Road Dogs

Written by Elmore Leonard

Narrated by Peter Francis James

“Road Dogs is terrific, and Elmore Leonard is in a class of one.”
—Dennis Lehane, author of Shutter Island and Mystic River

 

“You know from the first sentence that you’re in the hands of the original Daddy Cool....This one’ll kill you.”
—Stephen King

 

Elmore Leonard is eternal. In Road Dogs, the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award winner and “America’s greatest crime master” (Newsweek) brings back three of his favorite characters—Jack Foley from Out of Sight, Cundo Rey from La Brava, and Dawn Navarro from Riding the Rap—for a twisting, explosive, always surprising masterwork of crime fiction the San Francisco Chronicle calls, “a sly, violent, funny and superbly written story of friendship, greed, and betrayal.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: May 12, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061901782

Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard wrote more than forty books during his long career, including the bestsellers Raylan, Tishomingo Blues, Be Cool, Get Shorty, and Rum Punch, as well as the acclaimed collection When the Women Come Out to Dance, which was a New York Times Notable Book. Many of his books have been made into movies, including Get Shorty and Out of Sight. The short story "Fire in the Hole," and three books, including Raylan, were the basis for the FX hit show Justified. Leonard received the Lifetime Achievement Award from PEN USA and the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He died in 2013.

Reviews for Road Dogs

[George Biagiotti · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

GET RID OF THE MUSIC. its a BOOK not a musical. the music blaring over the narrator and in between chapters is VERY annoying. Elmores books are fantastic, why do you need to ruin them by dubbing in muzic??

[tobinelliott · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't know how this one slipped under my radar. I stumbled across it in a secondhand bookstore. A hardcover Elmore for $4? I'm in.

And judging from the cover, I figured it for one of his older books, because I just bought it. I didn't even read what it's about. When it's Elmore Leonard, I don't screw around. He wrote it, I'm going to like it (well, except for his kid's book, A Coyote In The House.

Anyway, when I saw he'd actually written this book in 2009, and tied together the three main characters from Out of Sight, La Brava. and Riding The Rap...well damn. Like Lennon said, A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

This one's short, with the typical Leonard plot of everyone out to pretty much screw everyone else (literally and figuratively) that he does so damn well and never gets old. But it's full of his amazing characters, fantastic observances and that fantastic dialogue that nobody else can hold a candle to.

Damn, I miss Elmore Leonard.

[bjkelley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While the writing is great (of course, it's Elmore Leonard), this book seemed to be lighter on dialogue and longer on exposition. Since Leonard is a master of dialogue, I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as some of his other works. (I think I've read all of his books, except for his Westerns).

[davewilde-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cundo and Foley are "Road Dogs," two guys in prison that watch each other's backs. They walk the yard and chatter to each other. Cundo is a Cuban boat refugee who has earned a fortune and has Jimmy the accountant watching his books. The ultra- sexy Dawn is his woman waiting for eight years like a saint for him to return. Foley has all by his lonesome robbed more banks than anyone else, more than Dillinger, more than Willy Sutton. Cundo pays a tough as nails woman lawyer to get Foley's sentence reduced and sends Foley out to Los Angeles to wait for Cundo who is getting out two weeks later. Meanwhile Dawn the seductive psychic works on getting Foley to take out Cundo and an FBI agent chases Foley clear across the country and waits for him to rob another bank. A great novel from page one. It is filled with Leonard's trademarked realistic dialogue and that alone is so good that it carries the story. Nobody writes like Leonard.

[kerns222 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun to hear the grifters, gang members, and the bank robber. Characters seem more interesting than the plot which wanders around Venice, CA. Characters get out of jail, meet LA, and then some die to make the book more interesting.

[cappybear · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

My wife loves Elmore Leonard and recommended this one, but it never seemed to get going. I found the subplot between Jack Foley and Danny Tynan boring and the astrological mumbo-jumbo didn't do a lot for me either. A quick enough read, but on this showing I wouldn't try anything else by this author.

