The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 16 books · 1976 to 2012 · Often set in Detroit

Elmore Leonard

Crime and mysteryNoir and hardboiled

Elmore Leonard's crime novels are famous for dialogue, and many of his characters reappear: deputy US marshal Raylan Givens, bank robber Jack Foley, shylock-turned-producer Chili Palmer, and the gunrunner Ordell Robbie.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. Only crime novels whose characters recur, and their nearest companions, are charted. His westerns and most standalones are left out.

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Who appears in which book

Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.

LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Elmore Leonard books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Crime novels

16 booksNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1Swag1976With Ernest Stickley · Set in DetroitBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Switch1978Set in DetroitBuy on Amazon
  3. 3City Primeval1980With Raymond Cruz · Set in DetroitBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Split Images1981Set in Palm BeachBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Stick1983With Ernest Stickley · Set in MiamiBuy on Amazon
  6. 6LaBrava1983Set in MiamiBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Get Shorty1990With Chili Palmer · Set in Los AngelesBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Rum Punch1992Set in Palm BeachBuy on Amazon
  9. 9Pronto1993With Raylan Givens · Set in MiamiBuy on Amazon
  10. 10Riding the Rap1995With Raylan Givens · Set in KentuckyBuy on Amazon
  11. 11Out of Sight1996With Jack Foley and Karen Sisco · Set in DetroitBuy on Amazon
  12. 12Be Cool1999With Chili Palmer · Set in Los AngelesBuy on Amazon
  13. 13The Hot Kid2005With Carl Webster · Set in TulsaBuy on Amazon
  14. 14Up in Honey's Room2007With Carl Webster · Set in DetroitBuy on Amazon
  15. 15Road Dogs2009With Jack Foley · Set in Los AngelesBuy on Amazon
  16. 16Raylan2012With Raylan Givens · Set in Harlan County, KentuckyBuy on Amazon

Characters

10 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Recurring characters