The Golden Hustla: A Novel

by Wahida Clark

Only New York Times bestselling author Wahida Clark could take street lit to the next level in this incendiary tale of a hustler facing a game more lethal than any 'hood . . . The Golden Hustla She's the star sales associate of a profitable Atlanta "advertising" firm, WMM. She lives for top-of-the-line everything . . . and making enough money to finally reunite with her children. But Nina Coles is an ex-hood-rat in hiding. And no amount of paper can keep her safe from a ruthless FBI agent who's determined to take down the shady company she works for. Now Nina's vicious, greedy boss Rinaldo is defying the feds and endangering everyone to rack up several last scores. Her conniving ex-partner Akil is playing Nina against WMM and the mob to get his hands on the company's multimillion-dollar stash. And sexy undercover cop Rick is proving to be one danger Nina can't figure out-or get enough of. Between betrayal, lies, and murder, Nina must risk everything on one last deadly hustle that almost guarantees winner lose all . . .

Genres: Urban, Drama, African American, Fiction

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Wahida Clark was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey. She decided to start writing fiction while incarcerated at a women's federal camp in Lexington, KY. Her style is street, raw, and she has an imagination that's in overdrive. When you read her novels they are so real you are convinced of one of three things: that you are inside the book, you know the characters, or you just have to meet them.
Her first novel, Thugs And The Women Who Love Them and the sequel, Every Thug Needs A Lady appeared on the Essence Best Sellers List.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

over the top characters, bad descisions by over the top characters and huge story holes. I expected more for some reason.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was instantly drawn in and entertained throughout the entire book. Wahida's descriptive ability is addicting. I have yet to read a book of hers that I didn't love. The characters in The Golden Hustla are memorable and the plot is untouchable.

[☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ ѕℓιм ☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so wanted to finish this book. But I kept getting distracted and bored. The book didn't catch my attention as much as it should even though I wanted to finish it I just can't. Ima just say forget about it. Even though I wanted to know what happens. Smh

[Dione Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story began in the middle. There's no other way to explain it. The way the whole scamming was set up wasn't really even explained..

[OOSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wahida Does It Again!

In “The Golden Hustla,” we're introduced to Nina Coles, a single mother of three. A tragedy forces Nina from her home in New Jersey. Leaving her children behind, Nina decides to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia, for a fresh start. Thinking she has left all the drama behind, Nina learns fast that sometimes you can’t out run your problems and that your past can come back to haunt you.

Leaving petty crime behind, Nina gets a legit job at We Make Millionaires where she transforms herself into Alexis Greenspan, part of an elite sales team at WMM. We Make Millionaires is a telemarketing company that preys upon its client’s greed. Nina is able to put her street skills to work. Other members of her sales team have their own agendas. Will any of their plans sabotage Nina‘s? Meanwhile, someone from Nina's past mysteriously re-enters her life. Do they have Nina's best interests at heart, or is this a scheme to extract information from her?
Rinaldo, Nina's boss, is an arrogant man who feels he's above the law. He pushes his staff to their limits for the almighty dollar. He stays on top by pitting his employees against one another. He constantly comes up with promotions to take an even higher percentage of his employees’ money. Rinaldo is hiding a deadly secret. Watch as Nina begins to uncover the truth about WMM. What shocking revelations will Nina uncover? And will this information put Nina's life in jeopardy?

“The Golden Hustla” flows effortlessly so that there's never a dull moment. It has it all, drama, action and excitement. Wahida shook it up by including some old favorites nicely interwoven with present day characters. Fans of Wahida's will enjoy her unique writing style. In “The Golden Hustla,” Wahida writes an amazing story where you hold your breath while sitting on the edge of your seat. Kudos to Wahida. Her stories don't disappoint.

Reviewed by: Anna

[Sherrell C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all Wahida's books and this was one of the funniest! The story follows Nina Coles and her escapades starting in Jersey and ending in parts unknown. I'm all for hood fiction but this book had so many different angles and subplots that at times it was hard to follow. So many characters came and went until they took away from the story at times. All in all I did enough the book primarily because of the the characters at We Make Millionaires. Although, he was an arrogant prick the "boss" is hilarious with his schemes to make more money. Quick read on a cold shut in day.

[Aurali · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author has probably the worst writing I have ever struggled through. I felt compelled to read it since I won it on first reads (not sure how I entered this one). What really bothered me about this book was the author's writing in-between the dialogue. I don't mind violence and rough language used by characters. I do want the writing in between the dialogue to make sense and flow. On top of the writing issues, the editing was also really poor.

[Marilyn Sue Michel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The text sometimes read like a television series episode, the spelling is "unique", and the plot is scarcely credible. It is valuable as insight into the mind of a young urban African-American female who has experienced many deaths among her family and friends. I have spoke with many young women like Nina and it is amazing how they continue to try so hard to keep going.

[Sachki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book would make a great movie.

