How did I miss this? Elmore Leonard, author of a jillion wonderful crime novels and some damned good westerns, died on August 20.

He had one of the best ears for dialogue of any modern American writer, and a laid-back, make-it-look-easy style. The thing I liked best in his work, I think, was the way our hero was as likely to do something foolish as the bad guys were. No larger than life characters here.

Ah, this makes me sad.

Yes it is sad for me too.
I think you could describe his style and his characters as "Cool".

I don't know a lot of his works, but everything I have seen him attached with I have enjoyed.

I am eagerly awaiting the next season of "Justified", that is based on Elmore's characters from a couple of books and a short story "Fire in the Hole", which has been chock full of characters like Agony describes, starting with the main character Raylan Givens.