THE HOT KID

Arliss Howard offers a straightforward reading of Leonard's latest, a foray into the 1930s’ Wild West. The hot kid of the title is a young U.S. marshal based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who wants to become the most famous lawman in America by nabbing gangsters--Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Bonnie and Clyde. The gangsters, meanwhile, are striving to be number one on the FBI's “Most Wanted” list. This is perfect territory for Leonard, who makes the most of the adventure. Howard adopts the tone of a movie western, reminiscent of John Wayne or John Ford. It’s gritty and direct, and it works. The only difficulty is with the high number of quote attributions in Leonard’s dialogue-driven book, some of which Howard reads in the voice of the speaker, rather than the narrator. It can be confusing. Otherwise, this is an entertaining listen. R.E.K. 2006 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]