Hustle

by Tom Pitts

Two young hustlers, caught in an endless cycle of addiction and prostitution, decide to blackmail an elderly client of theirs. Donny and Big Rich want to film Gabriel Thaxton with their cell phones during a sexual act and put the video up on YouTube. Little do they know, the man they’ve chosen, a high-profile San Francisco defense attorney, is already being blackmailed by someone more sinister: an ex-client of the lawyer’s. A murderous speed freak named Dustin has already permeated the attorney’s life and Dustin has plans for the old man. The lawyer calls upon an old biker for help and they begin a violent race to suppress his deadly secret.

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Tom Pitts received his education on the streets of San Francisco. He remains there, working, writing, and trying to survive. He is the author of AMERICAN STATIC, HUSTLE, 101, COLDWATER and the novellas PIGGYBACK and KNUCKLEBALL.
Find links to more of his work at: TomPittsAuthor.com
or
http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Pitts/e/B00...

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Male prostitution, drug abuse, murder, and the struggle of addition are consistent themes throughout this harsh but honest slice of street noir by author Tom Pitts.

Donny and Big Rich are a couple of men living hour to hour, day to day, week to week, while trying to avoid the omnipresent 'sickness' slithering in the darkness waiting to drag them into the abyss of withdrawal and reality. Turning tricks to feed their habit and to keep the demons at bay, they sell their bodies to the highest or most convenient buyer. In this instance the 'John' happens to be a credible and highly successful defense lawyer Gabriel Thaxton. Little do Donny and Rich know, that Thaxton is more trouble than he's worth.

Scheming, dreaming and bleeding through their profession, Rich sees a way out by resorting to blackmail. The target; Thaxton, a cash cow and ticket to redemption. Problem is, Thaxton isn't the ideal mark for blackmail and what seems to be an easy take soon turns to murder and the formation of uneasy alliances.

For the better part of Hustle I was completely drawn to the struggle and warped rationale Donny and Rich would easily succumb to in order to justify their lifestyle. Clouded by drugs, their thoughts ever lingering between experiencing that blissful high while waiting for the next score. If they needed to endure rape by foreign object and succumb to a little bleeding and pain then so be it - in their eyes the 'crave' was worth it. This look at addiction and the lengths Donny and Rich would go to in order to feed it was captivating.

I can't help but think if it weren't for the showdown at the end of the book and slight nod towards the hardboiled PI genre that Hustle would truly be a modern noir classic - that isn't to say I didn't enjoy those aspects, as I did, however, that initial setting and deep characterisation is something readers thirst for.

My rating: 4/5 stars, author Tom Pitts has got some serious talent - if Hustle is anything to go by then I must look into picking up anything else he's published.

Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguywholikes2read.blogspot...

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hustle” is a masteriece of dark crime fiction that absolutely sizzles from the first page. It begins as the story of two Polk Street hustlers in San Francisco willing to do whatever with any John in order to score their next fix. But one of them has a plan how they can hustle their way out of the life: videotape a big fish -a rich lawyer- and blackmail him.

However, as you’ve probably guessed, in these stories it simply never goes quite as planned and there’s a veritable food chain of predators each meaner and nastier than the layer under them. Pitts somehow captures the attitude and action of every layer of this story, giving a realistic energy to it. There’s nothing pretty about these desperate twisted characters, but they are captured here - dead on. And, there is so much driving energy here that it’s just nonstop from beginning to end.

This is exactly what modern crime fiction is all about.

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 4 out of 5]

HUSTLE is a smart and deceitful novel that can't wait for you to judge it. It presents itself with a raw, unadorned prose, but it's way more than meets the eye. In fact, Tom Pitts uses a simple style in order to create a reading flow, to get the reader in a groove and concentrates his efforts on unveiling a complex, dynamic and involving story.

One of the great priviledges of being a reader is being told a story you can't quite encapsulate in a blurb, so that you're actually delivered way more than what you've been sold. HUSTLE is that kind of novel that makes you flip out about halfway in because you'r in deeper than what you could've imagined. Tom Pitts is a wicked storyteller. He barely arrived in the publishing game, but expect him to become one of these cult authors with a rabid fanbase.

[Frederic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty of blood, mayhem, sadness, sleaze, grease, and grime to satisfy every crime fiction fan. I loved it, and I'm looking forward to reading everything else Pitts has out there. Fingers crossed that Bear shows up in a future novel. Read Tom Pitts!

