Saturday, October 9, 2010

The Golden Hustla-Wahida Clark

The Golden Hustla
Wahida Clark
Grand Central, Oct 19 2010, $14.99
ISBN: 9780446178105

In New Jersey, just a few days after Nina’s younger brother D-Rock was killed, a check cashing scandal leaves Michelle dead and Peedie severely wounded. Nina flees but not before she takes two kilos of drugs from her from dealing former boyfriend. She sells the drugs so she has a stake to start over far from New Jersey, but leaves her three children back in the not so Garden State.

Nina moves to Decatur, Georgia where she becomes Alexis, a telemarketer selling magazines. The money stinks and the insults are worse. She ignores her pledge when she fled her home to go straight and accepts a sales position at slimy WMM (We Make Millionaires) Agency. There she sells a lottery like opportunity to win a fortune in gold coins. Local hunk cops are undercover while the FBI is conducting surveillance of WMM at a time the CEO orders a hit on a client’s nephew, who is asking questions.

This street lit stars a terrific noir anti heroine who is one step ahead of the law and the crooks with her other step sliding into a coffin or a cell. Men try to play her, as betrayal is the name of the game when a million dollars are at stake. The Golden Hustla is a strong thriller as the last man or woman standing may be dead too.

Harriet Klausner

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