[snat_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review, much like an Elmore Leonard novel, is destined to be short and to the point. As it should be.Road Dogs picks up where the novel Out of Sight left off. In Out of Sight we were introduced to Jack Foley, a bank robber whose escape from prison leads to his "kidnap" of U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco. Star-crossed lovers far more interesting than Romeo and Juliet, Jack and Karen are a couple who are meant to be, but can never be. Watching the sparks fly between them and their ongoing banter made Out of Sight one of my favorite Leonard novels.Road Dogs follows Jack Foley's life after Karen Sisco. When fellow inmate Cundo Rey (a wealthy Cuban with serious outside connections) pays for a high-powered attorney to help Jack reduce the 30 year sentence handed down by a judge aptly nicknamed "Maximum Bob" (for his propensity to always give the maximum sentencing allowed), Jack finds his sentence significantly reduced. And he also finds himself in debt to Cundo. As a result, Jack gets mixed up with Cundo's wife, Dawn Navarro, and various plots from conning a wealthy movie star to robbing Cundo himself. All the while, a zealous FBI agent is watching Jack's every move.As with all Leonard novels, it's hard to track where the narrative will take us, which is always part of the fun. For me, however, the real joy in a Leonard novel comes from the dialogue. No one, and I mean no one, has a better ear for the natural rhythms of everyday speech than Leonard. He can develop entire characters simply based on their conversation. Little is needed in the way of physical description; you can take the measure of a character simply from the sound of his or her speech.Despite all of this, this is not Leonard's best novel, but even a mediocre Leonard novel is better than most popular fiction out there today. Foley still comes across as the likable scamp of a bank thief, but it lacks the sizzle that came from his interaction with Karen Sisco. I did enjoy seeing Dawn Navarro again and thought her character the most interesting in the book. A psychic with a real gift for seeing the future, she opts to make her living pulling cons and waiting to get her hands on Cundo's money. Her constantly shifting persona as she plays one man against another is like watching a reptile blend into its surroundings and waiting for its prey. I wouldn't mind seeing a book turn up in the near future strictly focused on her life after Road Dogs.Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder.

[bennbell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great read and very entertaining, but it sort of fizzled out at the end. Reminded me of Sam Spade selling Brigid O'Shaughnessy down the river in The Maltese Falcon.

[lawrence_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great read. Tightest writing I've seen. 'Nuff said.

[moonimal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Typically terrific Leonard (though I must admit I'm a junkie for his best work). I didn't care as much about the main character as I have in other Leonard stories, and there wasn't half as much tension as I'd have liked, but it was still a tense soap opera with great characters.

[dbeveridge_6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Once again the craftsman of cool comes through. A revisit with Jack Foley from Out of Sight. Nice, fun, funny.

[andy475uk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Elmore Leonard is back to his best - a fabulous book, funny, wry and shocking with characters returning from Out of Sight (Jack Foley), LaBrava (Cundo Rey) and Riding The Rap (Dawn Navarro). I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time.

[kmaziarz_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Famous bank robber Jack Foley, nicknamed the Sweetheart Robber for his tendency to politely ask for the money rather than threatening with a gun, has finally been caught after knocking over close to two hundred banks. Facing a 30-year sentence, he resigns himself to do his time and makes friends with a fellow prisoner, the edgy, talkative murderer and drug dealer Cundo Rey, whose own sentence is much shorter. Resolved that his buddy doesn’t deserve the 30 years, Cundo hires a high-powered attorney for Jack and she gets his sentence reduced to 30 months…meaning Jack will now get out of prison a few weeks before Cundo himself. Upon his release, Jack heads to LA to one of Cundo’s two mansions, which are owned and maintained for him by money launderer Little Jimmy and Cundo’s wife, the psychic Dawn Navarro. Almost instantly, Jack realizes something’s up. The sexy, confident Dawn is far from the loyal saint Cundo told him about. Naked paintings of her adorn the house Jack is staying in, and she seduces him within days. He guesses she’s only in it for the millions Cundo has made in his crooked dealings, and has spent the last eight years plotting for the day Cundo gets out. Torn between his loyalty to Cundo and his new-found affection for Dawn, Jack rides out the schemes and double-crosses that follow, all the while attempting to avoid the attention of obsessed FBI agent Lou Adams who is certain that Jack can’t resist hitting one last bank.Fast-paced and sprinkled with sly wit and clever dialog, “Road Dogs” is a pleasure, despite a somewhat unfinished-feeling plot.

[agirlandherbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A bad Elmore Leonard novel is a damn sight better than most novelists in top form -- and this isn't a bad novel. Leonard combines three of his most explosive characters -- Jack Foley, Cundo Rey and Dawn Navarro -- in this wild ride where everyone's knifing everyone else in the back. Even as the story winds down, the tale goes on ... one of these days, Dawn & Jack will meet again ...

[hhs9staff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you read Leonard's OUT OF SIGHT (or saw the excellent film adaptation with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez), you'll want to read the sequel. As usual, the 86-year-old Leonard, still at the top his game, builds a story around a regular guy with common sense and questionable characters with questionable sense. Who do you think wins? A deeply pleasurable read that causes you to forget time. I'm with the '80s Philadelphia reviewer (can't remember his name) who said Leonard belongs in the American literary canon.Reviewed by:Phil OvereemLanguage Arts teacher

[bane47_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Elmore Leonard novel. I was surprised at how quickly I tore through the book. His characters jump off the page with their various quirks and the plot kept me saying "just one more chapter" until the book was done. I look forward to reading more of his books in the future.

