Memphis Ribs

"Memphis Ribs has brutal killings, a street gang, a skydiving pig, a drug king wannabe and an amusing and interesting plot." St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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.

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.