If you have seen the ORIGINAL version of Mel Brooks’ movie “Blazing Saddles,” then you have a fair idea of what to expect from “Maximum Bob.” The time frames are different but the basic attitudes are the same. This book was published in 1992, over two decades ago as I write this review, and it was written by one of the masters of social satire and parody. Therefore, before you start this book, take your entire sense of political correctness and put it on the shelf. It might also be a good idea to stow all your righteous indignation regarding racial discrimination, sexual harassment and gender bias. If you are unable to do so or unable to read with historical perspective, I recommend that you never even open to the first page. Maximum Bob is circuit court judge Bob Gibbs. Judge Gibbs’ actual nickname is “Big,” as he has a big ego, a big mouth, a big reputation and an even bigger eye for the lovely young ladies. In actuality, Bob Gibbs is a small man physically, with a small mind and a small powerbase centered in his courtroom. However, that powerbase has generated the “maximum” in his public nickname as he often imposes the maximum sentence possible for even the smallest of offenses.But Bob Gibbs has more problems than those inspired by angry felons. Seven years ago, Bob met a sweet young thing that he saw in the mermaid act at Weekee Wachee Springs. He thought she was adorably cute with all those comments about auras and signs and positive energies. However, just before their marriage, an alligator slipped into the area where the mermaid act was in progress and Leanne panicked. Losing her air hose, she drowns. But before she can be pronounced dead, she has an out-of-body experience. In her mind, she encounters a 12-year-old black slave girl who, 130 years earlier, died from being eaten by an alligator. Wanda, the slave girl, tells Leanne that it is not her time and sends her back.Unfortunately for Bob, Wanda comes back with Leanne and multiple personality disorder appears. At any given time, Leanne can channel Wanda and will begin talking like Butterfly McQueen out of “Gone With the Wind.” Wanda just loves to chastise Bob about his actions, his attitudes and his job. And, with Wanda so often present, Bob has come to fear having intimate relations with Leanne. Just the thought of hearing that child’s voice at the wrong time, so to speak, is horrifying to Bob. He may be a lecherous old goat, but he’s not that kind of pervert.So Bob is to the point that Leanne has just got to go, but it has to be her idea so that the divorce proceedings will go in Bob’s favor. Enter Dicky Campau, a gator poacher and an upcoming defendant in Bob’s courtroom. Dicky is coerced into trapping a gator and bringing it to Bob’s country home for the purpose of scaring Leanne out of the last of her wits. Unfortunately, the gator is not as dead as it was supposed to be and the only thing to go right is that Leanne leaves.But this is all just set-up for the real story. From the opening page, we have been privy to the thoughts and actions of Kathy Diaz Baker, a county probation officer who often appears as part of the prosecution team in Bob’s courtroom. While still in her twenties, she is from a law enforcement family and is quite street-savvy. She is just as adept at fending off Bob’s advances as she is at investigating her probationer’s activities. And through the activities of one of her charges, Elvin Crowe, recently released after serving ten years of a murder conviction, Kathy finds herself hip-deep in the alligator fiasco and a shooting spree at Bob’s house that shortly follows.Teaming up both professionally and personally with Gary Hammond, the lead detective on Bob’s case, Kathy uses her eye for details to convince Gary that there is far more to the gator and the shots than a mere attempt to scare off an unwanted wife. But, as Gary often tells her, knowing that Elvin Crowe is the villain and proving it are two different things.“Blazing Saddles” references, parodies of old Southern ways and often hilarious dialogue aside, this is no comedy nor is it a romantic suspense. This is a gritty and serious tale of perversion, addiction, murder and revenge. The intensity of it sneaks up on you and you find yourself at a point where you are absolutely scared to death for Kathy and Gary. You see what’s coming and you can’t stop it.So, don’t think, even for a minute, that the end of this tale will have a traditional HEA and a sweet epilogue. It doesn’t even come close. What you will find, as the last scene unfolds, is a case of field justice dispensed with prejudice. You will witness revenge gone wrong and revenge gone right. And then, at the last words, you will reclaim your sense of righteous indignation, grit your teeth, clench your fists and metaphorically punch Maximum Bob’s lights out.
