Bandits [Paperback]

Elmore Leonard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 1999

Bandits assembles an unlikely crew: an ex-nun, an ex-cop, and an ex-con. They've got their eyes on several million dollars that they've decided should not be spent to aid the Contrast in Nicaraugua. Of course , a lot of other people have their eyes on the money, too.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"All the suspense, tough talk, and local color anyone can expect... "Bandits" should fill the land with the sound of turning pages!" -- "Time"

"May well be his best." --"The Philadelphia Inquirer"

"You'll find the usual deft Leonard touches -- the dialogue that sounds like it was copied off the police blotter, the instructive fascination with minor details, the twists and turns and sudden, nasty violence that somehow seems casual.... You won't be able to avoid it, nor should you." --"St. Louis Post-Dispatch"

"Leonard delivers. "Bandits" is...the best thing he's done.... The language reeks of the street -- and the convent. The words fit the characters. And the characters are stunning."" --Houston Chronicle"

""Bandit" crackles like a brown paper bag pulled up around a half pint." --"Atlanta Constitution"

"Almost unbearable suspense. Leonard has produced another winner." --"People"

About the Author

Elmore Leonard has written more than forty books during his highly successful writing career, and many of his novels have been made into movies. Leonard is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from PEN USA and the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Bloomfield Village, Michigan.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (February 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688166393
• ISBN-13: 978-0688166397
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,136,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elmore Leonard has written more than forty novels, including bestsellers Up in Honey's Room, The Hot Kid, Mr. Paradise, Tishomingo Blues, Pagan Babies, and Glitz. Many of his books have been made into movies, including Get Shorty and Out of Sight. He lives with his wife, Christine, in Bloomfield Village, Michigan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From the Leonard Reviews: Strange and derivative, March 27, 2001

By 

Samuel Louis "raisindot" (Natick, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bandits (Paperback)

Elmore Leonard gets religion (and philosophy) in "Bandits," one of his least satisfying works. He recycles his classic character types: Jack Delaney, the cool, collected ex-con having a hard time adjusting to civilian life; Sister Lucy, the good girl/bad girl who claims to be a nun but isn't above criminal intent, and a Nicaraguan heavy who is pretty much a carbon copy of the Dominican heavy from "Cat Chaser." Through a slug-paced story that lacks the usual Leonard crackle, we get ample doses of Catholic philosophy, superficial New Orleans 'atmosphere,' a "will they or won't they" tease that ends up being boring after awhile, until the usual Leonard fireworks end the tale. If you are going through the Leonard canon, I recommend leaving "Bandits" at the bottom of your "to-read" list.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not his best, October 19, 2007

By 

M. LaPointe (Long Isalnd, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bandits (Hardcover)

Elmore Leonard has been lauded as America's greatest living crime writer and having read all of his crime books, I can see why. However, Bandits is clearly not one of Leonard's better works. Leonard claims that he never knows how his books will end, that he lets the characters lead him. In the case of Bandit's it they do not lead him to any strong finish. The characters are always the best part of any Leonard novel, and this cast is rather boring.

In an earlier review, a reader commented that this was an "issue" book and cited both Pagan Babies and Cat Chaser as being in the same category. While Pagan Babies (an excellent read) and Cat Chaser (also good) may have both had issues or causes woven into the story, neither of these suffered from the boring cast of characters and slow moving plot that Bandits did. Fortunately this kind of disappointment is rare with Leonard's works.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dialog, dialog, dialog, July 21, 2007

By 

C. Schaub "Charlie" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bandits (Paperback)

Superficially, "Bandits" is a caper novel, and not a particularly good one. What saves it is Leonard's characters and especially their dialog. Ignore the plot -- Just sit back, relax, observe, and in particular listen to the characters.