Flamethrower (Ruby Murphy Mysteries) [Paperback]

Maggie Estep (Author)

Book Description

Series: Ruby Murphy Mysteries | Publication Date: September 26, 2006

In the newest Ruby Murphy mystery, New York’s inadvertent sleuth discovers more about her shrink than she could have ever imagined as the doctor turns the tables, enlisting her help in the hunt for a one-legged man who’s been kidnapped and hidden in the Rockaways. Life gets even stranger when Ruby is inexplicably fired from her job at the Coney Island Museum, her friend Violet’s best racehorse is suddenly put up for sale, and a blue Honda begins shadowing Ruby’s every move as she journeys into the wilds of Pennsylvania in search of the woman she always thought had all the answers.

Between her apartment that is spitting distance from the Cyclone rollercoaster, the barn deep in a no-man’s-land where she stables her horse, and the racetrack that is consuming her boyfriend, Ruby already knows her share of eccentric New York misfits. But in Flamethrower, she may have finally met her dangerous match.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Ruby Murphy—Brooklyn resident, cat whisperer and mad-dash urban bicyclist—notices a human leg in her psychiatrist's fish tank in her third diverting sleuthing adventure (after 2004's Gargantuan), the limb proves to belong to Tobias Ray, the estranged spouse of Dr. Jody Ray, Ruby's coolly professional therapist. Once over the shock, Jody begs Ruby to help hunt for Tobias, an apparent kidnapping victim. But just when Ruby finds the one-legged Tobias, Jody disappears. Meanwhile, Ruby is inexplicably fired from her job at the Coney Island Museum; her live-in boyfriend suddenly needs "space"; and her only loyal friend is Jack Valentine, her beloved horse. Though the plot meanders and takes a tortoise-and-hare nap occasionally, Estep's wry observations, razor-sharp wit and deliciously vivid characters will keep readers turning the pages. (Sept.)
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Review

“Maggie Estep is a writer of a thousand voices. . . . She can get into just about anyone’s head, including the horses who are such strong, individualized characters in this series.” —New York Times Book Review

“[Estep’s] vividly drawn characters and the wit of their interchanges . . . rip through the constraints of the [mystery] genre. I was blown away by the gale force of Estep’s talent.” —Salon.com

“This is a book that burns like brilliance at its zenith.” —Ken Bruen, author of The Dramatist

“Maggie Estep writes like no one else. She is one of my favorite writers, and Flamethrower might be her best book. Do yourself a favor and read all of her books now.” —Sara Gran, author of Dope and Come Closer

“A tour de force of mystery fiction and a maniacally hilarious black comedy . . . Ruby Murphy is a terrifically flawed protagonist, operating one step ahead of disaster. . . . With Flamethrower, Estep is at the top of her game.” —Jason Starr, author of Lights Out

“It’s always such a joy to enter Maggie Estep’s world, where everyone—dogs, horses, people, and places—is unique, real, and treated with respect, even when they’re completely demented. Ruby Murphy is a great character and I enjoy every minute I spend with her.” —S. J. Rozan, author of Absent Friends

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (September 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400082730
• ISBN-13: 978-1400082735
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,079,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another challenge for Ruby, January 9, 2007

By 

B. York - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flamethrower (Ruby Murphy Mysteries) (Paperback)

If you love the low keyed style of New York you'll love reading Estep's books about a "hot walker" called Ruby Murphy. To me, her sleuthing is secondary to great descriptions of New York, race tracks and biking all over Coney Island on the shoreline. Can't wait for the next challenge.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars huge disappointment, November 10, 2006

By 

M. S. Butch (Katonah, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Flamethrower (Ruby Murphy Mysteries) (Paperback)

I enjoy Ruby, although I think it's time for Ms. Estep to develop her a bit more. Why does she live the life she does, for example. The greater issue for me, however, is the slightness of both book and story. Both lacked depth, not depth as in profundity, which I'm not looking for, but depth as in dimension and development. Nothing is fully enough explored or explained. The character of "Flamethrower" herself does not make sense to me; we needed more background and a more believable development. All in all, to be satisfying this story should have been twice as long.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars gritty and dark urban noir thriller, September 30, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flamethrower (Ruby Murphy Mysteries) (Paperback)

Ruby is seeing psychiatrist Dr. Judy Ray to try to come to terms with seeing her lover killed before her very eyes. During their appointment, Ruby goes to the bathroom and sees a foot in the fishtank. Judy sees it and identifies it as belonging to her estranged husband Tobias because of the birthmark on the calf of the leg. There is also a note that says "No Police. Just Wait." Judy refuses to call the police and ends her appointment with Ruby.

Later, Judy asks her to find Tobias who might be at a second hideaway in the Rockaways; Ruby agrees to help her. She finds Tobias and learns that he orchestrated the plot but his partner got carried away and cut off his leg as proof that the man was in danger. Ruby leaves and finds that her live in lover wants to leave her because he received some pornographic pictures with her in it and her boss fires her because he believes she stole some money from him. When Tobias offers her $1000 to find Judy who disappeared she accepts because she need the money, not realizing her action will cause a tragedy.

FLAMETHROWER is a gritty and dark urban noir thriller. The protagonist is an interesting individual who copes admirably when her life seems at its bleakest. Readers get an interesting tour of Brooklyn and somewhat Queens, the kind tourists don't see. There is only one villain in this story but that person comes as a surprise to readers who hardly notice the character as Maggie Estep knows how to tell a good story about the lost and lonely people who frequent Ruby's world.

Harriet Klausner