Prime

Rickey and G-Man #3

by Poppy Z. Brite

Two years after the opening of Liquor, New Orleans chefs Rickey and G-man are immersed in the life of their restaurant, enjoying a loyal cast of diners, and cooking great booze-laced food. All’s well until a bad review in a local paper not-so-subtly hints that their “silent” backer, celebrity chef Lenny Duveteaux, has ulterior motives. When Lenny is accused of serious criminal activity by eccentric D.A. Placide Treat, Rickey and G-man realize it may be time to end their dependence on him.

When Rickey is offered a plum consulting job at a Dallas restaurant, it seems the perfect way to beef up their bank account. But taking the gig will mean a reunion with Cooper Stark, the older chef with whom Rickey shared an unsettling cocaine-fueled encounter back in culinary school, as well as dealing with gung-ho Texas businessman/restaurateur Frank Firestone. At G-man’s urging, Rickey finally accepts the offer and revamps Firestone’s menu to rave reviews.

Home in New Orleans, Rickey has just settled back into his daily kitchen routine when he receives disturbing information that forces his return to Dallas. As Placide Treat’s machinations grow ever more bizarre, G-man learns that there’s more to the story—and that Rickey is in Texas-size danger.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Food, Queer, Mystery, Contemporary, Gay

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2005

About the author

Poppy Z. Brite (born Melissa Ann Brite, now going by Billy Martin) is an American author born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Born a biological female, Brite has written and talked much about his gender dysphoria/gender identity issues. He self-identifies almost completely as a homosexual male rather than female, and as of 2011 has started taking testosterone injections. His male name is Billy Martin.

He lived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Athens, Georgia prior to returning to New Orleans in 1993. He loves UNC basketball and is a sometime season ticket holder for the NBA, but he saves his greatest affection for his hometown football team, the New Orleans Saints.

Brite and husband Chris DeBarr, a chef, run a de facto cat rescue and have, at any given time, between fifteen and twenty cats. Photos of the various felines are available on the "Cats" page of Brite's website. They have been known to have a few dogs and perhaps a snake as well in the menagerie. They are no longer together.

During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Brite at first opted to stay at home, but he eventually abandoned New Orleans and his cats and relocated 80 miles away to his mother's home in Mississippi. He used his blog to update his fans regarding the situation, including the unknown status of his house and many of his pets, and in October 2005 became one of the first 70,000 New Orleanians to begin repopulating the city.

In the following months, Brite has been an outspoken and sometimes harsh critic of those who are leaving New Orleans for good. He was quoted in the New York Times and elsewhere as saying, in reference to those considering leaving, "If you’re ever lucky enough to belong somewhere, if a place takes you in and you take it into yourself, you don't desert it just because it can kill you. There are things more valuable than life."

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of Rickey and Gman's exploits and adventures in the food industry. I wished that this series went on forever.

[Alia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This didnt work for me, maybe it works for other people.

[Trin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adventure in the lives of Rickey and G-Man: chefs, lovers, and constant in-shenanigans-getters. This one is more mystery-focused than the previous, but no less delightful: absolute comfort food.

[Tom Ratliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stacy, did you recommend this writer to me? Or did I read about her in The Advocate? Not sure, but I'm hooked. Two gay chefs who are lovers and who run a successful restaurant in New Orleans go through crime/suspense story, and it's fun and addictive! I'm ordering the rest of her stuff ASAP, especially if on Kindel.

[Goose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one as much as I liked Liquor. It could just be that I read part of Liquor while in New Orleans. Much of Prime seems shrug worthy. While I still like Brite's writing and the main characters of Rickey and G-man, the plot of this book didn't spark great interest until the final third. The supporting characters once again seemed to be trying too hard to be quirky people you might see in a Tarantino movie. Most troubling though was the development of "Most beautiful girl in the world syndrome" in this book. It seems that every gay man that sets eyes on either Rickey or G-man, find them undeniably attractive and must do everything they can to continue seeing them. Bleh. The final third of the novel earned it 3 stars but I'm hoping for something better next time around.