[Chassity Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was book was da bomb🔥🔥🔥🔥 Wahida has truly earned the title of being The Queen of Street Lit!! I’m not going to lie the plot did start off slow but once you got in the middle of the story it was on and popping. The only reason I actually grabbed this book was to find out about Nina and Rick from Thugs #5 and 6. And I must say I’m actually torn between Rick being with Nina/ Rick being with Kyra. I like both of these women even tho Nina does have the tendency to fall quick. But my favorite part of the story was when Rick took Nina to the poetry place and it was sooooo romantic the way he dedicated a poem to her. Now that had me in FLAMES🔥😏. But what tripped me out was when Rick ran into Tasha and Kyron. The tea was PIPING HOT🐸☕️. Considering Rick knows her husband. Rinaldo was one greedy motherfucker who’s greed led to his demise. But I couldn’t help but love the ending now that was a good way to end a book!! I liked Shawn too because I actually found him and Rinaldo quarrels entertaining and Cream just was a waste of space and time. I gave this book 5 stars because I loved how the story really came together at the end, now my biggest question is after reading thugs and Nina’s story I wonder who will Rick end up with?

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got into this book right away and was involved with it throughout my being. Wahida Clark has a way of sucking me in to the drama and suspense. I was thrown off when I realized some of the characters that were written about were in previous books of the Tasha and Trae series and realized how the characters in all the books are intertwined. It did add an extra element to the story telling.
All in all I would recommend this book and I would also recommend other books by this author. I feel like I need to read every single one.

[Deborah Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did I miss this one

I was looking for something to read and saw the Golden Hustla and said to myself I've never read 1 so that's how I got to read this one. It had me hooked from the very beginning always something going on never a dull moment. I'm so happy Nina ended up with her kids her man and her money can't wait to see what's going on next

[Luscious Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry to say, I thought this was my least favorite book in the series. All the scenes in Nina's work place felt tiresome and boring to me. Still this is an excellent series, and this book provides important background for this character when she resurfaces in the next book

[Kenya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this after being introduced to the main character in the thug series. I thought it would make her more interesting but sadly. it did not. I just simply did not care for or about the main character

[Page Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a unique and wild story that was definitely not predictable. Kudos to Wahida for creating such a believable cast of characters who are all shady as hell. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and will probably look into reading the other installments I see are to this title.

[Joy McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

That Was A Good Read To Me( no it's not part of the "THUGS" series).... But I Can't Wait To Find Out More About Nina & Rick..... Cuz Things Started Moving Real Quick, So I'm Excited About Part 2😊😊😊😊😊

[Carrie Campbell-jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story. I immediately downloaded Part 2 so that I could see what happened next!

[Nish Sco · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love this Authors books but this one didn’t hold my interest until the end. There is a cross over in characters from the Thug series which peaked my interest.

[Martha]

A wonderful book to read. I like the suspense but I was unhappy with the ending. Keeps your attention.

[Jamaica Collins-rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story line but the chapters were too long

[Destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ish it was okay but it wasn’t bad. I really enjoyed the thug series by this author a lot.

[Dami · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't get far in this book, it was too slow and boring. I hate when books are like that I rather read something that catches my attention. Even though I wanted to finish this book I couldn't

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is edited far better than any other urban fiction book I've read to date. Wahida, whatever you do, keep Karen Thomas. Do not let her go. You might be stuck with any one of the other "editing services" or "editors" floating around out there who can't edit better than my Labrador.
There are a few mistakes though, ones that I feel should have been found. On pg. 164 there is a sentence that reads "He was not called to see the judge until noon and he was out of there by noon." Obviously a careless mistake. On the same page it says he got his car out of the "pound" and obviously the "im" was forgotten because I've never heard "pound" be used as slang for "impound".
I'm having somewhat of a problem with the way the book is so real on one page and then off into the horizon the next. Around pg. 153 Nina is having a problem with Cream and knowing what Cream has on her she calls the police? Not anywhere near reality.
So far there was one part that left me really confused also and I don't think I skipped a page on accident. On pg. 151 Cream is getting into Nina for calling Diamond. The reader never heard anything about this. But this altercation between Nina and Cream is big enough that the reader should know what's going on.

I finished last night and besides the few instances where something somewhat big came up and no answers were given the book is good. There is a great premise and a decent guide in the back. There are a few editing mistakes, fragmented sentences and the like but nothing, for the love of God above, nothing, like what is usually found in the genre. I want to sincerely thank Clark's editor for taking her job seriously. It means a lot to readers like me who actually like to take advantage of our brain power once in awhile. ;-)
The plot was different than most in a few ways which is a breath of fresh air in a genre that's recycling the same old thing over and over.
I think you'd have a hard time finding a Wahida Clark book that you don't like if you like urban fiction.
**Because this was a FirstReads giveaway I'm going to add this: there will be negative ratings for this based solely on the curse words and/or sex. That's every reviewers right and my reason for mentioning it is because I want anyone who hasn't read it but is thinking about it to be aware.
Most urban fiction uses realistic talk. What's realistic to you or I probably isn't realistic to the average elderly suburban housewife who has only ever had missionary sex and never uttered the word 'shit'. So, know that the book has much sex, much foul language, but for the most part, it's fairly realistic and pretty damn good.**

[Mikeisa Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leaving your kids behind is one of the hardest things to do but if your leaving to give them a better life what needs to be done has to be done. Providing for your family is a must by any means necessary Which is what the main character Nina Cole believed.

