Elmore Leonard RIP

US writer Elmore Leonard died at his home today "surrounded by his loving family". He was 87 years old (CLICK). He began his career writing westerns, such as Hombre and Valdez Is Coming. His story 3:10 to Yuma (1957) has twice been filmed. Delmer Daves directed the original, one of the most tense westerns ever made. As cowboy novels went out of fashion, Elmore turned to character-driven crime fiction such as Get Shorty and Maximum Bob. For those of you already feeling bereft of Elmore's terse, punchy style, don't despair. His son Peter Leonard has donned Dad's mantle and has begun to fill his own share of car trunks (CLICK).