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rickey and G-man's restaurant, Liquor, has been open for two years and things are going well. When Rickey gets the opportunity to do consulting work for a restaurant in Dallas, it seems like a good opportunity for them to get ahead on cash to ultimately help them buy out their investor, Lenny. Lenny's got his own issues going on - the current DA is out to get him (probably justified), and he has been arrested. Things get complicated, as they do, with plenty of great food writing, insight into the restaurant world, corruption and more. The storyline is enjoyable and it is a fun read. While I love the food writing in these (even though it makes me hungry in almost every chapter), the thing that stands out for me is the relationship between Rickey and G-man. They have been a couple since they were 16, and they love and respect each other. Their relationship has it's challenges as all relationships do, but for each of them, the trust and respect that they have for each other is greater than everything else. I love the way Brite writes about their relationship - no over the top drama in their love life, no traumatic endings - just a realistic portrayal of a healthy relationship.

[Capiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three things I love about this series.

First: This isn't a series about being gay. It isn't a "human interest" book where the sexual orientation of the characters involved is the sole purpose of its existence -- these are stories about food and crime and New Orleans in which the sexuality of the main characters is basically irrelevant. They are gay, but the fact that they're gay has absolutely no bearing on why the rest of the events involved unfold the way they do, any more than it would if they were straight. I love that Brite (Billy) takes the sensationalism out of it. This isn't a "gay" book. It's just a book, and that's awesome.

Second: The stories show a rich and abiding love for the hometown stomping grounds, but it's not a glorified, romanticized version. New Orleans is highlighted in all its flawed perfection -- it's an honest outlook told with great love. It makes me cherish the city even more because it's *not* tarted up and whored out to us in its flashy finest.

Third: Plain and simple - it makes me hungry. I'm not a foodie by any stretch, but I love good food. There are few simple pleasures as fine and as accessible as eating at a new restaurant with an enticing menu, few anticipations as easy to savor gleefully as poring over that enticing menu, trying to narrow down which one of the amazing things you've read you're going to try. These books embody that exact feeling, and make me want to go rummaging around in my kitchen.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Didn't like it as much as Liquor; most probably because I felt the story was rather dragging with the investigation on Lenny, that just ended up going, well, nowhere. I wasn't huge on Rickey going to Dallas, be a consultant for Prime, and had the "brush with temptation" with Cooper Stark.

The story did pick up, I think about the last quarter -- when Cooper was found dead -- and all the conspiracies came to light. I actually noticed the clues in the middle, although at that time, I didn't really know the 'clues' would be important for what later become the mystery.

As characters, I still enjoyed Rickey and G-Man. The contrast of their personalities were entertaining. Rickey was the hot-tempered-trouble-magnet guy, while G-Man was more pragmatic. I am still a bit uncertain with Lenny's presence in Rickey and G-Man's life. I hope the men really decided to buy Lenny out of Liquor, and made the restaurant fully theirs. Lenny was kind of, well, slimy ... being associated with him must not be good for the long run.

I will continue with this series -- though I do wait for another big Kobo discount code to buy the next book

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second in Poppy Z. Brite's Liquor series was just as enjoyable as the first, Liquor. Prime picks up the story of Rickey and G-man, owners of the New Orleans restaurant, Liquor. Prime delves more deeply into their relationship as both business and life partners, as their success as chefs changes everything at a fundamental level. As with Liquor, I love Poppy Z. Brite's engaging and entertaining writing style. Her knowledge of food and the inner workings of the restaurant world create a richly-layered story that pulls the reader into this world that can almost be smelled and tasted. The New Orleans culture plays no small part in this series and only adds more texture and substance to the book. The juxtaposition of Dallas (where Rickey takes a consulting job as well as confronts a difficult part of his past) as a contrast in both culture and food worked very well. I liked this second installment even better than the first book.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prime is the second novel . In the New Orleans Kitchen /food/ restaurant series. It,s two years after the opening of Liquor. G-Man and Rickey are doing okay. Rickey wants to fly on his own and not be in debt to Lenny. When Rickey takes on a consulting job that will bring in much needed cash, He meets an old friend and tries to juggle ethics, pride, revenge and political mayhem. Rickey and G-Man are still an interesting and stable couple. very interesting story line.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another story about the life and adventures of G-Man and Ricky, 2 guys who started their own restaurant. Just as the previous book, Liquor, this book is just wonderfully written and you find yourself devouring it sentence by sentence.

