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Maximum Bob
A character so outrageous he could only have come from the ingenious imagination of Elmore Leonard, lewd, lecherous, law-bending Florida jurist Judge Robert “Maximum Bob” Gibbs has been judged guilty by a grudge-bearing malefactor and sentenced to death—by alligator, if necessary.
Maximum Bob is a delightfully dark classic thriller, and any reader who loved getting gleefully lost in criminal mayhem of Get Shorty, Rum Punch, Out of Sight, The Hot Kid, or any number of the inimitable Leonard’s numerous crime fiction masterworks will get maximum enjoyment out of this one.
Maximum Bob is a delightfully dark classic thriller, and any reader who loved getting gleefully lost in criminal mayhem of Get Shorty, Rum Punch, Out of Sight, The Hot Kid, or any number of the inimitable Leonard’s numerous crime fiction masterworks will get maximum enjoyment out of this one.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1991
About the author
Elmore Leonard
220 books3,476 followersElmore John Leonard lived in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Memphis before settling in Detroit in 1935. After serving in the navy, he studied English literature at the University of Detroit where he entered a short story competition. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.
Father of Peter Leonard.
Father of Peter Leonard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 370 reviews
March 14, 2013
When someone wants hardliner judge Bob Isom Gibbs, aka Maximum Bob, dead, how does he narrow down which of his enemies it is? Can probation officer Kathy Baker and cop Gary Hammond stop the would-be killer? And do they even want to? And what does Bob's flaky wife have to do with it?
After reading The Cut by George Pelecanos, with its obvious Elmore Leonard influence and multiple references to old Dutch, I decided to dust this one off and give it a shot. I was not disappointed.
Maximum Bob is a womanizing drunk who makes enemies at every turn. Who wouldn't want to kill him? I felt bad for Kathy Baker getting within pawing distance. The bad guys of the piece, the Crowe family and Dr. Tommy, are Leonard's typical cast of villains who aren't as smart as they think they are. Par for the course, Leonard's plot was suitably serpentine and came to a satisfying conclusion. There were some surprising moments along the way, always a plus, and the dialogue was vintage Leonard. The Florida setting was almost a character unto itself.
However, it's not all catfish and cornbread. I thought the whole thing with the judge's possibly psychic wife was unnecessary. Also, Hammond wasn't developed enough for me to care about what happened to him. Unlike Maximum Bob, who I wouldn't have minded seeing struck by a car.
Now that I've watched several seasons of Justified, its apparent that some of the source material comes from this book. The Crowe family is in it and a womanizing judge not unlike Maximum Bob was played by Stephen Root in one episode.
That's about all I have to say without giving away too much. It was a fun read but it's not among my favorite Elmore Leonard books.
After reading The Cut by George Pelecanos, with its obvious Elmore Leonard influence and multiple references to old Dutch, I decided to dust this one off and give it a shot. I was not disappointed.
Maximum Bob is a womanizing drunk who makes enemies at every turn. Who wouldn't want to kill him? I felt bad for Kathy Baker getting within pawing distance. The bad guys of the piece, the Crowe family and Dr. Tommy, are Leonard's typical cast of villains who aren't as smart as they think they are. Par for the course, Leonard's plot was suitably serpentine and came to a satisfying conclusion. There were some surprising moments along the way, always a plus, and the dialogue was vintage Leonard. The Florida setting was almost a character unto itself.
However, it's not all catfish and cornbread. I thought the whole thing with the judge's possibly psychic wife was unnecessary. Also, Hammond wasn't developed enough for me to care about what happened to him. Unlike Maximum Bob, who I wouldn't have minded seeing struck by a car.
Now that I've watched several seasons of Justified, its apparent that some of the source material comes from this book. The Crowe family is in it and a womanizing judge not unlike Maximum Bob was played by Stephen Root in one episode.
That's about all I have to say without giving away too much. It was a fun read but it's not among my favorite Elmore Leonard books.
May 29, 2023
Published in 1991, this book is considerably incorrect, politically correct-wise. It's also a lot of fun and more of a comic romp than some of Leonard's earlier and more serious crime novels. At the center of the story is a Palm Beach County, Florida probation officer named Kathy Baker who draws the unwanted amorous attentions of Judge "Big" Bob Gibbs, who is actually not all that big. Gibbs is also known as "Maximum Bob" because he tends to hand out the most extreme punishments allowable for the miscreants who unhappily find themselves in his courtroom.
Gibbs is married to a young woman named Leanne who he first discovered working in the mermaid tank of a local attraction. Several years down the road, he has tired of Leanne who is heavily into new age crystals and who occasionally speaks in the voice of a young slave girl who was killed by an alligator over a hundred and thirty years ago. Gibbs gets the brilliant idea of attempting to chase his wife away by having a alligator surreptitiously dropped off at his house, and he would like to replace Leanne with the very attractive probation officer.
