What do you think?
Rate this book
Raylan Givens #2
Riding the Rap
Before U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens began electrifying TV viewers across America (in the hit series Justified), he “starred” in Elmore Leonard’s Riding the Rap—an explosive, twisty tale of a brazen Florida kidnap caper gone outrageously wrong. Chock full of wildly eccentric and deliciously criminal characters—including a psycho enforcer with a green thumb, a Bahamian bad man, and the beautiful, unabashedly greedy psychic Reverend Dawn—Riding the Rap dazzles with Leonard’s trademark ingenious plot turns and razor-keen dialogue. Gripping, surprising, and unforgettable, it is a crime fiction gem that any thriller writer—from past masters John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, and James M. Cain to the bestselling mystery auteurs of today—would be thrilled to call his own.
326 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
1588 people are currently reading
3871 people want to read
About the author
Elmore Leonard
189 books3,618 followersElmore John Leonard lived in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Memphis before settling in Detroit in 1935. After serving in the navy, he studied English literature at the University of Detroit where he entered a short story competition. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.
Father of Peter Leonard.
Father of Peter Leonard.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 608 reviews
February 28, 2019
This second Raylan Givens novel is not quite as good as the first, but crime novel fans and Justified fans will find enough excitement--and enough Raylan--to satisfy them both.
Harry Arno and Joyce are back again, only this time Harry's not on the lam, but instead is kidnapped by a thug, a semi-thug and a hustler. As usual, Leonard is very good at revealing bit by bit precisely how vicious the bad guys are, allowing the reader to play the game “Whose the Worst Psychopath?” all the way to the end of the book. This time the bad guys have an interesting and attractive accomplice: a psychic, the Reverend Dawn Navarro. It is difficult to tell whether Dawn is a lucky guesser, a real psychic, just a plain old fashioned liar, or maybe a little bit of all three. This too is an engaging question for the reader continually to ponder.
While reading this book, I found myself admiring another instance of just what a pro Leonard can be. At the end of chapter eighteen, the thug and the semi-thug drive off to perpetrate another crime, leaving the hustler in his home guarding the kidnapped Harry. Raylan hesitates: should he follow the thugs in the car or instead should he stay and check out what he believes to be an unguarded house? Chapter nineteen shifts to the inside of the house, and for the bulk of it the reader remains in suspense, not only about what Raylan might do when he too gets there, but also about whether he is going there at all, and still at the same he continues to wonder what bad things the thugs may be doing right now and whether Raylan might really be following them instead. It is plot construction like this that furrows the reader's brow and makes his heart beat a little faster, and it is very fine plot construction indeed, the kind that is worthy of a pro.
(A note for Justified fans: the series uses the plot of Riding the Rap for “The Fixer” (3rd episode, 1st season), and a modified version of the Reverend Dawn appears as Eve Munro, psychic wife of fugitive Drew Thompson, in “Truth or Consequences” and “Outlaw” (3rd and 8th episodes, 4th season). In each case, although the TV version is enjoyable, the novel make better use of the material.)
December 14, 2016
The second appearance (thanks Armin!) of Raylan is a fun one as are all the stories in this wonderful short and rapid-fire read!
February 28, 2019
For builders, the triangle is one of the sturdiest shapes to use in construction. Unlike say a weak-assed rectangle, a triangle resists lateral pressure and therefore, collapse. Plus, who doesn’t like a good well-wrought threesome love triangle. Amiright?
Well, triangle, as in three criminal “masterminds” plotting evil in criminal enterprises as per Elmore Leonard is very much a crowd. The three wise men? Nope.
In an Elmore Leonard book, mayhem comes in three’s and Leonard sure loves to band together idiot sociopathic criminals in triplicate. Here, he has a stoner scammer, a sort of Jamaican con man wannabe, and a hot-headed bounty hunter who loves his pruning shears.
Basically the stoner has a X-mas tree light (the one that shorts out the rest of the string of lights) idea, and bands together with the other two to abduct the bookie he owes money and hold him hostage until he pays up. And the only person who’s concerned is the girlfriend of a U.S. Marshall.
That U.S. Marshall happens to be Rayland Givens, a no-nonsense dude, who likes his cowboy hat. And Givens, in order to keep the tenuous household peace with ex-stripper girlfriend agrees to look for the guy.
This was the second book in what Goodreads labels as the Givens series; he’s the main character in the TV series, Justified. Here, he’s just one of the many finely crafted players that Leonard expertly switches back and forth from.
I can’t praise Leonard’s no frills prose style enough. It’s fast-paced and uncluttered without being simplistic. There's enough character insight and development without the book becoming turgid. It’s sort of like Hemingway, but it’s written in books by an author I actually enjoy reading. And if Hemingway could come even within a million miles of Leonard’s sparkling, naturalistic dialogue, he would have been THE writer of the last century – creepy bullfight fetish and all.
Well, triangle, as in three criminal “masterminds” plotting evil in criminal enterprises as per Elmore Leonard is very much a crowd. The three wise men? Nope.
In an Elmore Leonard book, mayhem comes in three’s and Leonard sure loves to band together idiot sociopathic criminals in triplicate. Here, he has a stoner scammer, a sort of Jamaican con man wannabe, and a hot-headed bounty hunter who loves his pruning shears.
Basically the stoner has a X-mas tree light (the one that shorts out the rest of the string of lights) idea, and bands together with the other two to abduct the bookie he owes money and hold him hostage until he pays up. And the only person who’s concerned is the girlfriend of a U.S. Marshall.
That U.S. Marshall happens to be Rayland Givens, a no-nonsense dude, who likes his cowboy hat. And Givens, in order to keep the tenuous household peace with ex-stripper girlfriend agrees to look for the guy.
This was the second book in what Goodreads labels as the Givens series; he’s the main character in the TV series, Justified. Here, he’s just one of the many finely crafted players that Leonard expertly switches back and forth from.
I can’t praise Leonard’s no frills prose style enough. It’s fast-paced and uncluttered without being simplistic. There's enough character insight and development without the book becoming turgid. It’s sort of like Hemingway, but it’s written in books by an author I actually enjoy reading. And if Hemingway could come even within a million miles of Leonard’s sparkling, naturalistic dialogue, he would have been THE writer of the last century – creepy bullfight fetish and all.
