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Marshal Raylan Givens is following his profession on the Kentucky/Tennessee border, and comes into contact with a cast of interesting characters. RAYLAN starts with his visit to a marijuana dealer, who is found in a bathtub minus his kidneys. Somebody has apparently thought of a rather macabre way of generating income. Having resolved this case, Raylan is assigned to protect Carol Conlan, a hard-nosed strip-mining executive who is unpopular with the locals, not least because one of them has recently been killed in suspicious circumstances. He takes a fancy to a young poker player, Jackie Nevada, who is on hand to witness a showdown with Delroy Lewis, whose big idea, Chicks Who Rob Banks, turns out not to have long-term prospects. This is the third outing for Raylan Givens, who, according to the jacket copy, is 'based on the hit TV series Justified'. It would be difficult for any actor to carry off the sheer cool which epitomises Raylan, who is so laid back he is practically horizontal, economical in speech but always ready with the right word or action where necessary. He is of course smarter than the malefactors he encounters, and at least one step ahead. While he has no problem shooting bad guys when required, his moral compass is impeccable. In the hands of a lesser writer, RAYLAN could be somewhat unconvincing - but Leonard is the master and with his genius for dialogue the characters come alive. Readers who have come across Leonard's other work (45 books now available) will recognise the style. While some may favour Leonard's other protagonists over Raylan, the tight plotting and above all the wordplay is as good as ever. The cast of characters include a number in the grey area as far as the law is concerned, but for each their essence is conveyed in a few efficient lines. Leonard is comfortable with his creations, no matter how reprehensible, and their thinking is made explicit so you can walk around in their shoes. You couldn't exactly call Leonard profound, but he is always able to capture the truth. More importantly, his stories are always a pleasure to read. § Chris Roberts is a retired manager of shopping centres in Hong Kong, and now lives in Bristol, primarily reading.
Reviewed by Chris Roberts, April 2012
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