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Ruby Murphy #2
Gargantuan
Maggie Estep’s critically praised heroine, Ruby Murphy, is back! Back in Coney Island with a bunch of endearing misfits, back at the racetrack ogling thoroughbreds, and back learning that, on the seamy side of the sport of kings, survival can be a long shot.
Ruby’s life is nothing if not she’s spending a lot of her time worrying about a jockey named Attila Johnson; a good-hearted Teamster with a bad back; a neighbor who is suspicious of anything that moves; one very fat cat who craves raw meat; a missing FBI agent; an underused piano; a few fine horses—and the sure knowledge that somehow, somewhere, there is a killer among them.
Ruby’s life is nothing if not she’s spending a lot of her time worrying about a jockey named Attila Johnson; a good-hearted Teamster with a bad back; a neighbor who is suspicious of anything that moves; one very fat cat who craves raw meat; a missing FBI agent; an underused piano; a few fine horses—and the sure knowledge that somehow, somewhere, there is a killer among them.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2004
About the author
Maggie Estep
25 books58 followersMaggie Estep grew up moving throughout the US and France with her nomadic horse trainer parents. She attended the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics in Boulder, Co. and received a B.A. in Literature from The State University of New York.
Before publishing her first novel, Maggie worked as a horse groom, a go-go dancer, a dishwasher, a nurse's aide, and a box factory worker. Maggie has published seven books, DIARY OF AN EMOTIONAL IDIOT (Harmony Books 1997, Soft Skull 2003) SOFT MANIACS (Simon and Schuster 1999) LOVE DANCE OF THE MECHANICAL ANIMALS (Three Rivers Press 2003) HEX (Three Rivers Press 2003) GARGANTUAN (Three Rivers Press 2004) FLAMETHROWER (Three Rivers Press 2006) and ALICE FANTASTIC (Akashic Books 2009). HEX, the first book in Maggie's trilogy of crime novels, was chosen by the New York Times as a notable book of 2003.
Maggie has recorded two spoken word CD's, NO MORE MR. NICE GIRL (Nuyo Records 1994) and LOVE IS A DOG FROM HELL (Mercury Records 1997).
She has given readings of her work at cafes, clubs, and colleges throughout the US and Europe and has also performed her work on The Charlie Rose Show, MTV, PBS, and HBO's "Def Poetry Jam". Her writing has appeared in The New York Post, Self Magazine, Village Voice, New York Press, Harpers Bazaar, Spin, and Nerve.com, as well as in dozens of anthologies including but not limited to BROOKLYN NOIR, THE BEST AMERICAN EROTICA, and HARD BOILED BROOKLYN.
She is currently at work on The Angelmakers, a novel about female gangsters in late 19th century New York.
(from MaggieEstep.com 2-4-09)
Estep suffered a heart attack on February 10, 2014 and died from complications of it on February 12, 2014. She was 50. [Wikipedia]
Before publishing her first novel, Maggie worked as a horse groom, a go-go dancer, a dishwasher, a nurse's aide, and a box factory worker. Maggie has published seven books, DIARY OF AN EMOTIONAL IDIOT (Harmony Books 1997, Soft Skull 2003) SOFT MANIACS (Simon and Schuster 1999) LOVE DANCE OF THE MECHANICAL ANIMALS (Three Rivers Press 2003) HEX (Three Rivers Press 2003) GARGANTUAN (Three Rivers Press 2004) FLAMETHROWER (Three Rivers Press 2006) and ALICE FANTASTIC (Akashic Books 2009). HEX, the first book in Maggie's trilogy of crime novels, was chosen by the New York Times as a notable book of 2003.
Maggie has recorded two spoken word CD's, NO MORE MR. NICE GIRL (Nuyo Records 1994) and LOVE IS A DOG FROM HELL (Mercury Records 1997).
She has given readings of her work at cafes, clubs, and colleges throughout the US and Europe and has also performed her work on The Charlie Rose Show, MTV, PBS, and HBO's "Def Poetry Jam". Her writing has appeared in The New York Post, Self Magazine, Village Voice, New York Press, Harpers Bazaar, Spin, and Nerve.com, as well as in dozens of anthologies including but not limited to BROOKLYN NOIR, THE BEST AMERICAN EROTICA, and HARD BOILED BROOKLYN.
She is currently at work on The Angelmakers, a novel about female gangsters in late 19th century New York.
(from MaggieEstep.com 2-4-09)
Estep suffered a heart attack on February 10, 2014 and died from complications of it on February 12, 2014. She was 50. [Wikipedia]
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 21, 2019
Maggie Estep lived a fascinating life. Novelist, poet, MTV correspondent. I think it would have been quite something to have known her when she was alive. Sadly, she passed (seemingly unexpectedly) in 2014.