[Keith Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donny and Big Rich work the streets for a living, turning tricks, doing drugs in their spare time in an endless downward spiral. But Rich reckons he has a meal ticket out in the form of Gabriel Thaxton, one of his clients. He's a wealthy man and wouldn't want his secret to be out there.

The trouble is Thaxton's already being blackmailed...

My expectation was raised when I saw the introduction to Hustle was by Les Edgerton - that the story would be of a certain type and quality. And I wasn't wrong. Hustle is a tightly written novel with a straightforward, no nonsense plant, excellent cast of characters and a real treat to read, surrounded by some testing subject matter.

Everything about this novel is neat. There are few characters and all are very well drawn. Pitts managed to make me care about and like or hate the whole cast. Donny and Big Rich are two kids who spend their time waiting for a score, whether selling their bodies to a client or taking drugs. Donny is new to the scene, Big Rich the more experienced hustler who teaches Donny the ropes.

There's Thaxton, once a tough lawyer, able to get any criminal off any charge - a legal version of Gordon Gecko - but now a shadow of his former self. He's paid a very high price for his success. He's being blackmailed by one of his ex-clients, a drug addict called Dustin. He's truly excellent, a lunatic of the highest order. Dustin has something over Thaxton and is using it to his advantage. And finally Bear, by name and nature, another of Thaxton's clients, but one who's trying to help him. And that's pretty much it for the cast, with another couple of ably supporting bodies.

Successive chapters flip between Donny and Rich, hatching their plan, executing it, then realising it's not going to work as planned, cut in with narrative on Bear or Thaxton. The conclusion is very well done. As I said, a real treat.

**Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog. May have received free review copy.**

[Ryan Leone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a recovering heroin addict.... I put ten long years into it. I stole, I schemed, I sold dope. One thing I never did was prostitute myself out to other men. That's a real low and it's scary. I know guys that have been so strung out, lacking family resources and more importantly lacking drive, that they have resorted to it. As a heterosexual male, sinking to that level really frightens me but at the same time I'm overwhelmed with compassion for those that have been through it. Tom Pitts does a great job of humanizing the male pristitutes of this story. There are several affirmations, "I'm not gay." It's a chilling sentence that makes you empathize for these guys. I mean REALLY empathize with them. God, what a terrible lifestyle for these guys to be leading, engaging in unthinkable sexual acts with the perpetual threat of dope sickness looming over them. Horrific. I read in a fiction writing book that an effective method for a writer is to make you feel sorry for the protagonists, it makes you root for them. Tom Pitts does this expertly and has created a page-turning story of: suffering, false hope, loss, and violence. San Franscico has been breeding some amazing writers and Mr. Pitts is now on my radar. If you like neo-noir with strong charecters and a flawless plot, be sure to check this out. Hustle illuminates a very uncomfortable subject.... But it only adds to the story and makes it more gritty and raw. Fantastic stuff.

[Liam Sweeny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard a lot of buzz about this book, so I figured I'd give it a go. That was yesterday.

'Hustle' in an insane mind-fuck. Donny and "Big Rich" are young men selling themselves on the streets of San Francisco in a never-ending attempt to "get well" - cop dope. When Big Rich comes up with a way to hustle a wealthy old man, he recruits Donny and the two of them set out for the big score... until they find out they're not the only players, and the stakes are deadly.

There are a number of things I like about this book. By page one, I was in Donny and Big Rich's world. The description and feel of a life on the streets of San Francisco is accessible to any reader and if the story had been only about that life, it still would've been great. The big hustle, and everything that followed, was icing.

