''Raylan'' is a 2012 novel by

Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thri ...

, the author's final work before he died in 2013. The novel is based on the FX television series '' Justified'', which was in turn based on Leonard's short story "Fire in the Hole" and the character of Raylan Givens, who appeared in that short story as well as the novels '' Pronto'' and ''

Riding the Rap ''Riding the Rap'' is a 1995 crime fiction novel by Elmore Leonard. It is the sequel to Leonard's ''Pronto'', released in 1993. Synopsis Like ''Pronto'', ''Riding the Rap'' centers around Harry Arno, World War II veteran and bookie, now 67 yea ...

.'' ''Raylan'' is not a direct sequel to any of these novels, nor is it a direct sequel to the television series. Elements from both are changed: Boyd Crowder, who died in "Fire in the Hole" but is still alive in ''Justified'' is alive and a major character in ''Raylan,'' while characters original to ''Justified'' such as Dickie and Coover Bennett return in repurposed forms, as Dickie and Coover Crowe. Several plotlines in ''Raylan'' were adapted by the writers of ''Justified'' into episodes of the show's third season, most notably with the episode "

Thick as Mud "Thick as Mud" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American Neo-Western television series '' Justified''. It is the 31st overall episode of the series and was written by story editor Jon Worley and co-producer Benjamin Cavell from a s ...

References

{{Authority control Justified (TV series) Novels by Elmore Leonard 2012 American novels United States Marshals Service in fiction William Morrow and Company books