In Elmore Leonard’s Riding the Rap, we see a Miami Beach that’s far from the glamorous and glittering South Beach. This is a world of the down-on-their luck looking to make the perfect score, the world of has beens and could have beens looking for that elusive something. Bookie Harry Arno has been put out of business by the Feds and is just tying up some loose collection ends before he retires for good. He hires ex-con bounty hunter Bobby Deo to collect from Chip Ganz, who is totally broke and has nothing to pay with. Before long, Chip, Bobby and bodyguard Louis Lewis concoct their version of the perfect score, their one big shot. The plan? Join forces to kidnap Harry and force him to turn over the fortune they’re convinced he’s hiding. Throw in Dawn Navarro’s psychic help and it seems like the perfect plan. The problem? Harry’s former girlfriend Joyce is now seeing US Marshall Raylan Givens and she is determined that Givens find Harry—NOW!  Since Givens has an inexplicable soft spot for Harry, he agrees. And Raylan always finds his man.

Leonard’s characters are as complex and flawed as ever. Every one of them is looking for something. Harry longs to collect his missing money and maybe get Joyce back at the same time. Joyce, feeling a little old and a little conflicted, is starting to think that Raylan, with his tendency towards violence, might not be so perfect for her. And Raylan? Well, Raylan wants home and family, as well as peace of mind. These characters and seedy Miami Beach set the mood for a great story. Unfortunately, the plot is slow-moving and just doesn’t ever really take off. Although I enjoyed Riding the Rap, the snap, crackle and pop quality that one usually finds in Elmore Leonard’s books is missing. Too bad . . . because Raylan Givens is still the man! There’s just not enough of him in this book.