Pages

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Audiobook Review: The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard


The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard
Book 1 in the Carl Webster Series
Unabridged, 8 hr. 14 min.
HarperAudio
Arliss Howard (Narrator)
May 10, 2005
★★★★★
goodreads button

Genre: Western, Crime

Source: Borrowed Audiobook from Library
“In The Hot Kid, Elmore "Dutch" Leonard breaks new ground with a fast-paced, multifaceted tale of Prohibition-era crime, told from multiple perspectives that reflect the unexpected shifts of allegiance in this turbulent time. Set against a backdrop of speakeasys and shootouts, fast cars and even faster women, this stirring tale recounts a time when life was cheap on both sides of the law. The story unfolds in Oklahoma, featuring the exploits of four "hot kids" -- young lawman Carl Webster, bad-seed oilman's son Jack Belmont, glamorous gun moll Louly Brown, and true-crime journalist Tony Antonelli.”

Start with an equal measure of Prohibition, rum-running, shoot-outs, outlaws and bank robberies. Throw in some heaping spoonfuls of witty, period appropriate language and love stories. Top with the traditional good guy versus bad guy angle and you get the totally engrossing story, The Hot Kid.

The two central characters of this book are Jack Belmont, a wannabe bank robber, and Carl Webster, US Deputy Marshal. These men encounter each other over and over and every time there is a shoot out, but the men come out unscathed. Eventually one of them will have to come out on top.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good old American Western!

★★★★★

The narrator of this book was phenomenal! He had different voices for every character, he could even pull off a half convincing woman. He also had a Western accent that made his portrayal very believable. I picked this audio book off the shelf on a whim, knowing nothing about it but the title, and could not have picked a better book to whisk me away to another time.

You can listen to a short sample of the audiobook (links to Audible)

Play symbol 85x85

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Elmore Leonard:

Elmore Leonard has written many novels, among those are the other two books in the Carl Webster series:

up in honey's room
Up in Honey's Room (Book 2)

comfort to the enemy
Comfort to the Enemy (Book 3)

Find Elmore Leonard:
Website | Facebook | Twitter




Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving your comments! I love reading them and try to reply to all!