[Holly Interlandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I was in deep when Hurricane Katrina hit and my first thought was 'I hope Rickey and G-man are okay!'

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite authors. Longer review in second line.

[Missy (myweereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…the possibility filled him with an austere, dreamy terror like the fear of death.”

Poppy Z Brite’s third novel in this series picks up two years after Liquor was opened by Ricky and G-man. Thing have been great until a bad review in a local paper hints that their “silent” partner has ulterior motives. Rickey is offered a consulting job at a restaurant in Dallas which would bring him to Cooper Stark. He once had a cocaine fuelled encounter with him at culinary school, although he doesn’t want to face this ghost from his past he needs the money. After settling back in New Orleans, Rickey is needed back in Dallas due to strange events. G-man soon realises Rickey may be in danger.

I was looking forward to another instalment of this story when picking this up and it did not disappoint.

By now the reader is well acquainted with Rickey and G-man’s past and how they came to be successful however insecurities always find a way to creep in. To secure a better financial future for them both G-man encourages Rickey to go to Dallas, although the trouble started with that review, this is where it escalades.

The story steers towards drama, emotional encounters, gangsters and a chase to save the one you love.

As with the previous novel there are funny and heartwarming moments with those of high tension of being in a busy kitchen. Past and current relationships are under strain. The couple are truly tested beyond their limits.

I enjoyed Prime and look forward to continuing onto the next book Soul Kitchen.

[Tina Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rickey and G-man are back in the follow-up to the New Orleans-based restaurant thriller Liquor, once again tangled in shady politics, innovative dining, and a mysterious death. Fully immersed in the day-to-day dealings of their successful restaurant, chefs, co-owners, and couple Rickey and G-man are content serving booze-laced food and making a name for themselves in the industry. When a strange offer from a well-known restauranteur in Texas arrives in the mail, requesting Rickey for a chef consulting gig and resurrecting a dark figure from his past, the couple are thrown into a booze-addled culinary mystery once again. This is the 3rd book in the series, and what Brite does best shines through once again in this novel: character. Brite's characters are three-dimensional and well-defined, identifiable but still uniquely human in their own way. Rickey and G-man are such likable, regular guys - brilliant in their own right but still down-to-earth - that one wishes you could meet them in real life, just to share a beer and listen to them talk. The couple's chemistry is once again a standout strong point in the story, but doesn't detract from other characters or relationships. This is the perfect read for foodies, aspiring chefs, natives of New Orleans, or anyone craving a deliciously-good page-turner.

[James Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suddenly, seemingly out of the blue Rickey gets an office to consult for a restaurant in Dallas for a large amount of money. Since he has been finding to find a way to buy out Lenny's part of Liquor so he will have full independence, he decides to take it.

So begins another episode in the life of G-man and Rickey, their lives together, separated briefly again, which is hard on both of them. As if that is not enough, the head chef at the restaurant that Rickey is consulting at is none other than an older chef that he had an experience with back when he was in culinary school so this is a revisit to some bad memories as well.

Anyway, it is a good story, and once again, I am hoping for the best for this young couple and wondering what is going happen next in their New Orleans life, dealing with political corruption and all manner of odd characters that make up this city on the gulf.

[J.R. Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prime packed all of the intensity of Liquor, and then kicked it up about ten notches. In the third installment of the Rickey and G-man series, we start to see fragments of Rickey's past, with stakes higher than Liquor would lead you to expect. The drama is intense and jarring, and it leaves you guessing until the last few chapters.

There's something brilliant about how Rickey and G-man interact, even when they're far apart, and there's something poetic about Rickey hating to go anywhere and being forced to explore a new place anyway.

If you loved Liquor, you'll love Prime. Same sort of story, but on steroids (or cocaine).

