made me feel like he was riffing on Hiaasen, especially since that period of Leonard was much more lighthearted and aloof…
