A collection of fifteen stories, eleven of which have never been previously published, from the early career of bestselling American master Elmore Leonard.
Over 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.
Marked 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.
Devoted Leonard aficionados and fans new to his fiction will marvel at these early works that reveal an artist on the cusp of greatness.
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“There’s a reason Leonard has been labeled one of the best crime writers in America and why his clipped and witty dialog and economical writing style have found their way to television and film. He’s just a great storyteller. Leonard devotees will love this book, and new readers will want to check out his novels after reading this work of short fiction.”
— Library Journal (starred review)
“Gunslingers and suits dreamed up well before Get Shorty and Out of Sight are sketches of the heroes and villains for whom Leonard would become known.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine“Why it’s hot: The great writer of Westerns and crime novels died in 2013, so this posthumous collection is a bonus.”
— USA Today“Even [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“The collection abounds with signs of the writer to come.”
— Newsday“This collection is packed with entertaining nuggets, and the narrators are all on target…This formula—great narration and unexpected stylings from Leonard—makes Charlie Martz an oddity…Kudos to all the narrators, especially Tish Hicks.”
— AudioFileElmore Leonard (1925–2013) wrote more than fifty books during his highly successful career, including the bestsellers Djibouti, Road Dogs, Mr. Paradise, Tishomingo Blues, and the critically acclaimed collection of short stories, When the Women Come Out to Dance. Many of his books have been made into movies, including Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from PEN USA and the Grand Master Award of the Mystery Writers of America.
George Newbern is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and a television and film actor best known for his roles as Brian MacKenzie in Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride Part II, as well as Danny in Friends. As a voice actor, he is notable for his role as Superman on the Cartoon Newtork series Static Shock, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. He has guest starred on many television series, including Scandal, The Mentalist, Private Practice, CSI: Miami, and Numb3rs. He holds a BA in theater arts from Northwestern University.
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.
Tish Hicks is an accomplished voice-over artist and narrator. Her voice can be heard in commercials for Subaru, Pop-Secrets, and others. Among her audiobook narrations are the Taylor’s Arch trilogy by Jody Lynn Nye and Start Shooting by Charlie Newton.
Will Patton is an award-winning actor and narrator. HIs narrations have earned the prestigious Audie Award for Best Fiction Narration and also won dozens of AudioFile Earphones Awards. His numerous film credits include Remember the Titans, The Punisher, The Mothman Prophesies, Armageddon, and The Spitfire Grill. He starred in the TNT miniseries Into the West and on the CBS series The Agency and won Obie Awards in the theater for his performances in Fool for Love and What Did He See.
Tavia Gilbert is an acclaimed narrator of more than four hundred full-cast and multivoice audiobooks for virtually every publisher in the industry. Named the 2018 Voice of Choice by Booklist magazine, she is also winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has earned numerous Earphones Awards, a Voice Arts Award, and a Listen-Up Award. Audible.com has named her a Genre-Defining Narrator: Master of Memoir. In addition to voice acting, she is an accomplished producer, singer, and theater actor. She is also a producer, singer, photographer, and a writer, as well as the cofounder of a feminist publishing company, Animal Mineral.