September 14, 2015
U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens. That hat. Them boots. He's a man with a code. His mama raised him to have good manners. You don't go into a person's house uninvited. Or unless you have a warrant. If you have a warrant, then you are justified in busting the door down.
As a favor to a friend, Raylan is checking into the whereabouts of Harry Arno, who has been missing for several days. He has been kidnapped by a crew who seem to think he has a great deal of money. An ex-con with the unlikely name of Louis Lewis, Jimmy Deo who wears his pruning shears like a gun, and Chip Ganz, a broke gambler who owes money and has perfect teeth. Dawn Navarro, a pretty, young psychic with her fingernails bitten down to the nub, may or may not figure into the motley mix.
Good story. Sure was nice to spend some time with Raylan Givens, even if I could only see him in my mind's eye.
As a favor to a friend, Raylan is checking into the whereabouts of Harry Arno, who has been missing for several days. He has been kidnapped by a crew who seem to think he has a great deal of money. An ex-con with the unlikely name of Louis Lewis, Jimmy Deo who wears his pruning shears like a gun, and Chip Ganz, a broke gambler who owes money and has perfect teeth. Dawn Navarro, a pretty, young psychic with her fingernails bitten down to the nub, may or may not figure into the motley mix.
Good story. Sure was nice to spend some time with Raylan Givens, even if I could only see him in my mind's eye.
August 31, 2023
In 1993's Pronto, Elmore Leonard introduced U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens who would go on to be the protagonist of the hit television series, "Justified." Also along for the ride were an elderly Miami booki named Harry Arno and Harry's girlfriend, Joyce, a former stripper who ultimately became involved with Raylan. Both Harry and Joyce return here as well.
In the first book, Givens famously kills a Miami mobster who ignored Raylan's order to get out of town within twenty-four hours. In the TV version, as a consequence of this action, Raylan is exiled to his old home, Harlan County, Kentucky, and there the series begins. Here, though, Raylan remains in Miami.
As this book opens, Harry Arno has retired from his business as a bookie and is trying to clean up loose ends by collecting some outstanding debts from his former customers. One of those customers is an aging pothead named Chip Ganz. Ganz is broke, living in his mother's mansion, and selling off the furniture and her other possessions to pay for his habit. (Mom is in a nursing home with dimentia and is unaware of her son's actions.) Unable to pay the debt he owes to Arno, Ganz decides to kidnap Harry and hold him hostage until Harry agrees to pay Ganz the fortune that Ganz believes Harry has stashed in overseas banks.
Ganz recruits an oddball cast of characters to help him pull off the scheme, including a demented Puerto Rican gardner and the Reverend Dawn Navarro, a very sexy Certified Medium & spiritualist. Once Harry disappears, Joyce becomes concerned and implores Raylan to find him. Givens had become fond of Harry in the earlier book and so agrees to look for him.
What follows is a story and a cast of characters that could only be conceived by Elmore Leonard. It's a great romp with wonderful dialog, and it's easy to see why the character of Raylan Givens would be so attractive to TV producers and audiences. Any fan of Leonard or of the TV series will certainly want to find this book.
In the first book, Givens famously kills a Miami mobster who ignored Raylan's order to get out of town within twenty-four hours. In the TV version, as a consequence of this action, Raylan is exiled to his old home, Harlan County, Kentucky, and there the series begins. Here, though, Raylan remains in Miami.
As this book opens, Harry Arno has retired from his business as a bookie and is trying to clean up loose ends by collecting some outstanding debts from his former customers. One of those customers is an aging pothead named Chip Ganz. Ganz is broke, living in his mother's mansion, and selling off the furniture and her other possessions to pay for his habit. (Mom is in a nursing home with dimentia and is unaware of her son's actions.) Unable to pay the debt he owes to Arno, Ganz decides to kidnap Harry and hold him hostage until Harry agrees to pay Ganz the fortune that Ganz believes Harry has stashed in overseas banks.
Ganz recruits an oddball cast of characters to help him pull off the scheme, including a demented Puerto Rican gardner and the Reverend Dawn Navarro, a very sexy Certified Medium & spiritualist. Once Harry disappears, Joyce becomes concerned and implores Raylan to find him. Givens had become fond of Harry in the earlier book and so agrees to look for him.
What follows is a story and a cast of characters that could only be conceived by Elmore Leonard. It's a great romp with wonderful dialog, and it's easy to see why the character of Raylan Givens would be so attractive to TV producers and audiences. Any fan of Leonard or of the TV series will certainly want to find this book.
June 12, 2013
For those unfamiliar with the television show Justified, this novel (along with Pronto) serves as the inspiration for the story of Raylan Givens, a U. S. Marshal from Harlan, Kentucky, who has a gun on his hip, a Stetson on his head, and a chip on his shoulder. Torn between coal country's familial "code of honor" and his own desire to be an Old West cowboy meting out justice based on a dogmatic understanding of right and wrong, Raylan often finds himself in the questionable middle ground of moral decisions. At least, that's the tv version. In the novels, Raylan is an interesting character, but not nearly as angry or hell-bent on a path of self-destruction. I prefer the television version, but the books are still well worth reading and it's interesting to see how Justified has molded Leonard's original concept of Raylan into the perfect anti-hero.
In the novel, Raylan is not banished to Harlan, Kentucky, after shooting a local Florida mobster, so we don't get to see him interact with his past or the culture he left behind when he joined the Marshal's service. Instead, Riding the Rap picks up where Pronto left off. Raylan is still seeing Harry Arno's ex-stripper ex-girlfriend, Joyce, but is beginning to realize that their relationship has become something of habit. They're both sticking around because they have nowhere else to go. The fact that Joyce is now acting as Harry's personal chauffeur isn't helping things. A retired bookie, Harry is making final collections when a former client decides to kidnap him Middle-Eastern-terrorist-style until Harry breaks and offers to pay his own ransom. In the meantime, Joyce demands that Raylan look into Harry's mysterious disappearance and Raylan grudgingly begins piecing things together with his own peculiar investigative methods (which usually depend upon throwing people off guard with his cowboy in a suit persona).