Tom Pitts has a way of changing perspectives throughout the novel, from Donny to Big Rich to Gabriel, the old man, to Bear, the biker, even in mid scene, without the reader having the reader confused about who's perspective they're in. This is a very difficult thing to pull off, And Pitts does it seamlessly. The subject matter is rough, it will challenge you. Be challenged.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Pitts' Hustle is just about as good a crime novel as a crime novel can get. It's a grim, gritty rush that is also surprisingly touching. The story is a beautifully crafted twist on the classic double-double cross as two street hustlers decide to blackmail a high-rent San Francisco attorney, only to find the attorney is already the victim of a far more dangerous blackmail plot. Hustle feels very, very grounded in its sordid reality. No matter how rough and revolting the action gets, no matter how sensational and outrageous, everything feels very real, very possible, and in spite of itself, not at all sensationalized. Pitts portrays Donny and Rich, his street hustlers, with honesty and compassion. Without flinching Pitts shows us their degradation, their desperation, their doomed hopes, and their fears. As for the story itself, the pacing is spot-on, starting slowly and building chapter by chapter to the best frenzied conclusion in the streets of San Francisco since Walter Hill's 48 HRS. (I'm mixing movies and novels, but you won't have any trouble imagining Hustle as a movie you'd love to see!) Hustle is a keeper.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, full-disclosure notice here: I went into this book being a Tom Pitts fan a priori by virtue of our bands playing shows together in the late 1980's in San Francisco. Short Dogs Grow was a phenomenally-hooky punk/garage/power-pop band that had clever lyrics, and if you can track down a copy of their vinyl record (long-since out of print, I believe, and as far as I know never reissued in digital format), I cannot recommend it strongly enough. I think my favorite song on the album was 'Fresh Clean Water'. Now, all that being said, if this book sucked-ass I would have given it an appropriately lower star-rating, and left it at that, but it did not, in fact, suck. 'Hustle' is a very well-written crime noir novel that takes place along and within the seamier edges and cracks of SF and some north Bay Area environments, and to be fair, the only reason it took me so long to read it was that I was neck deep in a graphic novel series that I was reading (Alan Moore's venerable run on 'Swamp Thing'), and so I alternated between volumes in that series, and then returned to 'Hustle' in-between, to clear my mind of all the fantasy/horror and tune into some real-life horror. 'Hustle' is a story (or a variation of such) that happens every day in big cities like SF, NY, etc., but the themes in this book are carried out daily all across America, Inc., or anywhere there is an easy buck to be made off the allure of drugs or sex (or in this case, both.) While there are many crimes and misdemeanors that take place in this book, the 'big one' never really materializes because of the often crafty and duplicitous nature of these characters, and whether it was merely a botch job on the part of these characters we'll never really know, and that's fine, too. The end of the story, while satisfying, does leave some questions unanswered, as if maybe the author will return to some of these memorable characters at some future point. The writing is crisp and kept me turning pages, but not too scholarly, matching the gritty nature of the story. Tom really gets to the heart of his characters without relying on too much background prose, rather, we feel and see the desperation of who these characters are from how their lives were in brief recollections, and how they are as captured in their present circumstances. I would recommend this book to anyone who really enjoys a darkish tableau of noir crime fiction, and while I've read comparisons to James Elroy and other notable authors who write in this genre, it is pretty clear to me that Tom has his own patter down, like a glass of fresh, clean water. I eagerly await his next novel, 'Knuckleball', which I intend to order as soon as I am done with this review. Every one of us has different measure of what art is and what success is, and I believe Tom's vision of the first will always trump the second (though I hope he sells a zillion copies of his books and takes me out for a drink the next time we run into one another.) I only gave it 4 stars, but it is much closer to a 5-star read. Enjoy.

[LitReactor]

There are some pretty grandiose claims in Hustle's introduction, written by Les Edgerton ("author of The Rapist, Just Like That, and The Bitch," we're told), the biggest being that this book will give birth to a whole new offshoot of the noir genre—"Hustle Noir," he calls it. Edgerton also states that some critics will find the book "abhorrent" for its unapologetic depictions of drug addiction and prostitution, and its general lack of "PC" values.

So when I began reading Pitts's novel, I had a strong sense of what-have-I-gotten-myself-into? I mean, if a guy who wrote a book called The Rapist was this enthused about Hustle, it must be one morally-depleted tale, right? Well, as it turns out, Edgerton's introduction is more a product of the hype machine than a warning to sensitive readers. Save for one particularly nasty scene close to the end, I didn't find anything overtly unsettling in the pages of this book—nothing so stomach-churning as the climax of Palahniuk's story "Guts," or as insidiously unnerving as the machinations of Lou Ford in Thompson's The Killer Inside Me, for instance. Perhaps my brain is just warped, or perhaps the old saying rings true here: don't believe the hype.

Now, this isn't to say Hustle is a bad book. Far from it. Pitts knows the conventions set forth by the twice-aforementioned Jim Thompson, Raymond Chandler, and James M. Cain, and uses them in a way wholly his own. His characters (with a few minor exceptions) aren't necessarily "good people," and yet we root for them all the same, showing Pitts's knack for writing compelling antiheroes. The overarching mystery offers as many twists and blind turns as a California mountain highway without ever resorting to cheap red herrings or meaningless MacGuffins. The requisite hardboiled language is here, but with an understated, plainspoken flair that reminds me more of Stephen King than any of the direct influences already discussed. And finally, just as every good author should do, Pitts answers all questions by narrative's end, but asks a few more in the last few pages, leaving the reader to ponder on the (surviving) characters' paths beyond the confines of Hustle.

