Memphis Ribs (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pale-eyed, sandy-haired, "just on the edge of... redneck," Memphis homicide detective J.W. Ragsdale eats and banters his way through a rollicking if unoriginal tale of drugs, death and the redemptive powers of barbecue pork. On the eve of Memphis's big f?te, the Cotton Carnival, a group of apparently unconnected people are murdered. Wealthy white socialite Aires Saxon, father of this year's Cotton Maid, is found dead at home, his bodyguard dozing upstairs. A drunken, white conventioner is stabbed at a cash machine, and three small-time, black street dealers are shot to death on Baby Street. When he realizes that sleuthing at the Saxons' Mississippi plantation will also allow him to satisfy his yen for catfishing at state expense, Ragsdale is off and running. The story that unfolds won't be unfamiliar to veteran mystery fans, but Duff retells it with gusto and humor. And when it comes to describing the flavor of barbecue as well as the sights and sounds of a festival, Duff gives Calvin Trillin a run for his money. Duff's also got the local dialect and dialogue down cold. With writing so good, however, readers may leave wishing he'd take on something more substantial next time out.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Well-heeled shysters, in-fighting gang members, and overworked police share a very particular locale known as Memphis. Sergeant J.W. Ragsdale and partner Tyrone struggle to contain the rampaging Bone Family gang, which has begun trading drugs with a certain well-known "legitimate" businessman whose father has just been murdered. Murder, vandalism, some wild barbecue, and a few sexual escapades keep the novel jumping. Tense action, realistic dialog, intermittent humor, and somewhat novel surrounds make this a good buy for larger collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 209 pages
• Publisher: Salvo Press; 1st edition (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966452011
• ISBN-13: 978-0966452013
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,143,828 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Rib Tickler., January 4, 2001

By	Christopher B. Jonnes "author of BIG ICE and... (Stillwater, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Gerald Duff's Memphis Ribs is a funny book. Its best quality lies in the dialogue engaged by its main character, Memphis police detective J.W. Ragsdale. I'm from Minnesota, where the best we can come up with is "yah" and "you betcha," so I can't say how accurate the dialect is. But it was enjoyable reading. The comebacks and phrasing were hilarious. Ragsdale is an immediately likable protagonist. Duff's ability to write dialogue reminds me of Robert B. Parker.

The story develops nicely too: drugs and murder all set against the backdrop of Memphis and Ragsdale's passion for barbecued pork ribs. I was surprised by how much there is to learn about barbecuing pork. Up here we just throw a couple of beer-soaked brats on the grill and take 'em off when they split. Duff teaches us that the subtleties in cooking methodology and geographical origin of barbecued pork are as varied and consequential as in the world of fine wines.

Though the ending left me a bit confused, Memphis Ribs is overall a good effort.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memphian with an open mind, November 24, 2003

By	"bajagirl333" (Memphis, TN United States) - See all my reviews

Take a break people. This book is a great read and very entertaining. For the fact checker who detailed the 10 wrong things, really now. It's fiction!!! In fiction you change things in your story sometimes just a tiny bit. As someone who also went to Rhodes I would think that you would have learned the difference. (By the way my brother went to MUS and I have been known to refer to it as Memphis University School)

I highly recommend this book if you want a good laugh/ mystery. It is even funnier if you have any exposure to the cotton carnival element of Memphis.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good detective thriller set in Memphis TN, October 2, 1999

By	Tayloe Nickey (Memphis, Tennessee) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is very entertaining and fun to read. It has a fast moving story and likeable characters. It is a good detective thriller set in Delta blues country. The hero, J W Ragsdale, is a great, hard bitten detective character. I'd like to see another book with him as the leading character. A friend bought this book for me and I wasn't sure what I was in for....I loved it.Duff did a great job.