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Riding the Rap (Raylan Givens #2)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 1,803 ratings · 151 reviews

Now that his mom's gravy train has derailed, gambling, debt-ridden Palm Beach playboy Warren "Chip" Ganz has decided to take somebody rich hostage--with the help of a Bahamian ex-con, a psycho gardener/enforcer, and the beautiful, if underfed, psychic Reverend Dawn. The trouble is they choose bookmaker Harry Arno as their victim, and Harry can scam with the best. The BIG t...more

Mass Market Paperback, 326 pages

Published June 4th 2002 by HarperTorch (first published 1995)

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Jan 25, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kick-ass

Oh, Raylan Givens. Life was so dark before I knew you.

For those unfamiliar with the television show Justified, this novel (along with Pronto) serves as the inspiration for the story of Raylan Givens, a U. S. Marshal from Harlan, Kentucky, who has a gun on his hip, a Stetson on his head, and a chip on his shoulder. Torn between coal country's familial "code of honor" and his own desire to be an Old West cowboy meting out justice based on a black/white understanding of right and wrong, Raylan ofte...more Oh, Raylan Givens. Life was so dark before I knew you.

For those unfamiliar with the television show Justified, this novel (along with Pronto) serves as the inspiration for the story of Raylan Givens, a U. S. Marshal from Harlan, Kentucky, who has a gun on his hip, a Stetson on his head, and a chip on his shoulder. Torn between coal country's familial "code of honor" and his own desire to be an Old West cowboy meting out justice based on a black/white understanding of right and wrong, Raylan often finds himself in the questionable middle ground of moral decisions. At least, that's the tv version. In the novels, Raylan is an interesting character, but not nearly as angry or hell-bent on a path of self-destruction. I prefer the television version better, but the books are still well worth reading and it's interesting to see how Justified has molded Leonard's original concept of Raylan into the perfect anti-hero.

In the novel, Raylan is not banished to Harlan, Kentucky, after shooting a local Florida mobster, so we don't get to see him interact with his past or the culture he left behind when he joined the Marshal's service. Instead, Riding the Rap picks up where Pronto left off. Raylan is still seeing Harry Arno's ex-stripper ex-girlfriend, Joyce, but is beginning to realize that their relationship has become something of habit. They're both sticking around because they have nowhere else to go. The fact that Joyce is now acting as Harry's personal chauffeur isn't helping things. A retired bookie, Harry is making final collections when a former client decides to kidnap him Middle-Eastern-terrorist-style until Harry breaks and offers to pay his own ransom. In the meantime, Joyce demands that Raylan look into Harry's mysterious disappearance and Raylan grudgingly begins piecing things together with his own peculiar investigative methods (which usually depend upon throwing people off guard with his cowboy in a suit persona).

There are some twists here that aren't in the series, and I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of Reverend Dawn, a young psychic that readers suspect, despite some of her obvious scams, may be possessed of a limited psychic ability. The scenes where she and Raylan talk are full of Leonard's usual witty banter and sharp dialogue. (Suggestion for Justified producers: how 'bout let's kill Winona off and bring in Dawn? Just saying.)

In addition, there are some nice surprises for fans of the show when you see how key scenes in the novel have been translated to the television version. My favorite was the opening scene of the novel in which Raylan handcuffs Dale Crowe Junior to the steering wheel and has him drive himself (with Raylan riding shotgun) to jail. This was one of my favorite scenes in the television show. There were some slight modifications, such as he's now Dewey Crowe and a white supremacist from Harlan, but, for the most part, the dialogue was lifted directly from the book, proving how brilliantly Leonard's work translates to film.
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Dec 31, 2011 Jake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-detective

Elmore Leonard writes in a style that is very dialogue heavy. Sometimes, this can weigh down his books (Touch and Unknown Man #89 for example). But in a hostage situation where everyone is trying to figure out the cards they're dealt, Leonard looks good here. A return of the excellent Raylan Givens character is nice but it's the Reverend Dawn who really steals the show. Leonard really creates some quality female character and she's one of them. A solid overall effort from the crime-writing maste...more

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May 07, 2013 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, the-dirty-south

I like Raylan so much in this one.

I mean, I always like Raylan. I love Raylan. But I first picked this book up a couple of years ago without having read Pronto, and ended up skimming a lot of it when I realized I needed to read Pronto first. My impression, back then, was that it was a lot of fun but shallow waters. Not all that much in the way of character depth.