There are some twists here that aren't in the series, and I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of Reverend Dawn, a young psychic that readers suspect, despite some of her obvious scams, may be possessed of a limited psychic ability. The scenes where she and Raylan talk are full of Leonard's usual witty banter and sharp dialogue. (Suggestion for Justified producers: how 'bout let's kill Winona off and bring in Dawn? Just saying.)
In addition, there are some nice surprises for fans of the show when you see how key scenes in the novel have been translated to the television version. My favorite was the opening scene of the novel in which Raylan handcuffs Dale Crowe Junior to the steering wheel and has him drive himself (with Raylan riding shotgun) to jail. This was one of my favorite scenes in the television show. There were some slight modifications, such as he's now Dewey Crowe and a white supremacist from Harlan, but, for the most part, the dialogue was lifted directly from the book, proving how brilliantly Leonard's work translates to film.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
In the novel, Raylan is not banished to Harlan, Kentucky, after shooting a local Florida mobster, so we don't get to see him interact with his past or the culture he left behind when he joined the Marshal's service. Instead, Riding the Rap picks up where Pronto left off. Raylan is still seeing Harry Arno's ex-stripper ex-girlfriend, Joyce, but is beginning to realize that their relationship has become something of habit. They're both sticking around because they have nowhere else to go. The fact that Joyce is now acting as Harry's personal chauffeur isn't helping things. A retired bookie, Harry is making final collections when a former client decides to kidnap him Middle-Eastern-terrorist-style until Harry breaks and offers to pay his own ransom. In the meantime, Joyce demands that Raylan look into Harry's mysterious disappearance and Raylan grudgingly begins piecing things together with his own peculiar investigative methods (which usually depend upon throwing people off guard with his cowboy in a suit persona).
There are some twists here that aren't in the series, and I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of Reverend Dawn, a young psychic that readers suspect, despite some of her obvious scams, may be possessed of a limited psychic ability. The scenes where she and Raylan talk are full of Leonard's usual witty banter and sharp dialogue. (Suggestion for Justified producers: how 'bout let's kill Winona off and bring in Dawn? Just saying.)
In addition, there are some nice surprises for fans of the show when you see how key scenes in the novel have been translated to the television version. My favorite was the opening scene of the novel in which Raylan handcuffs Dale Crowe Junior to the steering wheel and has him drive himself (with Raylan riding shotgun) to jail. This was one of my favorite scenes in the television show. There were some slight modifications, such as he's now Dewey Crowe and a white supremacist from Harlan, but, for the most part, the dialogue was lifted directly from the book, proving how brilliantly Leonard's work translates to film.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
September 30, 2023
I’ve marked some of the text of this review in spoilers, but they relate to the storyline of the first book in the series, Pronto. You can uncover the spoilers if you have read that book.
Having liked the first book in the series, I thought I would move straight onto the follow-up, but I didn’t enjoy this one quite so much. Perhaps the novelty of the characters had worn off. In this story, Raylan Givens goes off on another private mission, once again blurring the lines between official and private business.
I can’t help liking Givens. He’s a guy who takes problems in his stride. Whether it’s issues in his relationship, or facing down armed criminals, it takes a lot to knock Raylan off balance. He just continues on his way, equilibrium undisturbed. In this book he has to deal with a group of three dangerous but only semi-competent criminals, one of whom has distinctly psychopathic tendencies. The trio consistently fail to stick to their own pre-arranged plans and make a series of impulsive decisions than turn out to be blunders. I imagine though this portrayal is more accurate than the master criminals that so often feature in novels.
Overall I found this a competent crime novel but nothing more than that. The excitement factor was pretty low.
Having liked the first book in the series, I thought I would move straight onto the follow-up, but I didn’t enjoy this one quite so much. Perhaps the novelty of the characters had worn off. In this story, Raylan Givens goes off on another private mission, once again blurring the lines between official and private business.
I can’t help liking Givens. He’s a guy who takes problems in his stride. Whether it’s issues in his relationship, or facing down armed criminals, it takes a lot to knock Raylan off balance. He just continues on his way, equilibrium undisturbed. In this book he has to deal with a group of three dangerous but only semi-competent criminals, one of whom has distinctly psychopathic tendencies. The trio consistently fail to stick to their own pre-arranged plans and make a series of impulsive decisions than turn out to be blunders. I imagine though this portrayal is more accurate than the master criminals that so often feature in novels.
Overall I found this a competent crime novel but nothing more than that. The excitement factor was pretty low.
April 21, 2010
Elmore Leonard featured Raylan Givens in two books and one short story, and the TV show based on Raylan, Justified, has already used the entire short story for the pilot, several key scenes from Pronto, and the basic plot from Riding the Rap. And that was just through the first four or five episodes. I like the show so I hope they’ve got a plan for the rest of the series beyond asking Leonard to write faster.
This time out retired bookie Harry Arno from Pronto is still causing Raylan grief because his girlfriend, who used to date Harry, still seems to be at his beck and call. When two typical Leonard-style sly-but-stupid criminals decide to kidnap Harry and let him figure out a way to pay for his own ransom, Raylan gets reluctantly drawn into the action. While the kidnappers quickly learn what a pain-in-the-ass Harry is, Raylan is intrigued by Dawn Navvaro, a self-proclaimed psychic who is mixed up in the plot. (Dawn would reappear in Road Dogs.)
Raylan was one of my favorite Leonard characters before Hollywood came calling, and I’m absolutely loving the show. It’s also great that it’s bringing some more deserved attention to Leonard’s books. Anyone who likes the show will get a kick out of the original Raylan stories, but Pronto should definitely be read before this one.
This time out retired bookie Harry Arno from Pronto is still causing Raylan grief because his girlfriend, who used to date Harry, still seems to be at his beck and call. When two typical Leonard-style sly-but-stupid criminals decide to kidnap Harry and let him figure out a way to pay for his own ransom, Raylan gets reluctantly drawn into the action. While the kidnappers quickly learn what a pain-in-the-ass Harry is, Raylan is intrigued by Dawn Navvaro, a self-proclaimed psychic who is mixed up in the plot. (Dawn would reappear in Road Dogs.)
Raylan was one of my favorite Leonard characters before Hollywood came calling, and I’m absolutely loving the show. It’s also great that it’s bringing some more deserved attention to Leonard’s books. Anyone who likes the show will get a kick out of the original Raylan stories, but Pronto should definitely be read before this one.
