Valdez Is Coming [Mass Market Paperback]

Elmore Leonard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 2002

They laughed at Roberto Valdez and then ignored him. But when a dark-skinned man was holed up in a shack with a gun, they sent the part-time town constable to deal with the problem -- and made sure he had no choice but to gun the fugitive down. Trouble was, Valdez killed an innocent man. And when he asked for justice -- and some money for the dead man's woman -- they beat Valdez and tied him to a cross. They were still laughing when Valdez came back. And then they began to die...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A Leonard novel that still holds up as one of his very best."
-- Washingtom Post Book World (Washington Post, DC ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Elmore Leonard has written more than forty 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. Justified, the hit series from FX, is based on Leonard’s character Raylan Givens, who appears in Riding the Rap, Pronto, the short story “Fire in the Hole,” and now Raylan. Leonard 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.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (February 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380822237
• ISBN-13: 978-0380822232
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Westerns > General

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

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Elmore's Work in a Different Era, July 26, 2003

By 

DJK ver 2.0 "Reader and Movie Buff" (Richardson, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valdez Is Coming (Mass Market Paperback)

'Valdez is Coming' is classic Elmore Leonard, in more than one way. First, it was written in 1970, and was about the eighth novel (out of about three dozen) that he has written. Second, it is the blue print for many of his novels that follow.

Bob Valdez is a Mexican constable in a small Western town. He is generally respected by the populace. However, when a wealthy man named Tanner arranges an impromptu posse to flush a suspected murderer out of his home, things change. In an attempt to resolve the problem, Valdez tries to talk to the man and is forced to shoot him, less he be killed himself. Then he comes to find out the man was not who Tanner thought he was.

In attempt to make ammends, Valdez attempts to arrange for a payment to the deceased man's widow, an Indian, from the men responsible. For his trouble, Valdez gets shot at, verbally abused, and then finally crucified. Making Valdez mad was a huge mistake.

Valdez eventually hatches a plan that involves Tanner's common-law wife, Gay Erin. This finally gets Tanner's attention and the chase is on. Erin has her own issues, she killed her ex-husband after years of abuse, and now has decisions to make about her future.

Valdez both is and is not the typical hero that have come to represent Leonard novels. First of all, he is hispanic. Usually, ethnic characters are the sidekicks in Leonard's work. However, Valdez is the little guy trying to make a difference, whether it be personal or for the good of society, by taking on those that have more power than himself.

Fans of Leonard's will recognize the general style of his writing (excellent dialogue with little use of modifyers, common characters with a twist, a slightly unclosed ending, etc.). This was the first of the westerns by Leonard that I have read, and I was very pleased. I'd recommend this novel to those that like Westerns in general, those that like Leonard's work, and anyone that likes a little guy takes on the bad guys novel.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars solid, December 29, 2000

By 

James P. Hunt (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valdez Is Coming (Mass Market Paperback)

Elmore Leonard probably didn't become fashionable, or at least, a best seller until the last ten years. But I believe the novels he wrote in the 70's are his best. I think "Valdez is Coming" may have been the last western novel he wrote, circa 1970. It was made into a depressingly bad film starring Burt Lancaster who, at that time, was simply too old and tired to play the role. (Steve McQueen would have been far better; perhaps Clooney could work the role today. It requires someone who can convincingly portray a 40 year old man who on the surface seems like a bit of a loser, but who everyone soon realizes they drastically underestimated.) The film may have been responsible for the novel's lack of acclaim. Which is too bad, because "Valdez is Coming" is probably one of his five best. (I would say "Swag", "52 Pick-Up", "Hombre" and "Unknown Man # 89" are the other four.) A story of courage and redemption told with depth and sensitivity. The chapter where he discusses that a man can be two men; one man at a certain time and place and another man in another place is outstanding. And the action scenes - the gunfights, the confrontations, etc. - are the best Leonard's ever written. Simply great storytelling with little of the contemporary need to be hip or cool.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elmore Leonard is awesome!, August 18, 2005

By 

Rhino (Saint George, Ut United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valdez Is Coming (Mass Market Paperback)

Whenever I'm about ready to start reading an Elmore Leonard novel, I feel like a kid anticipating Christmas morning! Leonard's books are always page-turning thrillers that can make me gasp over a surprising character/plot twist that I wasn't expecting. His novels are always fast-paced, fun, entertaining reads.

"Valdez is Coming" is no differant. Although it is a western,it's a page-turner written in the great Elmore Leonard style. This novel was written years ago, before Elmore Leonard began writing crime thrillers, but it still holds up and entertains.

There's a hero you love to love(Valdez), and there's a villian you love to hate. There's a damsel in distress, and the typical Elmore Leonard twists and turns that keep you quickly flipping the pages because you want to know what happens next!

I often tell people to turn off the damn tv and pick up an Elmore Leonard novel. Try this one, or many of his crime thrillers. You won't be disappointed. In fact, you'll find yourself having a pretty good time!