In the sun-drenched, seedy underbelly of Palm Beach, down-on-his-luck playboy Chip Ganz finds himself in a desperate financial spiral. With his mother's inheritance lifeline severed, Chip devises a reckless plan: kidnap a wealthy individual for ransom. He enlists an unlikely, volatile crew: an ex-con, a disturbed gardener with a penchant for violence named Louis Lewis, and the enigmatic psychic Reverend Dawn. Their chosen mark is Harry Arno, a seasoned bookmaker whose life of low-stakes crime has made him both resourceful and resilient. However, Chip's amateurish scheme quickly unravels as Harry proves to be no easy target, adept at navigating the murky waters of deceit and double-crosses. Adding another layer of peril, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a man of lethal integrity, enters the fray, spurred on by his relationship with Harry's cunning ex-girlfriend, Joyce. As allegiances shift and guns inevitably come out, the stage is set for a high-stakes confrontation where everyone has an agenda, and no one is entirely safe.
Critical Reception
""Riding the Rap" showcases Elmore Leonard's unparalleled mastery of dialogue, character, and plot, cementing his status as a titan of American crime fiction."
Adaptations
Elements and the character of Raylan Givens were incorporated into the acclaimed television series "Justified."