Play Audiobook Sample
The Switch Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.40) - 20 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
“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.
Download and start listening now!
"Reminded me a little of the movie "Ruthless People" with Bette Midler. A couple kidnaps a business man's wife, and he doesn't want her back, so the wife helps the kidnappers get the money. "
— Robert (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Nerve-wracking…one of Leonard’s best.”
— Seattle Times -
“Hammer’s narrative voice is classic sleuth book; low, deep, somewhat raspy and bloated with meaning. He creates suspense with well-timed pauses and captures every joke with deadpan accuracy. He also gives life to vivid characters with accents ranging from suburban sheltered housewife to African American thug to Detroit Nazi. These characters make the book, one of Leonard’s best, an enjoyable, engrossing experience.”
— AudioFile
The Switch Listener Reviews
-
" Written in 1978, its funny to see how quickly things can become dated. But good, fun light reading. "
— Pearl, 4/26/2011 -
" I gave up about 35% into the book. I'm sure Elmore Leonard is a great writer, and I could tell by reading some of this, but I think that this was a bad book to start on for Elmore Leonard. The story was bad, and painfully slow. "
— Cory, 4/29/2010 -
" Good basic crime/mystery novel. It didn't have the suspense and thrills that I usually look for in books. "
— Shoe, 2/22/2010 -
" not my favorite leonard, but the characters from Rum Punch, Ordell and Louis, are here, which was cool. It's still a great story, just not my favorite leonard. "
— Current, 9/28/2009 -
" I'm in love with Elmore Leonard's spare yet observant style. This book is as short, crisp, and satisfying as wedge of iceberg with blue cheese dressing. <br/> "
— Ellen, 9/22/2009 -
" Listened to the sound recording. I "read" books in my car as I'm driving. "
— Roberta, 4/19/2009 -
" Elmore Leonard is known for his tight, fast-paced dialogue. This is loaded with it. A great story with fun, lovable hoodlums galore. Pure Leonard. "
— Ben, 11/21/2008 -
" Funny, fast, but no Freaky Deaky. "
— Barrett, 11/4/2007 -
" Great author. Great with dialog. Love the speed of this book. Read it in one day. "
— Laurie, 10/28/2007
About Elmore Leonard
Elmore 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.
About Mark Hammer
Mark Hammer has had long and distinguished career in the theater. After earning an undergraduate degree from Stanford University, he completed an MFA degree at Catholic University. For twenty-three years after that, he served on the drama faculty at that university and as co-chairman of its MFA acting program. For the last sixteen of those years, he was also a member of the resident acting company at Washington, DC’s Arena Stage. There, he had significant roles in both classic and contemporary dramas. He was twice nominated for the Helen Hayes Award for his performances in Cloud Nine and The Wild Duck. He has also appeared in several Broadway plays. Hammer was proud to be chosen to narrate the opening film of the permanent exhibit for the National Holocaust Museum.