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Mr. Paradise
- Narrated by: Robert Forster
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 01-22-04
- Language: English
- Publisher: HarperAudio
Regular price: $10.26
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Best
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He used to be on the bomb squad, but it's not until he transfers out that Chris Mankowski really begins juggling with dynamite. Rape and revenge are just the tip of the iceberg in a twisty tale that brings Detroit's denizens to life - and occasional death - in all their seedy glory. Electrifying, explosive, and unexpected, this is Elmore Leonard at his suspenseful best.
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Fun and Fast Paced. Great narration.
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A TWO HOUR BOOK for ONE CREDIT???
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You can't lose something you don't have.
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 64
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War in Cuba isn't Ben Tyler's concern. Still, sailing mares and guns into Havana harbor in 1898 - right past the submerged wreckage of the U.S. battleship Maine - may not be the smartest thing the recently prison-sprung horse wrangler ever did. Neither is shooting one of the local Guardia, though the pompous peacock deserved it. Now Tyler's sitting tight in a vermin-infested Cuban stockade waiting to face a firing squad....
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Leonard + Guidall = great listening
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
Set in Arizona mining country, Hombre is the tale of a white man raised by Indians, who must come to the aid of people who hate him when their stagecoach is attacked by outlaws. As thrilling as his contemporary novels of crime, double-cross, and murder in Detroit and Miami, Hombre is Elmore Leonard at his riveting best - no less than one would expect from the creator of US Marshal Raylan Givens ( Justified).
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MAN
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Out of Sight
- A Novel
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World-class gentleman felon Jack Foley is busting out of Florida's Glades Prison when he runs head on into a shotgun-wielding Karen Sisco. Suddenly he's sharing a cramped car trunk with the classy, disarmed federal marshal and the chemistry is working overtime - and as soon as she escapes, he's already missing her. But there are bad men and a major score waiting for Jack in Motown. And the next time his path crosses Karen's, chances are she's going to be there for business, not pleasure.
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The Hot Kid
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 428
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 164
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Carl Webster, the hot kid of the marshals service, is polite, respects his elders, and can shoot a man driving away in an Essex at 400 yards. Carl works out of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, federal courthouse during the 1930s, the period of America's most notorious bank robbers: Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson...those guys.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A great book, an even better listen
- By S. Casazza on 06-07-05
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The Moonshine War
- By: Elmore Leonard
- Narrated by: Mark Hammer
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 169
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Dual Meaders, Doc Taulbee, and their gang of city slickers set out to steal thousands of dollars worth of homemade Kentucky Whiskey from Son Martin, a hell-raising country boy, during the midst of Prohibition.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A good as it gets...
- By Gina on 08-23-16
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Stick
- By: Elmore Leonard
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 235
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 209
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 213
After serving time for armed robbery, Ernest "Stick" Stickley is back on the outside and trying to stay legit. But it's tough staying straight in a crooked town - and Miami is a pirate's paradise, where investment fat cats and lowlife drug dealers hold hands and dance. And when a crazed player chooses Stick at random to die for another man's sins, the struggling ex-con is left with no choice but to dive right back into the game. Besides, Stick knows a good thing when he sees it....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Can't beat this with a stick (sorry).
- By Richard Delman on 05-14-12
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Mr. Majestyk
- By: Elmore Leonard
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 217
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 196
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 195
Vincent Majestyk saw too much death in the jungles of Southeast Asia. All he wants to do now is farm his melons and forget. But peace can be an elusive commodity, even in the Arizona hinterlands - and especially when the local mob is calling all the shots. And one quiet, proud man's refusal to be strong-armed by a powerful hood is about to start a violent chain reaction that will leave Mr. Majestyk ruined, in shackles, and without a friend in the world -- except for one tough and beautiful woman.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Elmore Leonard and Frank Muller: purrrrfection.
- By Richard Delman on 04-03-14
Publisher's Summary
Evenings at Mr. Paradise's house, there's always an old Michigan football game on TV. And when Chloe's around, there's a cheerleader, too, complete with pleated skirt and blue-and-gold pompoms. One night Chloe convinces Kelly to join in the fun, along with Montez Taylor, Tony's smooth-talking right-hand man.
But things go awry and before the end of the evening there will be two corpses, two angry hit men, one switch of identity, a safe-deposit box full of loot up for grabs, and, fast on the scene, detective Frank Delsa, who now has another double homicide, and this one with a beautiful, willful witness, to add to his already heavy caseload.
