The Jook

Iambik Discontinues Development of “LibriVox” Iphone App

New Releases: February 5, 2013

Paul Almond’s The Pilgrim, as Told by the Author

New Audiobook Releases: January 17, 2013

Exclusive! A free (and sexy) Jon Papernick short story

Happy second birthday to us! Let’s celebrate with a giveaway.

New audiobooks: to your ears from the pens of Edward Willett, Marc Estrin, E. Nesbit & Thomas Hardy

Love audiobooks? Here’s a chance to hear them free.

August 2, 2012: New Sci-fi and Fantasy Audiobooks

New in Crime, Dark Fantasy, Literary Fiction, & Mark Twain

Sexy Primes for Summertime (#jiam, #jiam2012)

June is Audiobook Month, or as we like to call it, Discount Season

Paul Almond’s Alford Saga Continues

New Audiobook Releases 3/30/12: Crime, Sci-fi & Fantasy, Literary Fiction

In memoriam: Gregg Margarite

“Finch, however, can step in the same river twice.” Author Steve Himmer & narrator Mark F. Smith discuss The Bee-Loud Glade

Captivating. Impressive. Nuanced. Kind Reviews & Giveaway Time

“I am my audience, my admirer and my critic.” Author Robert Wexler and narrator Robert Keiper on narration, theatre, and literature

Literary Fiction Collection #5 (Including Super Special Post-Holiday Discount)

Graham Storrs interview and TimeSplash giveaway: “In film and literature, there is hardly a single instance where time travel actually turns out well.”

The prolific and the chroniclers: author Lise McClendon speaks with narrators Denice Stradling and Mark Douglas Nelson

New Audiobook Releases: Darkness and Light in Crime, Sci-fi, and Literary Fiction

Bourbon, Bar Girls, and Books: Introducing Crime Collection #3

What you call “random accidents” I call “squishy moments.” Arjun Basu with narrator Bruce Pirie

New Audiobook Releases: Gripping Suspense, Apocalyptic Sci-Fi, and Mayhem with a Side of Fantasy

LibriVox Selections iPhone App

New literary and crime audiobook releases: November 2, 2011

Birthday Contest Winners!

The somber, the hysterical, the dark and the light: Introducing Literary Fiction Collection #4

“Sometimes it’s quite a balancing act.” Listening with Elizabeth Medeiros

New Releases: October 10, 2001

Iambik’s Turning One! Let’s Celebrate with a Giveaway Bash

Letting characters find their crime. Author Lynn Kostoff chats with narrator Ken Campbell

Introducing Romance Audiobook Collection #1

Dark Fiction: New Releases for September 21, 2011

How to Listen Closely: Questions on Proof-Listening with Darla Middlebrook

New Releases for September 15, 2001: Short Stories, Romance, Political Science/Nonfiction

“I listened to both books with extreme pleasure and excitement.” Author Mary Anderson with Xe Sands

Author Mary Anderson: “Is The Catcher in the Rye a YA book? Yes and no.”

“Okayletstrythis”: Carla Gunn and Anita Roy Dobbs discuss Amphibian, clones, and getting started

New audiobook releases for August 18: Academic satire, fantastic fiction, and a guide to being alone

New Releases: August 10, 2011

Roundup: Iambik narrators elsewhere

New releases from Iambik, August 3, 2011

Speaking up: some listener comments

Mixing it up: our first Classic, Romance, and Young Adult titles are here!

Introducing Crime Collection #2

“Only the blank page has limitless possibilities.” Matt Bell talks to Mark F. Smith

Audio: Miette & J. Robert Lennon. “Inspiration is just the thing that gets you the pile of crap that will eventually be something good if you keep working on it.”

“People have been very kind to me.” Lee Ann Howlett on conquering Thomas Hardy and The Ginseng O.

