Black Jack Point [Paperback]

Jeff Abbott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2002

The "master of white-knuckled suspense" (Harlan Coben) is back...and so is Texas judge Whit Mosely-in an all-new, all-exciting tale of a legendary treasure, modern-day piracy, and a life-or-death game that turns Whit's friend, Port Leo police detective Claudia Salazar, into a high-seas hostage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

BLACK JACK POINT is an unmatched thrill ride with a surprise around every turn. Jeff Abbott is the master of suspense to watch this year. Texas Monthly Abbott knows what makes people tick and he has an ear for dialogue that sounds like it's made for a cult TV series... his deceptively simple styles seduces readers into a world of murder, greed, and sheer human fallibility. Good Book Guide --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Jeff Abbott is a nationally bestselling author, whose novels have been shortlisted for various awards including the Anthony and the Edgar. Jeff lives in Austin with his wife and two sons. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Signet (September 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451410505
• ISBN-13: 978-0451410504
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #892,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeff Abbott is the international-bestselling, award-winning author of ten mystery and suspense novels. Jeff is a native Texan and graduated from Rice University with a degree in History and English, and worked as a creative director at an advertising agency before writing full-time. He lives in Austin with his wife and two sons. You can visit his website at www.jeffabbott.com and follow him on Twitter @JeffAbbott.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves the accolades!, August 4, 2003

By 

nobizinfla "nobizinfla" (Windermere, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Jack Point (Paperback)

Jeff Abbott's "Black Jack Point" is a well-deserved PBO nominee for both the Edgar and Anthony.

Justice of the Peace Whit Mosley is a laid back, low key type who is honest, straightforward and to the point---he does not suffer fools.

His sidekick Gooch is easily one of the most colorful cronies in print. Gooch's penchant for violence and inclination to work outside the law gets results.

The crooks have committed a double murder in their search for treasure buried along the Texas coast by privateer Jean Laffite.

One of the vics is the uncle of Whit's gal pal---turns out she is sole heir to his valuable waterfront property.

The arrogance of the villains leads to their eventual undoing. They make lousy partners, as they do not trust one another and are busy double-crossing each other as they engage in hijacking, kidnapping and ransom.

It is an exciting, suspenseful crime thriller---where it is impossible to tell the good guys from the bad guys and the bad guys from the really bad guys. Lots of wonderful misdirection.

The finale is a total shocker.

The research into Laffite and his escapades is extensive and an eye opener.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lengthy and clunky, March 2, 2004

By 

Larry Gandle (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Jack Point (Paperback)

Whit Mosley is a judge- locally elected with no legal background, as well as, coroner in a small Texas coastal community. Whit's girlfriend, Lucy, is distraught over the deaths of her uncle and his girlfriend. They were murdered and their bodies were found on the uncle's property at Black Jack Point. Buried with the bodies were old bones and rusted hinges dating back almost two hundred years. Whit thinks the murders may have had something to do with the buried treasure of Jean Laffite, the Pirate King.
Meanwhile, Claudia Salazar, a police detective, is kidnapped at sea with her boyfriend, Ben. When a ransom is demanded from Ben's brother, the brother refuses to pay and places Claudia directly into harm's way. The question is why? Eventually, Whit and Claudia cross paths as they pursue the same criminals.
Jeff Abbott has written five previous well received novels. A problem with this one is the lack of realism in the characters, of which few are likable. For example, the kidnappers of Ben and Claudia discuss their plans directly in front of the victims allowing them to plan their escape. The plot is clunky in that near the conclusion numerous expositions are required and, of course, the overused stock device of the villain holding the hero captive with a gun while divulging all. The plot is too lengthy as interest wanes near the end. A tighter effort in the future may make the next work by the talented Jeff Abbott truly excellent as this one most definitely is not.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Total Misfire, October 8, 2006

By 

JoeV "Reader" (Arlington Hts, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Black Jack Point (Paperback)

Plowing through this book and hoping, (against hope as it turned out), that at some point it would gain traction and my interest, I reached the ending and realized I'd simply wasted most of an afternoon ..... even if it was a rainy one. A multitude of haphazardly developed characters centered around a double murder, a kidnapping and a treasure hunt can't disguise the lack of a coherent or entertaining plot in this book. The "bad" guys are straight from the comics and the "good" guys are even tough to take. Edgar nominee aside, I missed the magic in this one.