With a cool cast, snappy dialogue, and all the twists and turns fans crave, Mr. Paradise is Elmore Leonard at home in Detroit and sharper than ever.
Critic Reviews
"You will love this excellent book." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Another exemplary crime thriller....Brilliantly constructed, wise and tough, this book, like so many recent Leonards, offers a master class in how to write a novel." (Publishers Weekly)
"Pure entertainment." (Booklist)
"Listening to Leonard's latest thriller is paradise found....Robert Forster's sonorous, sometimes raspy, voice is wonderful for the male characters." (AudioFile)
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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4 out of 5 stars
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars31
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4 Stars12
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4 out of 5 stars
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4 Stars15
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Duke
- Reno, NV, USA
- 02-21-04
Not the typical E.L.; still great
This one struck me as a little bit different than the average Leonard novel -- a touch slower, a little more thoughtful, and with the romance angle taking center stage more than usual. None of these are negatives, they're just different. This is a good read (or a good listen) for E.L. fans and newcomers alike. And the narration is great; I had absolutely no problems with it.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Angus
- Pottstown, PA, United States
- 09-27-08
Rich, convincing characters, amazing details,
When I like a book, I really like it and I liked this one. So much so I got quite a few more Leonard books. A couple of them left me gaping in awe. "This guy is a genius, a Great American Writer," I thought, even if he writes genre material. Leonard effortlessly (seemingly) creates a world sentence by sentence rich with so much telling detail you find yourself deep within the characters, the places, the ethos of the criminal cop world. He loves his people, prostitutes, gangsters, good cops, corrupt attorneys etc. Oddly enough, his writing in this book especially is lyrical and poetic though some of the credit for that must belong to the narrator. I can listen to this book over and over.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Eileen
- Tinley Park, IL, United States
- 08-23-05
My first Leonard book - I loved it!
I originally picked this title based on some of the reviews and for the simple fact that my late grandparents' name was Paradise, so I was sentimental in my choice.
Of course, I also love Robert Forester's narration after having fallen in love with his "Hit Man" character, Keller, written by Lawrence Block. He has the same delivery here - no nonsense and with an edge that is perfect for this kind of story.
I thought the novel itself was a good one - the characters wide-ranging and rather believable. The idea of someone getting caught in the middle of a crime they had nothing to do with isn't a new one, but the story played out in a fresh way.
If it matters, this was my first Elmore Leonard novel, and I would definitely seek more after listening to this story.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- David
- Los Angeles, CA, United States
- 07-13-04
Entertaining novel with deadpan delivery
Except for the Elmore Leonard novels that have made it into film, this is my first of his novels and I am looking forward to reading some of his other books. The story is fast and entertaining. Robert Forster's reading of the novel is as dry as dry gets. Imagine a no nonsense kind of guy telling a long story. It takes a while to get used to his pacing and his subtle sense of humor. After a short while I found myself thoroughly enjoying his deadpan delivery. I can see where other listeners may not care for his understated performance but I've listened to the book twice.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- kevin
- 03-01-08
We don't do windows
I'm reminded of the house cleaners who advertise "WE DON't DO WINDOWWS'. Robert Forester is a narrator who doesn't do voices. Consequently,the characters,regardless of gender or ethnicity sound the same. Making it difficult ,at times,to follow the dialogue. That being said. It is Elmore Leonards's dialogue. What can I tell you? I enjoyed it.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 11-15-06
Awful Reader
I would've thought it was impossible, but this reader makes Elmore Leonard dull. The great thing about Leonard's books is the dialog, but this guy makes everyone sound the same. He reads like an accountant going over a tax return. No, make that a tired and bored accountant.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Sydney
- PARADISE VALLEY, AZ, USA
- 10-19-04
poor reading
Robert Forster reads this without expression or wit. It's hard to imagine a worse job. Elmore Leonard deserves better.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- TLHM
- 02-23-04
Mr Paradise
The reader for this book was terrible. I had an awful time keeping up with him because his tone is so boring! A total waste of money.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Scott
- St Helens, OR, USA
- 02-23-04
Elmore is the man!
Elmore has done it again. If you want great pacing, great dialogue, great...great...great check out his book. Elmore can write real words spoken in the real world.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Enrique Perez
- 02-18-04
Awfulll reading but great plot
The reading is by far on of the worst I have heard. If I would of had the choice to give it back I would have done it in an instant.
If you are able to understand bits of the story, it is very well tought of and the characters are a delight. I hope never to run into this narrator again, it spoiled an othwerwise great crime novel
1 of 1 people found this review helpful