September 14, 2016
Am new to Elmore Leonard but immediately I started reading it I got attracted to his works and what drew me to works are the characters, the narrative or presentation,and the dialogue. He made me fell in love with his characters and got emotionally attracted to them.Before I started this book I had been reading three other books all at once and am already half way through with them but I paused all of them and completed the reading of this book.
This book reminds me of James Hardley Chase's 'The world in my pocket'and the other one 'Do you want to stay alive' but ..... to an extent he is a step lower than Chase and I give him 3stars.
This book reminds me of James Hardley Chase's 'The world in my pocket'and the other one 'Do you want to stay alive' but ..... to an extent he is a step lower than Chase and I give him 3stars.
October 3, 2020
The first chapter was promising but after that there was not enough Raylan Givens in this book. The actors and writing in the TV series really improved upon the characters, atmosphere and plots in the books.
May 10, 2018
This is the 2th outing of US Marshall Raylan Givens, well known perhaps to some folks due to the TV series of Justified.
The book opens with Marshall Givens picking up an escaped convict and bringing him back to jail when some nincompoops try to carjack him and so the car gets filled with one escaped convict and two arrested carjackers. This is the story style with a cool and bright policeman which he keeps the whole novel. You never get the idea that the story goes fast anywhere and yet the dialogues and story do have their own speed which you get to appreciate as you keep reading.
In this story Givens gets asked to find out where a retired bookie has gone. Some innovative thugs have the idea of kidnapping or keeping a rich man hostage so he can fork over his money to them. Raylan very fast gets on their trail and the laidback method of finding out with some great dialogue makes this book a real pleasure to read.
Elmore Leonard does have an easygoing style of narrating his books which is a pleasure to read. This was an easy and entertaining ride with a cool Marshall whose face is definitely Timothy Olyphants face.
A great read.
The book opens with Marshall Givens picking up an escaped convict and bringing him back to jail when some nincompoops try to carjack him and so the car gets filled with one escaped convict and two arrested carjackers. This is the story style with a cool and bright policeman which he keeps the whole novel. You never get the idea that the story goes fast anywhere and yet the dialogues and story do have their own speed which you get to appreciate as you keep reading.
In this story Givens gets asked to find out where a retired bookie has gone. Some innovative thugs have the idea of kidnapping or keeping a rich man hostage so he can fork over his money to them. Raylan very fast gets on their trail and the laidback method of finding out with some great dialogue makes this book a real pleasure to read.
Elmore Leonard does have an easygoing style of narrating his books which is a pleasure to read. This was an easy and entertaining ride with a cool Marshall whose face is definitely Timothy Olyphants face.
A great read.
January 2, 2023
A hostage thriller with a psychic lady. Hostage takers inspired by Shia terrorists. Obviously everything goes haywire. Will Elmore ever write a thriller with some clever kidnappers and criminals? I doubt it. Elmore has a very poor opinion on lowlife criminals. Unlike a Charles Willeford villain who is badass and goes down fighting and atleast has some great dialogs. Elmore writes dumbass criminals. That is his whole formula. There is some seemingly foolproof heist or kidnap plot. But the robbers/kidnappers are so fucking dumb. They mess it up. Nobody writes sexy female criminals like Elmore. Dawn Navarro is a really erotic character. Clairvoyant ladies are sexy. Elmore knew that.
March 15, 2025
As a fan of Raylan Given’s and the show Justified, I decided to delve into the book series to see if it was as good as the show. I’ve done this a few times and sometimes find the books better. I haven’t made up my mind yet about this book series. Where the tv show takes place in Harlan County KY, the book series starts out in Miami. In the show, Raylan get transferred to Lexington after killing a mobster in Miami. Well Raylan killed the mobster in the first installment so, I’m hoping he gets transferred soon.
The book summary pretty much lays out the primary story of Harry Arno (introduced in the first installment) being abducted. Harry, who was hunting down Chet for a betting debt that Chet owes him, suddenly gets the tables turned on him and he’s abducted by the guy he hired to hunt Chet down. He’s held hostage in a rundown Palm Beach mansion owned by Chet’s mother, who is in a care facility. Chet, a deadbeat, pothead, loser, convinces Harry’s muscle, Bobby, that Harry is worth a whole lot more than him and that they should abduct Harry and make off with his money.
There’s also a secondary storyline of Raylan and Joyce (Harry’s ex-girlfriend) having some relationship issues and not getting along because Joyce is still helping Harry and spending too much time around him. Add an intriguing and beautiful psychic, Reverand Dawn, who has a habit of reading Raylan every time she sees him, reveals that she knows Raylan much better than Raylan feels comfortable with, for now, at least.
There’s a lot going on here and Leonard packs in a lot of shenanigans and hijinks in 269pgs. This story reminded me of so many of those stories I’ve read about all the incredibly stupid things that criminals have done that got them caught and arrested. Leonard had me laughing at some of the really stupid stuff these morons did. Of course, there is Raylan, the dashing, super cool, US Marshal in his suit and cowboy boots and Stetson and bringing to justice those idiots that thought they could beat him.
The continuing character development of Raylan was good as well as most of the rest of the cast of characters was good. Leonard definitely has a knack for creating entertaining characters. The story was steady to fast and the storyline was ok. Being only the second book I’ve ever read by Leonard, I can’t really say much about his writing other than it seems on par with what I’ve read before. I will say that the show veered from the books in several ways with the development of Raylan’s character and background. Nothing that took away from the story. I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.9 that I will round up to a 4star review.
The book summary pretty much lays out the primary story of Harry Arno (introduced in the first installment) being abducted. Harry, who was hunting down Chet for a betting debt that Chet owes him, suddenly gets the tables turned on him and he’s abducted by the guy he hired to hunt Chet down. He’s held hostage in a rundown Palm Beach mansion owned by Chet’s mother, who is in a care facility. Chet, a deadbeat, pothead, loser, convinces Harry’s muscle, Bobby, that Harry is worth a whole lot more than him and that they should abduct Harry and make off with his money.
There’s also a secondary storyline of Raylan and Joyce (Harry’s ex-girlfriend) having some relationship issues and not getting along because Joyce is still helping Harry and spending too much time around him. Add an intriguing and beautiful psychic, Reverand Dawn, who has a habit of reading Raylan every time she sees him, reveals that she knows Raylan much better than Raylan feels comfortable with, for now, at least.
