Bücher von Elmore Leonard

Das Hörbuch zur Krimi-Kult-Komödie mit John Travolta und Danny de Vito.Chili Palmer, Geldeintreiber der Mafia in Miami, hat es nicht leicht. Gerade erst hat er einem Schuldner einen Haufen Kohle abgenommen, als er, vom Teufel geritten, alles in einer Nacht in Las Vegas verspielt. Bei seinen Bossen kann er sich vorerst nicht blicken lassen. Aber für einen wie Chili hat zum Glück auch ein Kasino Verwendung: Er soll beim Regisseur Harry Zimm Spielschulden eintreiben. Chili macht sich auf nach Los Angeles, in Hollywood liegt das Geld ja bekanntlich auf der Straße. Und er hat auch selbst eine Idee für ein Drehbuch in der Tasche. Vielleicht sollte er sich ohnehin aufs Filmgeschäft verlegen, wo die ganz großen Scheine winken? In L. A. zeigt sich: Zimm hat Probleme in ganz anderen Preisklassen, sein nächster Film muss ganz an die Spitze. Dann fällt sicher auch für Chili was ab. Doch zuvor muss Hollywoodstar Michael Weir, "Shorty" genannt, gewonnen werden. Er hat noch jeden Film zum Erfolg gebracht. Dass er nicht mitspielen will, betrübt Chili natürlich. Aber was er sich in den Kopf gesetzt hat, zieht er durch – notfalls um jeden Preis.Sebastian Seidel machte 2007 eine Gesangsausbildung am Staatstheater Cottbus und absolvierte 2017 die Ausbildung zum Synchronschauspieler in Leipzig. Inzwischen ist er als Hörbuchsprecher vielfältig im Einsatz.Elmore Leonard, geboren 1925 in New Orleans, begann Ende der sechziger Jahre mit dem Schreiben und verfasste in seiner beispiellosen Karriere über vierzig Bücher, von denen viele sehr erfolgreich verfilmt wurden, darunter Schnappt Shorty mit John Travolta und Danny DeVito. Zahlreiche seiner Bücher gelten als moderne Klassiker. Für das Genre eher untypisch: In Leonards Krimis stehen selten Polizisten oder Privatdetektive im Mittelpunkt des Geschehens, auch die eigentliche Ermittlungsarbeit interessierte ihn kaum. Vielmehr sind es der schnoddrige Ton und die liebevoll gezeichneten Figuren, die den Reiz seiner Romane ausmachen. Elmore Leonard starb 2013 in Detroit.

Paul Cable war für die Konföderierten in den amerikanischen Bürgerkrieg gezogen. In Tennessee hatte er sich dem 8. Texas-Kavallerie-Regiment angeschlossen, das unter dem Befehl von General Nathan Bedford Forrest stand. Als Cable im November 1864 mit seinen Kameraden den Duck River überquerte, um die Unionskavallerie zurückzudrängen, wurde er schwer verwundet. Von da an war der Krieg für ihn vorbei, obwohl im Osten des Landes noch gekämpft wurde. Er kehrt mit seiner Familie nach Arizona zurück, um sein altes Leben wieder aufzunehmen. Aber in Arizona haben sich die Dinge geändert. Vor dem Gesetz gilt Cable als Rebell, und zwei Brüder, beide Anhänger der Union, haben sein Hab und Gut konfisziert. Wahrscheinlich ist für Cable der Krieg doch noch nicht vorbei. Denn niemand vertreibt ihn ungestraft von seinem Land ...

Chili Palmer, Geldeintreiber der Mafia in Miami, hat es nicht leicht. Gerade erst hat er einem Schuldner einen Haufen Kohle abgenommen, als er, vom Teufel geritten, alles in einer Nacht in Las Vegas verspielt. Bei seinen Bossen kann er sich vorerst nicht blicken lassen. Aber für einen wie Chili hat zum Glück auch ein Kasino Verwendung: Er soll beim Regisseur Harry Zimm Spielschulden eintreiben. Chili macht sich auf nach Los Angeles, in Hollywood liegt das Geld ja bekanntlich auf der Straße. Und er hat auch selbst eine Idee für ein Drehbuch in der Tasche. Vielleicht sollte er sich ohnehin aufs Filmgeschäft verlegen, wo die ganz großen Scheine winken? In L. A. zeigt sich: Zimm hat Probleme in ganz anderen Preisklassen, sein nächster Film muss ganz an die Spitze. Dann fällt sicher auch für Chili was ab. Doch zuvor muss Hollywoodstar Michael Weir, »Shorty« genannt, gewonnen werden. Er hat noch jeden Film zum Erfolg gebracht. Dass er nicht mitspielen will, betrübt Chili natürlich. Aber was er sich in den Kopf gesetzt hat, zieht er durch - notfalls um jeden Preis.

