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Jack Keller #1

The Devil's Right Hand

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The critically-acclaimed debut novel by J.D. Rhoades, and the introduction of iconic bounty hunter Jack Keller. Keller is a man tormented by the nightmares he's had ever since a disastrous tour in Desert Storm. Destroyed by his experience, Keller now makes his living tracking bailjumpers for H&H, a North Carolina bail bonds company run by a reclusive, beautiful, and horribly scarred woman named Angela. In truth, Keller doesn't work bail enforcement to live, he lives to the only thing that breaks through the numbness is the thrill of the hunt, the sound of gunfire, the high that comes with each successful takedown.

When H&H is required to track down a lifelong loser for jumping bail on a routine burglary collar, Keller has no idea how gravely events are about to spiral out of his control. He chases his quarry straight into the center of a firestorm involving a pair of local Indians blinded by rage and hell-bent to avenge their father's murder. Along the way they encounter a vicious North Carolina cop with a mean streak and very few moral boundaries. Not to mention the cop's beautiful partner Marie, caught between a newfound desire for the just-on-the-edge-of-the-law Jack Keller and her loyalty to a police department with a serious ethics problem.

These people, each hurtling forward on their own individual trajectories of self-destruction, begin to intersect each other's lives in a series of volatile, escalating, and deadly events. Furiously paced and filled with unforgettable, masterfully drawn characters destined to meet in a bloody showdown which most of them will not survive, The Devil's Right Hand is a stylish, razor-edged debut novel that redefines the rules of the Southern thriller.

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

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297 people want to read

About the author

J.D. Rhoades

25 books186 followers
J.D. Rhoades is America's foremost writer of the genre known as "Redneck noir," and his biography reads like "Tobacco Road" as written by Hunter S. Thompson.

Rhoades never knew his parents; he was found abandoned on the steps of a cut-rate Filipino tax preparation service in Slidell, La. As a child, he was bounced around between a series of orphanages, reformatories and opium dens. His first brush with the law came when he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. He was seven years old at the time.

Rhoades first turned to drugs at the age of five, when he discovered you could get high by snorting Nestle’s Quik through a rolled up copy of Highlights magazine. Since then, he claims to have ingested marijuana, peyote, heroin, psilocybin, uppers, downers, screamers, laughers, dried banana peels, glue, paste, mucilage, LSD, DMT, STP, ABC, CNN, TLC, Sterno, Drano, Bondo, Ketamine, Dopamine, glucosamine, Ovaltine, and Krispy Kreme.

He hit rock bottom when he did all of them in the same night and woke up two weeks later, hanging upside down by his knees from a tree limb in Duluth, Minn., and singing an aria from “Die Fledermaus.” In German, a language that he does not speak.

Rhoades is rumored to have once killed a stripper with a fondue fork and disposed of the body using an electric pencil sharpener over a period of 14 hours.

Ii is not known whether the rumors are true that Rhoades kidnapped the Lindbergh Baby, nor can reports that he was the shooter on the grassy knoll when Kennedy was shot be confirmed. He does, however, know Tom DeLay personally.

-Biography contributed by James Frey

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5 stars
109 (26%)
4 stars
172 (42%)
3 stars
107 (26%)
2 stars
14 (3%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for Pat.
2,310 reviews502 followers
September 19, 2019
Maybe 2.5 stars? A bit cliche driven for my liking. Good ol' boys and their guns. Sometimes I enjoy this sort of 'action' book but at other times - meh. I've enjoyed other books by this author but I won't be continuing this particular series.
294 reviews
May 13, 2010
Loaded with testosterone and high-caliber weapons, Rhoades's hard-boiled debut lurches from one bloody gun battle to another in the streets and back alleys of Fayetteville, N.C., as a bounty hunter finds himself drawing highly unwelcome attention. When dim-witted cousins DeWayne and Leonard kill an old Lumbee Indian during their first armed robbery, they get a load of trouble along with the cash. Raymond, one of the victim's sons and a vicious local crime boss, vows to kill everyone involved with his father's death.

Caught in between is Jack Keller, a bail bondsman's enforcer; he's after DeWayne for skipping out on his breaking and entering bail. A Gulf War veteran tormented by guilt over the deaths of his squad members in a friendly fire incident, Jack must now deal with the two armed robbers, crazed Raymond and his gang of assorted Colombian gunmen, and sadistic cops who mistakenly think he's the cause of all the mayhem. Resourceful and determined, Jack happily lays out a few bad guys himself, but he's annoyed that everybody wants to kill him, too. He is arrested, beaten up, shot at and pursued, making miraculous escapes each time in the best pulp fiction tradition. Add spectacular car chases, kidnapping, torture, carjacking, a dozen killings and lukewarm sex scenes, and this gritty novel has everything it needs except for suspense, mystery and likable characters.

