The Odd Thingabout Walter Schoen, German born but now running a butcher shop in Detroit, he's a dead ringer for Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS and the Gestapo. Honey Deal, Walter's American wife, doesn't know that Walter is a member of a spy ring and gives shelter to escaped German POWs. But she's tired of telling him jokes he doesn't understand—it's time for a divorce.
Along comes Carl Webster, the Hot Kid of the Marshals Service. He's looking for Jurgen Schrenk. Carl's pretty sure Walter's involved with keeping Schrenk hidden so he gets to know Honey, hoping she'll lead him to Walter. Honey likes the hot kid marshal and doesn't much care that he's married. But all Carl wants is to get Jurgen without getting shot. Next, Carl meets Vera Mezwa, the Ukrainian head of the spy ring, and her lover Bohdan, with a sly way of killing. And then there's Otto—the Waffen-SS major who runs away with a nice Jewish girl. It's Elmore Leonard's world—gritty, funny, and full of surprises.
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"It's a quick, smart book with a lot of gripping dialogue. I just love the way the Lawman Carl Webster moves through the scenes, picking apart what's important and realizing that his priorities are changing as the story progresses. He's a man who's not afraid of anything and yet he's barely able to keep control of the plot that may be unraveling around him by the beautiful and treacherous Honey. Leonard's writing is, as always, smooth."
— Cv (4 out of 5 stars)
“Combines everything we love about Leonard’s works--big guns, morally clueless murderers, sexy dames and handsome lawmen. A masterpiece.”
— USA Today“Reading Up in Honey’s Room is like dancing with the stars, and he's the star. You don’t have to teach him anything or look for flaws in the smoothness of his steps or watch to see whether there will be gaps in his plots, or whether his characters will—if even for an instant—slip out of character. You just get to be lost in the dance with him as he gives unimaginable depth and dimension to the phrase ‘easily and effortlessly.’”
— Washington Post“So compulsive, so entertaining, so satisfying. Dialogue as imaginative, unpredictable and witty as we have come to expect from Leonard.”
— Times (London)“No American author has a better ear for dialogue. Leonard is as straight a shooter as his hot-kid hero.”
— Newsday“Bullets fly, but as with most ELmore Leonard novels, things really move when the dialogue gets going.”
— Christian Science Monitor“The dialogue flows as fast and as smooth as any words ever uttered in service of a story. It’s as if the best of Mel Brooks and Quentin Tarantino were refined into something altogether finer and purer.”
— Booklist (starred review)" Elmore Leonard's ability to be zippy and fun even as his characters go through horrifying events never fails to amaze me. "
— Neil, 2/4/2014" Classic Leonard, although the time period is WWII Detroit and involves spies and con-men/women of every persuasion. The audible version was brilliantly read by Arliss Howard. "
— Merilee, 1/9/2014" If you're looking to itch that crime novel scratch right now, check out Elmore Leonard's "Up in Honey's Room." I loved it. It's got everything. Nazis, spies, a double-crossing cross-dresser, high-heeled dames packing heat and inner city Detroit. What more could you want? "
— Benjamin, 1/6/2014" This book was so funny! Good story. I listened to the book on tape, and they guy reading it (Arliss Howard) was amazing with all his accents. Are all of Elmore Leonard's book this funny? Must try more.... "
— Dawn, 1/3/2014" Is boring, i want to give 0, but 1 is the less "
— Albu, 12/21/2013" A typical Elmore Leonard: interesting characters doing interesting things told in an interesting style but without a truly satisfying ending. "
— Ben, 12/13/2013" Lots of twists and people seemed to keep changing sides so you really have to pay attention. Good read "
— Lissa, 12/2/2013" Excellent sequel to one of my favorite Leonard books, The Hot Kid. "
— Craig, 11/8/2013" One of Leonard's best. Funny as hell. "
— Jeff, 9/9/2013" This book is awful!! I typically will read a book all the way through even if its not that great but this is a waste of time, very boring! "
— Amanda, 8/16/2013" A silly story with snappy dialogue that sounds ready-made for the movie that will no doubt follow. Entertaining, but not what I'd call... memorable. "
— Thomas, 8/15/2013" No one (except maybe Lawrence Block, ah, well, sometimes) does character development quite like Elmore Leonard. His books are the only ones where I find the plot secondary to the characters. Each person is intentional, believable and rarely just good/bad. "