There’s a lot going on here and Leonard packs in a lot of shenanigans and hijinks in 269pgs. This story reminded me of so many of those stories I’ve read about all the incredibly stupid things that criminals have done that got them caught and arrested. Leonard had me laughing at some of the really stupid stuff these morons did. Of course, there is Raylan, the dashing, super cool, US Marshal in his suit and cowboy boots and Stetson and bringing to justice those idiots that thought they could beat him.
The continuing character development of Raylan was good as well as most of the rest of the cast of characters was good. Leonard definitely has a knack for creating entertaining characters. The story was steady to fast and the storyline was ok. Being only the second book I’ve ever read by Leonard, I can’t really say much about his writing other than it seems on par with what I’ve read before. I will say that the show veered from the books in several ways with the development of Raylan’s character and background. Nothing that took away from the story. I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.9 that I will round up to a 4star review.
May 22, 2016
"Huggers and fortune-tellers; you're into some weird shit aren't you?"
-- Elmore Leonard, Riding the Rap
Like Pronto, 'Riding the Rap' isn't top shelf Elmore Leonard, but even bottom shelf (which this is not) Elmore Leonard is usually worth the money/time. This is the second Elmore Leonard novel to feature Raylan Givens in it. The most interesting part of this whole novel is the dialogue and interaction between the Raylan Givens and the Reverend Dawn Navarro. Navarro is a psychic who appears to float pretty close to the astral plane. She most certainly is very observant, which means she is a good foil and a good counter-point to Raylan Givens who also seems to be able to read people in an almost uncanny way.
Like a lot of Leonard books, some of the side characters are the most fascinating and worthwhile parts of the book. Anyway, if you want to see nice crooks with well constructed plans ... you should just go watch Oceans 11, 12, 13, etc. If you want plans that fall apart because human nature is often filled with opportunistic, self-defeating, less than rational low lifes, who find working in groups difficult, well, hell, this is the book for you. Elmore Leonard is kinda working ground he's worked before (kidnappings gone wrong) and in someways this feels a bit like a retread of The Switch. Listen folks, kidnapping isn't something that should be attempted by amateurs and definitely should not be done by amateurs smoking pot.
-- Elmore Leonard, Riding the Rap
Like Pronto, 'Riding the Rap' isn't top shelf Elmore Leonard, but even bottom shelf (which this is not) Elmore Leonard is usually worth the money/time. This is the second Elmore Leonard novel to feature Raylan Givens in it. The most interesting part of this whole novel is the dialogue and interaction between the Raylan Givens and the Reverend Dawn Navarro. Navarro is a psychic who appears to float pretty close to the astral plane. She most certainly is very observant, which means she is a good foil and a good counter-point to Raylan Givens who also seems to be able to read people in an almost uncanny way.
Like a lot of Leonard books, some of the side characters are the most fascinating and worthwhile parts of the book. Anyway, if you want to see nice crooks with well constructed plans ... you should just go watch Oceans 11, 12, 13, etc. If you want plans that fall apart because human nature is often filled with opportunistic, self-defeating, less than rational low lifes, who find working in groups difficult, well, hell, this is the book for you. Elmore Leonard is kinda working ground he's worked before (kidnappings gone wrong) and in someways this feels a bit like a retread of The Switch. Listen folks, kidnapping isn't something that should be attempted by amateurs and definitely should not be done by amateurs smoking pot.
March 28, 2012
I read this book in one sitting late last night and it was no fast read that was only fast paced and no depth. It took me 5-6 hours to read because i wanted to enjoy everyone nuance, character, dialogue.
I read recently the first book Pronto in this Harry Arno/Raylan Givens series and this book improved on the faults,weakness of that book. It had better mix of fun,quirky story and hardboiled,darker story. The first book was too much quirky and too little hardboiled for my taste with a hero like Raylan. This book have also better characters specially when it comes to the criminal,low live characters. They had more depth, interesting personalities.
Raylan is only one of 4-5 POV characters and doesn't appear in every page but he carried the book really well. Cant wait for his solo book!
Elmore Leonard have been a writer i liked for his mastery of dialogue, characters but i only read 10 books of his in 4 years meaning he was a so so favorite compared to other similar writers i have read like 20 books in the same time period. There was something lacking in his early 70s,80s crime books that i have read. His more recent 1990s,2000s books that i have read since 2010 have changed that. The Hot Kid Carl Webster books, Raylan books etc He is better than ever in his 80s, thats crazy.
I convinced the local library to buy in this 2012 reprinting of the book and do other readers a favor. The other books of his in the library are old hardcovers, cheap mass market. Not good enough for a literary great like this author.
I read recently the first book Pronto in this Harry Arno/Raylan Givens series and this book improved on the faults,weakness of that book. It had better mix of fun,quirky story and hardboiled,darker story. The first book was too much quirky and too little hardboiled for my taste with a hero like Raylan. This book have also better characters specially when it comes to the criminal,low live characters. They had more depth, interesting personalities.
Raylan is only one of 4-5 POV characters and doesn't appear in every page but he carried the book really well. Cant wait for his solo book!
Elmore Leonard have been a writer i liked for his mastery of dialogue, characters but i only read 10 books of his in 4 years meaning he was a so so favorite compared to other similar writers i have read like 20 books in the same time period. There was something lacking in his early 70s,80s crime books that i have read. His more recent 1990s,2000s books that i have read since 2010 have changed that. The Hot Kid Carl Webster books, Raylan books etc He is better than ever in his 80s, thats crazy.
I convinced the local library to buy in this 2012 reprinting of the book and do other readers a favor. The other books of his in the library are old hardcovers, cheap mass market. Not good enough for a literary great like this author.
June 16, 2020
Elmore Leonard. That's all you have to say.
December 11, 2023
I like Raylan so much in this one.
I mean, I always like Raylan. I love Raylan. But I first picked this book up a couple of years ago without having read Pronto, and ended up skimming a lot of it when I realized I needed to read Pronto first. My impression, back then, was that it was a lot of fun but shallow waters. Not all that much in the way of character depth.
