Before Elmore Leonard was writing some of the best crime fiction in America, he wrote
westerns. Some might argue that he has never stopped writing westerns, as even
his crime fiction contains all the elements. What cannot be argued is that
Leonard is one of the best at what he does.
His new collection of of nineteen short stories --- THE TONTO WOMAN AND OTHER WESTERN
STORIES --- is a good introduction to Leonard's style. He is a true literary
craftsman who chooses his words carefully and creates a fantastic mood by doing
so. He writes tightly and deletes all unnecessary words. While this
leaves a lot to the imagination of the reader, he provides just enough detail to complete
images. It makes his work interesting and fun. It is truly difficult to put
down a Leonard novel until the last page.
Leonard proves his mastery of the short format with his first story, "The Tonto
Woman." In a mere fifteen pages he weaves a tale of a woman scorned by
white society, by her Mojave markings. These are tattoo marking on her cheeks
and chin that the Indians gave her. Since Indians aren't looked kindly upon in
the West, she is banished by her husband to a small plot of land on the outskirts of her
spouses' property. Enter Ruben Vega, a cattle thief who has come to steal her
husband's herd. They quickly fall for each other, which enrages her husband and
leads to a fantastic nail-biting climax. This title piece is a great story as
we see Elmore's craft of cutting a story down to its base elements shine
through. It also showcases another of his talents; his characters are
cool. Ruben Vega is a Clint Eastwood-like cowboy who is just too cool for his
own good. Part of the allure of a Leonard novel is his ability to create
characters that you want to be like. Unflinching, self-confident and yes, cool.
"Only Good Ones" is another riveting story. Imagine a group of men
trying to bring in a fugitive, surrounding a hut where the criminal might be
hiding. None of the men in the posse are sure if they have the right man, but
their leader is certain of it. Well-crafted, it will leave the reader
second-guessing. Then there's "Saint with a Six-Gun" which centers on
a doomed man. Bobby Valdez has been sentenced to death for his past history of
killing. Since the town is a bit scarce on law enforcement, they hire local
Lyall Quinlan to guard him at night. A fantastic mind game unfolds as Lyall
guards his prisoner, which leads up to an exciting conclusion.
Take your pick. All the stories are great and showcase Elmore Leonard's skill
as a writer. For those veteran Leonard readers, it is just another example of
how he's the best in his genre. For those new to his work, it is a simple and
easy introduction. His books are fun to read, a quality that at times is
seriously lacking from a literary diet. You owe it to yourself to read at least
one of Leonard's novels, and see why he is one of America's finest authors.
--- Reviewed by Patrick E. Hughes
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