“The audiobook becomes a part of your journey.” Clive Catterall on audiobooks in the car

“The characters took on another and bolder layer of life.” Author Daniel A. Hoyt talks audiobooks with narrator Charles Bice. #jiam2011

“it’s fun to let loose that inner cartoon character every once in a while.” The many voices of Charles Bice. #jiam2011

“The very best lines are far too naughty to quote here.” The glory of Cori Samuel #jiam2011

“I’m embarking on post-graduate work here.” Anita Roy Dobbs on Amphibian and more… #jiam2011

“My tendency is to try to balance the ridiculous and the sublime.” Tadhg Hynes talks shop with James Greer. #jiam2011

“A voice like slow whiskey and chocolate.” 5 Questions for Xe Sands #jiam2011

“Oh, he’s out there talking to himself again.” Narrator Tadhg Hynes #jiam2011

Presenting Literary Collection #3

“I wonder, where that magic town is in which people speak like you.” Five Questions for narrator Ruth Golding #jiam2011

Five Questions for audiobook narrator Diane Havens #jiam2011

June is Audiobook Month and Iambik is Audiobooks.

“In a lot of ways, I just wrote the story I would have liked to read.” Author Toby Frost and narrator Clive Catterall discuss Space Captain Smith. #jiam2011

Interview with David Wilk about Iambik & other things

“Being lost in the woods for a year and suddenly finding a path.” Author Rick Collignon answers Charles Bice

“A love of two-fisted fiction.” Author Max Phillips answers Narrator Gord Mackenzie

Articulate Matter: Q&A with narrator Diane Havens & author Katharine Beutner

Announcing LitFic Collection #2

Announcing: Crime Collection #1

Covers From Our Upcoming Crime Collection

Iambik in OverDrive: Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Libraries and More

eMusic Loves Iambik

The Question of Revenue Share

iambikast #1: Gordon Lish in Conversation with John Oakes

Interview: Andrew Kaufman and Gordon Mackenzie (All My Friends Are Superheroes)

