Rating: 
Summary: Leonard on cruise still beats others by a country mile
Review: "'CARL lit a cigarette. He picked up his drink saying, 'This old man isn't a criminal. Avern said we'd be shooting bad guys.'"What a dull place this world would be without Elmore Leonard to liven things up. In the peerless Leonard's blackly comic crime thrillers, felons argue over trifling details, police walk the walk and talk the talk, hired assassins have consciences, and no one is near as clever as they think. It's entertainment for entertainment's sake, a three-ring circus of amorality, with the bestselling author of Out of Sight, Tishomingo Blues and almost three dozen other novels as the ultimate ringmaster. After earning a grand master award from the Mystery Writers of America, Leonard, 78, could almost be excused for sleepwalking his way through a few efforts. Indeed, his latest fiction, Mr. Paradise, is a leisurely stroll in the park for a man of his talents, a slight tale of murder and confusion, almost a romantic comedy rather than a gritty homicide novel. But while the plot may be minor, Leonard is by no means resting on his laurels. Mr. Paradise is Tony Paradiso, an elderly Detroit defence attorney who satisfies his peccadillos by hiring prostitutes to perform cheerleading routines while he views old Michigan football games. Unfortunately, the finale of one such evening leaves two dead bodies, two bewildered hit-men, a wily witness, and one frustrated detective with too much on his plate. As with any Leonard opus, the real draw for fans and newcomers alike is his dialogue, big, crunchy riffs that read like the poetry of the jaded and dispossessed. The hyper-realistic jargon of Leonard's characters (hardly any of which can be reprinted in a family newspaper) careens and rebounds through topics and asides with blistering speed, demanding a fierce attention of the reader to keep up with the plot. While the ultimate story is far from Leonard's finest, it's the path he takes rather than the destination from which the main pleasure of his work is derived. His characters and situations multiply geometrically, taking left turns into subplots and motivations, giving even the most minor player a chance to shine in Leonard's pungent word play. It's also been a while since Leonard set a novel in his home town of Detroit. Mr. Paradise's major drawback is the failure to provide a truly interesting central character. Det. Frank Delsa and his main witness Kelly Barr are charming personalities, but they are insubstantial leads, lacking the force and heft of Leonard's best characters, Chili Palmer from Get Shorty and Max Cherry from Rum Punch. Yet this should not dissuade the uninitiated to step into Leonard's world. The twisting schemes, the slippery oddballs, and the incomparable, oft-imitated but never equalled slang dialogue (an obvious influence on filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who directed arguably the finest Leonard adaptation, Jackie Brown), make his every novel a treat. Mr. Paradise is an ideal primer for the Leonard neophyte, an entryway to a universe of illicit delights and nasty surprises.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT QUITE PARADISE
Review: A fairly good Leonard, kind of typical of most of his books, I get the feeling that they are all fleshed out screen plays. I think that this would, in fact make a good movie. I thought the sub plotting was interesting although I would have liked to see a bit more depth in the characters. Lloyd and Jerome could have certainly used more ink and the entire story could have been another hundred pages and become really interesting. Still and all Leonard uses his formula to pretty good results, an enjoyable if lightweight read
Rating:
Summary: Dan Brown, eh?
Review: A previous poster mentioned that he didn't get why Leonard is the master of dialogue. He then went on to say he was partial to Dan Brown. If someone says that they prefer the bestselling author of the month (be it Grisham, Brown, etc) that sends up a red flag in my brain immediately. I know not to trust his review or taste. Elmore Leonard IS the greatest writer of dialogue working today. He has the simplest writing style because he just lets characters actions and words speak for themselves. He takes out everything you would normally skip over when reading a book (flowery descriptive paragraphs, etc) and just leaves what we want (dialogue and action). This makes him the easiest read imaginable. Of course, that is, if you like your novels dark, twisted and hilarious. If the last book you read was The Firm or The Da Vinci Code, look elsewhere my shallow, unadventurous friend.
Rating: 
Summary: Even a master can produce a DUD!!!
Review: A very weak entry from a guy who has been terrific for over 30 years. No interesting characters and weakly plotted.I live in Detroit area, as does Leonard, and felt the Detroit references forced and strained which surprises but the whole enterprise is rather stale.For vintage Leonard set in Detroit the following can be highly recommended:Swag,City Primeval,Unknown Man No.89andFifty-Two Pickup.Every short story in the superb collection,When The Women Came Out To Dance , is superior to Mr.Paradise .
