Cat Chaser (20)

Cat Chaser
Elmore Leonard

3 weekends, and 3 book... I have finally found a way to get my reading back a bit... sitting outside reading on weekends. This weekend was Elmore Leonard, my favorite author. This set in Flordia, a hotel owner becomes involved with a married woman, who's husband was a general in charge of the secret police of Dominican Republic. There is a back plot about a host of characters who want to rob the general of the millions in cash he is rumored to keep in his home. As I read more of the Leonard books I notice a pattern in them. You have the likeable anti-star who is laid back and calm... they often take place in or near hotels. There is often infidelity, and almost always lots of drinking and an uncontrollable drunk or drug addict. There is a street person, and a gee whiz country boy type. The main victim is often a powerful but distant person.
While there are similarity, the stories do not seem to be written on a template like many of Lawrence Sanders books (although he is also one of my favs). The stories are different enough that you only notice the pattern after reading many of the books. As with all of Leonard's books it is the characters that drive the stories, and what makes them so enjoyable.