But, man. What is the opposite of that? As fun as it is (so much fun), there’s layers upon layers here. The waters are still, and they...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Choklit rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a good palate cleanser after re-reading the Game of Thrones series. The good guys win, hooray! No, that's not a spoiler. If you're a fan of Justified on FX, you'll recognize the situations in Pronto and Riding the Rap (haven't started Fire in the Hole yet). Raylan is a bit different in the books from the way he's portrayed in the TV series, but still recognizable with his hat, boots, and general idea that regardless of the situation, things will work out OK for him. So far this series is...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Mohammed rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, elmore-leonard, hardboiled-detective, library-books

I read this book in one sitting late last night and it was no fast read that was only fast paced and no depth. It took me 5-6 hours to read because i wanted to enjoy everyone nuance, character, dialogue.

I read recently the first book Pronto in this Harry Arno/Raylan Givens series and this book improved on the faults,weakness of that book. It had better mix of fun,quirky story and hardboiled,darker story. The first book was too much quirky and too little hardboiled for my taste with a hero like R...more

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Oct 27, 2010 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: completed

Elmore Leonard is a MASTER at creating odd and malformed characters. While the plotline of this one isn't exactly masterful, his deft handling of the characters adds depth to the enjoyment of this novel. It isn't a masterpiece by any means, but I enjoyed it (with the exception of the strong language-- remember-- these are criminals and Elmore lets them talk in a realistic manner-- at times he seems to revel in it. In other words-- at times (at least for me) he goes too far for me. In fact, I fee...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Ronna rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is Leonard's second Raylan Givens novel, that the show 'Justified' is based on. Once again, Raylan seems to spend most of his time going off on his own, rather than sticking purely with his US Marshall services job.

Harry, from 'Pronto' , the first Raylan Givens' book, is a retired bookie who returns In this book. After running from the mob in book one, he is kidnapped by a trio of truly strange characters in this book. Raylan gets involved with a beautiful young psychic; an old woman whose...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Cv Rick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mainstream

I think the appeal here is that we crave heroes and we want our heroes to be flawed. We want to see our heroes do the things we know we can't do and at the same time we want to feel superior to them. Elmore Leonard hits the nail on the head with this sentiment. He gives us just enough of the impossible to strike awe and just enough weakness to make us feel hopeful.

Elmore Leonard is my guilty pleasure. I know I can always turn to Elmore Leonard when I want great characters and an exciting plot. R...more I think the appeal here is that we crave heroes and we want our heroes to be flawed. We want to see our heroes do the things we know we can't do and at the same time we want to feel superior to them. Elmore Leonard hits the nail on the head with this sentiment. He gives us just enough of the impossible to strike awe and just enough weakness to make us feel hopeful.

Elmore Leonard is my guilty pleasure. I know I can always turn to Elmore Leonard when I want great characters and an exciting plot. Riding the Rap is just such a story.

Recently I've been bogged down in overreaching literary masterpieces that bored me near to tears. Elmore Leonard to the rescue. This story has an adequate plot but what the author does as well as anyone else in the business is create flawed but realistic characters. The cast in this book includes Raylon Givens, a tough guy US Marshal whose life is kind of a mess and his job doesn't allow for the excitement that he craves.

Next up is Chip Ganz, a spoiled rich man who never grew up and now can't pay his gambling debts. Throw in a psychic named Reverand Dawn who might have the gift or might just use her looks and charm to get by. You also have a couple of nasty violent felons and a millionaire bookmaker who can't stay off the sauce long enough to stay out of trouble. These are grit that holds the story together.

Leonard doesn't exactly write mysteries so much as create great characters and allow them to interact. It's no wonder that the character of Raylon Givens as been made into a television series. It's also no wonder that many of Elmore Leonard's better stories find their way onto the screen. I have to say I had a fun ride in this book. The ending was never really in doubt but that's not the point of the story. The point of the story is to see Raylon do his thing and be cool while doing it. Maybe I'm just a simplistic reader but sometimes you just want to see a character do his thing and to cheer him on.

I'm not going to give it five stars, even though that's my inclination. I know this is a five star book and I know it wasn't that hard for Mr. Leonard to write. However, sometimes I want to remind people who are always looking for the masterpiece that good stories told well will always resonate with the reading public.(less)

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May 19, 2013 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 100-reading-club-mike-draper, abduction, books-into-film, family-relationships, mike-s-reading-challenge-2013, mystery, own-it, read-in-2013, reviewed, thriller

Raylan Givens in a U.S. Marshall in Florida. He has a strong moral code and is true to his friends.

