My brother Mike called me from California 25 years ago and said I might like a crime writer he'd found. Elmore Leonard. Can't remember if it was STICK or LA BRAVA, that first one, but it was a flurry for the next few years, catching up with all Elmore had put out. 
I was surprised the first time I saw Elmore's name on a western, but that's where he started. If you've seen Paul Newman play HOMBRE, you know that Elmore's cowboys and cops have a whole lot in common.
They're tough.
They don't say a lot.
They know neat stuff.
They take no shit.These are some of my favorites. KILLSHOT will soon be a movie. LA BRAVA is considered a classic by crime fiction writers. GET SHORTY was written as a dig at Dustin Hoffman because of the actor's behavior on another Elmore movie project.