Hex, her first book in the Ruby Murphy took me two tries to get into, not because it’s bad or complicated but because her style is so unique. Each chapter happens from the POV of a different character, and each character is infused with a lived-in personality. But the plotting happens at a glacial pace. Estep’s thing is to allow you to spend plenty of time with the characters before you know what’s going on.
She perfects that style in Gargantuan. Knowing now what to expect, I found this to be an improvement on the first book in the series, though I enjoyed both of them. This is more of a “thriller” than an actual mystery, although again, it doesn’t read like a thriller. But it allows us a deeper dive into Ruby’s life, the racing scene of New York City, and the quirky nature of the book’s characters.
I also like that these books portray a side of New York City you don’t often see. Most NYC-based novels take place in Manhattan or trendier parts of Brooklyn. Ruby is on the outreaches of the city and while others may romanticize Coney Island, it’s not presented as the most charming place to live. The book further reaches out to Aqueduct and Belmont. Since I’ve never spent serious time in those places, I have to keep reminding myself that this takes place in the city. That’s a good thing. I appreciate the tourist-y aspect of these novels.
I’ll have to get to book three at some point and that’ll be that. A shame.
Hex, her first book in the Ruby Murphy took me two tries to get into, not because it’s bad or complicated but because her style is so unique. Each chapter happens from the POV of a different character, and each character is infused with a lived-in personality. But the plotting happens at a glacial pace. Estep’s thing is to allow you to spend plenty of time with the characters before you know what’s going on.
She perfects that style in Gargantuan. Knowing now what to expect, I found this to be an improvement on the first book in the series, though I enjoyed both of them. This is more of a “thriller” than an actual mystery, although again, it doesn’t read like a thriller. But it allows us a deeper dive into Ruby’s life, the racing scene of New York City, and the quirky nature of the book’s characters.
I also like that these books portray a side of New York City you don’t often see. Most NYC-based novels take place in Manhattan or trendier parts of Brooklyn. Ruby is on the outreaches of the city and while others may romanticize Coney Island, it’s not presented as the most charming place to live. The book further reaches out to Aqueduct and Belmont. Since I’ve never spent serious time in those places, I have to keep reminding myself that this takes place in the city. That’s a good thing. I appreciate the tourist-y aspect of these novels.
I’ll have to get to book three at some point and that’ll be that. A shame.
October 29, 2020
This follows the same formula as Hex, so I knew what I was getting into (lots of different viewpoints, not all entirely relevant to the major plotline) but still was better than Hex in my opinion.
Ruby is still not a detective at all and the mystery only exists insomuch as maybe it's time to cancel racetracks? This is from around 2004 but not sure that we can really like horse racing anymore...plus so much danger to people too!
This is a darker read than Hex, it's complicated, Ruby is complicated. I really appreciate that she is a cat person and their care and feeding is written into the storyline. So...I'm on board for the next in the series. Even though I don't ever feel particularly compelled to keep reading. Ugh.
Ruby is still not a detective at all and the mystery only exists insomuch as maybe it's time to cancel racetracks? This is from around 2004 but not sure that we can really like horse racing anymore...plus so much danger to people too!
This is a darker read than Hex, it's complicated, Ruby is complicated. I really appreciate that she is a cat person and their care and feeding is written into the storyline. So...I'm on board for the next in the series. Even though I don't ever feel particularly compelled to keep reading. Ugh.
September 18, 2016
Maggie Estep could spin a terrific tale. Gargantuan is not as humorous as it's predecessor, Hex, but it certainly had its moments, and as in much of her writing, the dialogue always seemed to be in the right voice, regardless of a character's gender or age; always attuned to the circumstances. Of course, it is virtually impossible not to hear her Maggie's voice when Ruby speaks.
December 21, 2010
i'm not sure about this one... it was another uncorrected proof copy with really poor binding, which physically disintegrated before i finished. a little distracting picking up pages and putting them back.
the plot didn't take off until pretty far along, for a mystery. usually something mysterious happens fairly early on, but i think this was more like page 140 or something. and the main character didn't solve the mystery. it just happened to run into her. so i'm not sure.
i did like the "horse goes into a bar" joke.
the plot didn't take off until pretty far along, for a mystery. usually something mysterious happens fairly early on, but i think this was more like page 140 or something. and the main character didn't solve the mystery. it just happened to run into her. so i'm not sure.
i did like the "horse goes into a bar" joke.
July 20, 2009
Although its predecessor was ok, the same themes continued in this book, but delved further into horses and the horse racing world. Also, the title character, Ruby, rather diminished into the background of the story. As a result, I was bored and hoping it would be done soon.
October 27, 2007
Eh, not very interesting. Not much made out of the shifting viewpoint, not a very mysterious mystery, not much explanation of all the changes at the end.
Maybe if you really like the ponies.
Maybe if you really like the ponies.
June 16, 2011
Definitely better than Hex. A perfect way to continue the series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews