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Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention elmore leonard harry mitchell leonard novels hard to put believable characters bad guys happily married twists and turns written in the early crime novels detroit businessman years ago leonard at his best leonard books wrong guy great dialogue leonard novel leonard fans early leonard always a good. Showing of 96 reviews.

52 Card Pick Up

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I loved the book AND the movie. Sleazy characters in Detroit can't get any lower. A Snail has more value than some of the characters in this story. Elmore Leonard is a master at telling a story around gritty, believable characters. The story centers around 3 low-lifes picking a flawed man, Harry Mitchell, to blackmail.

They picked the wrong guy from start to finish. About the movie, never tire of seeing the beautiful Ann-Margret. Elmore Leonard's "Hombre" both the novel and the movie. I bought both books used from Amazon.

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Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. The story is plausible. It mixes the seedy side of 's Detroit with the upper middle class life of a manufacturing executive. This executive, Harry Mitchell, like many of Leonard's other character has more to him than is readily apparent.

His past as a decorated fighter pilot who is discharged for defending himself against friendly fire comes in handy as he handles his predicament with blackmailing criminals without the aid of the authorities. The story also features a very strong woman in a relationship with Mitchell. Despite a one-time cheating incident, their marriage emerges stronger than ever and is ultimately the catalyst in Mitchell resolving his situation.

Ravelry: 52 Pickup pattern by Alasdair Post-Quinn

Once again, after the final action, the outcome and consequences to the main characters are left up to the reader's imagination. This was an enjoyable read. One of the fun parts about reading earlier Elmore Leonard books is that so many of them were made into films. So you can picture the wonderful characters that he created, and then see how the movie was cast and imagine what you would have done--lots of fun! Even though I had seen the film version almost 30 years ago and remembered that it starred Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret, I didn't remember the rest of the cast, which included Kelly Preston before she met John Travolta and Vanity in two smaller but important and perfectly cast roles.

The film had very mixed reviews, I imagine because of the production credits the producers were a bit of a joke in the film business at that time , but that didn't influence Roger Ebert, who loved the film for its fantastic character development. Leonard--superbly developed characters, and an opportunity to meet people that you will probably never encounter in your life. In other words, a perfect escape from reality into a different world, but one that you can imagine is true. The plot is not very original, but satisfying none-the-less. A very good read Mass Market Paperback Verified Purchase.

When his adulterous affair is caught on tape by the three men, Harry Mitchell is forced to either pay up one hundred thousand dollars or deal with the consequences. If you know Elmore Leonard novels, then you know that there is only one choice for Mitchell.

Also, the ending was a letdown and abrupt. One person found this helpful.

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It's nearly impossible for me to not like an Elmore Leonard crime novel. I did indeed enjoy this one, but it didn't come close to meeting my criteria for 5 stars. Yes, the characters were interesting, the plot was intriguing, and the dialogue crackled, as usual for Mr.

The protagonist is caught in a bind because of a sexual indiscretion and there's a clever plot to blackmail him. How he gets out of this if he will is the plotline's narrative drive, and the novel holds the reader in suspense about each new development in the story. While this seems typical of a Leonard novel, the plot began to lose a bit of steam for me during the last 60 pages or so. Frankly, it was quite easy to predict the rather unrealistic ending. Regrettably, when one compares this book to other Elmore Leonard works, it warrants only three stars. By Elmore Leonard had been writing for years.

But that year he really hit his stride with the novel 52 Pick-Up.

Steve Spangler's Version of 52-Pickup

Over the next several years, Leonard would publish a string of novels set in his hometown of Detroit. It is great for creating lots of laughter, but you should definitely play with someone who has a great sense of humor and a little spare time. Card Games Party Games. A wikiHow Staff Editor reviewed this article to make sure it's helpful and accurate. When you see the green checkmark on a wikiHow article, you can trust that the article has been co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers.

Citations:52 pickup

This article was a collaboration between several members of our editing staff who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Ask a friend to play cards. Find someone who enjoys a prank and has time to hang out and have fun. You can have more than one player, as long as none of the players know that 52 Card Pickup is a trick. Find a deck of playing cards. Preferably use a deck of playing cards that belongs to one of the players.

This will increase the chances of the cards being picked up instead of being left on the floor when the prank is over. It is also best if there are 52 cards in the deck. As the dealer, you can shuffle the cards yourself or allow one of the players to shuffle them.


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Shuffling the cards is optional, but preferred because it gives the impression of a real game. In reality, it does not matter if the cards are mixed up. Try not to laugh because the players may become suspicious. After you have shuffled the cards, ask the following question: Wait for a response and after one or all players say they are ready, bend the deck slightly and release your hold on the outside edges of the cards as if shuffling one-handed so that the spring tension sprays the cards all over the floor.

When the cards are on the floor, you can challenge the players to pick up all of the cards by indicating that the winner of the game will be the individual that picks up the most cards. The goal of the competition is to remove each card from the floor as fast as you can. This is a great twist on 52 Card Pickup that creates excitement and further entertainment. You can also issue a challenge to find a particular card where the first person to find that card is the winner. Develop your thinking skills. Another way of enjoying 52 Card Pickup is by picking up the cards in sequential order. You can challenge yourself to pick up the cards in order of value starting with the card that you pick up first.

While all players can enjoy this game, it does not require multiple players. It is also a great solitaire game and way to keep yourself busy when you have idle time.