Charlie Martz and Other Stories: The Unpublished Stories

nA collection of fifteen stories, eleven of which have never been previously published, from the early career of bestselling American master Elmore Leonard.n nOver his long and illustrious career, Elmore Leonard was recognized as one of the greatest crime writers of all time, the author of dozens of bestselling books--many adapted for the big screen--as well as a master of short fiction. A superb stylist whose crisp, tight prose crackled with trademark wit and sharp dialogue, Leonard remains the standard for crime fiction and a literary model for writers of every genre.n nMarked by his unmistakable grit and humor, the stories in Charlie Martz and Other Stories--produced early in his career, when he was making his name particularly with westerns--reveal a writer in transition, exploring new voices and locations, from the bars of small-town New Mexico and Michigan to a film set in Hollywood, a hotel in Southern Spain, even a military base in Kuala Lumpur. They also introduce us to classic Leonard characters, some who recur throughout the collection, such as aging lawman Charlie Martz and weary former matador Eladio Montoya.n nDevoted Leonard aficionados and fans new to his fiction will marvel at these early works that reveal an artist on the cusp of greatness.n nEven [Leonard's] breeziest efforts have a way of nailing our conflicted culture in all its stubborn glory and misfit dreams. Charlie Martz and Other Stories clues us into the dreams he was having when life in America was, at least on the surface, less turbulent.--Chicago Tribune