Elmore Leonard RIP

We are sad to report the passing of the fantastic author Elmore Leonard at the age of 87 after a short illness. He had a writing career that spanned seven decades and included many classics. He started out writing westerns in the nineteen Fifties featuring tough, loner protagonists with a quick mind and usually a quicker gun hand. When he decided to change to mystery and Noirish books the transition was relatively smooth. Honing his style while writing the westerns gave him the tool kit to easily change-up to modern, gritty dramas.

Many of his stories were adapted for the screen and in some cases Leonard provided the screen play. The original 3:10 to Yuma and moviescramble favourite Vadez is Coming were among the first. He came to international notice with  the release of the John Travolta starring drama Get Shorty and the film version of his novel Rum Punch which became Quentin Tarantino’s third film Jackie Brown. More recently the character of Raylan Givens has been featured in the critically and commercially successful Justified.

A prolific and individual talent that will be missed.

John McArthur
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