SOURCE: "Elmore Leonard for Beginners," in New York Times, Vol. 97, August 16, 1992, p. 13.

In the following review, Arensberg provides a highly commendatory assessment of Rum Punch.

I didn't know it was possible to be as good as Elmore Leonard. As a devout—or, more truthfully, addicted—reader of British whodunits, I had sampled hard-boiled crime novels when my source of supply had temporarily dried up and I needed something to steady my nerves, see me through a plane ride or a sleepless night. Since I've only now dipped into Elmore Leonard, I must admit, as a mystery buff, to having been half literate.

When I stepped over the border from Christie-Sayers country into Leonard territory, as it is depicted in Rum Punch, I was disoriented at first. The subtropical scenery, mostly exteriors, was colorful. The lighting was bright, so different from the muted backgrounds, mostly interiors, of English writers...