Four novels of the 1970s : Fifty-two pickup ; Swag ; Unknown man no. 89 ; The switch
(Book)

"This volume also contains a newly researched chronology of Elmore Leonard's life, drawing on materials in his personal archive, and detailed annotations, which include as a special bonus a scene from the typescript for Swag that did not appear in the published book.

"With this volume collecting the four Detroit novels that established his reputation. The Library of America inaugurates a three-volume edition of Leonard's greatest work, selected in consultation with the author shortly before his death. Inventor of a fast, funny, sharp, and tough style uniquely his own, Elmore Leonard is widely considered America's greatest modern crime writer." ...Publisher.

The Library of America, a nonprofit publisher, is dedicated to preserving America's best and most significant writing in handsome, enduring volumes, featuring authoritative texts.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 799-809).

"Blending gritty toughness and unpredictable violence with wild humor and an uncanny ear for the rhythms of ordinary speech, Elmore Leonard (1925–2013) was the most widely and enthusiastically admired crime novelist of his time. His genius for scene and dialogue led Time magazine to describe him as "a Dickens of Detroit," and Newsweek called him "the best American writer of crime alive, possibly the best we've ever had." Now The Library of America inaugurates a three-volume edition of Leonard’s greatest work, prepared in consultation with the author shortly before his death and edited by his long-time researcher Gregg Sutter.,Fifty-Two Pickup is an insidiously brutal book about an adulterous businessman who runs afoul of a crew of murderous blackmailers. Swag finds Leonard moving for the first time into the more comic mode that would become his signature. Unknown Man No. 89 spins a complex pattern of crisscrossing rip-offs and con games. In The Switch, one of Leonard's funniest books, Mickey Dawson, a discontented housewife held for ransom, manages to turn the tables on her kidnappers while exacting overdue revenge on her scheming husband. This volume also contains a newly researched chronology of Leonard's life, prepared with exclusive access to materials in his personal archive.",Publisher's description.