SOURCE: "Books of the Times; How to Make a Fast Buck without Really Dying," in New York Times, July 23, 1992.

In the following excerpt, Lehmann-Haupt offers a favorable review of Rum Punch.

Once again, as in Elmore Leonard's previous novel Maximum Bob, the pivotal character in Rum Punch, Mr. Leonard's 30th work of fiction, is a woman. This suggests that the author of such crime thrillers as Stick, LaBrava and Glitz is intent on continuing down his path away from stories starring macho men compelled to seduce every woman who falls in their way.

And this time the experiment works, because unlike Kathy Diaz Baker in Maximum Bob, Jackie Burke in Rum Punch is surrounded by a strong supporting cast involved in an intricately compelling plot.

Jackie is an aging, attractive flight attendant who has been reduced to working for a Caribbean airline and doesn't relish a future of...