The Law at Randado [Mass Market Paperback]

Elmore Leonard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1985

Phil Sundeen thinks Deputy Sheriff Kirby Frye is just a green local kid with a tin badge. And when the wealthy cattle baron's men drag two prisoners from Frye's jail and hang them from a high tree, there's nothing the untried young lawman can do about it. But Kirby's got more grit than Sundeen and his hired muscles bargained for. They can beat the boy and humilate him, but they can't make him forget the jog he has sworn to do. The cattleman has money, fear, and guns on his side, but Kirby Frye's the law in this godforsaken corner of the Arizona Territories. And he'll drag Sundeen and his killers straight to hell himself to prove it.

--This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever!” (The New York Times Book Review ) --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

Elmore Leonard has written more than 40 books during his highly successful writing career, including the bestsellers Road Dogs, Up in Honey’s Room, The Hot Kid, 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 Be Cool. He is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from PEN USA and the Grand Master Award of the Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Bloomfield Village, Michigan.

--This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 170 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Books (March 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553247131
• ISBN-13: 978-0553247138
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,169,508 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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Leonard western., September 22, 2004

By 

E. S Winskill (Tacoma, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Law at Randado (Mass Market Paperback)

In the course of the last month, I've become a big fan of Elmore Leonard's Westerns. I'm new to the Western, late in the game. After a few L'Amour's, a friend put me on to Leonard. He's the very top of the genre, in my view. The dialogue and the action tell the story and make the points about toughness and character, not the sentimental interior thought process of the hero, so common in this genre; at least what I've seen thus far.

Kirby Frye is young and green (as a deputy), but he stands up to the townsmen and Phil Sundeen, the bad cattle baron, much to their surprise. He reminds me a lot of the implacable Roberto Valdez in "Valdez is Coming" (I think Leonard's greatest Western), and there are similar qualities to the story. But this is early Leonard (1954), and he only gets better as time goes on.

We again meet the scoundrel Sundeen and see his fate in Gunsights, a much later book (1979).

It's going to be hard to go back to other Western authors having been introduced to Elmore Leonard this early on!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT CHARACTER WINS AGAIN!!!, August 25, 2002

By 

Mac Blair "Mac Blair" (Huntingdon, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Law at Randado (Mass Market Paperback)

Kirby Frye is a young Deputy Sheriff but he has a lot of guts. Men are dragged from his jail and hanged while he is out of town. When he goes after the men who did it they humiliate him. The second time he goes after them they take off his shoes and make him walk out of town. THAT WAS A MISTAKE!!! Phil Sundeen has all the men, power and money and he thinks Frye will keep on going. Sundeen has always done what ever he wanted to do, but that is about to come to an end. He uses his own tough men plus a hired gun but to no avail. The story is about Fryes tracking the men responsible and has a lot of action in it. It shows that Frye is human and can make mistakes. I liked the character of Dandy Jim. A quick read, very good western that will hold your attention.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Lawman's Inner Strength, August 17, 2002

By 

F. E. Mazur (Lexington, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Law at Randado (Mass Market Paperback)

Leonard's lawman in this tale is a youngster whose fortitude remains internal and gives no hint of itself to the young sheriff's adversaries. As a result, they are prone to humiliating him whenever there is opportunity. But it is their ignorance of what constitutes strength that makes them blind to the perseverance of the youth and his solid belief to uphold the law. A nice and easy read from beginning to end.