*Starred Review* Rhoades slaps this supercharged crime-fiction debut into overdrive in the first paragraph and never lets up through nearly 300 pages of nonstop action. It starts with a simple armed robbery in which two dumb and dumber ex-cons, Leonard and DeWayne, set out to steal the weekly payroll from an elderly Native American who owns a construction company.

It quickly goes wrong, however, and the owner is killed. Meanwhile, bounty hunter Jack Keller, a Gulf War vet with a head full of nightmares, is already tracking bail-jumper DeWayne. He'll have to hurry, though, if he hopes to find his quarry before the dead man's son, a drug dealer who is every bit as violent and considerably crazier than the killers he tracks. Throw in a couple of psycho cops with a thing about bounty hunters, and you have the narrative equivalent of a string of homemade bombs timed to explode at random along the Arkansas back roads.

Like Stephen Hunter's Dirty White Boys, however, this is not simply a car-chase-with-fireworks novel; Rhoades builds his rampaging white boys from the ground up, complete with believable backstory and humanizing shots of Pulp Fiction-like humor. Keller is a definite keeper, the kind of flawed noir hero that women want to nurse, cops want to bust, and bad guys want to hurt. There's a formula at work here, of course, but Rhoades never gives us time to feel manipulated.
Profile Image for Patricia.
453 reviews20 followers
April 12, 2008
The Devil’s Right Hand-5 Paws
J. D. Rhoades
St Martin’s Minotaur, 2005, 274 pps
ISBN 0-312-33419-2


The Devil’s Right Hand introduces the reader to Jack Keller, a Gulf war veteran and a bail bondsman who is a bail jumper’s worst nightmare. Jack is trying to live in the present while fighting nightmares from his Gulf war days. He is employed by H&H Bail Bonds owned by a beautiful though scarred Angela Hager who had survived her own nightmare brought about by an abusive husband.

Jack’s current assignment is to bring in DeWayne Puryear who failed to appear on a B&E charge. Before Jack can catch up with DeWayne, DeWayne along with his cousin Leonard are involved in the robbery of an old man that paid his Mexican help in cash every week but the robbery went wrong and the man was killed.

Raymond Oxendine, owner of a nightclub and local drug deal, is the son of the man killed in the robbery and swears revenge on the killers.

Jack meets many people in his quest to find DeWayne including Leonard’s sister Crystal, a couple of crooked police officers, a very beautiful lady police officer and Columbia drug dealers. Bodies litter the path and violence is around every corner. DeWayne makes so many mistakes that you can’t help but feel a little sorry for him even though he is a murderer.

There’s a surprise twist to the end of the story and a little romance thrown in. It would have been great when I finished this book if I could have picked up the next Jack Keller novel and see what excitement is in store for Jack and his friends.

Profile Image for Diane.
345 reviews14 followers
June 10, 2008
A well-written, nicely paced crime novel (novel that involves crime in the plot?) J.D. Rhoades manages to make us like his war-scarred, decision impaired protagonist Jack Keller.

