Rum Punch (Mass Market Paperback)

by Elmore Leonard (Author) "Sunday morning, Ordell took Louis to watch the white-power demonstration in downtown Palm Beach..." (more)
Key Phrases: fine big girl, laser scope, athletic bag, Max Cherry, Jackie Burke, Louis Gara (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Readers who come to Rum Punch after having seen Quentin Tarantino's 1997 film adaptation, Jackie Brown, are in for a few surprises. Mainly, Jackie Burke is a 44-year-old white woman (but just as hard-boiled as Pam Grier), bail bondsman Max Cherry has a much more prominent role in the proceedings, and the novel takes place in Miami--not Los Angeles. The core of the story, however, remains the same: when the cops try to use Jackie to get at Ordell Robbie, the gunrunner she's been bringing cash into the country for, she hatches a plan--with help from Max--to keep the money for herself. It all comes together in the traditional Elmore Leonard style, where the conversations are as crisply written and suspenseful as the action scenes. --Ron Hogan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Like a pulled punch, the author's latest evocation of lives on the periphery has a somewhat restrained quality, although the characters here, especially the women, are vintage Leonard ( Get Shorty ), and the dialogue is as authentic as conversations overheard in a mall restaurant. A combination of coincidence and choice connects the fates of Jackie Burke, a 44-year-old, thrice-married stewardess, bail bondsman Max Cherry, overweight and in his 50s, and brash young gun dealer Ordell Robbie, in Miami. When Jackie is caught bringing cash into the U.S. from the Bahamas for Ordell, she agrees to cooperate with federal and state agents to catch him in a sting operation. Max, who has posted Jackie's bond and is drawn to her, becomes her sounding board as she contemplates a sting of her own. The appealing and utterly amoral Ordell involves an unreliable ex-con pal, a crew of jackboys and his three women--sweet young Sheronda; amply endowed, untrustworthy Melanie; older "aunty" Simone, whose appetites are unabated--in his last-ditch effort to make a killing. Chances offered, taken and passed up are the leitmotif in this bittersweet slice of south Florida life. BOMC featured alternate; QPB selection; author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (June 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060082194
• ISBN-13: 978-0060082192
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,331 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From the Leonard Reviews: One of his better 90's works, March 27, 2001

By	Samuel Louis "raisindot" (Natick, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rum Punch (Paperback)

"Rum Punch" is a sequel to Leonard's mid-70's classic, "The Switch," and while not nearly as tight as that taut psychological novel, it's refreshing to see Ordell Robbie, Melanie and Luis Gaza back in action. Robbie is one of Leonard's most appealing black villain-kings (this is not an ethnic slur; from "The Switch" to "Freaky Deaky" you'll see a long string of Leonard African-American heavies who are generally smarter, calmer, wealthier and more resourceful than the white cons with whom they partner), so smooth than he can run a crew while hobnobbing with redneck Nazis. Jackie Burke is the latest a logn line of appealingly pragmatic Leonard female characters. Max Cherry, a burned-out bail bondsman whose interacts beneficially and detrimentally with all the main characters, appeals with his sense of hard-boiled integrity. The only character disappointment in the story is Luis Gaza, so noble and honorable (for a kidnapper) in "The Switch," who comes off as a burnt-out loser, a shell of his former self. Maybe that's the point, but it's an ignoble fate.

As for the story, it's pretty standard Leonard fare about crosses, double crosses, money laundering, extortion, redemption and whatnot. It's pretty typical of Leonard's mid-90's work, padded with forced dialogue, a movie-like narrative arc, and the hanging-in-the-air resolution. Not one of his best, but still enjoyable.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable, May 28, 2004

By	Matthew D. Johnston (Burford, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Elmore Leonard's "Rum Punch" (which was the basis of Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown") is a page-turner in the truest sense of the word - it's hard to put down. Leonard's has crafted a novel with his usual ear for fantastic and witty dialogue and fast, descriptive and fluent prose. Add a well-crafted and surprising plot and we have one of Leonard's finest works.

The story revolves around Jackie Burke (changed to Jackie Brown in the film), an airline stewardess who smuggles money between locations for Ordell Robbie, an arms-dealing hot-talking crook who uses everyone he comes in contact with for his own gain. The plot takes off when Jackie is caught by the police with the money for a delivery (along with some drugs she didn't know were in there) and Ordell is forced to bail her out through a bail bondsman, Max Cherry. Jackie sets up a sting operation which has the appearance of involving everyone -- the police, Ordell, even Ordell's discontented callgirl. In the end... well, you'll have to read it for that.

What makes "Rum Punch" a pleasure to read, like all of Leonard's novels, are the fringe characters which seemingly only he could dream up. The relationship between Louis, Ordell's dim-witted and short-tempered right hand man, and Melanie, Ordell's primary callgirl, is amusing, as are scenes like Ray Nicholette's bravado-style shootout with one of Ordell's arms-shipping lackeys. Leonard also intersperses interesting bits of character introspection, things like Max Cherry's contemplation about his relationship with his wife (with whom he's separated) and Jackie's three ex-husbands (although she only usually says there's two, because two of them were so similar, even in name, that they're hard to tell apart).

The plot itself goes off without a hitch. There's nothing profound, and probably nothing new, but the execution is suspenseful and works because of the strong characters involved.

Heartily recommended.

Matthew D. Johnston

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Godfather of crime fiction does it again., October 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: JACKIE BROWN (cancel-do as Rum Punch) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you've never read an Elmore Leonard book, you better get your ass up and get reading! For a man in his seventies it would be suffice to say that he isn't an out of touch old man, but quite the opposite. He's so observeant of peoples traits that his casts personas never miss a beat. The plot in this novel comes secondary to the sharp dialogue and the querky characters- as in all Elmores stories. He captures beautifully, the walk and talk of every character. A slow ex-con, a disenchanted bail bondsman, a cowboy ATF agent, a street smart gun dealer, a hopped up beach babe and last but not least-Jackie Burke; an air stewardess with brains, balls and panache to help get her through her problems with the ATF and the hip-cat killer Ordell Robie. So trust me on this, Elmore's one of the master writers out there today that deserves every word of praise he can get. And oh yeah if you're thinking of getting 'Jackie Brown' I'd advise you to get 'The Switch' first as it is the first story about Melanie, Ordell and Louis Gara.