Elmore Leonard's novel "Rum Punch" (1992) tells a tangled tale of crime, violence and double-crossing written in a punchy style with sharp dialogue. The plot is confusing to follow at first, but it works out. Most of the story is set in West Palm Beach, Florida; but the setting is not the primary focus of the book. The main interest of the work lies in the snappy writing and in the characters and their relationships. Add a bit of zing: Using spices is optional. It’s not traditionally used when making rum punch, but try it and see if you like it. Now, the Feds know that Ordell’s a gun runner but just can’t catch him doing anything illegal. So they also set up a sting with the help of some of their nefarious friends.

RUM PUNCH | Kirkus Reviews

Dialogue. As well as the plot, it's all about the dialogue here because there is just so much of it. It is screaming MOVIE! right in your face; it is screaming TARANTINO! And in the end they came together like syrup on a pancake. Larousse follows the same sort of ratios, which give an easy-drinking, but still defiantly poky punch.

Rum Punch

Rule: Avoid using exclamation points (in other words, Leonard is telling us to let the action itself communicate power and excitement). I recall someone saying how Elmore Leonard isn't old school `cause he built the school. Very true. My favorite Elmore Leonard novels are Tishomingo Blues and Pagan Babies; Rum Punch is my very favorite, thus this review. Also, in addition to reviewing the book, let me plug the audiobook read by Joe Mantegna. The voice of Joe Mantegna is pitch-perfect, his rhythm and inflections capturing each of the characters, male and female, as well as the mood and charged atmosphere of the entire story. I suoi protagonisti più che ricordare Chandler, malinconico e romantico, o lo schizofrenico Thompson, sono sull’impronta dei cowboys che popolano le pagine dei suoi (meravigliosi) racconti e dei suoi (presumo, perché non li ho ancora letti) romanzi western.

Rum Punch - Elmore Leonard - Google Books

Si muovono ai margini della legge, da una parte o dall’altra di quel confine, e spesso sono tentati di attraversarlo. E, spesso lo fanno, lo attraversano: siano essi ufficiali giudiziari, garanti di cauzione come il Max Cherry di questo romanzo, rapinatori di serie B, strozzini. Syrup: I am using Grace strawberry, but you could also use cherry syrup. Use any syrup as long as it is a red fruit syrup.Ordell Robbie and Louis Gara first appeared in Leonard's 1978 novel, The Switch. Fourteen years later, Ordell has become a thief and minor-league gun runner while Louis is fresh out of prison. Also returning is Ordell's sometime girlfriend, Melanie. Ordell has a big score in mind that involves ripping off the leader of a group of white supremacists, and he recruits his old pal Louis to give him a hand, dangling Melanie before him as bait. Rum Punch is classic Elmore Leonard. The characters are a beehive of activity, each of them trying to manipulate life to their advantage and bringing themselves to points of decision. And the decisions they make are filled with a wonderfully realistic mix of amazement, surprise, and understanding. Yes, rum punch can get you drunk. But it depends on the amount you drink, your body mass and whether you’re male or female. It is good to leave the rum punch to sit for a while before serving. So you can make the rum punch an hour or two before the party starts. But remember not to add ice! Can Rum Punch Get You Drunk? The novel's opening line: "Sunday morning, Ordell took Louis to watch the white-power demonstration in downtown Palm Beach." ----- A gripping scene right from the start; not a prologue or mention of the weather in sight.