A good read that will have you staying up to finish the book.
Profile Image for Mark.
2,511 reviews31 followers
May 24, 2017
The 1st in the Jack Keller series introducing us to another demon-driven, former spec-ops bond enforcement officer...on the hunt for low-life, hillbilly small-timers who've murdered the father of some pretty high level drug dealers...all who seem to intersect at Jack's skip-tracing efforts..just OK!
Profile Image for Carol .
1,074 reviews
May 8, 2021
J.D. Rhoades debut novel (2005) was spot on. Jack Keller bounty hunter/ bail enforcement/ ex Army.
Profile Image for Mary.
847 reviews13 followers
June 9, 2021
Good read, Jack Keller, a bounty hunter w/ Military experience that left him, w/ nightmares, is chasing down a bail jumper and runs into a shit-load of trouble that has nothing to do w/ his job, but he ends up right in the middle of it! Like to read more about Jack Keller.
Profile Image for Jim.
1,108 reviews19 followers
February 9, 2015
This high octane thriller from author J.D. Rhoades is pedal to the floor action that needs no pit stops. "The Devil's Right Hand", features protagonist Jack Keller a bail bonds enforcement detective. Keller must track down DeWayne Puryear and haul him back for court appearance. Crazy DeWayne and his equally crazy cousin Leonard are out running around creating mayhem. After the pair rob and kill the father of John Lee and Raymond, all hell breaks out. In a whirlwind of a plot, one really needs a scorecard to keep track of who is after who. During a shoot out between DeWayne/ Leonard against Raymond/ John Lee, and Oscar Sanchez who was added on to help track, the fur really begins to fly. Keller gets involved with the shootout causing Leonard and John lee being killed. After the shootout, a crazy car chase ends when a cop is killed, with Keller taking the blame. Keller "hooks up" with the partner of the dead cop, Marie Jones and things start to get steamy. Several very involved car chases and crazy shootouts keeps this book blazing along. It's wonderful characters and spot on dialog were well used here. From page to page it was hard to figure out who was gonna survive and how would it all go down. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one from cover to cover. (First screen to last screen on my Kindle). The book is just a spellbinding story. Author J.D. Rhoades really knows how to build a crazy story within a plot. Even some romance was key in keeping this one packed with action. Easily 5 stars out of a possible 5, this one hits a home run. I'd highly recommend this one to anyone that wants a thriller that cannot relax. It's action and pushes the envelope of crazy. Having now read several of author Rhoades books, I'm hooked ! They pack a solid punch and entertain throughout. If you haven't tried a Rhoades, give this one a test drive. Be sure your seat belts are firmly attached-You're gonna need them !
Profile Image for Judy.
Author 11 books190 followers
June 7, 2008
How could I resist a book that takes its title from a Steve Earle song? Of course it's a song about handguns, ("Mama says a pistol is a devil's right hand.") and there are lots of handguns in this book. Not to mention shotguns and automatics and various other types of devices capable of killing another human being.

I enjoyed this book. It takes place in my neck of the woods and there is a kind of vicarious thrill reading about all this action (murder, beatings, car chases and kidnapping) taking place in Fayetteville, Robeson County and Brunswick County, which is just across the bridge from Wilmington, NC.

Rhoades populates the book with an interesting cast of characters, the Lumbee Indian Raymond, the hapless good old boys Dewayne and Leonard, the crooked cops in Fayetteville NC, and of course, bail bond enforcer Jack Keller.
Profile Image for Robert.
142 reviews18 followers
November 29, 2008
After reading the first paragraph or two I thought I was going to hate this book, happily there were no more pop culture references. Parts of the writing reminded me of Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men. Esspecially the dialogue between DeWayne and Leonard (that could be because I read Of Mice And Men not long ago). I enjoyed the writing and the action, but I found ALL of the characters to be stereotypical and totally predictable. As a whole it reminded me of a B action movie from the 80's (good thing I like B movies from the 80's). Overall it's a fun read and gets a solid 3 stars and goes into my fluff/trash category.
Profile Image for Jim A.
1,267 reviews82 followers
May 28, 2012
My second Rhoades book, my first of the Keller series.

I don't know what it is about the Rhoades novels that I find so appealing. They really aren't anything special.

The protagonist, Keller, is a bail bond retrieval specialist (bounty hunter) who is packing a lot of baggage from the Gulf War. In this book he is chasing a bail skip, DeWayne Puryear, who in turn is being chased by a criminal because DeWayne killed the criminal's father. Keller gets involved in his own way after he kills the brother of the drug dealer. Add into the equation some local cops who are after Keller for their own reasons and you have a fast paced book.







883 reviews9 followers
December 19, 2024
2.5* rounded up.
This book has been out a while and I've just finished the latest edition.
It's a short read and action packed but for some reason it wasn't particularly gripping. Maybe it was the way it was written.
A protagonist that is very heroic and overloaded with testosterone but kind and sensitive when needs be....he's a bit of a stereotype (a traumatic past, obviously)but likable.
There's a good story in there somewhere but it's a bit mishmash in its presentation. The dialect took a little getting used to but it made it feel real. The chapters need organising, very random. Typos and punctuation, poor to fair.
A good edit and it probably would have got one more star from me.
Profile Image for Pam.
2,207 reviews32 followers
September 24, 2007
TITLE/AUTHOR: THE DEVIL'S RIGHT HAND by J.D. Rhoades
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery, 2005, 327 pgs
TIME/PLACE: Present, North Carolina
CHARACTERS: Jack Keller/Bounty Hunter
COMMENTS: 1st in series. Lots of action. DeWayne has
not only jumped bail but killed a man in a robbery.
He's got Jack Keller, bounty hunter after him as well
as the sons of the man he's killed.
Profile Image for Evelyn.
1,761 reviews
December 2, 2008
Bounty hunter Jack Keller is caught in the crossfire between a pair of dimwitted cousins who murder an old Indian during an armed robbery and their victim's son, a local crime boss. Meanwhile, Keller has his own problems dealing with Gulf War issues.

