Legendary American crime novelist Elmore Leonard, who wrote countless best sellers and had his work adapted for both the small and big screens, has died. He was 87.
The author passed away this morning at his home near Detroit, longtime assistant Gregg Sutter confirmed on the author’s Facebook page.
“Elmore passed away at 7:15 this morning from complications from his stroke,” Sutter wrote. “He was at home surrounded by his loving family.”
The writer had been hospitalized since suffering the stroke at the beginning of August.
Leonard wrote 45 books during his storied career, including the novels that would form the basis for the movies “3:10 to Yuma,” “Out of Sight,” and the FX television series “Justified.”
Known for his dialogue, Leonard’s work combined comedy and violence while telling the tales of floundering lawmen, well-meaning conmen and hapless crooks.
Born in New Orleans in 1925, Leonard’s family moved to Detroit when he was a family. He graduated from the University of Detroit before going into a career in advertising.
It was during his time as an ad man that Leonard began writing seriously, working on fiction for two hours before going into the office each day. Though he started out writing westerns, he would soon transition to the crime novels he would become known for.
Leonard was honored with a National Book Foundation medallion in November of last year.