When I received Rum Punch from @netgalley and @marinerbooks (Thank you!!), I quickly read The Switch first in preparation. I’m glad I read it because it was also engaging and full of twists. However, I think you can certainly jump right into Rum Punch without reading the prequel. You may know that the movie Jackie Brown was based on this book. Elmore Leonard writes smart, fast paced, and twisting stories. Both books in this series have brilliant women who begin to open their eyes, embrace their inherent power, and plot to take control of their lives. These books are unique and well worth the read.

I received the audiobook through NetGalley and really enjoyed it. The narrator, Cary Hite, did an excellent job bringing the story to life.

The plot kicks off with Ordell facing a problem: one of his associates, Beaumont Livingston, gets arrested. Fearing Beaumont might talk, Ordell bails him out with the help of bail bondsman Max Cherry—then has him killed. Ordell, who is smuggling gun money from South America via airline stewardess Jackie Brown, runs into trouble again when Jackie is caught. Once more, he turns to Max to bail her out, worried she might betray him too.

These events unfold quickly and set the stage for a fast-paced, twist-filled story. The characters, all criminals with clashing motives, are fascinating to watch. The movie adaptation for this book is “Jackie Brown”.

This crime thriller is all about the tangled lives of a gun runner, a flight attendant, and a bail bondsman. Things get messy when the flight attendant gets caught, and she's forced to help the cops bring down the gun runner. Throw in romance between the flight attendant and the bondsman, and you've got a recipe for trouble! It's a fast-paced listen with plenty of twists and turns, and the ending leaves you wondering what happens next for the main characters.
Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased honest review.

I don't know how I forgot that this book is the basis for the brilliant movie Jackie Brown. Elmore Leonard had the most powerful and humorous and interesting use of language, and every story he tells is a thousand times more interesting because of it. This is such a wonderful story -- the characters are so complicated, and always surprise me. Jackie is a flight attendant who ends up over her head, mixed up with some seriously bad guys, and the resolution is so clever and satisfying.
I was so excited reading this that I was trying to talk about it with the guy at the local independent bookstore and he didn't know about Jzackie Brown, so I am probably donating a few books to my favorite bookseller.
Thanks to NetGalley, I got to listen to the audiobook, and the voices were perfection.

Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch is the basis for Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown. It does not get more classic than Elmore Leonard when it comes to crime fiction and Rum Punch is no exception. Vivid characters and an exciting plot.

For years I wished that there was a Rum Punch audio version as I thought it would make the perfect soundtrack to a road trip. Cary Hite does a fantastic job with the narration on this classic story and I am so glad I got the chance to read it that way.

i was so excited for this audiobook that i didn’t notice it was the second book in a series. it didn’t matter too much and reads well as a standalone too. the narrator was amazing and conveyed so much emotion and emphasis throughout the novel. however, the content itself just wasn’t for me. i’ve heard of the author and was really intrigued to dip my toe into the crime drama genre but this one was not my cup of tea. the characters were difficult to connect with and the plot was really all over the place. i may have enjoyed it better if i was a bit more familiar with the genre, so those who enjoy the crime genre already will probably have a much better opinion of this book.

thanks netgalley for an arc of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

3.25✨ I usually enjoy crime dramas and was initially excited to read this one, but it ultimately fell a bit flat for me. I struggled to connect with any of the characters, and the constant double-crossing started to feel excessive. Additionally, I found it troubling that a white author portrayed what felt like a caricature of a Black man, perhaps that was why the characters didn’t feel authentic. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook!

I didn't realize this was book two in a series but it didn't really matter because it worked just as well as a stand alone. This might be my first Elmore Leonard as well. Definitely will not be my last. Engaging story with interesting characters and a well laid out plot. The narrator also did an excellent job with the cadence and tone.

Decided to give it a go since this is one of my best friends' favorite authors. What I notice is that there are so many details in this book that didn't make it to the movie. Leonard writes dialogue the way I wish I could. It's masterful. While the subject matter isn't my normal choice, I was swept right into this story and enjoyed the quick pace and humor along the way.

🎧 Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this e-audio.