Crime Novelist Elmore Leonard Dead at 87

Posted on August 20, 2013

Bestselling crime novelist Elmore Leonard has died at the age of 87. His death was announced on his website which had this notice: "Elmore passed away this morning at 7:15 AM at home surrounded by his loving family. More to follow."

Leonard had suffered a stroke last month and was hospitalized in Detroit. His researcher, Gregg Sutter, said that his family was "guardedly optimistic" at the time. But he suffered a turn for the worse. Leonard had been working on his 46th novel when he was taken ill. A National Book Foundation lifetime achievement winner, Leonard wrote many books and short stories that were adapted into movies including Hombre, Get Shorty, Out of Sight and Jackie Brown. The current F/X hit, Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant, is based on his novella, Fire in the Hole. Leonard worked with the writers of the show to coordinate the storyline with the new novel he was working on.

You can read The New York Times' obituary here.