High-powered adrenaline and nonstop action. First in a series. Highly recommend.

Similar authors: Lee Child
Profile Image for J.W. Thompson.
Author 14 books495 followers
October 27, 2009
Jack is a bounty hunter. He is haunted by memories of his past service to his country and the horrors of war. What starts off as a routine skip trace,brings him into a world filled with drug deals, murder and bad cops. A good read it held my interest.
Profile Image for Loraine.
26 reviews23 followers
March 20, 2008
This was a great debut novel of a series featuring bounty hunter and war vet Jack Keller. I will definitely be reading the next novel in this series.
2,490 reviews46 followers
July 31, 2008
The first book I read by the author. Being a Tarheel myself, I enjoyed a thriller set in areas I was familiar with. Became a fan right then.
Profile Image for Floral.
8 reviews1 follower
October 15, 2008
This is a very action packed book. I read it in 2 days keeps you turning the pages. I would read this again later down the road.
2,763 reviews26 followers
August 10, 2011
Excellent; Continuing character: Jack Keller (first in series); a bounty hunter is after a man who is on a crime spree and also being pursued by relatives of a man he killed
Profile Image for Sam.
5 reviews
March 26, 2012
This Book was awesome, lots of action in the beginning and the end. It did get boring through the middle though
33 reviews4 followers
April 9, 2012
Rhoades's stories are compelling and bloody, this one is no exception. I liked both Keller and Angela and plan to read the rest of the books in the series.
Profile Image for Simon.
Author 91 books519 followers
June 6, 2019
I enjoyed but this book probably had the most hateful collection of villains I've ever read. Not a single one had a redeeming feature.
3,077 reviews13 followers
July 24, 2023
"The Devil's Right Hand" is a fast-paced actioner from start to finish.
Bounty hunter Jack Keller, suffering from PTSD since Operation Desert Storm, ain't one for introspection or for opening up to others.
He's good with his fists, handy with weapons and is hot on the trail of DeWayne Puryear. It's not long before all hell breaks loose and Jack becomes one of the hunted.
The climax is straight of a "Die Hard" movie.
There is, of course, a woman involved!
If you're in the mood for a fast and furious read you need look no further. I definitely was.
3.5 Stars raised to 4 Stars.
Profile Image for Rachael Gray.
Author 5 books24 followers
January 2, 2025
This book jumps right into the action and doesn't let up. Jack Keller is a man driven by the ghosts of his past, and as a bounty hunter, he always gets his man - or woman.

There is a lot of action, and the author seems knowledgeable regarding guns and (US) police procedure leading to some visceral descriptions of shoot-outs and fights. This book is a compelling tale of how one dumb decision leads to a whole heap of mess and dead bodies. If you like the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child, you'll enjoy this.
Profile Image for Teresa Collins.
1,118 reviews19 followers
January 27, 2025
I enjoyed The Devil's Right Hand for what it is, a basic bounty hunter and bad guy story. There's nothing exceptional about it, but nothing bad about it either. Anyone who has read a lot could probably tell where the story is going from the first page. I could have done without the sex scenes, but that's just me. So, will I try any more of Mr. Rhoades' books? Sure. You never know when you might run across a diamond in the rough.
I received a review copy from the author via Bloodhound Books and this review reflects my honest and voluntary opinion.
614 reviews1 follower
October 22, 2023
Although there were several things that I found enjoyable about this book I thought the stereotypes were bit too much. Combat-damaged vet, strong but broken women, ignorant rednecks, savage drug traffickers, bad cops with giant chips on their shoulders, all taken to the extreme. I may try the next in the series.
1 review
May 21, 2025
The story was good and well crafted, but the editing was atrocious. Words were spelled incorrectly, the wrong character was named once where I had to continue reading to the next page just to know the name that SHOULD have been written. Very frustrating when punctuation is used incorrectly, or not even used at all. It's difficult to read a book that isn't well-edited.
354 reviews4 followers
August 13, 2025
A new author and a new character for me. I really enjoyed the book and the nice characters. The baddies did their job well and the world is a better place without them. Lots of action and a very enjoyable ride. I will now start to read the next book in the series, Good Day in Hell. A big thank you to the author J.D.Rhoades and from me a well deserved 5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Sandy.
1,005 reviews16 followers
February 28, 2020
The Devil's Right Hand

Very interesting and entertaining storyline about a veteran suffering from PTSD who is working as a recovery person for a bonding company. His issues keep him in perilous situations that make interesting reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews

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