Jitter Joint

Jeb Quinlin #1

by Howard Swindle

Jeb Quinlin is an alcoholic, just like his father. His wife and his boss know it, and he knows it, but he hates them for being right. In the opening scene of this dazzling debut, they present Jeb with a choice: enter detox or ruin his marriage and lose his job. His marriage—what the hell—but his job as a homicide detective for the Dallas PD—that's what really matters. So, grabbing his cowboy boots and one last six-pack, he agrees.

No sooner has Jeb settled into his exclusive rehab clinic than there's a murder inside. Then another. The killer's agenda is clear, for each body is tagged with one of AA's famous Twelve Steps. As ill equipped as Jeb is to handle the job, and since his ungrateful boss wants him to, he has no choice—Jeb's perfectly placed to investigate this unusual killer. Before long, staying sober will be the least of his worries.

Genres: Mystery

260 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Clinton Howard Swindle was editor of North Texas' student newspaper, the Campus Chat, in 1968 before being named Outstanding Journalism Graduate. After serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, he worked for the Fort Worth Press and the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, which led to a position with the Dallas Times Herald.

In 1979 he joined the Dallas Morning News, where he worked as a reporter, assistant metropolitan editor and assistant managing editor for projects before becoming a writer-at-large. In 1986, the News won its first Pulitzer Prize for a project that Swindle edited. Projects led by Swindle would later win two other Pulitzers for the paper.

Swindle was the author of several books, including Once a Hero; Doin' Dirty; America's Condemned: Death Row Inmates in Their Own Words; Trespasses: Portrait of a Serial Rapist; and Deliberate Indifference: A Study of Racial Injustice and Murder. Universal Pictures' Eye See You, released in 2002, was based on his novel Jitter Joint.

Reviews

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

my subjective opinion: the cost of publishing is so low that just about anything gets published

this was actually recommended to me (I will be reconsidering that source)

authors might try writing a good stand alone book instead of thinking ser$es

[Susan Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeb Quinlin is a homicide detective who is hijacked by his estranged wife and is boss - take care of your alcoholism or you will be out of a marriage and out of a job. So he checks into a clinic. Murders start to happen. Jitter Joint is the kind of book that lets me know I am not a real book reviewer. I loved this book and I have no idea why. A real reviewer would know. All I know is that the characters are interesting and the dialogue is ok and the plot is ok but the book grabbed me and from the first page to the last, I felt like I had fallen into someplace fascinating. Also I don't know anyone who has read it who hasn't raved about it.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook

A perfectly serviceable little cop thriller. It doesn’t stick to the “maniac kills based on the tenets of Alcoholics Anonymous” bit as much as I’d hoped, but it’s still decent and decently sleazy regardless.

[Nick Hawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could use a few more upbeat people -- well written and good storyline but needs a Theo or a Dino or somebody to at least make you smile.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Then watched the movie and it was great too.

[Marion Mockridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook narrated by Richard Ferrone: Very interesting setting for a homocide mystery: a rehab clinic. Easy reading, great characters, smashing ending!