This book may never forge a brand new category, as Edgerton suggests, but it does effectively (and, therefore, lovingly) carry the torch of noir onward and upward, and Pitts will surely be counted among the best 21st century writers of the genre. Like printed books, vinyl records, and a functioning democratic government, we need dedicated people to keep noir going, and Pitts—so far—is doing a damn fine job.

--

Review by Christopher Shultz

Check out more from this review at LitReactor (http://litreactor.com/reviews/booksho...)!

[Michelle Isler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, yes finally, we have a good, raw, down and dirty, book to add to the bookshelves. There were moments when I gripped the book and yelled, "Hell yes", to whoever was around me at the time. This book is not a censored read. You have to be able to want to experience the street life on the seedy side of San Francisco. Tom Pitts does not hold back. You get the whole shibang right there in that 318 pages. God, I loved it!

Donny and Rich are street hustlers. They spend their days shooting Heroin and their nights turning tricks to get money for Heroin. Rich comes up with a plan on how they can extort money from one of his johns named Gabriel. Gabriel is a wealthy, criminal lawyer who likes his sex a little kinky. Really, very kinky. After setting the plan into motion by filming Gabriel in the act, Rich and Donny head over to Gabriel's mansion to surprise him with the video. They are the ones surprised when confronted by a psychopath that had the idea first. Gabriel is in the middle of a storm that keeps sucking him deeper into trouble. His only hope is his good friend, Bear. Bear is a big biker dude with a bigger heart. When he finds out that Gabriel is in trouble, he sets out to rescue him.

These characters jump off the pages and pull you into their lives. The story wraps around you and you cannot quit reading it. Tom Pitts knows how to tell a story and he can hold your attention from page one. I absolutely loved it. I will warn readers that Tom does not whitewash life on the streets. It is raw and explicit. There is drug usage, blood, and sex. There are scenes that include men having sex, which are explicit and kinky. I am only warning people that are used to tame books. But, having said this, Tom Pitts includes what needs to be included to tell a good story. Every scene is necessary to build up to the spectacular climax. Really, I say, suck it up and jump in and take a walk on the dark side. You will NOT regret it.

[Rory Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Harsh compassion" is a phrase I ran across some time ago. The critic applied it to the work of Nelson Algren, but I thought it fit the approach of Hubert Selby, Jr. and Harry Crews too. I don't think it's inappropriate to use it for this book as well.

Tom Pitts takes an absolutely unflinching look at San Francisco. The worlds of the mega-wealthy and the desperate collide, and Pitts uncovers new levels of squalor. Yet it's not exploitative at all; you feel strongly for the characters and their shame. He also pulls off a difficult feat in making a biker one of the most engaging and sympathetic characters.

Plus, "Hustle" has the extra dimension of being an exciting crime thriller. It's the wildest ride through San Francisco since 48 HRS (though Court Haslett's "Tenderloin" is right up there too).

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pitts crafts an excellent story about broken lives from the streets that do things they don't want to in order to survive. Some scenes are brutal, but it paints a realistic picture of the lives his characters lead. As his 2 characters concoct a scheme to get out of the life, things quickly go from bad to worse, but Pitts always keeps it in a realistic sense and does a good job allowing us to understand his characters' lives and motives. This was a quick read and I felt Pitts showed improvement from his first book which begs the questions "How good is this guy going to get"? Grab a copy and you won't be sorry.

[Matt Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gritty story about junky, male-prostitutes trying for a big score in order to get off junk and the streets. Loved learning the details and minutia of their world without Pitts resorting to info-dumps and flashbacks. The writing balanced key info and plot, which kept the story moving and developing.

A diverse cast of complicated and intertwined characters.

Overall, horrible and terrifying because it was all too real and believable. Rock on Tom Pitts.

[Clancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy %&$! This is some SERIOUSLY hardcore stuff here. If somebody is ever considering trying herion, have them read this and they will crap their pants and run screaming in the other direction. This paints a vivid and hopeless picture of what addiction can do, and the underbelly that addicts can find themselves in.

