Rating: 
Summary: If you never have
Review: This is the first work that I have read by Mr. Elmore Leonard. Prior to this the movie "Get Shorty" was the limit of my "Leonard" knowledge. The movie had some great dialogue and a menagerie of personalities.There is no doubting the Author has a great ear for dialogue, and he creates unsavory characters that would normally be very difficult to believe, or would result in horrible clichés. Mr. Leonard manages to make his players credible, even when placed in outrageous backdrops/situations. I would certainly read another of his works based upon his reputation if not this particular book. It may be that legitimate Authors in this genre are being hurt by all the imitators, as I found most of the "no one appears to be who they are, or are they" situations, less than surprising. Dark Humor requires an extremely delicate touch. I'm not sure any Author can pull this off with Genocide, even when the Genocide is one that was given little attention for obvious and disheartening reasons. There is a point where using an outrageous human behavior just does not work, some subjects are better left alone. The man can write, I just feel the limits of how far you can push a given event, went beyond a point that any quality of writing could present/manage well. Dark Humor can be funny; can make you laugh while asking yourself why, but this didn't work for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Much better than The Hunted
Review: I didn't like Leonard's last published book The Hunted at all (which was actually written a long time ago). Considering that this novel also moves its protagonists out of the US and even chooses genocide ridden Rwanda as a backdrop, I wasn't feeling too good about this one when I picked it up. I'm glad to report that I was wrong. In Pagan Babies, a fake priest returns from Rwanda to set up a con which isn't as huge as some of the other reviews might seem to declare, but which brings back familiar Leonard traits: great dialogue (even though even the african housekeeper seems to have adapted well to the characteristic talk of the protagonists), a likable hero (who is described in a wonderful way, which just about describes just about every Leonard hero I can remeber (and I have read about 25 of his books): "he was confident in a very low-key way, not trying to be cool and yet he was"), an interesting heroine, some dumb mafia guys and just enough plot to keep everything moving. It's not up to par with Leonard's best work, and the ending is a little sudden and not all that logical. But it's a huge improvement over the last book. Finally, I was one of the doctors who went to Rwanda after the genocide to help, and his description of the situation which could have been awkward works pretty well, especially considering the context of a crime caper. This I definitely didn't expect. And it made me wonder where Mr Leonard got his information.
Rating: 
Summary: couldn't finish it
Review: I've always liked his books despite their flaws. I like his unpredictable plots and anything goes approach to plotting ... but he's clearly become wrapped up in the Elmore Leonard myth, and the writing style has deteriorated and the plots have become more forced and the characters more forced. I tried reading another recent book of his, and I'm noticing the same thing in that. Frankly, I don't have the patience to get through the awful writing and over-reliance on "snappy" dialogue that is supposed to be so "realistic and gritty" and whatever other adjectives people want to apply to his dialogue writing skills. The fact is nobody, but Nobody actually talks like that. All the characters speak in the same style of one-liner quips and pseudo-street lingo, whether they're a lawyer or hitman or a modern day Christ figure, and it grows stale and repetitive, and now that seems to be all he relies on, his supposed "ear" for realistic dialogue. I'm sorry, but no one I know, in the entire circle of people I have to interact with daily, talk like some snappy-speaking wiseguy. Conversations do not flow like that. Yes, he has a way with language, but it's gone stale. There's still some older books I'll check out of his, but his new ones I've now given up on. (You know, there's a reason his books don't make good movies -- in movies his dialogue doesn't work when real life people actually have to recite those lines, and it takes a Quentin Tarantino to rework the dialogue to make a good movie from one of his books.) You'll find the same problem in the Robert Parker books.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: I've been a fan of Leonard's on and off for years. I think he is one of the best writers working in the genre at present. This, however, is not his best work. It's still not bad, though. As always, he shows his knack for sharp and interesting dialog, and (contrary to what other reviewers have said) I think that the way each of his characters talks gives them life and enough rounding to be believable. Most of the characters are rather scummy, so I can see how it's easy not to like them, but this is Elmore Leonard after all, and that's what he does best. It's a quick read, and worth the short amount of time you have to spend to get through it. I would have felt cheated had I paid full price for it - because I think that ultimately Leonard can do better work - but as a bargain book, I thought it was worth the time and expense.
Rating: 
Summary: Leonard's best!
Review: I've read 7 or 8 of Leonard's books, and this one is certainly the his highest achievement. The story is taught, the characters well drawn, and the writing some of his best.