Why iambik doesn’t use DRM

Oh Pure and Radiant Heart – Sample

No Lease on Life – Sample

Like Son – Sample

Icelander: Sample

Our Favourite Article So Far

Friends, Listeners, Internetpeople . . . Open Your Ears

Narrator:
Iambik Discontinues Development of “LibriVox” Iphone App
New Releases: February 5, 2013
Paul Almond’s The Pilgrim, as Told by the Author
New Audiobook Releases: January 17, 2013
Exclusive! A free (and sexy) Jon Papernick short story
Happy second birthday to us! Let’s celebrate with a giveaway.
New audiobooks: to your ears from the pens of Edward Willett, Marc Estrin, E. Nesbit & Thomas Hardy
Love audiobooks? Here’s a chance to hear them free.
August 2, 2012: New Sci-fi and Fantasy Audiobooks
New in Crime, Dark Fantasy, Literary Fiction, & Mark Twain
Sexy Primes for Summertime (#jiam, #jiam2012)
June is Audiobook Month, or as we like to call it, Discount Season
Paul Almond’s Alford Saga Continues
New Audiobook Releases 3/30/12: Crime, Sci-fi & Fantasy, Literary Fiction
In memoriam: Gregg Margarite
“Finch, however, can step in the same river twice.” Author Steve Himmer & narrator Mark F. Smith discuss The Bee-Loud Glade
Captivating. Impressive. Nuanced. Kind Reviews & Giveaway Time
“I am my audience, my admirer and my critic.” Author Robert Wexler and narrator Robert Keiper on narration, theatre, and literature
Literary Fiction Collection #5 (Including Super Special Post-Holiday Discount)
Graham Storrs interview and TimeSplash giveaway: “In film and literature, there is hardly a single instance where time travel actually turns out well.”
The prolific and the chroniclers: author Lise McClendon speaks with narrators Denice Stradling and Mark Douglas Nelson
New Audiobook Releases: Darkness and Light in Crime, Sci-fi, and Literary Fiction
Bourbon, Bar Girls, and Books: Introducing Crime Collection #3
What you call “random accidents” I call “squishy moments.” Arjun Basu with narrator Bruce Pirie
New Audiobook Releases: Gripping Suspense, Apocalyptic Sci-Fi, and Mayhem with a Side of Fantasy
LibriVox Selections iPhone App
New literary and crime audiobook releases: November 2, 2011
Birthday Contest Winners!
The somber, the hysterical, the dark and the light: Introducing Literary Fiction Collection #4
“Sometimes it’s quite a balancing act.” Listening with Elizabeth Medeiros
New Releases: October 10, 2001
Iambik’s Turning One! Let’s Celebrate with a Giveaway Bash
Letting characters find their crime. Author Lynn Kostoff chats with narrator Ken Campbell
Introducing Romance Audiobook Collection #1
Dark Fiction: New Releases for September 21, 2011
How to Listen Closely: Questions on Proof-Listening with Darla Middlebrook
New Releases for September 15, 2001: Short Stories, Romance, Political Science/Nonfiction
“I listened to both books with extreme pleasure and excitement.” Author Mary Anderson with Xe Sands
Author Mary Anderson: “Is The Catcher in the Rye a YA book? Yes and no.”
“Okayletstrythis”: Carla Gunn and Anita Roy Dobbs discuss Amphibian, clones, and getting started
New audiobook releases for August 18: Academic satire, fantastic fiction, and a guide to being alone
New Releases: August 10, 2011
Roundup: Iambik narrators elsewhere
New releases from Iambik, August 3, 2011
Speaking up: some listener comments
Mixing it up: our first Classic, Romance, and Young Adult titles are here!
Introducing Crime Collection #2
“Only the blank page has limitless possibilities.” Matt Bell talks to Mark F. Smith
Audio: Miette & J. Robert Lennon. “Inspiration is just the thing that gets you the pile of crap that will eventually be something good if you keep working on it.”
“People have been very kind to me.” Lee Ann Howlett on conquering Thomas Hardy and The Ginseng O.
“The audiobook becomes a part of your journey.” Clive Catterall on audiobooks in the car
“The characters took on another and bolder layer of life.” Author Daniel A. Hoyt talks audiobooks with narrator Charles Bice. #jiam2011
“it’s fun to let loose that inner cartoon character every once in a while.” The many voices of Charles Bice. #jiam2011
“The very best lines are far too naughty to quote here.” The glory of Cori Samuel #jiam2011
“I’m embarking on post-graduate work here.” Anita Roy Dobbs on Amphibian and more… #jiam2011
“My tendency is to try to balance the ridiculous and the sublime.” Tadhg Hynes talks shop with James Greer. #jiam2011
“A voice like slow whiskey and chocolate.” 5 Questions for Xe Sands #jiam2011
“Oh, he’s out there talking to himself again.” Narrator Tadhg Hynes #jiam2011
Presenting Literary Collection #3
“I wonder, where that magic town is in which people speak like you.” Five Questions for narrator Ruth Golding #jiam2011
Five Questions for audiobook narrator Diane Havens #jiam2011
June is Audiobook Month and Iambik is Audiobooks.
“In a lot of ways, I just wrote the story I would have liked to read.” Author Toby Frost and narrator Clive Catterall discuss Space Captain Smith. #jiam2011
Interview with David Wilk about Iambik & other things
“Being lost in the woods for a year and suddenly finding a path.” Author Rick Collignon answers Charles Bice
“A love of two-fisted fiction.” Author Max Phillips answers Narrator Gord Mackenzie
Articulate Matter: Q&A with narrator Diane Havens & author Katharine Beutner
Announcing LitFic Collection #2
Announcing: Crime Collection #1
Covers From Our Upcoming Crime Collection
Iambik in OverDrive: Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Libraries and More
eMusic Loves Iambik
The Question of Revenue Share
iambikast #1: Gordon Lish in Conversation with John Oakes
Interview: Andrew Kaufman and Gordon Mackenzie (All My Friends Are Superheroes)
Why iambik doesn’t use DRM
Oh Pure and Radiant Heart – Sample
No Lease on Life – Sample
Like Son – Sample
Icelander: Sample
Our Favourite Article So Far
Friends, Listeners, Internetpeople . . . Open Your Ears