— Rachel, 8/12/2013" Elmore Leonard has a very efficient style - he just quickly sketches in the characters and lets his dialogue and action speak for itself. I loved the character of Honey and all the twists and turns to the plot. Light on characterisation maybe, but a great story. "
— Jan, 8/1/2013" My first EL book...and probably my last. "
— Larry, 7/11/2013" Great story telling as usual with a good historic presence from 1940's detroit. "
— Mike, 5/14/2013" funny audio book we listened to on drive up to portland. great characters...nazi's living in u.s. plotting to kill fdr. carl webster...excellent stuff. "
— Jose, 4/5/2013" Loved Up in Honey's Room. All characters were verve. The plotting was bovine. The story concise. And Honey was wholesome like a honeycomb. "
— Ben, 1/10/2013" Not quite as good as "The Hot Kid," but hardly a disappointment. "
— Natalie, 10/10/2012" An unconventional portrayal of Germans and espionage in the US during WWII. I found the first half of the book slow, but it was worth finishing for it's memorable and original characters. "
— Jackie, 7/26/2012" The caracters were lifeless, so I couldn't finish this read. "
— Heather, 3/1/2012" Nazis, spies, flirtation, murder, car chases, and shootouts. This was an enjoyable, clever read without much going on under its wildly entertaining surface. I suppose that's what Elmore Leonard novels are supposed to be. "
— Northpapers, 11/2/2011" Another fast read from the master. "
— Gregg, 10/16/2011" Great fun with hilarious characters and set, as well as this can't-stop-watching specter of semi-ludicrous menace hanging over the whole affair. My first Elmore Leonard book, I expect to begin working my way backwards. "
— Mat, 10/8/2011" A very different Leonard novel. This one takes place in 1940's Detroit, where a federal marshall is chasing two escaped war prisoners. "
— Mary, 8/16/2011" Good for a hot afternoon with your feet up. "
— Janet, 6/18/2011" Elmore Leonard has a very efficient style - he just quickly sketches in the characters and lets his dialogue and action speak for itself. I loved the character of Honey and all the twists and turns to the plot. Light on characterisation maybe, but a great story. "
— Jan, 5/11/2011" What a trip! A lightweight, smooth and cool tale by Mr. Cool himself. Like sitting down by a tree with a few cold beers on a hot summer evening. "
— Roberto, 4/26/2011" If you're looking to itch that crime novel scratch right now, check out Elmore Leonard's "Up in Honey's Room." I loved it. It's got everything. Nazis, spies, a double-crossing cross-dresser, high-heeled dames packing heat and inner city Detroit. What more could you want? "
— Benjamin, 4/16/2011" Elmore Leonard fans won't be disappointed in the writing, which doesn't stray far from his hallmark dialogue intense style. The plot has some holes, though and the ending was unimaginative. "
— Marc, 11/3/2010" Loved Up in Honey's Room. All characters were verve. The plotting was bovine. The story concise. And Honey was wholesome like a honeycomb. "
— Ben, 10/11/2010" Love Elmore - just not this book, spent time trying to get to know a character that did not seem that interesting. "
— Melinda, 9/23/2010" You have to love Elmore Leonard! So quirky, sly, and irresistable. This is one of his few 'historical' novels which I almost enjoy more than his contemporaries. "
— Shruts, 9/3/2010" Classic Leonard, although the time period is WWII Detroit and involves spies and con-men/women of every persuasion. The audible version was brilliantly read by Arliss Howard. "
— Merilee, 7/20/2010" Lots of twists and people seemed to keep changing sides so you really have to pay attention. Good read "
— Lissa, 7/17/2010" An unconventional portrayal of Germans and espionage in the US during WWII. I found the first half of the book slow, but it was worth finishing for it's memorable and original characters. "
— Jackie, 6/15/2010Elmore 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.
Arliss Howard is an actor and award-winning narrator. His narrations were twice finalists for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Mystery Narration, in 2006 for Elmore Leonard’s The Hot Kid and in 2008 for Up in Honey’s Room, also by Elmore Leonard. He has won two AudioFile Earphones Awards, one for Up in Honey’s Room and another as part of the narrating cast with Debra Winger and Keith Carradine for The William Faulkner Audio Collection. His film credits include roles in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Moneyball. He’s also an award-winning television actor as well as a writer and producer.