Well, you get the drift...
One thing inevitably leads to another; nothing goes according to plan, and before long a lot of people will be in very hot water. There are a number of great Elmore Leonard characters in this book and, in particular, we meet here the Crowe family, including Dale Crowe, Jr., who will ultimately play a significant role in the "Justified" television series. It's impossible to take the plot or these characters very seriously, but if you're in the mood to just kick back and enjoy the ride, Maximum Bob is a fun way to spend an evening or two.
Gibbs is married to a young woman named Leanne who he first discovered working in the mermaid tank of a local attraction. Several years down the road, he has tired of Leanne who is heavily into new age crystals and who occasionally speaks in the voice of a young slave girl who was killed by an alligator over a hundred and thirty years ago. Gibbs gets the brilliant idea of attempting to chase his wife away by having a alligator surreptitiously dropped off at his house, and he would like to replace Leanne with the very attractive probation officer.
Well, you get the drift...
One thing inevitably leads to another; nothing goes according to plan, and before long a lot of people will be in very hot water. There are a number of great Elmore Leonard characters in this book and, in particular, we meet here the Crowe family, including Dale Crowe, Jr., who will ultimately play a significant role in the "Justified" television series. It's impossible to take the plot or these characters very seriously, but if you're in the mood to just kick back and enjoy the ride, Maximum Bob is a fun way to spend an evening or two.
September 13, 2017
Treasure of the Rubbermaids 15: See Ya Later, Alligator!
The on-going discoveries of priceless books and comics found in a stack of Rubbermaid containers previously stored and forgotten at my parent’s house and untouched for almost 20 years. Thanks to my father dumping them back on me, I now spend my spare time unearthing lost treasures from their plastic depths.
This is not the Elmore Leonard book I wanted to be reading. I thought I would be able to achieve a Raylan Givens nirvana because not only was the third season of Justified going to premiere along with the release of the second season DVD set a new novel featuring my favorite cowboy hat wearing marshal was being released the same week.
Unfortunately, I learned that Leonard had given the writers of the show a sneak peek at his story for Raylan and allowed them to ‘strip it for parts’ so that it not only inspired last season, it’s going to have some of the same characters from this season too. In the interest of staying spoiler free for the show I’m leaving that one on the shelf for now, but that’s a powerful itch to resist so I dug this one out of the Rubbermaids to allow me to scratch a bit.
Big Bob Gibbs is a racist Florida judge known for his tendency to hand out the maximum sentence even if the defendant didn’t necessarily deserve it. Bob’s wife Leanne is trying his patience with her new age belief in auras and crystals, and her insistence that she’s channeling a twelve year old black child who has been dead for over a hundred years.
Probation officer Karen Baker has caught the judge’s eye, and she has to deflect his unwanted advances while juggling her caseload of assorted ne’er-do-wells including Elvin Crowe*, a just released murderer who doesn’t think he should have served so much time because he didn’t kill the guy he meant to. When an alligator shows up in an unexpected place and starts a ruckus police detective Gary Hammond gets involved and wonders if someone with an agenda didn’t put the gator there.
* The family should be familiar to Justified fans with Raylan having many run-ins with Dewey Crowe.
Like most Leonard plots this one spins off in unexpected directions and expands to include a wild cast of characters including a crack whore, a gator poacher, and a junkie doctor under house arrest. It’s got the Leonard hallmarks of crackling dialogue and narration that shifts to feature different characters and how they see the other people around them.
This isn’t quite on the same level with my favorite Leonard novels like Out of Sight or Rum Punch (a/k/a Jackie Brown), but it definitely ranks in the upper echelon of his work.
It’s also an interesting trivia note for Leonard's fans that this book was also the basis for a short lived TV series. It’s pretty obvious that the reoccurring character of a pistol-packin’ drunken judge played by Stephen Root on Justified was inspired by this one, too.
The on-going discoveries of priceless books and comics found in a stack of Rubbermaid containers previously stored and forgotten at my parent’s house and untouched for almost 20 years. Thanks to my father dumping them back on me, I now spend my spare time unearthing lost treasures from their plastic depths.
This is not the Elmore Leonard book I wanted to be reading. I thought I would be able to achieve a Raylan Givens nirvana because not only was the third season of Justified going to premiere along with the release of the second season DVD set a new novel featuring my favorite cowboy hat wearing marshal was being released the same week.
Unfortunately, I learned that Leonard had given the writers of the show a sneak peek at his story for Raylan and allowed them to ‘strip it for parts’ so that it not only inspired last season, it’s going to have some of the same characters from this season too. In the interest of staying spoiler free for the show I’m leaving that one on the shelf for now, but that’s a powerful itch to resist so I dug this one out of the Rubbermaids to allow me to scratch a bit.
