The police procedural is a popular crime fiction sub-genre, among the practitioners of which are the late J. J. Marric (John Creasey) of England, who wrote the Gideon of Scotland Yard novels, and the American Ed McBain, whose 87th Precinct books are highly regarded. A useful starting point for a discussion of Glitz would be to consider how this novel parallels and departs from the standard patterns of the police procedural.

1. Like that of Pronto, the plot of Glitz is simple, involving little more than a chase. Are the novels, then, essentially the same except for their different casts of characters?

2. Do you agree with Leonard's judgment that his style, tone, and sound are the same in Glitz as in earlier novels such as Fifty-Two Pickup?

3. The major women characters are independent and brighter than the men. In what other Leonard novels do the females stand...