''LaBrava'', the 1983 novel by author

Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense th ...

, follows the story of Joe LaBrava, former

Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. Fo ...

agent. This novel won the 1984

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

for Best Novel.

Plot summary

Joe LaBrava gets involved with former

movie star A movie star (also known as a film star or cinema star) is an actor or actress who is famous for their starring, or leading, roles in movies. The term is used for performers who are marketable stars as they become popular household names and wh ...

Jean Shaw, an actress whom he had admired when he was a twelve-year-old boy, before discovering that she is being harassed by thug Richard Nobles and his partner Cundo Rey.

Reception

According to

Christopher Lehmann-Haupt Christopher Lehmann-Haupt (June 14, 1934 – November 7, 2018) was an American journalist, editor of the ''New York Times Book Review'', critic, and novelist, based in New York City. He served as senior Daily Book Reviewer from 1969 to 1995. Bi ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', "What's unusual about ''LaBrava'' is that no matter how complicated its implications grow, it remains firmly rooted in its realistic milieu. And despite all the double-crossing mayhem it metes out, nobody gets hurt who doesn't deserve to. The only innocent victim is the dream of Florida as a golden sunset for the old and infirm to fade peacefully into."

Characters in ''LaBrava''

*Joe LaBrava – former Secret Service agent, photographer *Richard Nobles – rent-a-cop *Cundo Rey – Marielito partner of Richard Nobles *Jean Shaw – former movie star *Maurice Zola – friend of Joe LaBrava and Jean Shaw *Paco Boza – Man who travels around in a wheelchair he stole from

Eastern Airlines Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Ea ...

*Franny Kaufman – Girl who sells beauty products. Has eye on Joe.

Location

The setting of ''LaBrava'' is

South Beach South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard. This area was the ...

, Florida. Maurice Zola wistfully recalls the heyday of the 1930s and 1940s, when the area had a cachet with movie stars. By the 1980s, the area had fallen into disrepair and drug activity was rife. Movies such as '' Scarface'' and T.V. series such as ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...

'' showed this seamy side of South Beach. It is in this era that ''LaBrava'' is set. Since the 1990s the area has become gentrified.

Cancelled movie

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...

was slated to appear in a movie adaption of ''LaBrava''. It was cancelled due to a contract dispute.

References

External links

LaBrava @ Elmore Leonard's Official website
1983 American novels Novels by Elmore Leonard American thriller novels Edgar Award-winning works Novels set in Florida Novels about actors {{1980s-thriller-novel-stub