Chris Mankowski ist es endgültig leid, für das Bombendezernat in Detroit zu arbeiten. Aber mit seiner Versetzung in die Abteilung für Sexualdelikte gehen die Probleme erst richtig los. Gleich am ersten Tag stolpert er in einen brisanten Fall hinein: Die junge Schauspielerin Greta Wyatt erstattet Anzeige gegen Woody Ricks. Der Millionär soll sie auf einer Party vergewaltigt haben. Doch nicht nur Mankowski hat Ricks im Visier: Auch die beiden ehemaligen Bombenbauer Robin Abbott und Skip Gibbs haben es auf den Millionär abgesehen, der sie an das FBI verraten haben soll. Wieder auf freiem Fuß planen Abbott und Gibbs, ihre explosiven Fähigkeiten erneut einzusetzen ...

Phil Sundeen thinks Deputy Sheriff Kirby Frye is just a green local kid with a tin badge. And when the wealthy cattle baron's men drag two prisoners from Frye's jail and hang them from a high tree, there's nothing the young lawman can do about it. But Kirby's got more grit than Sundeen and his hired muscle bargained for. They can beat the boy and humiliate him, but they can't make him forget the oath he has sworn to uphold. The cattleman has money, power, and guns on his side, but Kirby Frye is the law in this corner of the Arizona Territories, and he'll drive a rich man to his knees to prove it.

The hell called Yuma Prison can destroy the soul of any man. For two men facing life sentences?Harold Jackson, the only black man behind the walls, and Raymond San Carlos, an Apache half-breed?a pardon seems impossible. But even in the worst place on Earth, there's hope. And for these two hard and hated inmates?first enemies, then allies by necessity?it comes in the form of a mad and violent contest . . . to track down and hunt Arizona's five most wanted outlaws.

Corey Bowen is an innocent man. Wrongly convicted, and imprisoned in the brutal labor camp at Five Shadows run by a sadistic embezzler willing to kill to keep his scheme running, Bowen is determined to break out or die trying. The trackers have already caught him once, dragged him back through the mesquite and rocks, and beat him bloody and near dead after his last attempt. But this time he'll have help—from a lady with murder on her mind and a debt to pay back. They say that breaking out of Five Shadows is impossible—but Bowen is a different breed, and this time he will go to any extreme to escape.

David Flynn is a legend in the rugged Arizona Territory?a U.S. cavalry turned army scout and the only man alive who can bring in the fierce Apache renegade Soldado Viejo. Tracking an elusive Indian with a price on his head south of the border is dangerous business. And when a cunning outlaw and a murderous bounty hunter dog his path, Flynn gets on a bloody trail of treachery and slaughter in a lawless land where a man has to watch his back against friend and enemy alike. On the deadliest mission of his career, in a sultry desert hell where the hunter becomes the hunted, Flynn's struggle for justice has just turned into the battle of his lifetime.

Father Terry Dunn thought he'd seen everything on the mean streets of Detroit, but that was before he went on a little retreat to Rwanda to evade a tax-fraud indictment. Now the whiskey-drinking, Nine Inch Nails–T-shirt–wearing padre is back trying to hustle up a score to help the little orphans of Rwanda. But the fund-raising gets complicated when a former tattletale cohort pops up on Terry's tail. And then there's the lovely Debbie Dewey. A freshly sprung ex-con turned stand-up comic, Debbie needs some fast cash too, to settle an old score. Now they're in together for a bigger payoff than either could finagle alone. After all, it makes sense . . . unless Father Terry is working a con of his own.

They laughed at Roberto Valdez and then ignored him. But when a dark-skinned man was holed up in a shack with a gun, they sent the part-time town constable to deal with the problem—and made sure he had no choice but to gun the fugitive down. Trouble was, Valdez killed an innocent man. And when he asked for justice—and some money for the dead man’s woman—they beat Valdez and tied him to a cross. They were still laughing when Valdez came back. And then they began to die.

Ahen he died, Florida mob boss Frank DiCilia left his gorgeous widow, Karen, everything, but with strings attached. If she ever gets involved with another man, she loses the millions, the cars, and the palatial Gold Coast mansion. A crazy cowboy-wannabe thug named Roland, who's acting as Frank's eyes beyond the grave, is making sure Karen doesn't dally, with serious muscle if necessary. But now Cal Maguire's come into the picture. A sexy, street-smart Detroit ex-con, Cal's got a line and a scam for every occasion. And he's got the perfect plan for getting Karen DiCilia her money and her freedom . . . if it doesn't get them both killed first.

