If realistic dialogue and zany characters are two key ingredients of a Leonard novel, a third – often overlooked – ingredient is research. In 1978 the Detroit News (the city had been his home since 1934) commissioned Leonard to write an article about the local police. A brief assignment turned into a two-month stretch on the streets where an endless cavalcade of colourful creatures and incidents presented him with a wealth of material. City Primeval (1980) was his first novel to feature a cop as the protagonist. The four novels that followed in quick succession – Split Images (1981), Cat Chaser (1982), Stick and LaBrava (both 1983) – established him as a fresh voice in crime fiction.