The Switch: A Novel
The Switch: A Novel book cover

The Switch: A Novel

Paperback – August 21, 2012

Price
$14.99
Format
Paperback
Pages
288
Publisher
Mariner Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0062206138
Dimensions
5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
Weight
7.7 ounces

Description

“The greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever!” — The New York Times Book Review “An absolute master.” — The Detroit News Ordell Robbie and Louis Gara hit it off in prison, where they were both doing time for grand theft auto. Now that they're out, they're joining forces for one big score. The plan is to kidnap the wife of a wealthy Detroit developer and hold her for ransom. Looks good until they learn the lowlife husband doesn't want his wife back. So it's time for Plan B and the opportunity to make a real killing—with the unlikely help of a beautiful, ticked-off housewife who's hungry for a large helping of sweet revenge. Elmore Leonard wrote more than forty books during his long career, including the bestsellers Raylan , Tishomingo Blues , Be Cool , Get Shorty , and Rum Punch , as well as the acclaimed collection When the Women Come Out to Dance , which was a New York Times Notable Book. Many of his books have been made into movies, including Get Shorty and Out of Sight . The short story "Fire in the Hole," and three books, including Raylan , were the basis for the FX hit show Justified . Leonard received the Lifetime Achievement Award from PEN USA and the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He died in 2013. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • “My favorite Leonard book….He writes the way Hammett and Chandler might write today, if they sharpened their senses of ironic humor and grew better ears for dialogue.” —
  • Dallas Morning News
  • “The best writer of crime fiction alive.” —
  • Newsweek
  • Dangerously eccentric characters, razor-sharp black humor, brilliant dialog, and suspense all rolled into one tight package—that’s
  • The Switch
  • , Elmore Leonard’s classic tale of a kidnapping gone wrong…or terribly right, depending on how you look at it. The Grand Master whom the
  • New York Times Book Review
  • calls, “the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever,” has written a wry and twisting tale that any of the other all-time greats—Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, John D. MacDonald, James M. Cain, Robert Parker…every noir author who ever walked a detective, cop, or criminal into a shadowy alley—would be thrilled to call their own. Leonard, the man who has given us U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (currently starring in TV’s
  • Justified
  • ) is at his storytelling best, as a spurned wife decides to take a rightful—and profitable—revenge on her deceiving hubby by teaming up with the two thugs he hired to abduct her.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(134)
★★★★
25%
(112)
★★★
15%
(67)
★★
7%
(31)
23%
(103)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Great fun

Part buddy comedy, part Doll's House, this book is a page turning delight.

In this short breezy read, Elmore Leonard gets right into the action by introducing us to Mickey, a bored suburban Detroit housewife and her husband, a dishonest slum lord.

We also meet Ordell and Louis, ex con friends who've decided to launch a new money making scheme: kidnap Mickey so that she can be ransomed to her husband.

The only problem is that her husband, who's having an affair has just filed for divorce meaning that he would be all too happy to have Ordell and Louis do his dirty work and save him some alimony payments.

Like all good comedy this book follows one delight with another building logically and reasonably to a conclusion that...well...it's probably best to read that yourself.

This is a great book and great fun.
3 people found this helpful
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Great Read

Love the author. Never diappoints.
1 people found this helpful
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If there existed a Mount Rushmore for writers who have ...

If there existed a Mount Rushmore for writers who have captured the street narrative you would see Elmore Leonard in stone. Captivating and will require a shower and a drink after the final page!
1 people found this helpful
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stupid me.

It was the usual Leonard and I went along for the ride. It's good if you like his style and I do. But the ending blew me away. I may be dumb but I just didn't see it coming. I finished it days ago and I am still smiling.
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Lighthearted tale of a kidnapping gone wrong

A sad tale of a kidnapping gone wrong ... okay not really sad. This one is a lot more lighthearted than a lot of Elmore Leonard's books. Most of the plot turns are obvious once the central tropes have been established, but it was still pretty funny.
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Four Stars

It was far from the worst book I ever read.
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The Switch

Very interesting and DYNAMIC
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The Switch

Very interesting and DYNAMIC
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much better than the movie

Much, much better than the movie!
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Deeply ponderous.

Another stinker from 'the master'. If you're looking for a story where deadly dull 'characters' (that's being generous) talk at each other while doing absolutely nothing then this is your book. Please, take it.