Rating: 
Summary: Never got on track
Review: This is the perfect example of a good writer taking a serious misstep, but because he is so good the story still occasionally works. I am not going to review the story, that has been done here many times, but I will give my opinion of the novel.
I think the story was forced and contrived, but the humor and sheer ridiculousness of the story keeps the reader reading. Also, the story is so strange but decently written you keep thinking that it will get better eventually. Well, it doesn't. This is not to say that it is a terrible book, not at all, but it is not a great book. Hell, it is barely a good book, but it does have its moments. I would suggest anything else, unless you have read everything else.
Rating:
Summary: Another great from the master
Review: There are a lot of great crime fiction writers out there (and even more not-so-great ones). Among the greats, Elmore Leonard stands out as one of the masters. In this book, all of the things that make his books great are here: crisp and realistic dialogue, morally ambiguous characters, plot twists and betrayals. In this case, Father Terry Dunn returns home to Detroit from Rwanda, where he has been a helpless witness to genocide. Meanwhile, Debbie Dewey is just getting out of prison, intent on getting back at her ex-boyfriend who ripped her off (and who she hit with her car, hence the prison sentence). Dunn and Dewey - each with their own agendas - team up with the intention of taking the ex-boyfriend for $250,000. Oh, and then there's the mob, too.... This book is fun from start to finish, another indication as to why Leonard has an almost legendary status in the field. As in his famous quote, he leaves out the parts the people skip over, leaving only the great stuff. There are no heroes and few villains in this story and Leonard never hints as to whether the ending will be happy, downbeat or ambiguous (and I won't either). In his books, they can usually go any number of ways. I recommend this book not only for crime fiction fans but fiction fans in general. Leonard's skills transcend the genre and should be a great read for most people.
Rating:
Summary: learn to write dialogue
Review: Well maybe 5 stars was a little strong, but I think more people should know about and appreciate Elmore Leonard.
(I guess Danny Devito must like him quite a bit because he's made at least two movies, that I know of, from Leonard's books.)
I bought the book mostly because it was on the bargain table at the bookstore, so I was pleasantly surprised at the irreverent humor and snappy, believable dialogue. The story is fun and has some interesting twists throughout the book. My favorite line was when Father Terry dispensed some "penance" to a group of local Hutu guys who smugly thought they were above the law (both moral and earthly ).
A few months after I finished Pagan Babies I read "On Writing" by Stephen King and was gratified that he confirmed my opinion of Leonard's writing. King used exerpts from Leonard's work to illustrate written dialogue at it's finest.
Rating:
Summary: Uncomfortably enjoyable
Review: Let me first say that I love Elmore Leonard on principle. I enjoy the pacing and the humanization of his characters, regardless of where they fall in the moral spectrum. That said, I was intrigued by the plot involving the genocidal activity in Rwanda. Leonard was careful to keep the genocidal activity comedy free, although you couldn't help but feel undomfortable from page one through the end. It is a well crafted book, with several engrossing passages, and the typical Elmore Leonard dialogue, rife with witticisms, but the utterly depressing backdrop is a bit much to deal with. Read with caution
Rating:
Summary: Father Dunn wasn't quite believable
Review: One of the world's worst genocides in our lifetime happened in Rwanda in 1994. The Hutu massacred, by machete, 800,000 Tutsis. In the midst of this incomprehensible slaughter Elmore Leonard places his main character, the whisky drinking..., swearing, womanizing, man killer, pseudo-priest - Father Terry Dunn. After a few chapters Elmore Leonard flies Father Dunn out of Rwanda and back to Detroit, where Dunn beats a smuggling indictment, fraternizes with the maffia and has a fling with Ms. Debbie Dewey, a wannabe lawyer, stand-up comic, who just got out of jail for running over her former husband with a 'Buick Riviera'. While in Detroit, the good Father is running a scam using the photos of the destitute orphaned Rwandan children in his sales pitch. Elmore Leonard's writing carries you through the book, but the character of Father Dunn never is quite believable. This kept me outside of the story, always looking in. Leonard writes; "What bothered Debbie was the fact that he (Father Dunn) had lived for years among people who killed their neighbor because they were told to and the victims had accepted being killed". Father Dunn wasn't quite believable, even to the fictional character of Debbie. That said, this is an engaging, quick read, though the ending is predictable and lacks panache. Recommended.
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