By Elmore Leonard

Jack Ryan was once a minor leaguer who had trouble with the curve. An “injury” finished his playing career. Since then he has drifted back and forth between odd jobs and light criminal enterprises. When he meets Mr. Majestyk in Michigan, the local justice of the peace, he is offered a job working for him. But he also meets Nancy, who eggs him on into bigger and bigger crimes. But when pressed into committing a more serious crimes, he has to choose between a stable life and chasing the “Big Bounce”.

Leonard’s first crime novel, it has interesting characters, some flashes of the settings and dialogues that would be come his signature. But it was very safe feeling. It was missing something, like chili or stew that is solid, but is missing something that would make it transcendent.

336 Pages

3/5