But, man. What is the opposite of that? As fun as it is (so much fun), there’s layers upon layers here. The waters are still, and they run deep. The change in Raylan just from Pronto to Riding The Rap is substantial: he’s so much more comfortable, collected, aware, assured, so much more Raylan. It’s all the private fallout from shooting Tommy Bucks. It’s all plucking at the threads of these finest of fine lines.
I mean, I always like Raylan. I love Raylan. But I first picked this book up a couple of years ago without having read Pronto, and ended up skimming a lot of it when I realized I needed to read Pronto first. My impression, back then, was that it was a lot of fun but shallow waters. Not all that much in the way of character depth.
But, man. What is the opposite of that? As fun as it is (so much fun), there’s layers upon layers here. The waters are still, and they run deep. The change in Raylan just from Pronto to Riding The Rap is substantial: he’s so much more comfortable, collected, aware, assured, so much more Raylan. It’s all the private fallout from shooting Tommy Bucks. It’s all plucking at the threads of these finest of fine lines.
Raylan had to tell her why he couldn’t go in to investigate without permission or a search warrant, and this was the part that didn’t make sense to her. If he had no trouble shooting a man seated at a table with him in a restaurant, why couldn’t he walk into someone’s house?I also love: not only is this the straight-up sequel to Pronto, we get a sequel to Maximum Bob in the process. Well, for the first chapter, anyway. It involves a Crowe, it gives the book its title, and Justified lifts it basically line-by-line for Dewey. (It’s the part I remember from the first time I picked up Riding The Rap. But now: all the layers.)
He said to her, “Why don’t you take my word for it?” tired of trying to explain distinctions, the gray areas in what he did for a living.
August 11, 2020
First half book: 2.5 stars
Second half book: 4 stars
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
Browning .380 auto, Louis and Bobby carry
Full size image here
The first half of the book has the same problems as Pronto, the first Raylan book: slow, repetitive, unproductive dialogue, etc. But the second half comes alive, sharp and tight. Just as I was about to give up!
The low-life criminals think they're much smarter than they are, almost like a Coen Brothers movie. Raylan is laid back but curious about the young psychic girl. Some nice dialogue from her throughout.
Adequate climax, some gunplay, Raylan's integrity pitched just right.
Only one real quote:
He’d stroll one of the beaches or a mall or visit a Huggers Gathering in the park and try not to get hugged while he mingled and looked for runaways. Chip’s favorite kind were young girls who’d left home pissed off at their dads and feeling betrayed by their moms; they came to Gatherings homesick, would get caught up in the flashing peace signs and Huggers saying “Love you” with dopey grins and pretty soon the little girls would be dosing on acid.
.
Second half book: 4 stars
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
Browning .380 auto, Louis and Bobby carry
Full size image here
The first half of the book has the same problems as Pronto, the first Raylan book: slow, repetitive, unproductive dialogue, etc. But the second half comes alive, sharp and tight. Just as I was about to give up!
The low-life criminals think they're much smarter than they are, almost like a Coen Brothers movie. Raylan is laid back but curious about the young psychic girl. Some nice dialogue from her throughout.
Adequate climax, some gunplay, Raylan's integrity pitched just right.
Only one real quote:
He’d stroll one of the beaches or a mall or visit a Huggers Gathering in the park and try not to get hugged while he mingled and looked for runaways. Chip’s favorite kind were young girls who’d left home pissed off at their dads and feeling betrayed by their moms; they came to Gatherings homesick, would get caught up in the flashing peace signs and Huggers saying “Love you” with dopey grins and pretty soon the little girls would be dosing on acid.
.
January 1, 2012
Elmore Leonard writes in a style that is very dialogue heavy. Sometimes, this can weigh down his books (Touch and Unknown Man #89 for example). But in a hostage situation where everyone is trying to figure out the cards they're dealt, Leonard looks good here. A return of the excellent Raylan Givens character is nice but it's the Reverend Dawn who really steals the show. Leonard really creates some quality female character and she's one of them. A solid overall effort from the crime-writing master.
September 14, 2023
This book was somewhat loosely adapted in an episode if the show Justified so I thought I knew how most things would go but it actually managed to surprise me and kept me glued. Elmore is a masterclass in character work and witty dialogue. It's sad we will never again get anymore Raylan books since the author passed in 2011. 4.5 stars. A great place to start with this author in my opinion.
September 29, 2011
I think the appeal here is that we crave heroes and we want our heroes to be flawed. We want to see our heroes do the things we know we can't do and at the same time we want to feel superior to them. Elmore Leonard hits the nail on the head with this sentiment. He gives us just enough of the impossible to strike awe and just enough weakness to make us feel hopeful.
Elmore Leonard is my guilty pleasure. I know I can always turn to Elmore Leonard when I want great characters and an exciting plot. Riding the Rap is just such a story.
Recently I've been bogged down in overreaching literary masterpieces that bored me near to tears. Elmore Leonard to the rescue. This story has an adequate plot but what the author does as well as anyone else in the business is create flawed but realistic characters. The cast in this book includes Raylon Givens, a tough guy US Marshal whose life is kind of a mess and his job doesn't allow for the excitement that he craves.
Next up is Chip Ganz, a spoiled rich man who never grew up and now can't pay his gambling debts. Throw in a psychic named Reverand Dawn who might have the gift or might just use her looks and charm to get by. You also have a couple of nasty violent felons and a millionaire bookmaker who can't stay off the sauce long enough to stay out of trouble. These are grit that holds the story together.
Leonard doesn't exactly write mysteries so much as create great characters and allow them to interact. It's no wonder that the character of Raylon Givens as been made into a television series. It's also no wonder that many of Elmore Leonard's better stories find their way onto the screen. I have to say I had a fun ride in this book. The ending was never really in doubt but that's not the point of the story. The point of the story is to see Raylon do his thing and be cool while doing it. Maybe I'm just a simplistic reader but sometimes you just want to see a character do his thing and to cheer him on.
I'm not going to give it five stars, even though that's my inclination. I know this is a five star book and I know it wasn't that hard for Mr. Leonard to write. However, sometimes I want to remind people who are always looking for the masterpiece that good stories told well will always resonate with the reading public.
Elmore Leonard is my guilty pleasure. I know I can always turn to Elmore Leonard when I want great characters and an exciting plot. Riding the Rap is just such a story.
