Can't beat this with a stick (sorry).

How many times I gotta tell you? Elmore Leonard and Frank Muller just make almost everybody else look silly. Leonard wrote this in 1976 and Frank recorded it in 1996. And yet, it is so fresh and so utterly memorable that it could have been done last week. Just hearing Mr. Muller read the climactic chapter, #26, is so thrilling that you cannot find anything more exciting than his voice. I probably read this when it came out, and yet I never could have imagined the performance that brings this book to life so vividly that now I may never forget Ernest Stickley, Emma "Kyle" McLaren, Eddie Moak et al. Stick has just gotten out of a maximum security prison in Jackson, Michigan. Seven years in a true horror story. He goes to Miami to see his daughter. He rather suddenly finds work as a chauffeur for Barry Stamm, boy financial wonder. He meets Chucky Gorman, a pill-popping drug dealer; Lionel, his "bodyguard,"; Nestor the Cuban drug guy, his hitman Avillanosa...each of these characters is drawn so quickly, with such a perfect ear for how people talk, that they just jump out at you. Leonard takes his time with the setup, not rushing as usual, drawing you in. Then the final scam starts, and once again you cannot possibly in your entire life imagine a climax so visual, so startling...I know one can't say "so unique," but Leonard and Muller will cause you to reach for superlatives just to try for a description that comes close to the mastery here. I am again so glad that Audible has released these works; I would pay twice as much to hear these as I do now. (I hope they're not listening.) Do yourself a favor. You will not find anything more thoroughly entertaining than these two guys.

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great!

everything was great. frank mueller is the best narrator of all time. Leonard is the best in the genre.

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Highly Entertaining

As almost always with Leonard, the writing is smart, spare, and engaging, with a likable hero up against some scary dudes. The narrator (Frank Muller) was the best ever. His death was a loss to this art form.

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Loved it!

Elmore Leonard is the perfect author for the Audible experience. Fascinating characters at a blistering pace. Fabulous narration. Two words

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Excellent Leonard Novel

Where does Stick rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Stick was an excellent read.

What other book might you compare Stick to and why?

This book is similar in style to other Leonard novels but the uniqueness of the personalities of the characters and the plot twists make for an interesting story.

Any additional comments?

I especially like the way Mr Leonard develops his characters. You feel like you know the characters good and bad in the course of the novel. I can't wait for the next Elmore Leonard novel.

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Great Elmore Leonard follow up to Swag

If you like Elmore Leonard, you'll love this. It's a follow up to Swag, featuring Leonard Stickley, who is now out of jail and on his own. The characters are great, the predicaments interesting. Muller does a great job on narration.

Muller does his best, but the story is weak.

Missing really messed up characters that Leonard is famous for. Not as good as his best stuff, not even close.

Enjoyable Elmore

Another good adventure. Really liked Stick, he should be a series, would like to see what other schemes he cooks up. Never really understood why they were after him,tho. Some good excitement throughout. Didn’t care for the ending, “There you are”, what was that about?

Elmore Leonard and Frank Muller are great

Elmore Leonard and Frank Muller are always a winning combination. Great book. Great reader. Great characters.

1) Swag 2) Stick - I wish someone had told me...

Stick is a sequel to Swag (or Swag is the prequel to Stick?) Regardless, in the timeline it’s Swag then Stick. It’s not crucial you read them in order, they hold up independently, but you will understand who and what the characters are talking about in Stick much better if you read Swag first. That said, they both ROCK! I love this book! Frank Mueller hits all the right notes when he performs Elmore Leonard. Black comedy mixed with criminal violence with just a dollop of misogyny and racism on the side. (The characters, not the writer)