Harry Arno is a retired gambler who uses paid collectors when it comes to collecting on an overdue debt. He has recently had a DWI so uses his ex-girlfriend, Janet, as a chauffeur. She and Raylan have been dating for a long time and become used to each other.

One of the people owing Harry money is Chip Ganz and when Harry has Bobby Deo try to collect the money, Chip changes the tables and offers Bob...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Alex Gherzo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Riding The Rap, Elmore Leonard's second novel featuring Raylan Givens, is enjoyable, but a definite step down from Pronto, Raylan's debut. This time, Harry Arno -- Raylan's quarry from the previous book -- is kidnapped by a trust fund punk and his confederates and Joyce, Harry's ex-girlfriend and Raylan's current squeeze, wants the deputy US marshal to find him. To get Harry back, Rayland must contend with a Puerto Rican debt collector with a passion for gardening, a Bahamian criminal with two f...more Riding The Rap, Elmore Leonard's second novel featuring Raylan Givens, is enjoyable, but a definite step down from Pronto, Raylan's debut. This time, Harry Arno -- Raylan's quarry from the previous book -- is kidnapped by a trust fund punk and his confederates and Joyce, Harry's ex-girlfriend and Raylan's current squeeze, wants the deputy US marshal to find him. To get Harry back, Rayland must contend with a Puerto Rican debt collector with a passion for gardening, a Bahamian criminal with two first names and a gorgeous psychic who may not be faking it.

Spoilers...

The new characters are all very well-drawn, just like in Pronto. Bobby Deo is scary in his embrace of violence to solve every problem with which he's presented, but his love of trimming bushes and planting flowers makes him endearing at the same time. Chip Ganz is a lowlife who tries to look respectable, but he becomes almost sympathetic when it's clear he's in over his head and about to be betrayed by his partners in crime. Louis Lewis is just trying to get paid, but he's stuck in the middle of a deluded amateur and a psychotic. The best of them, though, is Reverend Dawn, the psychic who clearly shares an attraction with Raylan. The best scenes in the book are when she and Raylan go back and forth reading each other, Dawn with her psychic abilities and Raylan with his detective skills. They make each other just uneasy enough to build chemistry.

The returning characters are a mixed bag. Raylan is terrific, just like he was in Pronto (and on Justified). He's a cowboy born in the wrong era. In this book, we get a bit of insight into why Raylan is the way he is when he recalls an incident with his mother that taught him never to enter someone's house uninvited. Harry Arno takes a backseat this time, and when he's there he's mostly chained to the floor, desperately trying to figure out what's happening to him. His quirks are kept to a minimum, but before and after his kidnapping he's fun. Joyce is much less likeable this time, although upon reflection she's showing similar traits to those in Pronto. She's starting to lose interest in Raylan and gravitate back toward Harry. It annoyed me and seemed out of character at first, until I remembered it's the exact same thing she did in Pronto, only reversed. She says it's because Raylan shot Tommy Bucks in front of her, but in the end it's revealed that Harry's killed more people than Raylan (aside from the fact that he's a criminal). It seems to be a pattern for her. She runs off with Harry at the end, but I suspect she'll leave him again when she becomes bored with him, and on and on and on. I was hoping Raylan would move on with Reverend Dawn, but this was not to be either, although the end of the novel is ambiguous as to whether they at least had sex (I like to think they did, but I'm a romantic that way).

My biggest issue with Riding The Rap, and the thing that separates it most from its predecessor, is that it's very unsatisfying. For most of the novel, I was waiting for what I thought was the inevitable showdown between Raylan and Bobby Deo. Leonard spends a lot of time building it up, showing Bobby to be a fan of cowboy movies and practicing his draw for when he goes up against Raylan. The two have run-ins throughout the book, and Raylan takes a real dislike to Bobby. But then, about fifty pages before the book ends, Louis shoots Bobby dead and dumps him in the scum-ridden pool at Chip's mother's house. So the source of most of the story's suspense (not that I guess anyone would be in doubt as to the victor, the real cowboy or the wannabe) is gone. The next best thing is to have a showdown between Raylan and Lewis. And that happens... but it fizzles out when Harry shoots Louis before Raylan can. Swell. And to add salt to the wound, Raylan makes it clear he could've taken Louis easily. It's a very weak denouement and it brings down the rest of the book.

With a more satisfying conclusion, Riding The Rap would've stood toe-to-toe with Pronto. As is, it's a good caper that could've been great. Hopefully next time Raylan will get an adventure (and, specifically, a finale) more worthy of him.