looks like i read this one late january, early february...february 1st...and here it is december the 18th. time flies, hey? read this one on the kindle. great story.begins:dale crowe junior told kathy baker, his probation officer, he didn't see where he had done anything wrong. he had gone to the go-go bar to meet a buddy of his, had one beer, that's all, while he was waiting, minding his own business and this go-go whore came up to his table and started giving him a private dance he never asked for.don't ya hate when that happens? time place scene settings * palm beach county, florida* go-go place, club peekaboo on lake worth road* criminal division of palm beach county circuit court* probation office, omar road characters* dale crowe junior, 20-yr-old, tall, bony-looking kid, dark hair, from a family of offenders* kathy diaz baker, his probation officer, twenty-seven-year-old, a slim five-five, dark hair permed and cut short in back, speaks with a slight hispanic accent* a go-go whore, name was earlene* bouncer* the deputies * offenders wearing state-blue uniforms that were like hospital scrubs* elvin crowe, uncle to dale junior* state attorney, a woman, assistant state attorney marialena reyes, a woman in her 40s, unmarried, dedicated to her work* judge...no sex, judge gibbs. bob isom gibbs, calls marialena ms bacar* public defender lawyer for dale junior* court reporter* bailiff, robbie, a sheriff's deputy* spectators, friends, relatives* court clerk, mary ellenheh! leonard throws in a line like, the little bigot with his solemn face and dyed hair stared at her, waiting.there's always a laugh-out-loud moment...or two three...in leonard's stories...if you can't laugh at the way we are what good is it? or you take the place where the go-go whore stuck it in junior's face, club peekaboo...ha ha ha! and you know...you know that down there off the macadam...palmetto bushes and bugs at hand...there is a club peekaboo where the knock-down stucco is falling off the exterior and there's a split-rail fence lining the gravel drive.leonard is a hoot. give him a shot.
What do You think about Maximum Bob (2002)?
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.
—David Williams
Overall I enjoyed this book. I’ve never read anything by Elmore Leonard before; although I feel like I know his work through the multitude of movies I’ve seen. Unfortunately, that sort of worked against him because I had higher expectations as a result of the cinematic tie-in. I understand that there is a certain “style” of writing involved (not a favorite of mine – stream of consciousness, colloquial dialects taken to the extreme, a certain cavalier sloppiness with punctuation that makes it difficult to determine whether somebody is actually saying something or just thinking it, etc.) and I was expecting the outlandishly quirky characters (having seen Get Shorty – haha!). What I wasn’t expecting was the feeling of unfinished business – yeah, the main plot line was resolved, but why go to the trouble of developing the sub-plots if you’re just going to let them lie there in the end? I did find myself “casting the movie” as I read through the book, then lo and behold, a couple of the characters start doing that too… made me laugh! I’m not through with Mr. Leonard yet!!
—Lynette
Maximum Bob is a fun, fun read, like most Leonard stories. Kathy is a probation officer and her work links her to the Crowe family. The title character is a no nonsense judge. He has made a lot of enemies with his tough sentences, and despite his age, he is a lady’s man who takes a fancy to Kathy when she appears in his court. He coerces her to visit his house to explain how his wife doesn’t understand him. His wife is gorgeous, but a real new age fruit loop. The Crowe’s are a family of miscreants. Young Dale assaults a cop and Bob sends him to the slammer. His uncle, Elvin, has just got out after serving 10 years for murder. His prison boy friend was set by a quack doctor, who also lost his license and was sentenced to house arrest by Bob. Together they plan revenge on Bob. The result is a tense story, but saturated with Leonard’s humor, intriguing characters, and terrific patter. For good measure there is an alligator.
—Jrobertus
