"The best American writer of crime fiction alive" (Newsweek) outdoes himself in this bestselling and highly acclaimed novel that proves the successful crook has all the job skills required to make it in Hollywood.

"Get Shorty" follows the fortunes of Chili Palmer, a.Miami loan shark with a talent for making a slow pay come across by saying just three words: "Look at me". Chili's pursuit of a mark who's behind in his payments takes him first to Las Vegas, and then to Hollywood and horror-film producer Harry Zimm. Harry has gambled away $200,000 earmarked for his next production in an attempt to raise money to interest superstar Michael Weir in a "high concept" film Harry is certain will be a hit. But now his investors, who run a limo-and-drugs service for the Hollywood crowd, want to know where their money is, and one of them, Bo Catlett, will kill to protect his interests.

Chili and Harry form an uneasy partnership as Chili finds himself evaluating screenplays, taking meetings with studio execs, and pitching a movie idea of his own. But there are distractions: Karen Flores, former horror film screamer who knows more about Hollywood than Harry, and Ray Bones, a hot-tempered wiseguy who can't forget the time Chili creased his scalp with a bullet. Most distracting of all is super-dude Bo Catlett, who wants Chili removed from the scenario permanently.