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Mar 25, 2010 Sheila rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 06, 2013 Gabby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, crime, 2013, series

This is a continuation of the Raylan Givens story begun in Pronto. It includes some of the characters from that book with the addition of some new ones. But the point, it seems to me, was to give us a better idea of who Raylan Givens is. It doesn't hurt that the tv series Justified, shows us what Givens looks like, how he walks, how he talks, how he dresses, and how he is just about the coolest, easy-on-the-eyes hombre to ever come out of a coal mine. His conversations, especially with those cri...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Julie Hayes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Raylan Givens is a US Marshal, originally from the coal country of Harlan County, Kentucky, but now working with FAST (Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team), and assigned to the Sheriff’s Office in West Palm. As Riding the Rap begins, he’s come to pick up a prisoner and transport him, said criminal being one Dale Crowe Junior. Raylan is a no-nonsense sort of fellow, tall and lean. He wears a cowboy hat and cowboy boots and he has a ten gallon attitude. Crowe thinks that on the long drive from Ocala...more Raylan Givens is a US Marshal, originally from the coal country of Harlan County, Kentucky, but now working with FAST (Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team), and assigned to the Sheriff’s Office in West Palm. As Riding the Rap begins, he’s come to pick up a prisoner and transport him, said criminal being one Dale Crowe Junior. Raylan is a no-nonsense sort of fellow, tall and lean. He wears a cowboy hat and cowboy boots and he has a ten gallon attitude. Crowe thinks that on the long drive from Ocala to West Palm, he can get over on this marshal, maybe even persuade him to let him see the family he hasn’t seen in such a long time and misses dearly.

He quickly learns that he is indeed mistaken. Now he just has to accept his fate and ride the rap.

Meanwhile, Harry Arno, a friend of Raylan’s, is owed a lot of money by a guy named Warren “Chip” Ganz—sixteen five, to be exact—so he hires Bobby Deo to collect it. Deo reports back to Harry that Ganz is living in a house owned by his mother, a very pricey property sitting on 2.35 acres along the ocean, although it’s in bad shape, and the mother herself is in a nursing home in West Palm. Bobby is sent to see Ganz to see what he can do about getting Harry’s money. He finds Ganz to be a fifty-something stoner without a clue, and nothing to do but get high – and he’s broke. Bobby threatens him—pay up or else, the standard gambit. The or else doesn’t sound very pleasant, and involves losing body parts on a regular basis. Stalling Bobby, Chip says he’ll be right back, and slips into the study. Unknown to Bobby another man is there – Louis Lewis, an associate of Chip’s. The three men end up sitting down together, pooling their collective brain cells. What if Bobby can make more money with them then he would have by strong-arming Chip? No, they’re not talking about kidnapping. Something similar, but different. Different, and lucrative. Hmmm, food for thought here.

In the meantime, we meet Raylan’s lady friend Joyce, who is also a friend of Harry’s. She’s never gotten past Raylan’s shooting of Tommy Bucks, or the calm way in which he explains that it was justified. Bucks drew first. Raylan had given him twenty-four hours to get out of town. He didn’t do it, and as they were sitting together at a Florida eatery, Bucks had drawn. Case closed. It’s also the reason Raylan isn’t working in Miami right now.

Harry goes to a restaurant in Delray Beach, having arranged to meet Bobby there to get his money. Bobby doesn’t show, but Harry meets a nice girl named Dawn, who is going table to table reading Tarot cards. Not that Harry believes, but he listens, and what he hears is enough for him to agree to go to her home for a better reading. His mistake. They have him now. And it’s up to Raylan to ride to the rescue and get him out of his predicament.

Riding the Rap is vintage Elmore Leonard. He’s absolutely boffo in dealing with these types of characters—off the wall gangster types with loose screws and high ambitions. Raylan, whom you may just well know from having seen him on Justified, is unique unto himself. Elmore takes his characters and scrambles them up and then sees what develops. The non-kidnappers have poor Harry blindfolded and keep him in a room in Chip’s mother’s decaying mansion, not sure why he is there, not even sure who else is there, as they are careful not to speak around him. The Reverend Dawn is a great character too—the psychic who resembles Marianne Faithfull, whom you’re never quite sure if she’s psychic, or intuitive, or a little bit of both. It’s not her fault that Harry was taken like that, but Raylan thinks she knows more than she’s letting on.

