Episodes

  • Otto Penzler
    Oct 10 2025

    Alex gets an audience with the one and only Otto Penzler, a dear friend of Elmore's and the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City - the oldest mystery specialist book store in America.

    Having been featured in Comfort to the Enemy and Up In Honey's Room, Otto is also the first character of Elmore's to join ust on the podcast.

    Otto tells us about getting to know Elmore, the importance of not showing off all that you know, and why it's good to be the first to ask.

    This episode is dedicated to Raffles, the German Shepherd.

    https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com

    Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

    Music by: Greg Ahee

    Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

    Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

    Let's talk:

    www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

    X: @elmorepodcast

    IG: @ElmoreLeonardInc

    hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Florida Stories Vol. 1, with Bill Leonard and Kristy Lowman
    Sep 30 2025

    Elmore Leonard has been referred to as the "Dickens of Detroit" but his books are set all over the world. Some of our favorite books of Elmore's, like Split Images, Cat Chaser, La Brava, Maximum Bob, or Rum Punch are set in the great State of Florida.

    This podcast features conversations with two people with very unique connections to Florida and Elmore. In the first half of the podast, we speak with Kristy Lowman an actual Weeki Wachee mermaid, just like the ones featured in Maximum Bob.

    We also get to speak with one of Elmore's five children, Bill Leonard, who shares some great stories about the family vacations that first brought Elmore to Florida.

    https://weekiwachee.com

    Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

    Music by: Greg Ahee

    Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

    Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

    Let's talk:

    www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

    https://x.com/elmorepodcast

    hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Split Images
    Sep 22 2025

    Alex and Judd throw on their cashmere sweaters, plant machetes, and taunt the homicide detectives as they dive deep into Elmore Leonard's SPLIT IMAGES.

    From ElmoreLeonardOfficial.com:

    Wealthy industrialist Robbie Daniels has discovered something that gives him even a bigger kick than his palatial homes in Detroit and Palm Beach: homicide. He’s tried it, he likes it, and he’d like to keep doing it—as often as possible—with the help of a really bad ex-cop who quit the force one step away from prison stripes. Motown Detective Bryan Hurd strongly suspects that Daniels has been getting away with murder and figures a little Florida R&R might be an ideal way to keep a close eye on the slippery millionaire reptile. But Daniels has money, power, no fear, and an awesome collection of guns—and Hurd might be getting a little too close to the action. . .

    It is a nasty (and nifty) little crime book, and it was so much fun to revisit it.

    Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

    Music by: Greg Ahee

    Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

    Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

    Let's talk:

    www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

    https://x.com/elmorepodcast

    hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Stacey Sher
    Aug 29 2025

    Stacey Sher is one of our great producers of film and television. In addition to having produced two of what many consider to be the three best feature film adaptations of Elmore’s work - GET SHORTY and OUT OF SIGHT, she has also produced Erin Brockovich, Contagion, Gattaca, How High, Django Unchained, Reno 911!: Miami, Man on the Moon, and Heretic, to name just a few.

    She was also an Executive Producer of Pulp Fiction.

    She joins us to share her perspective on Elmore, working with Danny DeVito and Michael Shamberg at Jersey Films, and to reflect on Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Be Cool, and so much more.

    Deleted Get Shorty Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKlH6_xZo6c

    Interview with Jay Weston: https://labusinessjournal.com/retail/restaurants/table-reads/

    Much Appreciation to Katie Aquino and Jake Pace.

    Guest: Stacey Sher

    Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

    Music by: Greg Ahee

    Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

    Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

    Let's talk:

    www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

    https://x.com/elmorepodcast

    hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Ace Atkins
    Aug 15 2025

    Ace Atkins is the best selling author of 30 novels including WICKED CITY, WHITE SHADOW, DON'T LET THE DEVIL RIDE, the upcoming EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD, the Quinn Colson series, the Nick Travers series, and several books in Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series. He is also our first guest to have appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

    He is a huge admirer of Elmore’s and he shares some fantastic stories with us today about getting feedback from and traveling with Elmore, working as a crime reporter in Tampa Bay, choosing crime fiction over sports, and so much more.

    https://www.aceatkins.com

    https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/spy-who-scammed-us/

    Guest: Ace Atkins

    Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

    Music by: Greg Ahee

    Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

    Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

    Let's talk:

    www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

    https://x.com/elmorepodcast

    hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Freaky Deaky, Part Two
    Jul 31 2025

    Alex and Judd get out of prison, sneak into the Ricks Mansion and hide dynamite all over 1980s Detroit as they dive deep into what some have called Elmore Leonard's greatest book, FREAKY DEAKY.

    In Part Two, we sink even deeper into the gray areas, argue about Chris, and hear about the book that Elmore almost wrote featuring some of his greatest characters.

    Learn more about Freaky Deaky here: https://www.elmoreleonardofficial.com/books/freaky-deaky

    Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

    Music by: Greg Ahee

    Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

    Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

    Let's talk:

    www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

    https://x.com/elmorepodcast

    hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 44 mins
  • Freaky Deaky, Part One
    Jul 25 2025

    Alex and Judd get out of prison, sneak into the Ricks Mansion and hide dynamite all over 1980s Detroit as they dive deep into what some have called Elmore Leonard's greatest book, FREAKY DEAKY.

    In Part One, we meet our second favorite novelist Nicole Robinette, try not to mix dynamite and LSD, and learn some of the facts of life from Elmore.

    Learn more about Freaky Deaky here: https://www.elmoreleonardofficial.com/books/freaky-deaky

    Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

    Music by: Greg Ahee

    Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

    Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

    Let's talk:

    www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

    https://x.com/elmorepodcast

    hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
  • Tom Scharpling
    Jul 11 2025

    Tom Scharpling is just the greatest. He's an accomplished TV writer/producer (Monk, What We Do in the Shadows, Steven Universe) and the host of the legendary The Best Show. He joins Alex and Judd in Chris's dad's Cadillac to talk FREAKY DEAKY, and what he appreciates most about Elmore. Also, Judd pitches him an idea for a novel.

    https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheBestShow

    Guest: Tom Scharpling

    Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

    Music by: Greg Ahee

    Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

    Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

    Let's talk:

    www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

    https://x.com/elmorepodcast

    hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

    Show More Show Less
    54 mins