Golden Hustla by Whida Clark has to be my favorite book of hers. This books talks about how the main character doesn't take no as an answer and does what she has to do by any means necessary. She hustler to get everything she has and is proud of it. She is determine to do now and work hard for her three children she previously left behind in order to provide a better life for them.

The main character Nina Cole is a single mother of three which she had to leave behind when she fell on hard times. She starts to work for "We Make Millionaires" company but law enforcements are after that company and is trying to shut it down. Nina get caught up in the scandal because officers decides to use her in order to get what they need no matter who gets hurt. Nina boss believe that he doesn't have to obey the law or follow any rules and thinks the best way to run his business is to make his workers work harder by turning them against each other. Nina unknowing uncovers a secret from her boss's past and it put her life jeopardy and a twist is thrown into the story when some who from her past mysteriously finds her.

Throughout the story you are guessing the whole way through. Which is what kept me constantly reading until the end. I like how the book instantly caught my attention from the first page till the last.

The lesson I believe the author is trying to get across is be careful with what you do in the past because it can catch up to you in the future.

[Bert Edens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this in a First Reads giveaway.

First note is that since this is urban fiction, the language is pretty rough. Not my cup of tea, but I won't knock it down for that because that's just as it is.

That said, I liked the book overall. I agree with another reviewer saying there are inconsistencies in the way the book reads that makes you flip back a page or two to make sure you didn't miss anything. One that hasn't been mentioned was the narrator using Tasha's name as part of the descriptive text ("Tasha did X...."), and then on the next page having Tasha introduce herself to Nina ("My name is Tasha..."). Seemed weird to use a character by name before the main character knew who she was. Prior to the name drop, she was just the lady Nina was interacting with.

There are a couple of misspellings that need to be caught too.

OK, that aside, I liked the story and the flow of it. Took a bit to get going, and it really was the first murder that got my attention. Until then, I was wondering where it was going. Seemed to wrap up a little too quickly and still leaves a few things unanswered, but they weren't necessarily things that had to be answered.

[Angelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a first-read-give-away on Goodreads....So let me start by saying this was an pretty decent read although it had alot going on and would NOT make it into my pile of fav's....Nina had sooo much going on in her life and once she moves to the ATL you would think she would leave the old life behind but nope....her pass follows her and she ends up making some very WRONG choices.....I read Justify My Thug before this one and I see that there are some of the same characters in this book NOT many but a few...with the ending being as it was.....seems like there might will be another story....don't wanna give to much away but I REALLY do wonder what will Rick do....The ending left you wanting more...

[Laura Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

nina cole went through alot in her life. from watching her bestfriend die and her brother get gun down. she move to atl to change her life but her pass haunted her and thats when cream come back into her life and make things wrong for her. he gave her a proposal that she couldnt ever refuse working with wmm. she took the job and was happy with it until shit start getting crazy for her...... she meet a fine man with dread and got addicted to him when she found out what he does for a living she was crush but he prove that he cares about her and help her open in more then one ways. the book was gook i wanted to read more to see what happen to their futher

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in a First Reads giveaway.

I will have to say that this was probably my first time reading urban fiction so I wasn't really comfortable with the explicit language and some of the subject matter. It took me a little while to get into the story but once I did I have to admit that it did hold my attention and therefore making the book a fairly quick read. Although the story of Nina Coles did occasionally hold my interest, I thought that a bit of the story was far-fetched and ridiculous. I also felt that the ending was a little weak. Overall, if you like this sort of fiction it may be worth your while.

[India Jones-Tanner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read most of Wahida's books and they kept my interest, but I had a hard time getting into this one.

When Nina's plan of a quick come-up goes drastically wrong, she is left with the blood of her best friend Michelle and her brother Derrick, on her hands. Her other brother Peedie is left paralyzed. Fearing for her life, she relocates.

Trying to do the right thing, she reluctantly accepts a job at WMM as a salesperson. It pay the bills and it keeps her living a lavish lifestyle, but all that glitters isn't gold.

Some portions of the story are very unbelievable and it took too long to get to the action. The ending felt rushed and it didn't fit the story.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although the story line in this book was very good, it was lost in all the language used as well as the WAY over the top sexual encounters that were described in full lurid detail! I'm not sure if the author was unsure of her success with this novel, so she decided to go with the old adage "sex sells", or not! And this is a "New York Times bestselling author"? Not my cup of tea. Please keep this book away from children.I won a copy of this on First Reads.