Fire in the Hole - by Elmore Leonard (Paperback)

About the Book

Original title: When the women come out to dance. New York, N.Y. : William Morrow, 2003.

Book Synopsis

"[Leonard's] most satisfying book since Out of Sight....Top-notch work from one of our most gifted and consistently entertaining writers."
--New York Times Book Review

"Vintage Leonard....Nine stories with booze and shotguns and lowlifes...and lots of scenes that ought to be in movies."
--Detroit Free Press

Originally published as When the Women Came Out to Dance, Elmore Leonard's extraordinary story collection, Fire in the Hole reconfirms his standing as the "King Daddy of crime writers" (Seattle Times)--a true Grand Master in the legendary company of John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, and James M. Cain. These nine riveting tales of crime and (sometimes) punishment--including the title story starring U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, which was the basis for the smash hit TV series Justified--feature all the elements that have made the great Elmore Leonard great: superb writing, unforgettable characters, breathtaking twists, and the sharpest, coolest dialogue in the mystery-thriller genre.

From the Back Cover

In this superb short fiction collection, Elmore Leonard, "the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever" (New York Times Book Review), once again illustrates how the line between the law and the lawbreakers is not as firm as we might think. In the title story, the basis for the hit FX series Justified, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens meets up with an old friend, but they're now on different sides of the law. Federal marshal Karen Sisco, from Out of Sight, returns in "Karen Makes Out," once again inadvertently mixing pleasure with business. In "When the Women Come Out to Dance," Mrs. Mahmood gets more than she bargains for when she conspires with her maid to end her unhappy marriage.

These nine stories are the great Elmore Leonard at his vivid, hilarious, and unfailingly human best.

Review Quotes

"If Leonard were a new kid instead of a past master, this fiction collection would make his name." -- People

"Rummaging through Leonard's attic via these nine stories revives some fond memories and turns up a couple of forgotten treasures." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Elmore Leonard's 39th book ...finds one of America's most accomplished novelists presenting his most accomplished female characters in years." -- USA Today