Big Bob Gibbs is a racist Florida judge known for his tendency to hand out the maximum sentence even if the defendant didn’t necessarily deserve it. Bob’s wife Leanne is trying his patience with her new age belief in auras and crystals, and her insistence that she’s channeling a twelve year old black child who has been dead for over a hundred years.
Probation officer Karen Baker has caught the judge’s eye, and she has to deflect his unwanted advances while juggling her caseload of assorted ne’er-do-wells including Elvin Crowe*, a just released murderer who doesn’t think he should have served so much time because he didn’t kill the guy he meant to. When an alligator shows up in an unexpected place and starts a ruckus police detective Gary Hammond gets involved and wonders if someone with an agenda didn’t put the gator there.
* The family should be familiar to Justified fans with Raylan having many run-ins with Dewey Crowe.
Like most Leonard plots this one spins off in unexpected directions and expands to include a wild cast of characters including a crack whore, a gator poacher, and a junkie doctor under house arrest. It’s got the Leonard hallmarks of crackling dialogue and narration that shifts to feature different characters and how they see the other people around them.
This isn’t quite on the same level with my favorite Leonard novels like Out of Sight or Rum Punch (a/k/a Jackie Brown), but it definitely ranks in the upper echelon of his work.
It’s also an interesting trivia note for Leonard's fans that this book was also the basis for a short lived TV series. It’s pretty obvious that the reoccurring character of a pistol-packin’ drunken judge played by Stephen Root on Justified was inspired by this one, too.
May 28, 2018
I was taking a break from Richard Stark’s Parker novels so I sort of randomly picked this Leonard book to listen to in the car. Raucous, kind of raunchy, it’s a little jarring after the dark, sharply written, and basically humorless noir of Parker. The main character here is Judge Robert “Maximum Bob” Gibbs, a guy we are constantly reminded looks like the actor Harry Dean Stanton (which felt to me like some kind of casting for the hoped-for movie). A secondary character is Cuban-American probation officer Kathy Baker, who is well-written as a kind of foil for all the crazies in this book, including Bob, of course, who almost seems rational against his wife Leanne who (in this 1991 book) believes in auras, carries crystals, and says she is channeling a twelve year old black girl from the nineteenth century; alligator poacher Elvin Crowe and his brother Dewey (who resents the hard sentence Bob had given him), a “gogo whore” and a junkie doctor on house arrest who has a contract out on the judge.
Bob mainly wants to get rid of his crazy wife so he can “date” Kathy Baker, so arranges to have Elvin deliver a live alligator to his backyard to scare his wife off, but in the process he has several of the above enemies to contend with. It’s that kind of book, yep: Madcap, outrageous, and essentially played for laughs. I had low expectations with that title, but came to admire the craftsmanship of this farce, finaly. Bob is a fully-rounded character, as is Kathy Baker. It's little bit nasty, but is essentially light-hearted fun.
Bob mainly wants to get rid of his crazy wife so he can “date” Kathy Baker, so arranges to have Elvin deliver a live alligator to his backyard to scare his wife off, but in the process he has several of the above enemies to contend with. It’s that kind of book, yep: Madcap, outrageous, and essentially played for laughs. I had low expectations with that title, but came to admire the craftsmanship of this farce, finaly. Bob is a fully-rounded character, as is Kathy Baker. It's little bit nasty, but is essentially light-hearted fun.
September 18, 2015
3 stars
Maximum Bob is the nickname given to Judge Bob Gibbs (although he is called “Big” throughout the book), who is well-known for handing out maximum sentences for even the most minor crimes. Dale Crowe Junior had the misfortune to draw Maximum Bob, and gets five years. He also appears to threaten the judge at the end of his sentencing. His probation officer, Kathy Baker, has her hands full, trying to fending off the amorous advances of Big, keeping Dale in line, and dealing with Dale’s uncle Elvin, a convict on probation himself. Things get complicated when an attempt is made on the Judge’s life. The list of suspects is long, and Kathy has many of them among her parolees.
Overall, the story is fun, a little silly at times, even slightly sinister, yet it never quite comes together in a cohesive unit. Part of it might be an out-of-place supernatural element that is underdeveloped, and probably not even needed. Another problem might be that Big never really comes into focus; there’s something that’s just slightly off with his character. When you weave together a twisting, turning plot, everything has to be just right or it collapses. This book never completely fell apart, but it was definitely unraveling around the edges.
It’s a good read. Just don’t set your expectations get too high going in.
Maximum Bob is the nickname given to Judge Bob Gibbs (although he is called “Big” throughout the book), who is well-known for handing out maximum sentences for even the most minor crimes. Dale Crowe Junior had the misfortune to draw Maximum Bob, and gets five years. He also appears to threaten the judge at the end of his sentencing. His probation officer, Kathy Baker, has her hands full, trying to fending off the amorous advances of Big, keeping Dale in line, and dealing with Dale’s uncle Elvin, a convict on probation himself. Things get complicated when an attempt is made on the Judge’s life. The list of suspects is long, and Kathy has many of them among her parolees.
