Author Elmore Leonard has passed away at the age of 87. He wrote 45 books, including Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Freaky Deaky and the stories behind the TV series Justified.

Although best known for his crime stories, he'd been in the business long enough that he started out writing westerns such as Hondo and 3:10 to Yuma. His work was known for brilliant dialog and complex villains with realistic motivations, not just cardboard cutout bad guys. He was one of the very best and he'll be missed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23765850

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmore_Leonard