Call number
MYST LEO
Collection
Genres
Publication
William Morrow (2002), Edition: 1st, 320 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. HTML: "Leonard delivers a certifiable masterpiece of such twisted ingenuity that he transcends even his own bad self....Tishomingo Blues is that good." â??Baltimore Sun Crime fiction Grand Master Elmore Leonard heads to the Deep South for a bracing dose of Tishomingo Bluesâ??a wild, Leonard-esque ride featuring gamblers, mobsters, murderers, high divers, and Civil War re-enactors that the New York Times Book Review calls, "Leonard's best work since Get Shorty." Sparkling with trademark "Dutch" Leonard dialogue so sharp it could cut you, Tishomingo Blues is classic mystery, mayhem, and gritty noir fun from "the coolest, hottest thriller writer in America" (Chicago Tribune)
Subjects
Media reviews
A good deal of any Leonard novel—or those of, say, the last twenty years—consists of deadpan social observation. John le Carré has maintained that, for the late twentieth century at least, the spy novel is the central fictional form, because it alone tackles the implementation of the hidden
Show More
agendas that—we suspect, and as the evening news tends to confirm—surround us on all sides. Similarly, Elmore Leonard might argue—if he were given to argument, which he is not—that a novel without some sort of crime or scam in it can hardly claim to be an accurate representation of today’s reality. He might add that this is especially true when that reality is situated in America, home of Enron and of the world’s largest privately held arsenal, where casual murders are so common that most aren’t reported, and where the CIA encourages the growing and trading of narcotics to finance its foreign adventures. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member figre
High-diver Dennis Lenahand winds up getting a job at a casino in Mississippi doing his high dive act as a promotion for the casino. While setting up the platform, Dennis is standing at the top when the rigger he hired locally is approached by two gentlemen. With no one else around, they kill the
Now, because it is what Elmore Leonard likes to do every once in a while, let's throw in a little more madness. This is all about the Dixie Mafia. And Mississippi blues permeates all aspects of the story. And an integral part of the plot is a Civil War reenactment. (Yes, you heard me right.) And there is an odd-ball cast of nefarious and non-nefarious characters that are continually introduce (and sometimes unceremoniously knocked off.)
It takes the skills of an Elmore Leonard to take these rather divergent (shall we call them "stretched") concepts and people and build them into a coherent story that actually leaves you feeling sympathy for what could easily be an unlikable group of ne'er-do-wells. At times, it stretches too far; at times I began to feel like I was reading someone's made up story. But to Leonard's credit, even when he started to tumble from the high-wire act of writing this story, he righted himself. No, not completely, there are still a few rough spots – but they are quibbles, the full trip works well. (And I suppose it might be a mixed metaphor to use a high-wire analogy in a story about a high-diver, but...well, there you go.)
Because this is a fun book to read. And the stranger things get, the better it is. A lot of people die. And, truth be told, there is not a single one you will miss. And a lot of people live. And some of them you may wish hadn't. But you will like the way they all survived.
Show More
rigger. They see Dennis up on the platform and begin to taunt him (and, possibly, plan a second murder.) They are approached by former big-league pitcher Charlie Hoke (who also does promotion for the casino and is the one who got Dennis's rigger) who talks to the pair and convinces them that everything will be cool – no one will talk. However, we will soon find that someone else did, indeed, witness the murder, and that person has come to Mississippi with their own plansNow, because it is what Elmore Leonard likes to do every once in a while, let's throw in a little more madness. This is all about the Dixie Mafia. And Mississippi blues permeates all aspects of the story. And an integral part of the plot is a Civil War reenactment. (Yes, you heard me right.) And there is an odd-ball cast of nefarious and non-nefarious characters that are continually introduce (and sometimes unceremoniously knocked off.)
It takes the skills of an Elmore Leonard to take these rather divergent (shall we call them "stretched") concepts and people and build them into a coherent story that actually leaves you feeling sympathy for what could easily be an unlikable group of ne'er-do-wells. At times, it stretches too far; at times I began to feel like I was reading someone's made up story. But to Leonard's credit, even when he started to tumble from the high-wire act of writing this story, he righted himself. No, not completely, there are still a few rough spots – but they are quibbles, the full trip works well. (And I suppose it might be a mixed metaphor to use a high-wire analogy in a story about a high-diver, but...well, there you go.)
Because this is a fun book to read. And the stranger things get, the better it is. A lot of people die. And, truth be told, there is not a single one you will miss. And a lot of people live. And some of them you may wish hadn't. But you will like the way they all survived.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AliceAnna
Convoluted, cartoonish and no real mystery. A crime caper I suppose, but I didn't care about any of the characters, with the possible exception of Dennis. But Dennis wasn't enough to carry the book. A look at Civil War re-enactors ... they all looked completely foolish. It wasn't a bad book, but it
Show More
just didn't fire me up. Show Less
LibraryThing member shrubbery
Starts OK, but quickly bogs down in boring asides. The work of a tired author trotting out his umpteenth book. Nowhere near as compelling as Swag, a book he wrote 30 years earlier.
