Riding the Rap    by Elmore Leonard Order:  USA  Can Harper, 2010 (1995) Paperback, e-Book      Reviewed by Bob Walch Those who might have missed Elmore Leonard's Riding the Rap, which first appeared in print in 1995, will want to get a copy of this reissued classic. When a debt-ridden Palm Beach playboy decides to make some quick money by kidnapping and holding for ransom a bookmaker named Harry Arno, he not only picks the wrong victim but also teams up with a group of inept accomplices. Warren 'Chip' Ganz's team includes a Bahamian ex-con, a psychic gardener/enforcer, and a zany psychic named Reverend Dawn. Given who has abducted him, Harry can probably outwit his bumbling captors but help arrives from an unlikely source. Harry's ex-girlfriend has enlisted the aide of ace manhunter U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens and this complicates matters. A little heavy handed, Givens may use undue force to spring the captive bookie and this may not bode well for all the parties concerned. Riding the Rap is lauded as containing some of the slimiest and most hilarious sleazebags Leonard ever created; if you missed this novel on the first go-round, now's the time to remedy that error! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews