No one wrote about scum better than Elmore Leonard.
When I heard the radio report this morning of his death, it sparked a memory of my first Leonard novel: City Primeval. I recall finishing it and thinking, "Why isn't this guy a household name?"
After the success of Glitz, he became much better known although he'd written some major westerns before shifting to crime fiction. The dialogue was always great and you could never rely upon a character surviving all the way to the end. The series "Justified" is based on one of his characters. That reflects his combination of wit and edge.
If you've never read any of his work, I suggest starting here and here. In my opinion, his early work is his best but he was simply an extraordinary writer.
Even now, after the films and best sellers, he still deserves to be better known.
Rest in peace.
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