I love the relationship between Rayland and Joyce – it’s obvious that they are close, but that she’s close to Harry too, a fact which gives Harry pause for a moment, wondering if Raylan’ll come for him. Not only does Joyce not understand the Tommy Bucks incident, but she understands less why Raylan doesn’t go busting into the Ganz house without a warrant, if he thinks Harry is there, or else why doesn’t he try to get one. He just can’t seem to get through to her.

For fans of Justified, I have to warn you that Raylan, although a major character, is not the only one, and the story isn’t focused completely around him, as you might expect with an actual book from an actual Justified series (to my knowledge there is none). The other guys get their fair share of time too, and rightly so. You’ll laugh at this downright comedy of errors, all woven with Elmore Leonard’s inimitable style. If you like this, you might want to look up his short story, “Fire in the Hole”, in which we are first introduced to Raylan Givens. I liked Riding the Rap. I would gladly read more.

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Jun 17, 2012 Jonathan Cate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard is the second book in the Raylan Givens series. This is a better effort than Pronto mainly because there is more Raylan.

The main character, Raylan, is a no nonsense type of guy that has a strong moral code. He gets the job done even if he doesn't like what the job entails. The character is written as emotionally distant and stolid. Elmore just tells the story and presents the characters as they play it out. There isn't any self-narration or elaborate plot buildi...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Petrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Though crime genres don’t usually draw me in, I love a dose of Elmore Leonard pulp fiction a couple of times a year. It’s Rembrandt doing graffiti art, but there is much to be enjoyed.
This wasn’t my favorite, but it was a fast enjoyable read. Leonard’s got a gift for creating characters with enough original, eccentric traits to keep them interesting despite the overall cliché of good guys vs bad guys. The heroes have dark sides, Raylan Givens being no exception. I heard he’s the main character...more

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May 01, 2013 Margaret Sankey rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I wait another season for new Justified episodes, I have fallen back to the source material. In this installment, Raylan is still working warrants with the Miami office of the Marshall's service when importuned by his current girlfriend to look for her ex-boyfriend, a semi-retired bookmaker and full-time drinker Harry Arno. Arno's been kidnapped by one of his indebted clients, Chip, and Chip's Bahamian security guy, and Arno's own Puerto Rican enforcer who changed sides for promised money....more

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Jul 23, 2011 John rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have always said I like authors who write strong, interesting characters, and Leonard does that. However, I have never clicked with him as a writer. What I finally figured out is that I am not into cops and robbers. I don’t read books about crime and criminals and I don’t watch TV shows about them. Its just not my thing.

But I do love Justified and Raylan Givens. And this book is about Raylan. Clearly Leonard used it as partial inspiration for the series. I think it is episode 3 of the first s...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Anthony rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery

I enjoyed the book. I enjoy the TV show and decided to read the source. It was a fun read and I can see where the writers for the show got some of their material (obviously! But I mean there are certain scenes in the book that have been spread out across different episodes) and Raylan's dialogue. This the second book with Raylan. Once again the setting is Miami and and a bookie Raylan had to track down in the last book has vanished. Raylan suspects something and decides to open his own unofficia...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Brion Salazar rated it 3 of 5 stars

The sequel to Pronto, featuring Raylan Givins, picks up about a year later. Raylan and Joyce's relationship has cooled. Harry has been forcibly retired and still can't figure out what he wants to do with the rest of his life. Raylan is being Raylan.

I liked this book, but not nearly as much as Pronto. As always, Leonard's characterizations are so solid and his efficiency of word is something I admire. He rarely writes anything unnecessary and keeps things moving forward. The plot here is the big...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Mike Jensen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You are in trouble with a book is worse than the TV series based on it. The very watchable JUSTIFIED uses a character whose second outing is in this novel, and the pilot used elements from early in the book. The producers were wise to stop where they did, for little happens in about 250 of the 326 pages. Despite giving himself so much time to develop an interesting ending, Leonard forces the climax about 20 pages before the end. Even the character used in the series, Ryland Givens, is more real...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Steve Reid rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Riding the Rap" was a sequel to one of Elmore Leonard's books with Raylan Givins as the major force. Raylan is a modern-day marshal and has the boots and the hat and the gun and the calm attitude. He also has a trademark phrase, something along the lines of "If you draw your gun I'll have to kill you." He's very proud of that phrase because he thinks it's cool, effective and he worked on it a long time. I like the character a lot and just knew he'd surface again in a Leonard novel and he has --...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Bernie Charbonneau rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone!!

Shelves: ebook, thriller-suspense-mystery

This is the second novel in the series involving U.S. Federal Marshall Raylan Givens and found this crime thriller as good if not better than the first book, Pronto. Raylan is everything that you would imagine a U.S. Marshall to be! The confident manner in which he conducts his investigation can only lead to failure for his foes. Mr. Leonard writes with such style that you can't help but be entertained. You can read this volume on it's own but with most of the characters transitioning from the f...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Edward Chapman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not Leonard's best, but he's his usual self: great dialog, flaky characters and oddball plot twists. Raylan Givens is classic Leonard hero. He's tough, worldwise, has an eye for the ladies, and gets to the heart of any matter with wit and grit. Reverend Dawn is a character he reprises in Road Dogs. She's better here, or at least more complex here. Chip, the bad guy, is a typical Leonard screwball with some very typical slimeball accomplices in a kidnapping plot.

I'd rate the plot no more than 3...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Bobbie O'keefe rated it 3 of 5 stars

The TV series of Justified got me interested in the Raylan Givens character so I went searching for the book. Tho I've read many genres, crime novels--fictional or otherwise--aren't my favorite. I'd read Elmore Leonard before so was somewhat used to his style of writing, which doesn't lag; his characters are pretty well developed and he keeps the action going. It'd really help this one reader, however, if Mr. Leonard would use names more often and less pronouns. Sometimes it was difficult figuri...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Ed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This is I think my second read of this book. I decided to read or re-read all of the Raylan Givens material again after catching up with this season's "Justified". Leonard is in his element here, his characters flaky and fun, his dialog crackling and his plot, well, good enough anyway. This is a very enjoyable book with a trio of villains who, as always, completely outshine the hero. My favorite of the Raylan Givens stories is still "Fire in the Hole" but this is well worth reading.

I have read t...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Patrick McCoy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, crime-noir

Elmore Leonard’s Riding The Rap is the last book in the Raylan Givens series. And again I have to say I enjoyed the quick, well-plotted thriller full of lively dialogue and colorful characters. The TV show Justified only mined this book for one single episode, but I guess that makes sense in the context of that show. Givens is pressed to follow up his girl Joyce’s concern with Harry Arno’s disappearance-which turns out to be a sort of kidnapping by some dangerous characters who can never get the...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Renee rated it 2 of 5 stars

I absolutely love "Justified" -- so I wanted to experience the books -- I love the first "Raylan" book _Pronto_ because it was funny, creative, and the character just felt like Timothy Olyphant's portrayal on the television show. I found I was disappointed by this second book -- not enough Raylan and too much of the secondary "bad guy" characters. The carryover from the first novel was good, but not enough interaction with Raylan and Harry and Joyce, for me. I am looking forward to the short sto...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Brandon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is definitely a two star book given the bump mostly due to one character.

Here's my preconceived notion about single character focused series: While some details travel between stories, each book is a standalone tale with a recognizable main character serving as the draw that continues to bring readers back. When I hear about the Karen Sisco books or the Jack Reacher series, this is what I picture. But maybe I'm the one who's wrong. Judging by the second Raylan Givens book, which is as direc...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Heather Schmutz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Better than the last but still not my type of book. Raylan and Harry are connected again as Raylan searches for a missing Harry at Joyce's request. Harry is settling bets to finally be out of the business when an outsource turns against him and he finds himself kidnapped and being held hostage in a rundown ocean property. Raylan follows the trail of suspects in an unofficial independent investigation as things between him and Joyce become more tense. Overall this book held me better than the la...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Dominick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-fiction

Former loan shark who's decided tor etire and is collecting his final debts disappears. Fortunately, his former lover and current codependent friend is dating US Marshall Raylen Givens, who investigates. Sort of a modern Western, full of typical Leonard lean dialogue, almost laughably tough macho men, and a nice twisty plot. Lonard has a good eye for quirky characters and a good sense of how to throw in a curve when necessary, so this is a fun book, if not an absolute classic. Thriller fnas shou...more

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Genres

Mystery > Crime

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Mystery

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Thriller

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Novels

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Suspense

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Thriller > Mystery Thriller

5 users

Mystery > Hard Boiled

4 users

Mystery > Detective

4 users

Mystery > Noir

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Action

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About Elmore Leonard

Elmore John Leonard lived in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Memphis before settling in Detroit in 1935. After serving in the navy, he studied English literature at the University of Detroit where he entered a short story competition. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into m...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/166857.Riding_the_Rap?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1318444401l/166857.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/166857.Riding_the_Rap?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard[/url]

Riding the Rap (Raylan Givens #2)

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