Overall, the story is fun, a little silly at times, even slightly sinister, yet it never quite comes together in a cohesive unit. Part of it might be an out-of-place supernatural element that is underdeveloped, and probably not even needed. Another problem might be that Big never really comes into focus; there’s something that’s just slightly off with his character. When you weave together a twisting, turning plot, everything has to be just right or it collapses. This book never completely fell apart, but it was definitely unraveling around the edges.
It’s a good read. Just don’t set your expectations get too high going in.
October 14, 2022
I’ve got a stack of these I’ve been using as palate cleansers between other books, and good thing Elmore is so prolific because I wouldn’t want to run out soon.
Kathy Baker is like Karen Sisco’s little sister, and Dewey Crowe and maybe Dale Jr. are by far the bright shining lights of the Crowe family, holy shit.
Kathy Baker is like Karen Sisco’s little sister, and Dewey Crowe and maybe Dale Jr. are by far the bright shining lights of the Crowe family, holy shit.
October 23, 2014
Definitely gritty, full of quirky characters, & some real world issues that the system faces. Excellent heroine, too. As usual, I could really feel the area; Florida heat, gators, & dirty streets. Not Leonard's best work, but a fun read.
September 19, 2011
Judge Bob Gibbs gives out the maximum penalty in all of his cases earning him the nickname "Maximum Bob". Unfortunately, his zeal for hard time in all instances earns him a number of enemies. When a plan to rid his wife by having a trapper plant an alligator in his backyard goes wrong, Bob finds there's an ex-con out to shoot him, a drugged out former doctor now under house arrest putting out contracts on him, and the alligator trapper is blackmailing him. And all he wanted was a date with the Corrections Officer Kathy Baker.
The plot of the book starts off well before becoming very slow moving throughout. Despite putting the book away for a week, I found myself coming back to it as Leonard's characters are fleshed out so memorably with superb dialogue. It's the characters that keep you reading even when they're not doing much more than driving around talking about drinks.
This novel isn't representative of Elmore Leonard's talents and I'd suggest readers go for the much faster paced books "Swag", "Tishomingo Blues" and "Mr Paradise". "Maximum Bob" is ok but doesn't have enough going on in it to make me think of it as a classic Leonard novel.
The plot of the book starts off well before becoming very slow moving throughout. Despite putting the book away for a week, I found myself coming back to it as Leonard's characters are fleshed out so memorably with superb dialogue. It's the characters that keep you reading even when they're not doing much more than driving around talking about drinks.
This novel isn't representative of Elmore Leonard's talents and I'd suggest readers go for the much faster paced books "Swag", "Tishomingo Blues" and "Mr Paradise". "Maximum Bob" is ok but doesn't have enough going on in it to make me think of it as a classic Leonard novel.
June 14, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up for this one. Although not the best representative of EL, it’s entertaining nonetheless, with a few caveats. I found it seeming to drag on parts, as if Leonard could have been a bit more parsimonious in the middle section of the book. Additionally, he seems to go over the top just a bit too often, particularly with respect to the central antagonist. I get that “southern redneck” vibe he was going for, but at times it detracted from the character‘s degree of evil, as it almost took on a comic-strip level of writing.
Taken on the whole, I thought that the book’s ending saved it and elevated it a half-star. EL wrote fabulous dialogue and created memorable characters, including several in this book. Definitely should be included for fans of the author. If you’re looking for a place to start with EL, I’d suggest looking at some others that are well known to the GR community.
Taken on the whole, I thought that the book’s ending saved it and elevated it a half-star. EL wrote fabulous dialogue and created memorable characters, including several in this book. Definitely should be included for fans of the author. If you’re looking for a place to start with EL, I’d suggest looking at some others that are well known to the GR community.
September 23, 2014
I read at least one Elmore Leonard novel each year and I���m never disappointed. The pace, style, and characters of most of his books are similar: there are unsavory people doing unsavory things, often double-crossing each other as the quick pace of the plot builds to a crescendo. It’s no wonder why so many of Leonard’s books have become movies and TV shows; I liken his books to action movies (although not as dumb as the typical Hollywood blockbuster).
Maximum Bob sticks to Leonard’s formula, which can be summed up in one of his rules of writing: “Try to leave out the parts that readers tend to skip.” He’s a master when it comes to pacing and dialogue and it’s one of the reasons why his work remains so highly regarded. For this book, Maximum Bob is a racist and sexist judge known for sentencing convicts to the maximum penalty allowable by law. Not surprisingly, he has a few people trying to exact their revenge. The protagonist is Kathy Baker, a female probation officer who has to get past the good ol’ boy judge to do her job and save him in spite of himself. There are also cops, felons, and a schizophrenic wife who figure into the action-packed plot. Maximum Bob is excellent entertainment and makes for a satisfying night or two of reading.