"Cat Chaser is just what one would expect from Elmore Leonard--quirky, peopled with oddball characters...and more twists and turns than a roller coaster."--Cleveland Plain Dealer"A superior example of gritty writing and violent action." --New York Times There are numerous reasons why Grand Master Elmore Leonard is considered "the coolest, hottest thriller writer in America" (Chicago Tribune) and "the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever" (New York Times Book Review). Cat Chaser is one of them. A gripping, lightning-paced tale of an ex-soldier-turned Florida motel owner whose dangerous affair with the mistress of a Dominican general in exile--a former death squad leader--threatens to have lethal consequences...especially when drugs, double-cross, and murderous mob thugs are added into the mix. A classic thriller from crime fiction master who first brought us U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, currently of TV's Justified, Cat Chaser proves once more that when the true greats of mystery and suspense are mentioned--John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Robert Parker, et al--Elmore Leonard tops the list.

Aincent Majestyk saw too much death in the jungles of Southeast Asia. All he wants to do now is farm his melons and forget. But peace can be an elusive commodity, even in the Arizona hinterlands—and especially when the local mob is calling all the shots. And one quiet, proud man's refusal to be strong-armed by a powerful hood is about to start a violent chain reaction that will leave Mr. Majestyk ruined, in shackles, and without a friend in the world—except for one tough and beautiful woman. But his tormentors never realized something about their mark: this is not his first war. Vince Majestyk knows more than they'll ever know about survival . . . and everything about revenge.

Clement Mansell knows how easy it is to get away with murder. The cool killer is already back on the Detroit scene—thanks to some nifty courtroom moves by his lawyer—and he's feeling invincible enough to execute a crooked judge on a whim. Lieutenant Raymond Cruz thinks the “Oklahoma Wildman” crossed the line long before this latest outrage, and he's determined to see that the hayseed psycho meets an end he deserves, with a gun pointed at him. But that means a good cop, having to play somewhat fast and loose with the rules . . . in order to maneuver Mansell into a wild Midwest showdown that he can't walk away from.

After serving time for armed robbery, Ernest “Stick” Stickley is back on the outside and trying to stay legit. But it's tough staying straight in a crooked town—and Miami is a pirate's paradise, where investment fat cats and lowlife drug dealers hold hands and dance. And when a crazed player chooses Stick at random to die for another man's sins, the struggling ex-con is left with no choice but to dive right back into the game. Stick knows a good thing when he sees it—and a golden opportunity to run a very profitable sweet-revenge scam seems much too tasty to pass up.

Jack Ryan always wanted to play pro ball. But he couldn't hit a curveball, so he turned his attentions to less legal pursuits. A tough guy who likes walking the razor's edge, he's just met his match—and more—in Nancy. She's a rich man's plaything, seriously into thrills and risk, and together she and Jack are pure heat ready to explode. But when simple housebreaking and burglary give way to the deadly pursuit of a really big score, the stakes suddenly skyrocket. Because violence and double-crosses are the name of this game—and it's going to take every ounce of cunning Jack and Nancy possess to survive . . . each other.

Constant action and top-notch writing. New York TimesA Palm Beach playboy who amuses himself with murder finds himself on a collision course with a vacationing Motown cop in Elmore Leonards Split Imagesa gripping and electrifying example of noir gold from the coolest, hottest writer in America (Chicago Tribune). Split Images is Grand Master Leonard at the top of his game, a bravura example of how exemplary crime fiction is done by a writer who stands tall among the all-time mystery greats: John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, et al. The brilliant creator of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (of TVs Justified) now brings us a cast of vivid and unforgettable characters on both sides of the law, in a twisting masterwork of unrelenting suspense that the Washington Post calls, Brilliant...impressive...superb.

Almost unbearable suspense. Leonard has produced another winner.PeopleA wild ride with the coolest, hottest writer in America (Chicago Tribune), Bandits has everything Elmore Leonard fans love: non-stop thrills, unexpected twists and turns, unforgettable characters, and the most razor-sharp dialogue being rapidly exchanged anywhere in the crime fiction genre. Leonard stands tall among the all-time greats (John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain) and towers far above most of the writers currently plying the noir fiction trade. The master who created U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, currently of the hit TV series Justified, is at the top of his game, ensnaring readers in an ingenious plot hatched by a former jewel thief and a radical ex-nun to scam millions from a sadistic Nicaraguan colonel. In fact, the Philadelphia Inquirer says Bandits may well be his best. Read it and decide for yourself.

Speedy, exhilarating, and smooth. Nobody does it better. Washington PostThe man knows how to grab youand Pronto is one of the best grabbers in years. Entertainment WeeklyFans of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens of the hit TV series Justified are in for a major treat. The unstoppable manhunter with the very itchy trigger finger stars in Pronto, a crime fiction gem from the one and only Elmore Leonard, the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever (New York Times Book Review). The Grand Master justifies the overwhelming acclaim he has received over the course of his remarkable career with an electrifying thriller that sends the indomitable Raylan racing to Italy on the trail of a fugitive bookie whos hiding from the vengeful Miami mob. The legendary Leonard, whom the Seattle Times lauds as the King Daddy of crime writers, proves that all comparisons to American noir icons John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, and James M. Cain are well deserved with this tale of very dirty doings and extremely dangerous men coming together in the birthplace of Puccini, Garibaldi, and La Cosa Nostra.