Recently I've been bogged down in overreaching literary masterpieces that bored me near to tears. Elmore Leonard to the rescue. This story has an adequate plot but what the author does as well as anyone else in the business is create flawed but realistic characters. The cast in this book includes Raylon Givens, a tough guy US Marshal whose life is kind of a mess and his job doesn't allow for the excitement that he craves.
Next up is Chip Ganz, a spoiled rich man who never grew up and now can't pay his gambling debts. Throw in a psychic named Reverand Dawn who might have the gift or might just use her looks and charm to get by. You also have a couple of nasty violent felons and a millionaire bookmaker who can't stay off the sauce long enough to stay out of trouble. These are grit that holds the story together.
Leonard doesn't exactly write mysteries so much as create great characters and allow them to interact. It's no wonder that the character of Raylon Givens as been made into a television series. It's also no wonder that many of Elmore Leonard's better stories find their way onto the screen. I have to say I had a fun ride in this book. The ending was never really in doubt but that's not the point of the story. The point of the story is to see Raylon do his thing and be cool while doing it. Maybe I'm just a simplistic reader but sometimes you just want to see a character do his thing and to cheer him on.
I'm not going to give it five stars, even though that's my inclination. I know this is a five star book and I know it wasn't that hard for Mr. Leonard to write. However, sometimes I want to remind people who are always looking for the masterpiece that good stories told well will always resonate with the reading public.
June 1, 2021
An enjoyable book; more Raylan in this than Pronto and the story moves along better. Violent and rough, but humorous and better plotted than Pronto as well. The obnoxious Harry and Joyce characters are in this book, but much less and are pretty much dealt with by the end.
Interestingly, Raylan's father is dead from black lung in this novel, rewritten for Justified.
Interestingly, Raylan's father is dead from black lung in this novel, rewritten for Justified.
July 23, 2023
A fun read.
December 19, 2014
read this in april...was on a leonard kick earlier this year, trying to read as many as i could get. kindle. i'll be quiet about the price...something about price always gets under my skin...but if nobody gives a damn how much the ticket seller is making while the star of the show gets eight million, who am i to jump on the walmart bashing wagon?
leonard has the goods...and this story is good. florida. ocala. been there...
starts:
ocala police picked up dale crowe junior for weaving, two o'clock in the morning, crossing the center line and having a busted taillight.
i've read 45 leonard titles...have enjoyed them all...and if you have never read leonard, you are missing out. big big. i enjoy his comic lode...that easy conversational tone he has. i enjoy the story...the ride is a blast. i hope to read all he has to offer and then based on my anderson's disease...i'll probably reread things. life is good.
leonard has the goods...and this story is good. florida. ocala. been there...
starts:
ocala police picked up dale crowe junior for weaving, two o'clock in the morning, crossing the center line and having a busted taillight.
i've read 45 leonard titles...have enjoyed them all...and if you have never read leonard, you are missing out. big big. i enjoy his comic lode...that easy conversational tone he has. i enjoy the story...the ride is a blast. i hope to read all he has to offer and then based on my anderson's disease...i'll probably reread things. life is good.
September 18, 2017
Number two in the series
While the character gets closer to Tim Olyphant's portrayal, he still makes some very dumb decisions.
I like Leonard's cast of characters, good, bad, and the just shortly encountered.
While the character gets closer to Tim Olyphant's portrayal, he still makes some very dumb decisions.
I like Leonard's cast of characters, good, bad, and the just shortly encountered.
June 19, 2022
The beauty of Elmore Leonard is he's able to bring characters to life with sparse exposition and sharp dialogue. This story only has a handful of characters and centers on Raylan Givens, a relentless federal marshal drawn into looking for a missing person. It's not an official case, but his uncanny observations lead him forward. Set against the backdrop of Florida, Leonard can add tension to a scene simply by having one of the parties holding some pruning sheers. I highly recommend it.
April 21, 2019
Having enjoyed the TV show based off these books, it has been fun to visit with Raylans character again. Also my first reads of Elmore Leonard and am looking to get into more of his work soon.
September 26, 2024
Okay, now I can watch Justified
October 29, 2013
I’ll tell you something: my love/hate relationship with Elmore Leonard has just shifted to slightly more into the love side of the equation. I didn’t much care for Pronto but I liked the audio book version of Raylan quite a bit. So I thought I’d leave it up to Riding the Rap to decide if Elmore Leonard was “my thing” or not. I have to admit that I’m beginning to come around. I’m still not a huge fan of his incomplete sentences or his jarring scene shifts, but I really do enjoy his characters, his plotting and his pacing.
Riding the Rap is Elmore Leonard’s second Raylan Givens novel and is a pretty fun (not to mention unique) story. It includes characters from Pronto while introducing a whole new cast of rogues for Raylan to tangle with. This time around, however, Raylan isn’t working in any kind of official capacity with the U.S. Marshal’s office. No, Raylan has a friend who’s in trouble and needs his help as a man – not a Marshal. There’s all kinds of fortune telling, gun slinging, detective work, intuition, hugging and life evaluating going on in this one and – surprisingly – I took right to it.
Raylan is the kind of character I’ve been waiting my whole reading life for. He’s quiet by solid, firm yet easy going, brave but mild and cool while somewhat old fashioned too. To me, he’s the perfect mix of hair-triggered Wyatt Earp and cool-headed Perry Mason (how’s that for a weird analogy). I can’t seem to get enough of him. Whether it’s re-watching the FX series Justified on Blu-Ray or digging into another Elmore Leonard novel, I always seem to crave more. Sure, I’m not a big fan of Leonard’s writing style, but his characters are so darn good that I still can’t help myself!
On the technical end of things, Riding the Rap is still pretty much the same as the other Raylan Givens novels: aggravatingly choppy in parts but not so much as to make it indecipherable. Leonard’s verbiage is flawless – not too flowery while not too bland. His prose is bold and reckless as it should be in any hard-boiled crime novel worth its salt. There were a handful of jarring scene shifts where it might have taken me several sentences to figure out that this new paragraph was in a completely different setting with completely different characters from what I had just been reading. But, overall, Riding the Rap was a really fun novel that I found myself enjoying as I read.