Publisher:
Iambik Discontinues Development of “LibriVox” Iphone App
New Releases: February 5, 2013
Paul Almond’s The Pilgrim, as Told by the Author
New Audiobook Releases: January 17, 2013
Exclusive! A free (and sexy) Jon Papernick short story
Happy second birthday to us! Let’s celebrate with a giveaway.
New audiobooks: to your ears from the pens of Edward Willett, Marc Estrin, E. Nesbit & Thomas Hardy
Love audiobooks? Here’s a chance to hear them free.
August 2, 2012: New Sci-fi and Fantasy Audiobooks
New in Crime, Dark Fantasy, Literary Fiction, & Mark Twain
Sexy Primes for Summertime (#jiam, #jiam2012)
June is Audiobook Month, or as we like to call it, Discount Season
Paul Almond’s Alford Saga Continues
New Audiobook Releases 3/30/12: Crime, Sci-fi & Fantasy, Literary Fiction
In memoriam: Gregg Margarite
“Finch, however, can step in the same river twice.” Author Steve Himmer & narrator Mark F. Smith discuss The Bee-Loud Glade
Captivating. Impressive. Nuanced. Kind Reviews & Giveaway Time
“I am my audience, my admirer and my critic.” Author Robert Wexler and narrator Robert Keiper on narration, theatre, and literature
Literary Fiction Collection #5 (Including Super Special Post-Holiday Discount)
Graham Storrs interview and TimeSplash giveaway: “In film and literature, there is hardly a single instance where time travel actually turns out well.”
The prolific and the chroniclers: author Lise McClendon speaks with narrators Denice Stradling and Mark Douglas Nelson
New Audiobook Releases: Darkness and Light in Crime, Sci-fi, and Literary Fiction
Bourbon, Bar Girls, and Books: Introducing Crime Collection #3
What you call “random accidents” I call “squishy moments.” Arjun Basu with narrator Bruce Pirie
New Audiobook Releases: Gripping Suspense, Apocalyptic Sci-Fi, and Mayhem with a Side of Fantasy
LibriVox Selections iPhone App
New literary and crime audiobook releases: November 2, 2011
Birthday Contest Winners!
The somber, the hysterical, the dark and the light: Introducing Literary Fiction Collection #4
“Sometimes it’s quite a balancing act.” Listening with Elizabeth Medeiros
New Releases: October 10, 2001
Iambik’s Turning One! Let’s Celebrate with a Giveaway Bash
Letting characters find their crime. Author Lynn Kostoff chats with narrator Ken Campbell
Introducing Romance Audiobook Collection #1
Dark Fiction: New Releases for September 21, 2011
How to Listen Closely: Questions on Proof-Listening with Darla Middlebrook
New Releases for September 15, 2001: Short Stories, Romance, Political Science/Nonfiction
“I listened to both books with extreme pleasure and excitement.” Author Mary Anderson with Xe Sands
Author Mary Anderson: “Is The Catcher in the Rye a YA book? Yes and no.”
“Okayletstrythis”: Carla Gunn and Anita Roy Dobbs discuss Amphibian, clones, and getting started
New audiobook releases for August 18: Academic satire, fantastic fiction, and a guide to being alone
New Releases: August 10, 2011
Roundup: Iambik narrators elsewhere
New releases from Iambik, August 3, 2011
Speaking up: some listener comments
Mixing it up: our first Classic, Romance, and Young Adult titles are here!
Introducing Crime Collection #2
“Only the blank page has limitless possibilities.” Matt Bell talks to Mark F. Smith
Audio: Miette & J. Robert Lennon. “Inspiration is just the thing that gets you the pile of crap that will eventually be something good if you keep working on it.”
“People have been very kind to me.” Lee Ann Howlett on conquering Thomas Hardy and The Ginseng O.
“The audiobook becomes a part of your journey.” Clive Catterall on audiobooks in the car
“The characters took on another and bolder layer of life.” Author Daniel A. Hoyt talks audiobooks with narrator Charles Bice. #jiam2011
“it’s fun to let loose that inner cartoon character every once in a while.” The many voices of Charles Bice. #jiam2011
“The very best lines are far too naughty to quote here.” The glory of Cori Samuel #jiam2011
“I’m embarking on post-graduate work here.” Anita Roy Dobbs on Amphibian and more… #jiam2011
“My tendency is to try to balance the ridiculous and the sublime.” Tadhg Hynes talks shop with James Greer. #jiam2011
“A voice like slow whiskey and chocolate.” 5 Questions for Xe Sands #jiam2011
“Oh, he’s out there talking to himself again.” Narrator Tadhg Hynes #jiam2011
Presenting Literary Collection #3
“I wonder, where that magic town is in which people speak like you.” Five Questions for narrator Ruth Golding #jiam2011
Five Questions for audiobook narrator Diane Havens #jiam2011
June is Audiobook Month and Iambik is Audiobooks.
“In a lot of ways, I just wrote the story I would have liked to read.” Author Toby Frost and narrator Clive Catterall discuss Space Captain Smith. #jiam2011
Interview with David Wilk about Iambik & other things
“Being lost in the woods for a year and suddenly finding a path.” Author Rick Collignon answers Charles Bice
“A love of two-fisted fiction.” Author Max Phillips answers Narrator Gord Mackenzie
Articulate Matter: Q&A with narrator Diane Havens & author Katharine Beutner
Announcing LitFic Collection #2
Announcing: Crime Collection #1
Covers From Our Upcoming Crime Collection
Iambik in OverDrive: Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Libraries and More
eMusic Loves Iambik
The Question of Revenue Share
iambikast #1: Gordon Lish in Conversation with John Oakes
Interview: Andrew Kaufman and Gordon Mackenzie (All My Friends Are Superheroes)
Why iambik doesn’t use DRM
Oh Pure and Radiant Heart – Sample
No Lease on Life – Sample
Like Son – Sample
Icelander: Sample
Our Favourite Article So Far
Friends, Listeners, Internetpeople . . . Open Your Ears

