Maybe we’re getting off the body count topic a little, but what’s with the pruning shears? Bad guys play around with them in at least three EL novels. Anybody remember those gardening lessons?

Excellent question.  By the way, when you think the discussion has gotten off topic in a thread, start a new one.  That’s what I’m doing here.  Tell everybody which novels the pruning shears were in, and I’ll give you an answer.  Frankly, I cannot remember more than one.

okay, shout out to Carney who asked for clues—(1) one guy, shopping for Jell-o (at Wolfie’s I think), uses his shears to get a lady’s ring (2) one guy, who works with his brother, tries to use them, but gets sideswiped by a pool cleaning pole, and (3) one guy, (played by the great Delroy Lindo in the movie) just hands them over to our hero.

1) one guy, shopping for Jell-o (at Wolfie’s I think), uses his shears to get a lady’s ring (2) one guy, who works with his brother, tries to use them, but gets sideswiped by a pool cleaning pole,

These two references are from Riding the Rap.  The character’s name is Bobby Deo, short for Bobby Deogracias (I think that’s the spelling)

and (3) one guy, (played by the great Delroy Lindo in the movie) just hands them over to our hero.

This would be Get Shorty but I don’t recall this scene.

The origin of the shears is that his wife Christine is a master gardener and always carries pruning shears in a belt holster.  This inspired Elmore.

Wow, thanks for the explanation about the shears. Riding the Rap, yes, and Bobby Deo was the guy ... but I was thinking about a different book for the pool cleaning pole battle. This one involved one of the Mendoza brothers.

The Mendoza Bros.  Was that Bandits?

Read the other two a long time ago.  Recall the scene in Maximum Bob where the judge is showing our hero his prized orchids.  Don’t know if ol’ Bob had any shears on him at the time.  Wouldn’t've harmed his ‘girlfriend’ anyway.

Not Bandits.
Not old Judge Bob, either, though geographically, you’re closer with that one.

My favorite pruning-shear visual is the one in Exorcist III at George C. Scott’s house with the nurse.

uh ... fyi on those shears ... that was Moran in Cat Chaser who did the deflection.

Ah yes, Cat Chaser… the Mendoza bros.  It’s all coming back to me now.  That was another excellent tome.  Good call!