The plot was genuinely entertaining. Nothing was overly complex – the bad guys were the bad guys and the good guys were the good guys. The pace moved things right along with maybe - maybe - a slower spot in the middle. However, this was easy to ignore as the cast of characters was pretty tight and each one was pleasant enough to follow during the narrative.
All in all, I’d have to say I found Riding the Rap to be right up there with Raylan in the likability range. It was memorable and fairly easy to visualize (whether or not that is due to being made into a TV show is anybody’s guess). Having enjoyed this one to the point where my complaints were more than over shadowed by my enjoyment, I’m going to give it 3 ½ stars – 4 since there are no halvsies on Goodreads.
Riding the Rap is Elmore Leonard’s second Raylan Givens novel and is a pretty fun (not to mention unique) story. It includes characters from Pronto while introducing a whole new cast of rogues for Raylan to tangle with. This time around, however, Raylan isn’t working in any kind of official capacity with the U.S. Marshal’s office. No, Raylan has a friend who’s in trouble and needs his help as a man – not a Marshal. There’s all kinds of fortune telling, gun slinging, detective work, intuition, hugging and life evaluating going on in this one and – surprisingly – I took right to it.
Raylan is the kind of character I’ve been waiting my whole reading life for. He’s quiet by solid, firm yet easy going, brave but mild and cool while somewhat old fashioned too. To me, he’s the perfect mix of hair-triggered Wyatt Earp and cool-headed Perry Mason (how’s that for a weird analogy). I can’t seem to get enough of him. Whether it’s re-watching the FX series Justified on Blu-Ray or digging into another Elmore Leonard novel, I always seem to crave more. Sure, I’m not a big fan of Leonard’s writing style, but his characters are so darn good that I still can’t help myself!
On the technical end of things, Riding the Rap is still pretty much the same as the other Raylan Givens novels: aggravatingly choppy in parts but not so much as to make it indecipherable. Leonard’s verbiage is flawless – not too flowery while not too bland. His prose is bold and reckless as it should be in any hard-boiled crime novel worth its salt. There were a handful of jarring scene shifts where it might have taken me several sentences to figure out that this new paragraph was in a completely different setting with completely different characters from what I had just been reading. But, overall, Riding the Rap was a really fun novel that I found myself enjoying as I read.
The plot was genuinely entertaining. Nothing was overly complex – the bad guys were the bad guys and the good guys were the good guys. The pace moved things right along with maybe - maybe - a slower spot in the middle. However, this was easy to ignore as the cast of characters was pretty tight and each one was pleasant enough to follow during the narrative.
All in all, I’d have to say I found Riding the Rap to be right up there with Raylan in the likability range. It was memorable and fairly easy to visualize (whether or not that is due to being made into a TV show is anybody’s guess). Having enjoyed this one to the point where my complaints were more than over shadowed by my enjoyment, I’m going to give it 3 ½ stars – 4 since there are no halvsies on Goodreads.
October 28, 2010
Elmore Leonard is a MASTER at creating odd and malformed characters. While the plotline of this one isn't exactly masterful, his deft handling of the characters adds depth to the enjoyment of this novel. It isn't a masterpiece by any means, but I enjoyed it (with the exception of the strong language-- remember-- these are criminals and Elmore lets them talk in a realistic manner-- at times he seems to revel in it. In other words-- at times (at least for me) he goes too far for me. In fact, I feel like I have waded in the filth of the underworld- including the scummy swimming pool that some of the action is centered around.
Let me tell you about the characters:
Raylan is a U.S. Marshal-- his main claim to fame is that he gave a gangster 24 hours to leave town or he would shoot him. Then, he showed up and practically forced the gangster to draw on him. He shot him dead and that has become his claim to fame. Everytime he meets a new character, well almost, the character remarks something like "You're that marshall that wasted ________________. Shot him down dead!"
Raylan has a slow and easy-going way about him.
Harry is a former bookmaker, now retired-- he has a drinking problem, but his ex-wife (Raylan's current squeeze)keeps rescuing him. Raylan wishes she would stop-- but she doesn't.
Chip- a middle-aged hippie living off his mother's pocketbook.. but his mom has Alzeheimers and his income has been cut off... so now he's ready to get involved in crime. He comes up with the idea of kidnapping Harry (oh.. he owes Harry like $16,000 anyway)
Louis Lewis (no kidding) former black muslim, hooks up with Chip to help with the plan. Impatient.
Bobby Deo- Puerto Rican who once was a bond recovery agent. After doing time, he could no longer work one bail retrievals and so he drifted into doing small time muscle work for Harry, etc. He is easily convinced.
Rev. Dawn- psychic chick who tries to tell everyone what they are feeling. Is she really psychic? Surely seems so.
These characters all work together to form a weird kidnapping plot, an unofficial investigation, and murder and mayhem abound. Typical Leonard, with the typical wacko violence, and of course, the moments of truth as characters realize what their actions have caused, etc.
Let me tell you about the characters:
Raylan is a U.S. Marshal-- his main claim to fame is that he gave a gangster 24 hours to leave town or he would shoot him. Then, he showed up and practically forced the gangster to draw on him. He shot him dead and that has become his claim to fame. Everytime he meets a new character, well almost, the character remarks something like "You're that marshall that wasted ________________. Shot him down dead!"
Raylan has a slow and easy-going way about him.
Harry is a former bookmaker, now retired-- he has a drinking problem, but his ex-wife (Raylan's current squeeze)keeps rescuing him. Raylan wishes she would stop-- but she doesn't.
Chip- a middle-aged hippie living off his mother's pocketbook.. but his mom has Alzeheimers and his income has been cut off... so now he's ready to get involved in crime. He comes up with the idea of kidnapping Harry (oh.. he owes Harry like $16,000 anyway)
Louis Lewis (no kidding) former black muslim, hooks up with Chip to help with the plan. Impatient.
Bobby Deo- Puerto Rican who once was a bond recovery agent. After doing time, he could no longer work one bail retrievals and so he drifted into doing small time muscle work for Harry, etc. He is easily convinced.
Rev. Dawn- psychic chick who tries to tell everyone what they are feeling. Is she really psychic? Surely seems so.
These characters all work together to form a weird kidnapping plot, an unofficial investigation, and murder and mayhem abound. Typical Leonard, with the typical wacko violence, and of course, the moments of truth as characters realize what their actions have caused, etc.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 608 reviews