by Elmore Leonard
I almost passed on Road Dogs because I didn't like the title, but I sure liked the book. "Road dogs", as it turns out, are convicts who hang out together in prison, and in this case are characters used in previous Leonard novels, bank robber Jack Foley, and the Cuban drug dealer, Cundo Rey. If you have read Get Shorty, Be Cool, Out of Sight, or other books from the long list of the author's works, you will be expecting to enjoy a fast paced narrative highlighted by the author's famous "perfect ear" for dialogue. You will not be disappointed and in fact be treated to as good a time as reading crime novels can provide.
Jack Foley is doing thirty years (standing on his head) when he teams up with Cundo Rey, soon to be released from Glade Prison in Florida.
"Cundo said Foley was the only white guy in the joint he could talk to. Foley, a name among all the grunge here and knew how to jail. Stay out of people's business. Cundo's favorite part of the day was walking the yard with Foley, a couple of road dogs in tailored prison blues, and telling stories about himself."
Cundo has made large money trading in drugs, mostly with the movie crowd in Hollywood. He owns two updated houses in Venice, a beach side community in LaLaLand that actually has canals. The rich,little Cuban has his wealth stashed with "Monk", a trusted gay con, and a whiz with investments, befriended by Cundo when Fidel opened his prison gates and allowed the inmates to emigrate to The States.
Cundo has plans for Foley. Once a road dog, always a road dog. Cundo was in for a long stretch in prison when "Miss Megan", a "smart, chick lawyer" got his sentence reduced. He pays Miss Megan thirty thousand dollars to appeal Foley's sentence. She delivers big time, finding flaws in the trial that convicted him, and springing him from The Glade.
Out of the slammer, Foley accepts Cundo's invitation to share his life in Venice, and here a complication comes in that frames the rest of the story. Her name is Dawn Navarro. Another problem to be solved by Foley is in the person of Lou Adams, an FBI agent intent on putting the bank robber away for life, The plot thickens as Elmore Leonard, considered by many to be the "greatest crime writer who ever lived" somehow makes the worst people in the world great fun, even though some are fated to come to a bad end.
Review by Don Mac Brown
Jack Foley is doing thirty years (standing on his head) when he teams up with Cundo Rey, soon to be released from Glade Prison in Florida.
"Cundo said Foley was the only white guy in the joint he could talk to. Foley, a name among all the grunge here and knew how to jail. Stay out of people's business. Cundo's favorite part of the day was walking the yard with Foley, a couple of road dogs in tailored prison blues, and telling stories about himself."
Cundo has made large money trading in drugs, mostly with the movie crowd in Hollywood. He owns two updated houses in Venice, a beach side community in LaLaLand that actually has canals. The rich,little Cuban has his wealth stashed with "Monk", a trusted gay con, and a whiz with investments, befriended by Cundo when Fidel opened his prison gates and allowed the inmates to emigrate to The States.
Cundo has plans for Foley. Once a road dog, always a road dog. Cundo was in for a long stretch in prison when "Miss Megan", a "smart, chick lawyer" got his sentence reduced. He pays Miss Megan thirty thousand dollars to appeal Foley's sentence. She delivers big time, finding flaws in the trial that convicted him, and springing him from The Glade.
Out of the slammer, Foley accepts Cundo's invitation to share his life in Venice, and here a complication comes in that frames the rest of the story. Her name is Dawn Navarro. Another problem to be solved by Foley is in the person of Lou Adams, an FBI agent intent on putting the bank robber away for life, The plot thickens as Elmore Leonard, considered by many to be the "greatest crime writer who ever lived" somehow makes the worst people in the world great fun, even though some are fated to come to a bad end.
Review by Don Mac Brown
1 comment:
Another one I'll add to my want list.
Ken
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