Elmore Leonard is possibly the top mystery writer in the US today (Riding the Rap, Get Shorty, Glitz) and his recent novel Mr. Paradise is a great example of why. Leonard usually sets his stories in Florida or LA but this one goes back to his native Detroit and while you might think a guy his age would be way out of touch with current culture but he does his homework. Really well, as best I can tell.
Basic plot: Mr. Paradise is an older, retired criminal defense lawyer who enjoys his golden years by having his hooker girlfriend come over to do some live cheerleading while he watches videos of University of Michigan football victories. He has two former clients taking care of his other needs and each of the three has been given a promise of reward after the lawyer expires. But one of the men finds the situation’s changed and he is no longer content to wait for nature to get the job done.
But criminals usually make mistakes, at least in novels like this one, and so DPD Homicide veteran Frank Delsea has no real problem figuring this one out. He gets a really hot chick out of the investigation too. The bad guys pretty much all go down, they have to.
The beauty, though, is the way Leonard has with English; plot and characters are secondary even if he does a fine job with them. He just writes books that you don’t want to put down until they’re done and then you want to go back to the library and get another.
recommended
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