Maximum Bob sticks to Leonard’s formula, which can be summed up in one of his rules of writing: “Try to leave out the parts that readers tend to skip.” He’s a master when it comes to pacing and dialogue and it’s one of the reasons why his work remains so highly regarded. For this book, Maximum Bob is a racist and sexist judge known for sentencing convicts to the maximum penalty allowable by law. Not surprisingly, he has a few people trying to exact their revenge. The protagonist is Kathy Baker, a female probation officer who has to get past the good ol’ boy judge to do her job and save him in spite of himself. There are also cops, felons, and a schizophrenic wife who figure into the action-packed plot. Maximum Bob is excellent entertainment and makes for a satisfying night or two of reading.
June 11, 2013
I regret having not read an Elmore Leonard book in such a long time. The man can write. This is a well crafted book. Interesting characters, compelling plot, the very definition of a page turner. His sense of humor is there without being forced (like Carl Hiasson). His characters are well-rounded, especially the women (unlike Carl Hiasson).
I don’t mean to pick on Carl Hiasson, I have enjoyed the books of his I’ve read, it’s just that Leonard is the granddaddy, okay daddy, of this type of fiction, to which all others are compared. For better or worse.
Mr. Leonard, Elmore, you are the man.
I don’t mean to pick on Carl Hiasson, I have enjoyed the books of his I’ve read, it’s just that Leonard is the granddaddy, okay daddy, of this type of fiction, to which all others are compared. For better or worse.
Mr. Leonard, Elmore, you are the man.
July 12, 2023
12/2011
Leonard is pretty much my favorite living writer, but I wasn't quite in the mood for this one.
Leonard is pretty much my favorite living writer, but I wasn't quite in the mood for this one.
September 8, 2024
Overall this was one of the author's lesser works. Some humor and some interesting characters, but none who really worked as the center of the story that the reader can relate to. Not one that I would recommend to someone looking to read one Leonard's best works.
December 23, 2015
‘Maximum Bob’ is a Florida good ol’ boy. Unfortunately, he also is a judge. However, since he works in Palm Beach County, Florida, progressive or decent police officers cannot do much about his sense of justice or womanizing. For example, unless miscegenation is involved, sexual harassment and rape of women is perfectly understandable and a victimless crime in most of what is understood by the Florida legal establishment and particularly in Judge Bob Gibbs courtroom. Justice is practiced only against criminal types and the lower-classes, unless rich people want to hire them as temporary employees for wet-work or to get rid of wives who have become unpleasant to have around. Bob Gibbs is a great Florida judge as justice is understood in the panhandle state.
Kathy Baker, Florida probation officer, is well aware of how the judges, especially ‘Maximum Bob’, understands law. So when she becomes involved with some unusual people and some apparently linked cases that Bob and various criminals appear to want buried, she decides to investigate on her own. Gibbs, unaware of how her investigation has lead back to him, finds her quite a babe and invites Kathy to his home to see his garden, his usual opener for rape and intimidation.
Someone might be really trying to murder the judge! However, Kathy is a lone voice in the wilderness about what she suspects on the various attempts, even though Gary Hammond, a police officer, is very attractive and they seem to be hitting it off.
Bob is eager to once again pressure women he finds under his power into his bed, real murder attempts or not. Kathy is not exactly under his thumb, so he has to use a little finesse, thus the walkabout in his backyard to look at his plants. It usually is effective with bimbos. Kathy is no bimbo, and she is trying to get to the bottom of these mysteries, so she plays along with Gibbs while holding him off with opportune interruptions of his seduction. She has discovered a rich drugged-out ex-doctor and a criminal family of father and sons are somehow possibly behind genuine murder attempts on the judge. Are they connected to each other? Or are they working separately? The only link she has uncovered is they all have been sentenced by the judge, and they are all still involved in craziness.
Kathy needs to figure this out, even if it means danger and death. What it actually means, gentle reader, is fun and games for us.
Kathy Baker, Florida probation officer, is well aware of how the judges, especially ‘Maximum Bob’, understands law. So when she becomes involved with some unusual people and some apparently linked cases that Bob and various criminals appear to want buried, she decides to investigate on her own. Gibbs, unaware of how her investigation has lead back to him, finds her quite a babe and invites Kathy to his home to see his garden, his usual opener for rape and intimidation.
Someone might be really trying to murder the judge! However, Kathy is a lone voice in the wilderness about what she suspects on the various attempts, even though Gary Hammond, a police officer, is very attractive and they seem to be hitting it off.
