St. Louis Hustle (Nam Noir)

"Applewhite has created an engrossing tale that presents the setting almost as one of the cast of characters. If you like neatly rendered, nicely plotted fiction, you'll finish St. Louis Hustle in one sitting. For those who know little or nothing about St. Louis, Applewhite's novel is the perfect gateway to the Gateway City." --John Lutz, author, Single White Female

"Applewhite isn't afraid to stretch the boundaries of noir fiction, as when she saddles a glamorous adulteress with the daily care of two young children. These kinds of odd juxtapositions add interest and depth." --Kirkus Reviews

When sleek Emily Davies begs Elvin Suggs to trail her philandering husband, Nick, it seems like an easy request. Dimond "Di" Redding and Elvin are eager to get started on the first case for their new business, Grapevine Investigations. Along with help from their fellow Vietnam vet, Cobra Glynes, they follow the cheating husband straight to St. Louis' notorious "no tell motel"—The Coral Court. From the start, Di distrusts Emily, a nurse at People's Hospital. She can't explain why she's uneasy, until she spots Emily at the Coral Court Motel, with a well-known plastic surgeon. The mousy desk clerk, Waldo E., knows his "regulars," but he refuses to divulge his secrets to the investigators. When one of his guests turns up dead in her own apartment, he still won't talk, not even to police detective, Reggie Combs. The victim's sleazy landlord is quick to point the finger at Emily's cheating husband. After another body turns up, this time at the Coral Court Motel, Elvin and Di discover there's no escape until they see this twisted case through to the bitter end.