Rating: 
Summary: SNAPPY PHRASING AND COOL DIALOGUE IN THIS READING
Review: Academy Award nominee Robert Forster is just the man to deliver the snappy phrasing and cool dialogue that has won Elmore Leonard legions of fans. While this is an 8 hour Unabridged version it's over far too soon leaving listeners thoroughly entertained yet eager for more. With "Mr. Paradise" Leonard returns to Detroit and environs. Anthony Paradiso (Mr. Paradise) is an 80+ retired lawyer who gets his jollies from watching reruns of old University of Michigan football games. But, what's a Wolverine game without cheerleaders? For $5,000 a month Paradiso hires escort Chloe Robinette to provide the sis-boom-bahs as only she can. All is well until the evening Chloe invites her friend, Kelly Barr (who is equally lithe and lovely) to join the fun. Before half time two hit men have broken in and done in Paradiso and Chloe. Kelly assumes Chloe's identity to gain access to the late lawyer's safety deposit box. Enter Frank Delsa, determined Detroit homicide detective. He falls for Kelly and she falls for him........or, would she rather have the contents of the safety deposit box? If you know Leonard you can guess how this ends, but what a treat it is getting there! - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Vintage Detroit Dutch
Review: Another solid read from the master. While not quite as tight as some of Elmore's 70's Detroit novels (Unknown Man #89, The Switch, Swag, City Primeval, 52 Pick Up), Mr. Paradise still displays his trademark ear for dialogue and ability to shift scenes as seen through different characters. If I had one slight criticism, it would be that Elmore introduces many minor characters that don't seem to add a lot to the overall book and made it a bit congested at times. There are plenty of references, both small and large, to other of his Detroit books, which will be fun for experienced readers of Leonard. For those new to Leonard, I would start with The Switch, Swag or Unknown Man #89. All in all, Mr. Paradise is worth reading.
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Summary: Paradise By the Dashboard Light
Review: Anthony Paradiso, Sr. octogenarian trial lawyer and U of M alumnus, meets his maker after a session with Chloe, his $900 an hour call girl. Chloe once tried to buy an actual cheerleader's outfit to help Mr. Paradise get his rocks off. Chloe's efforts at customer service were totally rebuffed by the girls who wear the blue and maize to cheer on the champions of the West and not for the purpose of titillating elderly athletic supporters. But even if you can't buy one, you can have one made which is why Chloe was wearing her pleated skirt sans panties in death. Dutch Leonard takes us on another wild ride through the world of dumb ex-cons, high class hookers, wannabe C.I.s, smarmy defense lawyers, and horny homicide cops to get to the bottom of the perfect crime that wasn't. As always, it's the dialogue that drives the action. No one has a better ear for cop and wise-guy talk than Leonard, who weaves these snippets of conversation into an engrossing tale of perfidy and stupidity.
Rating:
Summary: Major Leonard fan here
Review: Don't know if I loved this book because it was by Elmore Leonard, or because I used to live in Detroit and am a major fan of Michigan football. Whatever the reasons, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It's not my favorite Leonard book--Tishomingo is--but it's still a good read and worth your time and green stuff. Also recommended: The Last Juror and McCrae's Bark of the Dogwood
Rating:
Summary: The Master's Touch
Review: Don't miss this one. EL is doing his full-tilt boogie and he's doing it in Detroit. Great, Runyonesque thickie characters, unlikely but delicious romantic subplots and a plot that is tighter than a drumskin in July. The Master is back and he's in his comic mode. GET SHORTY remains his masterpiece but this comes very close. Buy. Read. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: No "Dutch" Treat
Review: Elmore Leonard has written masterpieces in both the western and crime genres. Sadly, "Mr. Paradise" isn't one of them. Yes, he is peerless when it comes to dialogue. True, hacks like Grisham can't touch him. But the man has done so much better than this. Since "Out of Sight" and "Cuba Libre", he's written screenplays, not books. I half expect to find a pitch letter to Tarantino inside, or actors' names in place of characters (Travolta, Samuel L). Plus, the Missy Elliot and Ja Rule references are as awkward and uncomfortable as your dad saying "Wazzup!" Please, Mr. Leonard, go back to writing for your long-time BOOK fans and forget the Hollywood posers.
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