Jook

by Gary Phillips

Book Overview

Zelmont Raines has slid a long way since his ability to jook, to outmaneuver his opponents on the field, made him a Super Bowl-winning wide receiver, earning him lucrative endorsement deals and more than his share of female attention. But Zee hasn't always been good at saying no, so a series of missteps involving drugs, a paternity suit or two, legal entanglements, shaky investments, and recurring injuries have virtually sidelined his career.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1604860405
• ISBN13: 9781604860405
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: PM Press
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Crime fiction at its best

Zelmont Raines blew an All-Pro career in the NFL with drugs and sex. Now he's trying to crawl his way back to the top, one way or the other. When he hooks up with a crooked lawyer and a bi-sexual club owner, they put together a scheme to rip off the mob and make one last big score. With incredible characters, crackling dialogue and a plot so hard-boiled it'll curl your hair, this is crime fiction at its best.

Non stop! I loved the Jook

Realisitic characters that you love to hate and hate to love, Gary Phillips brings them to life with a descriptive style that few could match. The non stop twists and turns in this book kept me turning pages and the descriptions were so vivid I could almost smell the garbage truck! Best of all, I wasn't cheated at the end, Mr. Phillips kept it real.

The spirits of Goines, Himes, and Thompson live on

I haven't read any of Phillips' previous books but this one is compulsively readable. The protagonist is not particularly likeable (he's a sexist, for one) but he has his redeeming qualities (loyalty to his friends), and many of the people he runs into are worse than he is. He's a complex character, a has-been who had it all and threw it away and is trying for a comeback, or if not that, just to survive. If you want an enjoyable read that has sex, violence, drugs, sports, and the inevitable LAPD, pick up this book.

Phillips creates an unforgetable antihero

Phillips' first crime novel easily outdoes his previous books. I'm an admitted fan of his Ivan Monk mysteries (especially Violent Spring), but the author's real calling was creating this volatile character, Zelmont Raines, a has-been football star trying to get his game back. Full of action, suspense, and intriguing conflict, The Jook is easily the best book I've read all year (sorry Oprah). If Hollywood had any sense, The Jook would be next year's Christmas blockbuster.

A real page turner. One of the best crime novels ever.

Gary Phillips is one of the most talented novelist of our time. Anyone who loves crime novels, or just a really good read, should check out "The Jook." You will be hooked and just have to wait for Phillips` next book. Let's hope it is not too long of a wait.