This novella captures a short period during a strike, with interesting interplay between the police and those striking. Apparently this wasn't released while Leonard was alive, and I wonder if it was because it's unfinished. There was the vitality and the dialogue you can expect with Leonard, but I definitely wanted more,

Picket Line is a novella that focuses on a group of working immigrants, striking immigrants, landowners and police. How they all interact, what brought them to their present situations, are well-focused. The story apparently was "found" but more likely the authoor Elmore Leonard did not want it published. He shows some great insights, so I am glad that it finally saw life.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Picket Line is a novella by Elmore Leonard written around 1970. You can hear his crime novel voice begin to emerge in this story, written before his best sellers beginning with Glitz. Short chapters, lean prose, realistic dialogue, interesting characters, a twist in the end--it's all here in a breezy, interesting read.

Four stars because I felt the. characters remained unfinished before the story sprinted to a quick close. But if you love Elmore Leonard's work, you won't be disappointed.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a sneak, peek in exchange for a review.

"Lost Elmore Novella" should be all you need to know. This one -- with a very interesting background essay by his biographer -- was written as he was making the shift to the writer we all love. It's filled with all the deadpan wit, colorful characters, and grounded tension we came to expect from him in his prime.

If it feels a little underdeveloped, well... it's a novella, adapted from a busted screenplay. You see the germs of ideas he elaborated upon elsewhere, sketches of characters that fleshed out in his best novels. Maybe it feels like the first third of a sprawling epic he never wrote -- but that's only because the sprawling epic was the rest of his career.

So no, it's not a Great Novel. But it's a terrific Lost Elmore Leonard Novella.

First off, my thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins/Mariner Books for an eARC of this title. To be published September 30, 2025.
It has been a long while since I have read any Leonard. This is more of an unfinished novel, the beginnings of one, than a complete novella.
A really good Intro by C. M. Kushins. His bio of Leonard, with the great title, "Cooler Than Cool: The Life and Work of Elmore Leonard―A Biography of the Master of American Crime Writing", was released June 10, 2025, as were some reprints of his novels.
The Intro goes through the history of the idea and manuscript. It is a great explanation of a genre writer on the make (Leonard was not yet famous at this time). Writing, rewriting, taking "suggestions" from publishers and producers. Ultimately it kind of turned into the movie "Mr. Majestyk" (1974, with Charles Bronson). And was rewritten again, and published as a movie tie-in PBO.
Rather for Leonard completists only. Short, and incomplete. But some of Leonard's usual great detail and dialog, and ideas he would reuse later.
3 out of 5 - because, after all it IS Leonard. I just wish the whole thing was there.
I had forgotten how fast Leonard reads. Maybe I will go back and read some of his books again. They are fun, and fast paced.

Enjoyed this short book by Elmore Leonard. Great characters, story, and pacing. #PicketLine #NetGalley

Picket Line is a lean, taut novella that captures a moment of tension amid labor unrest and racial conflict in 1970s Texas. Leonard’s writing is sharp and direct, with dialogue that feels lived-in and characters who carry the weight of complicated histories and motivations.

I appreciated how Leonard doesn’t paint anyone in pure black or white. The story moves with a steady, quiet intensity that kept me engaged without unnecessary flashiness. It’s a story about power — who has it, who’s denied it, and how it’s fought over — all under the harsh sun of a migrant labor strike.

While the narrative is concise, it leaves room to reflect on social injustice and personal loyalty in a way that lingers beyond the final page. At times I wanted a bit more depth on some characters, but the restrained style ultimately suits the story’s hard edges.

It’s a strong, thoughtful work that feels both timely and timeless, and it’s worth reading for anyone interested in the human dynamics behind social upheaval.

***Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this upcoming book***
It's more Elmore Leonard! What is there to say? It's a little weird when an artist's unreleased works are released posthumously, because their intention might not have been for them to be seen by the public. In this case, I think this book was tangled up in rights issues and Dutch fully intended for it to be released. Anyhow, it's as effortlessly readable though not as interesting as some of his other works. Give this a read if you are an Elmore Leonard fan!

So great to read something new by the greatest crime writer of them all. It’s a novella-not specifically a crimes story but a brief slice of life about life on and around a picket line in the early seventies. In it you can see all of Leonard’s hallmark writing techniques and skills. He’s just so good. You can’t help but enjoy it. And you’ll want to go back and read his other stuff.