Proof-listener:
Iambik Discontinues Development of “LibriVox” Iphone App
New Releases: February 5, 2013
Paul Almond’s The Pilgrim, as Told by the Author
New Audiobook Releases: January 17, 2013
Exclusive! A free (and sexy) Jon Papernick short story
Happy second birthday to us! Let’s celebrate with a giveaway.
New audiobooks: to your ears from the pens of Edward Willett, Marc Estrin, E. Nesbit & Thomas Hardy
Love audiobooks? Here’s a chance to hear them free.
August 2, 2012: New Sci-fi and Fantasy Audiobooks
New in Crime, Dark Fantasy, Literary Fiction, & Mark Twain
Sexy Primes for Summertime (#jiam, #jiam2012)
June is Audiobook Month, or as we like to call it, Discount Season
Paul Almond’s Alford Saga Continues
New Audiobook Releases 3/30/12: Crime, Sci-fi & Fantasy, Literary Fiction
In memoriam: Gregg Margarite
“Finch, however, can step in the same river twice.” Author Steve Himmer & narrator Mark F. Smith discuss The Bee-Loud Glade
Captivating. Impressive. Nuanced. Kind Reviews & Giveaway Time
“I am my audience, my admirer and my critic.” Author Robert Wexler and narrator Robert Keiper on narration, theatre, and literature
Literary Fiction Collection #5 (Including Super Special Post-Holiday Discount)
Graham Storrs interview and TimeSplash giveaway: “In film and literature, there is hardly a single instance where time travel actually turns out well.”
The prolific and the chroniclers: author Lise McClendon speaks with narrators Denice Stradling and Mark Douglas Nelson
New Audiobook Releases: Darkness and Light in Crime, Sci-fi, and Literary Fiction
Bourbon, Bar Girls, and Books: Introducing Crime Collection #3
What you call “random accidents” I call “squishy moments.” Arjun Basu with narrator Bruce Pirie
New Audiobook Releases: Gripping Suspense, Apocalyptic Sci-Fi, and Mayhem with a Side of Fantasy
LibriVox Selections iPhone App
New literary and crime audiobook releases: November 2, 2011
Birthday Contest Winners!
The somber, the hysterical, the dark and the light: Introducing Literary Fiction Collection #4
“Sometimes it’s quite a balancing act.” Listening with Elizabeth Medeiros
New Releases: October 10, 2001
Iambik’s Turning One! Let’s Celebrate with a Giveaway Bash
Letting characters find their crime. Author Lynn Kostoff chats with narrator Ken Campbell
Introducing Romance Audiobook Collection #1
Dark Fiction: New Releases for September 21, 2011
How to Listen Closely: Questions on Proof-Listening with Darla Middlebrook
New Releases for September 15, 2001: Short Stories, Romance, Political Science/Nonfiction
“I listened to both books with extreme pleasure and excitement.” Author Mary Anderson with Xe Sands
Author Mary Anderson: “Is The Catcher in the Rye a YA book? Yes and no.”
“Okayletstrythis”: Carla Gunn and Anita Roy Dobbs discuss Amphibian, clones, and getting started
New audiobook releases for August 18: Academic satire, fantastic fiction, and a guide to being alone
New Releases: August 10, 2011
Roundup: Iambik narrators elsewhere
New releases from Iambik, August 3, 2011
Speaking up: some listener comments
Mixing it up: our first Classic, Romance, and Young Adult titles are here!
Introducing Crime Collection #2
“Only the blank page has limitless possibilities.” Matt Bell talks to Mark F. Smith
Audio: Miette & J. Robert Lennon. “Inspiration is just the thing that gets you the pile of crap that will eventually be something good if you keep working on it.”
“People have been very kind to me.” Lee Ann Howlett on conquering Thomas Hardy and The Ginseng O.
“The audiobook becomes a part of your journey.” Clive Catterall on audiobooks in the car
“The characters took on another and bolder layer of life.” Author Daniel A. Hoyt talks audiobooks with narrator Charles Bice. #jiam2011
“it’s fun to let loose that inner cartoon character every once in a while.” The many voices of Charles Bice. #jiam2011
“The very best lines are far too naughty to quote here.” The glory of Cori Samuel #jiam2011
“I’m embarking on post-graduate work here.” Anita Roy Dobbs on Amphibian and more… #jiam2011
“My tendency is to try to balance the ridiculous and the sublime.” Tadhg Hynes talks shop with James Greer. #jiam2011
“A voice like slow whiskey and chocolate.” 5 Questions for Xe Sands #jiam2011
“Oh, he’s out there talking to himself again.” Narrator Tadhg Hynes #jiam2011
Presenting Literary Collection #3
“I wonder, where that magic town is in which people speak like you.” Five Questions for narrator Ruth Golding #jiam2011
Five Questions for audiobook narrator Diane Havens #jiam2011
June is Audiobook Month and Iambik is Audiobooks.
“In a lot of ways, I just wrote the story I would have liked to read.” Author Toby Frost and narrator Clive Catterall discuss Space Captain Smith. #jiam2011
Interview with David Wilk about Iambik & other things
“Being lost in the woods for a year and suddenly finding a path.” Author Rick Collignon answers Charles Bice
“A love of two-fisted fiction.” Author Max Phillips answers Narrator Gord Mackenzie
Articulate Matter: Q&A with narrator Diane Havens & author Katharine Beutner
Announcing LitFic Collection #2
Announcing: Crime Collection #1
Covers From Our Upcoming Crime Collection
Iambik in OverDrive: Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Libraries and More
eMusic Loves Iambik
The Question of Revenue Share
iambikast #1: Gordon Lish in Conversation with John Oakes
Interview: Andrew Kaufman and Gordon Mackenzie (All My Friends Are Superheroes)
Why iambik doesn’t use DRM
Oh Pure and Radiant Heart – Sample
No Lease on Life – Sample
Like Son – Sample
Icelander: Sample
Our Favourite Article So Far
Friends, Listeners, Internetpeople . . . Open Your Ears

