I was pretty confused as I began reading this novel a few days ago. Why did these characters seem so familiar, why did I think I knew what was going to happen, and how come one of the characters just screamed Sam Jackson� obviously, this book has been made into a movie. Rum Punch is probably known best to the film world as Tarentino�s muted classic Jackie Brown. Actually I had known that a few of Elmore Leonard�s works had been made into films, but the only one I could think of was Get Shorty, regardless I was pleasantly surprised to find a really good read ahead of me. Rum Punch is a mystery, a thriller, a fun crime novel, and a great escape from the seriousness of life.
The story follows Jackie Burke, a flight attendant who is involved with a nasty gun runner named Ordell. She has just gotten busted at the airport with $10 000 in dirty money and a bunch of cocaine. She now has to make a deal with the ATF, and police to take down Ordell, or spend a few years in jail. Once she gets romantically involved with max Cherry a bail bondsman who works at times for the mob, things get even more complicated; and Jackie begins to hatch a plan that to double and triple cross virtually everyone and make off with a cool half million. But can she pull it off?
In fact, the plot get more complex than that by far, and by the end I was a little lost at times. There were so many ulterior motives and so much subterfuge it was hard to follow it all the time. But that didn�t detract at all from my enjoyment of this book. Leonard is a very smart writer, and I liked how well drawn his characters were. Perhaps they weren�t entirely realistic all the time, but they sure were entertaining. I suppose the best way to classify this book would be as a crime drama, but it was really fun and exciting too. It didn�t fall into the morbid trappings of too much tension, or seriousness. For the most part this book didn�t have time for that, because once it gets going it practically doesn�t stop to take a breath. Rum Punch was definitely a worthwhile, very readable novel that will make you want to read more.
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