A new Elmore Leonard novel is always a cause for celebration, even when the novel isn't one of his best. As "Tishomingo Blues," while funny, slick and sassy, is not. Leonard prefaces the book by expressing his intention, "to entertain myself: gather an odd assortment of characters, build a story as they bump heads, and see what happens."

The characters include Dennis Lenahan, a traveling high-dive champion who sees his daredevil career coming to a close; Robert Taylor, a smooth-talking black man from Detroit who descends on Tishomingo, Mississippi, with a fancy car and a photo of a lynching; several thuggish, real dumb redneck crackers, and a scheming real estate developer, Walter Kirkbride, with an enthusiasm for Civil War re-enactments. Plus a couple of cops, straight and otherwise, a gangster, a scheming wife and a few henchmen.

As the novel opens, Dennis, readying his act at the Tishomingo Hotel and Casino, witnesses a murder from 80 feet up. So does Robert, perhaps, watching Dennis from his hotel window. The two, Dennis and Robert, strike up a liking and Dennis soon realizes Robert has plans for the Dixie Mafia (the redneck murderers) and they may include him. The plot makes its merry meandering way to the big re-enactment, with sidetracks to romance and star turns from secondary characters. The re-enactment, depicted with a verisimilitude which does nothing to lessen its strangeness, brings the whole big cast together with hilariously choreographed, if fairly predictable results.

The dialogue is snappy and quick and the characters practically step off the page. But after a while the repartee is wearing and the characters lack the heart to engage the reader. It's Leonard, so it's good, but not his best.

Professional high diver Dennis Lenahan knows that he's too old for the carnival circuit. Becoming an attraction at a Mississippi casino seems like the right answer--at least for a while. When he witnesses a murder while on his diving platform, Dennis is thrown into a world of Dixie Mafia, illegal drugs, and the opportunity for more money than he's ever dreamed of.

His new friend, Robert, introduces Dennis to a family of blues music that might be real, or might simply be Robert's fantasy. Which is pretty much the story for Robert as a whole. Dennis wants to believe him, but Robert insists on involving him more and more deeply in a conflict between drug clans--all played out in a civil war re-enactment. Eventually Dennis is forced to confront his moral values--or admit that he really doesn't have any, and the blues may be his only guidance.

Author Elmore Leonard writes compellingly about the morally ambivalent world of professional crime and men trying to make their way through the world. Dennis is an interesting hero--not completely amoral but certainly not endowed with any special respect for the authorities. Robert is an entertaining and compelling foil to Dennis--intelligent, experienced, and completely without any morals, yet still likable and in control both of himself and those around him.

Fans of Leonard's fiction will want to pick this one up--it's definitely a winner. Those new to Leonard will want to read more--(I'll recommend the immortal STICK (buy it from Amazon) as Leonard's best although he is perhaps better known for GET SHORTY (buy it from Amazon)).

Once again, Elmore Leonard has managed to put together a wonderfully delightful book featuring the antics of bumbling criminals and flawed heroes all in a strange backdrop of unique characters.

This time the setting is a casino in Mississippi and our hero is a high diver who is hired by the Casino as a sideshow to attract gamblers. Along, the way, our hero will encounter alluring women, murderers, conmen, tough drug dealers, the FBI and crooked businessmen. Like almost every Elmore Leonard book, the story is almost impossible to describe because it takes a number of strange turns that are impossible to predict. You aren't always sure who are the good guys or the bad guys and sometimes the status of a hero or bad guy changes rather quickly. Of course this all happens thanks to great dialogue and a snappy writing style that makes it hard to put the book down.

The strangest part of this book regards the "hobby" of Civil War Re-Enacting which becomes a critical part of the plot. If you aren't familiar with this endeavor, I suggest you read Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz.

In any case, pick up this book and enjoy it. As usual for Leonard, this book won't win any awards for being serious literature but it is fun to read and I hope that it is treated well by Hollywood when they option the book.