[ecantulv · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I've heard so many great things about this author and I've seen his books all over the place and I know a lot of his books are made into movies(I haven't seen one yet though), so I thought I'd give this particular book a shot. Wrong book to start with I think. I read the first 150 pages and it was complete bore-more like zzzzzz!

[cdeuker · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lots of typical Elmore Leonard qualities, but lacking some spark. Foley is a bank robber (172) recently released from prison due to the efforts of his prison buddy Cundo. When Cundo is also released, the two meet up in Venice, CA. Cundo's "wife" Dawn then tries to manipulate Foley into killing Cundo. At the same time, she is using her charms to get other characters (Tico, Little Jimmy) to kill Foley. Cundo does die; Dawn tries to kill Foley, fails and then tries to seduce him yet again. He leaves her to make her own way (she is Cundo's killer) telling her that she's going down for the crime. She isn't arrested, though it's implied she will be . . . though maybe the sexy, resourceful broad will somehow get away.Double Indemnity with an R rating.

[swampette · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hard as it may be to believe, this is the first book I've read by Elmore Leonard, so I don't really have a framework or anything to compare it to. I picked it up because it was on several summer reading recommendation lists, and from that perspective, it did not disappoint. It was light, entertaining, and well-developed enough that I didn't feel like I was reading trash. That's a pretty successful summer read in my opinion - but probably not going to make it into my favorites.

[judykenn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As always, Elmore Leonard keeps the dialog flowing and the bad characters cool. After you've read one of his books, you may not have learned a darned thing, but you've had a great time. Road Dogs is slang in the slammer for prison buddies and in this novel, Jack Foley and Cundo Rey are Road Dogs. They serve three years together, watching each others backs, maintaining a solid, respectful relationship. It's when they are released, the trouble starts and, naturally, it's over a woman. Dawn Navarro, a beautiful psychic (are the women in these books ever less than beautiful?), introduces elements of mistrust and jealousy into Jack's and Cundo's relationship. Although, the plot isn't the most complex I've ever read, just reading the dialog is worthwhile. Leonard is a master. Great read for a romp.

[ctfrench · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Elmore Leonard brings back three characters from previous books for an encore performance in his latest comedic foray into the criminal world. Bank robber Jack Foley (Out of Sight), and Cundo Rey (LaBrava), meet in prison and quickly become friends, referring to themselves as Road Dogs. Rey’s lawyer has arranged for his early release from prison and Rey offers her services to Foley, who’s in for thirty years. She manages to get Foley’s prison term reduced to thirty months and Foley is released two weeks before Rey. Rey offers Foley one of his houses in Venice Beach but admonishes him to keep his hands off his girlfriend, Dawn (Riding the Rap), a psychic/ghost hunter patiently waiting for Rey’s release so she can con him out of his millions. When she meets Foley, Dawn knows he is her way to the money and tries to work her magic on him. Foley is intrigued but distracted by an FBI agent tailing him, waiting to capture him after he robs his next bank.As usual, Leonard adroitly moves the story forward through realistic, at times quirky, dialogue and the inner thoughts of some pretty wacky people. He excels at delivering entertaining scenes of duplicity and complicity among characters on the wrong and right side of the law. Foley takes the lead in this comedy and is a cool guy who manages to stay one step ahead of those who have no qualms about taking him out, legally or illegally. The interplay between Foley and the others will keep the readers turning pages, laughing along the way. This is one fun read.

[yogiabb_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I just finished this book. It is a well done tale of two cons, legendary bank robber Jack Foley and millionair criminal and murderer Cundo, who "jail" together in prison (Road Dogs is a term for people who buddy up in prison). There is also Dawn, Cundo's girlfriend who has waited eight years for him to get out of prison, Tico, the Monk, and an FBI agent out to nail Foley. The Road Dogs get out of prison and the fun starts. I cannot say more without ruining the story but there is much conniving and double crossing going on.

[bruchu_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good But Not GreatFor the first-timer to Elmore Leonard, this probably isn't the best novel. "Road Dogs" continues the characters of Jack Foley, Cundo Rey, and Dawn Navarro in a stab-in-the-back love triangle story. The plot begins well and Leonard's trademark is the dialogue between the characters. However, as the novel develops, the story starts to get a little stale and the ending is somewhat of a letdown. Interestingly enough, the side story of FBI stalker Lou Adams is probably the highlight of the book. Definitely expected more from Leonard, but still better than most of the drivel that is out there these days. Still recommend "Road Dogs" even for the un-initiated Leonard newbie.