New Releases by Elmore Leonard

“Hilarious….Strange and risky….A right-on, pitch perfect novel, with wide social scope, comic genius, page-burning storytelling magic, and juicy characters who wrench your heart and gut.” —Washington Post Book World A character so outrageous he could only have come from the ingenious imagination of Elmore Leonard, lewd, lecherous, law-bending Florida jurist Judge Robert “Maximum Bob” Gibbs has been judged guilty by a grudge-bearing malefactor and sentenced to death—by alligator, if necessary. Maximum Bob is a delightfully dark classic thriller from “the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever” (New York Times Book Review), and any reader who loved getting gleefully lost in criminal mayhem of Get Shorty, Rum Punch, Out of Sight, The Hot Kid, or any number of the inimitable Leonard’s numerous crime fiction masterworks will get maximum enjoyment out of this one.

"These are the rules I''ve picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I''m writing a book, to help me show rather than tell what''s taking place in the story." And so begins Elmore Leonard''s 10 Rules of Writing, a handsome, illustrated giftbook that''s a must for all writers. This special signed and numbered limited edition is destined to become a collector''s item. Gorgeous printing on the finest art book stock A beautiful cloth, foil-embossed binding, with real leather spine A full cloth slipcase Stunning 4-color marbled endpapers Satin ribbon marker And of course, the signed, numbered first page of the book making this a collector''s item for Elmore Leonard fans, and all other book lovers A beautiful book that will be the highlight of any writer''s bookshelf.

Former Secret Service agent Joe LaBrava gets mixed up in a South Miami Beach scam involving a redneck former cop, a Cuban hitman who moonlights as a go-go dancer, and a crazy one-time movie queen whose world is part make-believe, part deadly danger.

Carl Webster, the hot kid of the marshals service, works out of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, federal courthouse during the 1930s. Louly Brown loves Carl but wants the world to think she is Pretty Boy Floyd''s girlfriend. Tony Antonelli of True Detective magazine wants to write like Richard Harding Davis and wishes cute little Elodie wasn''t a whore. Jack Belmont wants to rob banks and become public enemy number one. With tommy guns, hot cars, speakeasies, cops and robbers, and a former lawman who believes in vigilante justice, all played out against the flapper period of gun molls and Prohibition, The Hot Kid is Elmore Leonard -- a true master -- at his best.

They laughed at Roberto Valdez and then ignored him. But when a dark-skinned man was holed up in a shack with a gun, they sent the part-time town constable to deal with the problem -- and made sure he had no choice but to gun the fugitive down. Trouble was, Valdez killed an innocent man. And when he asked for justice -- and some money for the dead man''s woman -- they beat Valdez and tied him to a cross. They were still laughing when Valdez came back. And then they began to die...

Elmore Leonard once again demonstrates the superb talent for language and narrative that has made him one of the most acclaimed and influential writers in recent time through this stellar collection of short fiction that spans his career. From his very first short storyQ"The Trail of the Apache"Qthrough five decades of classic western tales, this is a must-have for fans of all ages. 0-06-072425-0$27.95 / HarperCollins Publishers

Kent Anderson * Edna Buchanan * Amanda Cross * James Crumley * Philip Friedman * James W. Hall * Ed McBain * Michael Malone * Joyce Carol Oates * Shel Silverstein * Eric van Lustbader Her toenails were bloodred, her lips were blue in Edna Buchanan''s "The Red Shoes," a riveting tale that takes us into the life of a foot fetishist who steps into the middle of a murder....What happens when a hard-nosed insurance investigator lights up a joint and sniffs out a case of arson? It''s a tale that only Elmore Leonard could tell, in "Sparks."...Elizabeth George reaches into English history in "I, Richard," as an academic obsessed by a priceless artifact plots a deadly course of seduction--only to discover that fate is the most quixotic mistress of all. From lethal spikes to fatal kisses, from mad dogs to battle-crazed Englishmen, here indeed is Murder and Obsession, in these and 12 other all-new stories from Anne Perry, Dennis Lehane, Eric van Lustbader and others. For these are the best of the best, America''s favorite writers exploring a deliciously chilling subject: obsession at its most insidious.

Pretty working-girl Jackie Burke is in a tight spot. She''s just been picked up at Palm Beach International with fifty grand and some blow stashed in her flight bag. Lucky for her, the Feds want something Jackie''s got: the inside track to Ordell Robbie, the notoriusly slick arms dealer. And they''re ready to deal--Ordell in exchange for her freedom. But Jackie''s got another ace up her sleeve. . .Enter Max Cherry, bail bondsman. Big, tough, basically decent Max is on the verge of divorce and tired of the same old grind. That''s where Jackie comes in. The fifty big ones are peanuts compared to what Ordell''s got locked away in Freeport. But when a blowsy blond blowhead and a none-too-bright ex con try to muscle in on the action, it''s time to pull and old bait and switch--where the good guys are played off against the bad guys--and where Jackie and Max hope to walk off into the Florida sunset with a hot half million in cold cash.