Former Secret Service agent Joe LaBrava gets mixed up in a South Miami Beach scam involving a redneck former cop, a Cuban hitman who moonlights as a go-go dancer, and a crazy one-time movie queen whose world is part make-believe, part deadly danger.

Prohibition is a big headache for some . . . and a big payday for others, the fearless entrepreneurs with little respect for the law of the land. With $125,000 worth of Kentucky's finest homemade whiskey in his possession, big, hell-raising Son Martin counts himself among the latter. Son knows having this much illegal hooch makes him a very tasty target, but nobody's going to steal it from him. Ware may be coming to his backyard, but Son's not worried. Because when it comes to fighting, shooting, and keeping one step ahead of the Big Boys, he's more than good—he's bad . . . and dangerous . . . and deadly.

A highly entertaining collection of never-before-seen stories and several previously published pieces from the bestselling master of crime fiction Elmore LeonardMarked by his unmistakable humor and grit, the stories in this collection—produced early in his career, when he was making his name particularly with westerns—reveal a writer in transition. In these tales Leonard explores new voices and locations, from the bars of small border towns in New Mexico to the seedy clubs of Detroit. Devoted Leonard aficionados and fans new to his fiction will marvel at these early works that reveal a developing artist on the cusp of greatness.

Ordell Robbie and Louis Gara hit it off in prison, where they were both doing time for grand theft auto. Now that they're out, they're joining forces for one big score. The plan is to kidnap the wife of a wealthy Detroit developer and hold her for ransom. Looks good until they learn the lowlife husband doesn't want his wife back. So it's time for Plan B and the opportunity to make a real killing—with the unlikely help of a beautiful, ticked-off housewife who's hungry for a large helping of sweet revenge.

Elmore Leonard can write circles around almost anybody active in the crime novel today.New York Times Book ReviewWith more than forty novels to his credit and still going strong, the legendary Elmore Leonard has well earned the title, Americas greatest crime writer (Newsweek). And U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Pronto, Riding the Rap, Fire in the Hole) is one of Leonards most popular creations, thanks in part to the phenomenal success of the hit TV series Justified. Leonards Raylan shines a spotlight once again on the dedicated, if somewhat trigger-happy lawman, this time in his familiar but not particularly cozy milieu of Harlan County, Kentucky, where the drug dealing Crowe brothers are branching out into the human body parts business. Suspenseful, darkly wry and riveting, and crackling with Leonards trademark electric dialogue, Raylan is prime Grand Master Leonard as you have always loved him and always will.

Jackie Burkes Zukunft sieht duster aus: Nach zwanzig Jahren als Stewardess einer kleinen Fluggesellschaft wird sie noch auf dem Flughafen in Palm Beach in Gewahrsam genommen. In ihrer Tasche: funfzig Riesen, die sie aus Jamaica in die USA geschmuggelt hat. Das FBI wei, dass Jackie im internationalen Waffenschiebergeschaft unterwegs ist und will, dass sie die Namen ihrer Auftraggeber nennt. Doch wenn sie redet, so viel ist klar, durfte ihr Leben nicht mehr viel wert sein. Jackie wahlt die Alternative: funf Jahre Sicherheitsverwahrung. Da taucht als Retter in der Not Max Cherry auf, seines Zeichens Kautionsagent, und bietet an, sie auszulosen. Nicht ganz uneigennutzig, versteht sich. Max hofft auf ein Geschaft, auerdem hat Jackie es ihm angetan. Die allerdings hat eigene Plane ...

Ordell “Whitebread” Robbie makes a fine living selling illegal high-powered weaponry to the wrong people. Jackie Burke couriers Ordell’s profits from Freeport to Miami. But the feds are on to Jackie—and now the aging but still hot flight attendant will have to do prison time or play ball, which makes her a prime “loose end” that Ordell needs to tie up permanently. Jackie, however, has other options. And with the help of Max Cherry—an honest but disgruntled bail bondsman looking to get out—she could even end up with a serious nest egg in the process.

A character so outrageous he could only have come from the ingenious imagination of Elmore Leonard, lewd, lecherous, law-bending Florida jurist Judge Robert "Maximum Bob" Gibbs has been judged guilty by a grudge-bearing malefactor and sentenced to death--by alligator, if necessary. Maximum Bob is a delightfully dark classic thriller from "the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever" (New York Times Book Review), and any reader who loved getting gleefully lost in criminal mayhem of Get Shorty, Rum Punch, Out of Sight, The Hot Kid, or any number of the inimitable Leonard's numerous crime fiction masterworks will get maximum enjoyment out of this one.