[Cali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparemment ce livre est le deuxième tome d'une série. Je l'ai lu sans avoir lu le premier tome et ça ne m'a pas fait défaut. Le personnage de Rickey est insupportable et j'ai trouvé que le livre était mal écrit (ou plutôt mal traduit je pense...). "j'ai un ketru pour lui"... Oui le verlan existe mais là à chaque fois qu'il y avait de l'argot c'était grossier et ridicule. Je ne sais pas si c'est un problème de traduction ou si c'est comme ça dans l'original pour faire rire mais bon... Malgré tout l'intrigue était prenante même si j'avais déjà deviné tous les "plot twist". Ça se lit, l'aspect culinaire est intéressant

[Judah Tasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

This is the third book in the series, the first book was amazing and I loved every second of it. The second book was good and I really enjoyed it, but sometimes I felt that the focus on food detracted slightly from the story, but it was still a solid four star read.

This book was the perfect blend of the two, and had the page turning suspense that Poppy’s old horror books had (although this is still far from horror). This book was full of tension, excitement, crime and Poppy’s unique take on romance.

I can’t wait to read the next installment.

[Doujia2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Gay domestic bliss and the everyday labour of running a restaurant, once again spiced up with some criminal shenanigans that are frankly sloppy as fuck, but you’ll let it slide, because these characters worth suspending every shred of disbelief for.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry in the Ricky and G-Man saga. It can be horror or a drama about two chefs and Poppy never fails to write a great story.

[Tetiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

chef's kiss (hehe) of a book

[Vora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ! Prime is as entertaining as Liquor, still funny and the relationship between G-Man and Ricky is cute and realistic. Prime is a non-stop page turner.

[Venus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book (and the series) something like 4 years ago. I really enjoyed the first in the series but I think that this one, at the time, was a worse read for me. I think I really see what old me saw then. The first half of this book is good. Rickey and G-Man are dealing with insecurity over their restaurant and having some tiffs between themselves because of Rickey's attitude. It feels real and interesting, for the most part. Really just good character drama with a backdrop of legal scandal.

The second half is where it starts getting weird. I liked the parts with Cooper Stark. Once again, character drama. An old flame stirs up shit but the heroes stay together and faithful to each other. It's not crazy or ground breaking. I think this is how Mr. Brite's older works kind of worm into this slice of life, cooking comfort read and make it... weird. The second half begins the weird thriller/suspense novel where Rickey ends up trying to solve a murder mystery. But it doesn't have nearly the interest of a murder mystery and it's solved at the end by no one. The evil-doer explains what he did with little cost to our heroes.

What a very strange and eclectic way to write this kind of story. It feels like Brite couldn't decide what kind of story he wanted to write at the time. Or maybe, he did but it just wasn't cohesive enough for me. Either way, I enjoyed this work since it checks a lot of squares for me. I love having LGBT characters. Love character drama. Love gritty and dark. Love cooking. Just not sure how I like them all together. I feel like it worked so much better in the first book in this series. I recall the next in this series also worked a lot better (though I could be misremembering).

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading this series, I believe Liquor for the third time and this for the second time. Last picked this up 5 or 6 years ago. I love this series, mostly for the two main characters, Rickey and G-Man. The setting is great, the characters are real and fully drawn out, and these books are great at transporting you to someplace new and different. I love the details about the food they cook, the process of creating gourmet food and the day to day business of running a restaurant. Even prep is interesting in this series! I liked Liquor so much this time around, reading it this year. Something about the characters and setting just brings me to my happy place. In that book, you get to read a sweet story about two hard working, honest, just good guys becoming successful. This time, I didn't like Prime as much as I think I did when I first read it. Half of the story has to do with the New Orleans D.A.'s case against Lenny, Rickey and G Man's patron, and that just didn't seem very interesting to me. I did enjoy the development of Rickey and G Man's relationship here, and it's worth reading if you love the characters.

