Get Shorty

I picked up a copy of this novel for a couple of bucks because it looked like a quick, easy read - this is the first Elmore Leonard novel I have read.

The synopsis on the back cover does the storyline justice - Mob-connected loan shark Chili Palmer is sick of the Miami grind—plus his “friends” have a bad habit of dying there. So when he chases a deadbeat client out to Hollywood, Chili figures he might like to stay. This town, with its dream-makers, glitter, hucksters, and liars—plus gorgeous, partially clad would-be starlets everywhere you look—seems ideal for an enterprising criminal with a taste for the cinematic. Besides, Chili's got an idea for a killer movie, though it could very possibly kill him to get it made.

Chili Palmer is undoubtedly the lovable rouge character - a tough guy who does his best not to resort to violence, a deep thinker, and a guy who takes the big picture into account. He is the likeable character of the book, along with Karen Flores - the actress who got parts in scream movies at the start of her career (based on her looks at her scream), but doesn't get many parts now.

There is a complex web, multiple storylines which weave together, but all revolve around Chili Palmer, and they all get wrapped up at the end.

Short and quick. 3 stars.