Stick #01 - Swag

After reading many of Elmore Leonard's early crime-fiction novels, like The Big Bounce (1969) and Mr. Majestyk (1974), I was anxious to try another of his “prime” efforts. I settled on 1976's Swag, first published in paperback as Ryan's Rules. The novel is the first of two books Leonard wrote about a lifetime criminal named Ernest Stickley Jr. The character would appear again in 1983's Stick, a novel that was later adapted into an ill-conceived film of the same name starring and directed by Burt Reynolds. 

Swag begins by introducing readers to a used car salesman named Frank Ryan. Ryan is unmarried, divorced twice, and is generally just scraping to make ends meet. His life is impacted in a drastic way when Stick arrives to nonchalantly steal one of Ryan's cars. Later, after Stick's capture, Ryan is brought in to testify for the prosecution. Surprisingly, he tells the court it wasn't Stick that stole the car. Naturally, with no other evidence and no supporting witness testimony, Stick walks. That's when Ryan reaches out to him.

Ryan explains he has these ten rules of life and invites Stick to join him in a criminal undertaking. Stick, fresh off a divorce in Florida, sizes up Ryan and deems him worthy of a partnership. The two then embark on a sizable streak of robbing liquor shops, gas stations, and grocery stores.

The book's first act is hilarious as the two engage in twisted conversations about women, prior jobs, marriages, and their bumbling criminal career. There are a couple of unforgettable scenes, notably a laugh-out-loud moment when Ryan rings up a customer's groceries while Stick forces the manager to open up the safe. There's an exchange over an expired coupon that had me in tears. Equally as funny is the two robbing an inept robber while planning a hold-up. Brilliant!

However, Leonard really delves into the sexual escapades of the duo throughout the book's dull second act. These chapters plod along as the two engage with their neighbors in a posh apartment building. Here the two meet, and hook up with a prostitute, two models, a school teacher, etc. There are pool parties, social gatherings, lots of drinking, and tepid sex to plunge the book into a literary rut. There are just a few highlights in the second act. This entire apartment community and pool party vibe is similar to Ovid Demaris's 1960 Fawcett Gold Medal novel The Enforcer, a book where 127 pages are wasted on characters trying to get laid. 

Thankfully, Leonard roars back in the third act and strings together something similar to Jim Thompson crossed with Lionel White. The two beef up their game with a planned department store heist to score nearly $100K. To knock it off, they partner with a charismatic African American bar owner and drug dealer named Sportree. Like most heists, the plot builds with the execution and getaway, then dissolves as these nefarious characters turn on each other. 

If Leonard had cut back the second act and trimmed the book to 180 pages, I think Swag is a masterpiece. The second act's inability to capture the criminal aspect took me out completely. Despite its shortcomings, Swag is still a damn fine crime novel and a hilarious take on criminality in general. I'm looking forward to the book's sequel. Stay tuned!

Get Swag HERE.