Bob is eager to once again pressure women he finds under his power into his bed, real murder attempts or not. Kathy is not exactly under his thumb, so he has to use a little finesse, thus the walkabout in his backyard to look at his plants. It usually is effective with bimbos. Kathy is no bimbo, and she is trying to get to the bottom of these mysteries, so she plays along with Gibbs while holding him off with opportune interruptions of his seduction. She has discovered a rich drugged-out ex-doctor and a criminal family of father and sons are somehow possibly behind genuine murder attempts on the judge. Are they connected to each other? Or are they working separately? The only link she has uncovered is they all have been sentenced by the judge, and they are all still involved in craziness.
Kathy needs to figure this out, even if it means danger and death. What it actually means, gentle reader, is fun and games for us.
November 29, 2013
When does a fascination turn into an addiction? If it is an addiction, I guess it's harmless to me and other living things. So it's back to Elmore. He's always good for a few chuckles, but Maximum Bob kept me laughing pretty much the whole time. Bob is a judge, famous for handing out maximum sentences. Thus the nickname. He's also famous for what today we'd call sexual harassment, but when the book was written in 1991 it wasn't a disbarment offense to invite a court reporter into his chambers and ask her to play carnival. "What's that?" "You sit on my face and I guess your weight."
Bob marries a girl with a job in a watch-the-mermaids tank at a local bar. Shortly after, she has a paranormal experience when an alligator gets into the tank and the fright of it conjures into her consciousness a 15-year-old slave girl from centuries past. From then on, Leanne listens only to the girl and tries to get Bob to go along with the meditations, crystals, and whatever other spiritual stuff she dreams up.
Into Bob's courtroom steps Kathy Baker, a probation officer trying to represent Dale Crowe--The Crowe's being Leonard's favorite redneck halfwit crime family--so he doesn't get sent up for violating his probation. She fails with Dale, but attracts horny Bob's attention, which sets the plot in motion. The rest of the book consist220px-Elmore_Leonards of Kathy pursuing Dale and his ex-con uncle Elvin, Bob pursuing Kathy, and alligators pursuing and gobbling up small dogs. There are a couple of more interesting convict idiots in the mix that keep the frolic complicated. Not that the book is free of pathos. One particular murder--unexpected to me--tugs the heartstrings. However, despite the bloodshed, the book is mostly fun.
I don't think I've conquered my addiction yet, nor have I tried, so look for more Elmore from me in the future.
Bob marries a girl with a job in a watch-the-mermaids tank at a local bar. Shortly after, she has a paranormal experience when an alligator gets into the tank and the fright of it conjures into her consciousness a 15-year-old slave girl from centuries past. From then on, Leanne listens only to the girl and tries to get Bob to go along with the meditations, crystals, and whatever other spiritual stuff she dreams up.
Into Bob's courtroom steps Kathy Baker, a probation officer trying to represent Dale Crowe--The Crowe's being Leonard's favorite redneck halfwit crime family--so he doesn't get sent up for violating his probation. She fails with Dale, but attracts horny Bob's attention, which sets the plot in motion. The rest of the book consist220px-Elmore_Leonards of Kathy pursuing Dale and his ex-con uncle Elvin, Bob pursuing Kathy, and alligators pursuing and gobbling up small dogs. There are a couple of more interesting convict idiots in the mix that keep the frolic complicated. Not that the book is free of pathos. One particular murder--unexpected to me--tugs the heartstrings. However, despite the bloodshed, the book is mostly fun.
I don't think I've conquered my addiction yet, nor have I tried, so look for more Elmore from me in the future.
March 9, 2024
An ornery, power-abusing judge with a rep for inappropriately harsh sentencing. A no-nonsense probationary officer and her warm-hearted cool-headed detective boyfriend. And the lazy, mean Crowe family (one member of which went on to appear in
Justified
on FX).
Trademark Leonard characterizations and dialogue, and that's a good thing. His colorful criminals and their unsavory counterparts in law enforcement are driven more by impulse and personality than by plans and goals.
But. Almost every plot thread in the book goes unresolved. It's like Leonard got tired of writing Maximum Bob so he stopped and sent off what he had. Moved on to the next thing. I tend to like deviations from formula but this was jarring.
Trademark Leonard characterizations and dialogue, and that's a good thing. His colorful criminals and their unsavory counterparts in law enforcement are driven more by impulse and personality than by plans and goals.
But. Almost every plot thread in the book goes unresolved. It's like Leonard got tired of writing Maximum Bob so he stopped and sent off what he had. Moved on to the next thing. I tend to like deviations from formula but this was jarring.
October 8, 2021
I've always thought Carl Hiasson's Florida comic crime novels kind of aped Elmore Leonard. Now here is Elmore Leonard aping Carl Hiasson. I'm not sure what to make of it. The first hundred pages were great. Funny, snappy, and quick moving. A redneck judge ("Maximum Bob") , a hard working probation officer, a few dangerous idiots, and a grumpy dog-eating alligator. That said, I'm not sure the judge's wife, a former mermaid channeling Butterfly McQueen, was, as local color and exotic fictional wrinkle, advisable or necessary. As I said, the first 100 pages were pretty good, but by page 200 I was bored. It was like Leonard went on Dutch auto-pilot. Not necessarily a bad thing, but certainly forgettable, which is too bad. Judge "Bob" Gibbs (or "Big" (all 5 ft. 7 of him) to his friends) is one funny scoundrel.
