Pronto

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC13FY/?tag=dedasys-20

Raylan Givens - who goes on to be the subject of the hit TV series Justified - is introduced in this book by Elmore Leonard.  I don't watch much TV, but I do enjoy that show, so I was curious to read Leonard's book featuring the character.  I've read several of his westerns and enjoyed them, so I figured it was likely to be a good read in any case, and the book doesn't disappoint.

Apparently, Leonard gave the show's writers free reign to pick over this, and other books for "spare parts" to use in the show, and for viewers, some of them jump out.  I won't give them away here, but if you've seen the show, you'll recognize some scenes from the book, although some of them are out of context.

As an added bonus, a lot of the action in the book takes place in Italy, and the author gets things more or less right from that point of view.

The plot is nothing to write home about - it's cops and bad guys - but the characters are entertaining, and there are some good bits of action.

The book is a little bit dated - it was published in the early 90ies and feels kind of "late 80ies" to me, but it's a fun read in any event.  Recommended as vacation reading material.