This some real deal down and dirty noir here. I hope Pitts get some recognition for it, because he deserves it.

[Mike Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right up there with the best noir novels ive read! read this one in one sitting, could not put it down. loved the book!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this book being offered on NetGalley, the description alone made me want to read it. I am very glad to have been given the opportunity to read this oustanding book. Two hustlers, who are also drug addicts, think they may have come across the perfect mark to blackmail. When they go to let the mark know what they want, they find themselves caught up in something they had no idea about. Taking this journey with these characters was outstanding. The story flows and you have to keep reading to see how it all plays out. The ending is good and believable. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. I will be looking for more from this author.

[Diane Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this is really interesting if you don't know much about what it is like on the streets! Two hustlers are caught in a cycle of getting money for sex to get the next hit of drugs. This is not a good life and they know it. So, they come up with a scheme to try to blackmail someone to get some money so they can go to a rehab facility and get clean. Well, of course things don't always go as planned..

I enjoyed this story, and the descriptions of the street life. The author did a great job bringing you into the story and each person in the book. Really makes you think!

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mean streets

Brutal and gut wrenching . Very realistic story about hustling on the streets and two young junkies trying to survive form day to day. Of course they come up with a pathetic , drug induced plan to extort money from a well to do client but instead all he'll breaks loose.
Well written and a hell of a story, full of great desperate and interesting characters, this one is a winner!

[Kevin McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

Tom Pitts is one of the best, if not the best, author of crime fiction today. He unfolds an area of life in Hustle that most of us don’t know about or close our eyes to. This is a novel that is gritty and graphic but so well written it flies by. He obviously has a great knowledge of San Francisco and its environs that he makes us feel that we are there. I recommend any of Mr. Pitts work and look forward to his next novel.

[Dylan Cundiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book by Mr Pitts that I couldn't put down. If you love dark gritty crime reads then this is definitely for you. If you don't, try it anyway. It is well worth it.

[T.MAGIK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kick action and drug fuel shenanigans. I loved it. Tom never lets me down. If you're a fan of Hard Case Crime Publications then this is for you.

[Lyle Boylen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pitts is a master of gritty crime fiction. Hustle is a non stop story, not for the faint of heart.

[ABC Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I've read by Tom Pitts. The first was a novella. Hustle is about 2 junkies in the Bay Area who try to pull a con on a wealthy lawyer who's their john. Things go sideways from there.

The story line is solid and Pitts does a great job of writing about dope sickness. The most interesting parts of a crime novels novels are not the crime but the criminals contained within. Pitts rides a dark line that I'd like to see get darker, but overall, I really enjoyed this book.

[Brandon Nagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally blown away by this one. This is a great read if you have an open mind and are not easily squeamish. The book is as real and raw as it gets. The story follows two hustlers attempting to cash in on a scheme having to do with a high profile attorney.

The two are tired of working the corner and are looking for the big score to finally "get well".

Very graphic, violent, sleazy, and raw. Tons of drug use and (gay) sex. A couple scenes really hit me hard. In a good way. One of my favorite books of the year.

[crimepaul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A blurb on the back cover said that this book is so disturbing the reader would need a shower after reading it.

Not so fast. Though there is a modest amount of dick play, it never goes overboard, as far as I'm concerned.

What we have here is a crime/caper gone bad/buddy/albeit junkie buddy story that reminded me more of Elmore Leonard than Matthew Stokoe.

Fast paced and funny, realistic and hopeful at the same time thoughtful and sad, with dialogue that is spot on.

Pitts has hurdled over his debut short novel, Piggyback.

Highly recommended.

[Schilba · Rating 4 out of 5]

intense! this is not a pleasent read to kill time ( though it's a page turner nevertheless). Don't be misguided by the all too well known ingredients: meth, violence, street sex, corrupt lawyers... Tom Pitts weaves all them into a fast paced crime story with masterfully crafted characters who all in their very own way deserve the readers compassion for their broken lives. the language is not Beautiful ( and it's not meant to be!). You will need your time to digest it! as with any great book!

[Rob Brunet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected Hustle to give me a look down the alleys of San Francisco's Tenderloin and to portray broken lives honestly. It didn't disappoint. And it did something better. It gave me a story I didn't want to put down. One that pulled me back to the book when I had other things that needed doing, and left me wanting more, right to the end. As good story-telling should.

[Chris Rhatigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review upcoming in the next issue of All Due Respect.