Length:
7:36:09

File Size:
~ 380 MB

Share:
Sample:
Listen to first chapter
Buy from Audible:

Description

Zelmont Raines has slid a long way since his ability to jook, to out maneuver 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.

That is until Los Angeles gets a new pro franchise, the Barons, and Zelmont has one last chance at the big time he dearly misses. Just as it seems he might be getting back in the flow, he’s enraptured by Wilma Wells, the leggy and brainy lawyer for the team–who has a ruthless game plan all her own. And it’s Zelmont who might get jooked.

First Line

It was hot as an Alabama outhouse when I got off the plane from Barcelona.

Reviews

"Gary Phillips is known by crime fiction aficionados as a master the form, and reading The Jook it’s easy to see why. The dialogue crackles, the tone’s pitch-perfect, and the prose rolls along with the kind of effortless cool that only comes with monstrous effort, not to mention an equal portion of talent. Phillips also has a delightful sense of play, an all-too-rare commodity in the genre. When introduced to the shady proprietor of a specialized rehab services agency named Burroughs, any fan of William S. Burroughs – junky, pederast and beat writer – are going to have trouble not swallowing their own tongue in delight. Especially when Phillips describes “his boat end of a face yellow colored from whatever narcotics he was currently popping.” Phillips also captures the spirit of Los Angeles in a way that very few but Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy have even attempted. Which is no surprise. At a time when the majority of crime fiction authors seem to be former television writers, Phillips has learned the city from the ground up, working with gangs and pounding the streets as a community activist and union organizer. It’s a career path that has served him well as a crime writer. Even set in the glossy world of high-priced athletes, the Los Angeles that comes through is as destroyed and degenerate as Raines’ football career, making The Jook a down-and-dirty crime fiction marvel." -- In Denver Times

"If you like your crime novels full of greed, gritty, realistic and with lots of anatomically correct sex then this is the book for you. The Jook is an excellent and enthralling standalone novel from one of the best in the genre of noir there is no honour, no respect, no love but plenty of money. It contains so many elements that will please readers. From the profanity loaded street talk, to the end of the novel which is certainly reminiscent of a Jim Thompson novel and the homage that has without doubt been played to black-exploitation films, The Jook is more of a violent crime novel than anything else. While funny at times as well as being violent the reader is led on a ride that makes for entertaining reading. In no way shape or form is this a politically correct novel, but who cares? It was not meant to be. It is a crime novel that not only makes you think twice about becoming an athlete, but shows what happens when pro-football and venal ambition collide in the end zone." -- Ayo Anotade, Shots Magazine

"Zelmont Raines scored the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl and was an All-Pro receiver with a string of endorsement deals. Unfortunately, he also likes to smoke crack, quench his thirst with top-shelf brandy, and entertain the fine ladies who hang out with the stars. Three stints in drug rehab, a paternity suit (guilty), a hip injury, and some misguided investments in gangsta rap have Raines thinking the good times are over. Then he meets his match--sexually and amorally--in Wilma Wells, the lawyer for the Los Angeles Barons. She's scheming to rip off the mob-connected owner of the Barons and enlists the aid of the cash-hungry and always-horny Raines. She leads him into a netherworld where the between-the-lines violence of professional football pales in the face of automatic weapons and double crosses. Phillips, author of the acclaimed Ivan Monk series, takes elements of Jim Thompson (the ending), black-exploitation flicks (the profanity-fueled dialogue), and Penthouse magazine (the sex is anatomically correct) to create an over-the-top violent caper in which there is no honor, no respect, no love, and plenty of money. Anyone who liked George Pelecanos' King Suckerman is going to love this even-grittier take on many of the same themes." -- Wes Lukowsky

More Metadata!

Iambik Audio ISBN: 9781927472071
Iambik Audio Publication Date: Mar 31, 2012
Print ISBN: 9781604860405
Print Publication Date: Feb 1, 2009
Audio Distribution Rights: Worldwide
Keywords/tags: , , , , , , , , ,