The best thing about Poppy Z. Brite's books is the top notch character development. I can't quite put my finger on why, but all of these people just feel so real to me. Looking forward to reading Soul Kitchen again. I wish there were 100 of these books.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a very different flavour (har har) than Poppy Z. Brite's other works, even more so than Liquor, Prime's predecessor. While Liquor did have elements of a mystery/suspense type story in the end, it was far more about the restaurant and the food than about that aspect of the story. Prime is the other way, where it's more about the mystery, and less about the food, though the food is still definitely there. Prime also features a lot more delving into Rickey and G-Man's personal life, and their romantic relationship. I loved Liquor for being more light-hearted, but I love this one for being more personal. I also really appreciate that it's a couple that have been together for a long time, and that urgency and passion aren't there, as is natural when you've been with someone for a long time, but the deeper, long-term love is that you don't see that often in any kind of 'romantic media'. I kind of hate to use that word, since Prime is far from a romance, but it's nice to see a couple that are faithful and comfortable. And again, the food described sounded delicious. If I had the patience, and time, for cooking, I'd definitely want to try out some of that stuff. Particularly when Brite started describing all the foie gras stuff.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read the first book in Poppy Z. Brite's series, Liquor, you really need to read this sequel. I rated Liquor three stars, but Prime deserves four.

I am about to begin the third book, Soul Kitchen.

Brite writes with such an authentic New Orleans voice. I just love it when I stumble upon references to Louisiana gems such as Frankie and Johnny commercials and sno-balls. I laugh at how all of the local characters just don't understand "dry" counties and giving up beer for Lent.

The setting is obviously my favorite aspect of these restaurant-based books. However, I do enjoy reading about the day-to-day drama of working as a cook, chef, etc. I've never worked in the service industry except for a college job as a barista at Pj's Coffee in the LSU student union. But I think people who have worked in the industry will savor (get it?) these books.

The relationship between G-Man and Rickey faces challenges in Prime when Rickey accepts a consulting gig in Dallas. The author takes slight jabs at the huge, uninteresting (IMHO) city, which I thoroughly appreciated. I mean, come on.. what is Dallas compared to New Orleans?

[Joshua Gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one a little more than Liquor, but once again I had mixed feelings about it. Rickey's continued insistence on being an ignorant hot-tempered regular joe got on my nerves. He seemed so appalled by Dallas and 'fish out of water' to the extent I thought he might shrivel up and die if he didn't get home to New Orleans soon. I'm surprised his short time in New York didn't cause him to physically explode into nothingness. Rickey seems to revel in his own ignorance, and I just don't understand. Poppy Z Brite also used some really gnarly adverbs, like 'tangily' and 'gassily' in this one, and once again her dialogue came off as strange and sometimes unrealistic. On the other hand, I started to kind of get it. The relationship between Rickey and G-Man seemed more believable, I once again enjoyed reading about the food. This book was also more complex and interesting plot-wise than the previous one. I once again found myself enjoying it without realizing I was enjoying it. There were also a lot of good and creative descriptions that I appreciated and reminded me of why I enjoyed earlier books.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rickey gets called to consult on a Dallas restaurant, and though reluctant, he and G-Man see the big bucks as a way to gain independence from Lenny. Lovely New Orleans weather, dark familiar streets, seedy secrets and dishonest politicians. Lenny sails through a dicey situation and Rickey and G-man cement and celebrate their love. They continue to celebrate good food at Liquor and mature as chef-restaurant owners.

Lenny is clearly Emeril, but who is Cooper Stark - this dissolute, dubious CIA and NYC chef struggling to redeem his career in Dallas? Wish I knew the world of culinary celebs better to guess the character.

Delaying D*U*C*K as long as I can - wish there were more in this series!

--Ashland Mystery

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book following Liquor, which I read earlier this year. Rickey and G-Man have been running their restaurant successfully in New Orleans for several years, even attaining somewhat of a local cult status. Rickey is asked to work as a consultant in Dallas, but doesn't know what lurks under the surface of the arrangement. These books are gems, not like much else out there. There is a bit of mystery in each one, but I wouldn't call them mysteries. They are set in restaurants but they aren't foodie lit (although people who like kitchen culture would enjoy them).