October 12, 2015
Interesting characters with unique voices. A plot that is unpredictable but feels inevitable. A setting that has tone more than detail.
I'm a fan of Leonard's work, even though I haven't made a dedicated effort to read all of his books. This book, about a judge who wants to drive his wife away and blackmails a defendant into helping him--which naturally goes completely haywire, and stirs up a great deal of trouble--is a bit shaggy in the best way. I'm not sure what I'm going to read next, because this will be a difficult act to follow.
[Added: I had no idea there was a TV series based on this book. I'll have to look it up.]
I'm a fan of Leonard's work, even though I haven't made a dedicated effort to read all of his books. This book, about a judge who wants to drive his wife away and blackmails a defendant into helping him--which naturally goes completely haywire, and stirs up a great deal of trouble--is a bit shaggy in the best way. I'm not sure what I'm going to read next, because this will be a difficult act to follow.
[Added: I had no idea there was a TV series based on this book. I'll have to look it up.]
January 4, 2016
This is definitely one of my favorite Leonard novels. The story has lots of twists and surprises. It takes place in Florida, so naturally there are some dumb criminals named Crowe. The characters are believable. As to be expected, there are many humorous moments. Like many of Leonard's stories, this would make a great movie.
October 14, 2015
A good yarn for a long flight from a master storyteller. As usual it is full of characters on the margins of society, and Leonard reminds us that unless you're living on the edge you're taking too much space.
June 29, 2014
I'm not religious about Elmore Leonard but this one is truly brilliant.
More here (review includes spoilers!):
http://a60books.blogspot.ie/2013/06/m...
More here (review includes spoilers!):
http://a60books.blogspot.ie/2013/06/m...
March 3, 2019
i'm not really sure this qualifies as a book. it was more like reading the back of a bunch of cereal boxes, if the cereals were cheerfully racist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUKSG...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUKSG...
May 16, 2023
Pretty good, pretty gritty story (by Elmore Leonard, so of course it is). Kathy Diaz Baker is a protagonist I enjoyed. Bob was pretty Maximum.
I also loved the black and white with hints of green cover art on my edition.
I also loved the black and white with hints of green cover art on my edition.
April 26, 2023
This is a fun read. Good character development. It's loosely connected to the Justified series, spinning a new tale about some of the Crowders and their antics.
August 28, 2015
Short version: this is an Elmore Leonard book, and it does what it's supposed to do.
I picked this book up as a piece of brain candy after reading Gravity's Rainbow (the literary equivalent of running a Tough Mudder with a hangover and a sprained ankle), and to that end it does not disappoint. It has a cast of colorful, mostly stupid characters, as you'd expect, and they stumble and bumble their way through half-baked schemes, as you'd expect, until law enforcement and criminal underworld come face-to-face in the final pages, as you'd expect. It's never not entertaining.
At the same time, though, the book feels a little half-baked. As I was reading, I expected the various plot lines to converge in some kind of madcap denouement, but some of these threads are simply dropped. And while I expect Leonard's characters to sometimes make poor decisions and generally behave like idiots or children or idiotic children, some of their decisions seem illogical even in that context. And the most interesting element of the book -- the mermaid-turned-housewife who believes she sometimes channels the spirit of a long-dead slave girl -- plays a weirdly small part in the book and an even smaller part in the plot. Leonard really goes the long way around to find a reason for her husband to not want to be with her anymore.
All in all, Maximum Bob is a fun, quick read that could have been quite a bit better if Elmore Leonard spent a little more time working on it.
I picked this book up as a piece of brain candy after reading Gravity's Rainbow (the literary equivalent of running a Tough Mudder with a hangover and a sprained ankle), and to that end it does not disappoint. It has a cast of colorful, mostly stupid characters, as you'd expect, and they stumble and bumble their way through half-baked schemes, as you'd expect, until law enforcement and criminal underworld come face-to-face in the final pages, as you'd expect. It's never not entertaining.
At the same time, though, the book feels a little half-baked. As I was reading, I expected the various plot lines to converge in some kind of madcap denouement, but some of these threads are simply dropped. And while I expect Leonard's characters to sometimes make poor decisions and generally behave like idiots or children or idiotic children, some of their decisions seem illogical even in that context. And the most interesting element of the book -- the mermaid-turned-housewife who believes she sometimes channels the spirit of a long-dead slave girl -- plays a weirdly small part in the book and an even smaller part in the plot. Leonard really goes the long way around to find a reason for her husband to not want to be with her anymore.
All in all, Maximum Bob is a fun, quick read that could have been quite a bit better if Elmore Leonard spent a little more time working on it.
February 18, 2012
Maximum Bob is the nickname given to Judge Bob Gibbs. Judge Gibbs is known for handing out hard sentences from the bench. Dale Crowe Junior has the misfortune to draw Maximum Bob. Dale gets five years and threatens the judge. His probation officer Kathy Baker has her hands full. She is trying to fend off the advances of Judge Gibbs, keep Dale in line, and deal with Dale's uncle Elvin. Things get complicated when an attempt is made on the Judge's life. Now the list of suspects long, and Kathy seems to have a number of them among her parolees.
Maximum Bob is a fun book in that great Leonard style. There are the usual lowlifes populating the pages of the book. Readers of the Raylan Givens stories fans of the FX series Justified will recognize the relatives of Dewey Crowe, everyone's favorite redneck moron. Something I have grown to love about Leonard's novels and stories is how they are often linked with each other. Dale Junior is mentioned in "Fire In The Hole," Judge Gibbs is the judge who sentenced Jack Foley to prison in Road Dogs. There is even a scene in the book where one of the characters is recalling a western novel that he read in prison. The unnamed novel is Leonard's Bounty Hunters. These little Easter Eggs are quite fun for the loyal Leonard readers.
Maximum Bob is a fun book in that great Leonard style. There are the usual lowlifes populating the pages of the book. Readers of the Raylan Givens stories fans of the FX series Justified will recognize the relatives of Dewey Crowe, everyone's favorite redneck moron. Something I have grown to love about Leonard's novels and stories is how they are often linked with each other. Dale Junior is mentioned in "Fire In The Hole," Judge Gibbs is the judge who sentenced Jack Foley to prison in Road Dogs. There is even a scene in the book where one of the characters is recalling a western novel that he read in prison. The unnamed novel is Leonard's Bounty Hunters. These little Easter Eggs are quite fun for the loyal Leonard readers.
January 23, 2011
Elmore Leonard shows how style alone can't carry an entire novel. Pretty disappointed in the broad character sketches and total lack of substance to the overall story. What the book does have is a dark sense of humor throughout, although not too dark. Looking for an easy rip through, light as fat free ranch dressing, pop read...Maximum Bob might do you poolside. I'll be turning to some of Leonard's earlier works next to try to get closer to his essential thoughts/writing. I suppose a good writer only has so many in him and Maximum Bob, to me, reads too much like an author (not writer) looking to fulfill contractual obligations. Then again, Leonard might have started feeling his age about the time he wrote this piece. Higher level, fully realized writing should and does take its toll.
February 18, 2018
This is the first Elmore Leonard book I ever read. I just saw it at the library and had heard that Leonard was one of the best crime writers so I decided to check it out and I was blown away how much I loved this book!
The story of a judge who is known for giving the maximum sentence in all his cases and the recent parolee who decides we would like to get some revenge against the guy who threw him in jail, mix in the strong, take no shit parole officer Kathy and you have a quintessential Leonard caper. Full of witty dialogue, sudden shocking violence and the judge's wife who thinks she is seeing people in her backyard. It's everything you want in Elmore's work and if you love all the things I listed above this book is for you.
Read this book! Do it now!
The story of a judge who is known for giving the maximum sentence in all his cases and the recent parolee who decides we would like to get some revenge against the guy who threw him in jail, mix in the strong, take no shit parole officer Kathy and you have a quintessential Leonard caper. Full of witty dialogue, sudden shocking violence and the judge's wife who thinks she is seeing people in her backyard. It's everything you want in Elmore's work and if you love all the things I listed above this book is for you.
Read this book! Do it now!
May 17, 2017
Elmore Leonard died a few years back and I am trying slowly to make my way through his oeuvre-I've enjoyed several already and Maximum Bob (1991) is no exception. It is set in Florida-like many of his novels and has the usual great dialogue, descriptions, and characters-good and bad. Maximum Bob is a racist, womanizing judge who sometimes abuses his power to get favors and finds himself a target for assassination. Some of the bad guys are familiar to me, there are two members of the Crowe clan (Elvin and Dale)-who are frequently found in the Rayland Givens stories. However, this time the protagonist is a very competent divorced Cuban-American, Kathy Baker, who saves the day. A fast and entertaining read. There are still several Leonard novels in the waiting.
October 29, 2009
more fun than funny, tightly plotted but never tense, this book was the definition of pure entertainment... until the end. which hit with a serious and unforeseen force which i'm still having a hard time understanding. it was like sucking on a lollipop and then the second it's gone you realize it had come to you from heaven and you missed it.
people make do with the world and who they are. is i believe the theory behind the product.
good book. would've preferred it about 100 pages shorter.
people make do with the world and who they are. is i believe the theory behind the product.
good book. would've preferred it about 100 pages shorter.
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