LibraryThing member Djupstrom
YUCK!! Nothing good about this book. I hear they are going to be making a movie about it...why!?!
LibraryThing member cfink
I found this to be good, but not Leonard's best. The dialog, as always, rings true and helps to create a sense that you are learning about the characters just by listening to (i.e., reading) their conversations. However, the plot is wafer thin, and the cast of characters not nearly as compelling or
Show More
entertaining as in early works such as Rum Punch, Get Shorty, and others. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Having previously only read Elmore Leonard’s westerns, I approached Tishomingo Blues with interest and anticipation. A crime novel that mixes drug running, the Dixie Mafia, Civil War Re-Enactments and a daredevil high diving act could have gone either way, luckily I found it to be a highly
The core of the book revolves around the cross-road choice given to Dennis, a high diver who after twenty years of diving from an 80 foot platform can see the end of his career approaching. Should he choose the life of ease and money with the drawback of being controlled by some very bad guys or should he walk away to follow his own path. With fast paced dialogue, pop culture references, and colourful minor characters this book draws you in with it’s laid back humor, burst of sudden violence, and clever plotting.
My only problem with the book was that I really couldn't care what choice Dennis finally made, I think the author could have invested a little more effort into the inner workings of his main characters so the readers had some idea of where they were coming from. I just didn't find any of the main characters that likeable or interesting enough to care about. So, praise for the plot, but a few yawns on his charactizations.
Tishomingo Blues certainly helped me to see why Elmore Leonard is one of America’s top crime thriller writers and I will plan on reading more of his crime books.
Show More
original and entertaining read. The core of the book revolves around the cross-road choice given to Dennis, a high diver who after twenty years of diving from an 80 foot platform can see the end of his career approaching. Should he choose the life of ease and money with the drawback of being controlled by some very bad guys or should he walk away to follow his own path. With fast paced dialogue, pop culture references, and colourful minor characters this book draws you in with it’s laid back humor, burst of sudden violence, and clever plotting.
My only problem with the book was that I really couldn't care what choice Dennis finally made, I think the author could have invested a little more effort into the inner workings of his main characters so the readers had some idea of where they were coming from. I just didn't find any of the main characters that likeable or interesting enough to care about. So, praise for the plot, but a few yawns on his charactizations.
Tishomingo Blues certainly helped me to see why Elmore Leonard is one of America’s top crime thriller writers and I will plan on reading more of his crime books.
Show Less
LibraryThing member wfzimmerman
Not especially good Leonard.
LibraryThing member Jim53
It can be interesting to have a character, or two, in a book whose motives and goals are utterly mysterious and must be figured out. But when that seems to be true of every single character in a novel, it's hard to latch on to anyone and care about what happens to them. That's what happens in this
Show More
story: I was mildly curious about what was going on, but I didn't really care. There is nobody admirable, or fascinatingly underhanded; nobody to get interested in. The writing is nothing special, and the plot is deliberately murky. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChrisNorbury
Elmore Leonard books aren't for everyone, but I sure like his style. How anyone can come up with such unique characters book after book is a mystery to me. Leonard always takes his readers on a convoluted ride, and the reader is never quite sure where the plot is going until the climax, when it all
Show More
makes, sense ... or doesn't. That's the fun, trying to figure out what's going to happen next. His great skill is making all these strange characters seem normal in their world, compared to me in my unique, mundane surroundings. Show Less
LibraryThing member BillPilgrim
When Dennis Lenahan is just finishing the set up for his high diving act at a casino-hotel in Northeastern Mississippi, he witnesses a murder committed by the Dixie Mafia. They see him at the top of his 80 foot ladder, but get talked into letting him live by hotel's celebrity host, a tiresome
Leonard is a master of dialogue, and he meets his high standard in this book, which often reads like one of the best “Justified” scripts. The plot is well crafted, the characters all feel alive, and the writing flows effortlessly. I've read a couple of Leonard's books before this one, and having just finished this, I can't wait to read some more.
Show More
former baseball pitcher who can never stop talking about his days in the game. Soon after this, Dennis meets Robert Taylor, visiting from Detroit, who witnessed the scene of the killing just after the fatal shots, but is quick to figure out what happened. Dennis and Robert take a fast liking to each other, Robert being impressed by Dennis's dare-devil sensibility, and Dennis intrigued by Robert's knowledge, attitude and instincts. Leonard is a master of dialogue, and he meets his high standard in this book, which often reads like one of the best “Justified” scripts. The plot is well crafted, the characters all feel alive, and the writing flows effortlessly. I've read a couple of Leonard's books before this one, and having just finished this, I can't wait to read some more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
Another good tale by Leonard. I love his characters. Unfortunately, the reader took the southern redneck voices to extremes & didn't do the story any favors. As usual, there were quite a few twists & I wound up rooting for people who normally wouldn't be considered 'the good guys'. It was quite a
Show More
trip. Show Less
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Mystery — 2003)
Pages
320
ISBN
0060008725 / 9780060008727