Ms. Etta's Fast House [Kindle Edition]

Victor McGlothin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

McGlothin (Borrow Trouble; Down on My Knees; etc.) creates a sizzling slice of life in 1947 in his fourth novel. Located in St. Louis, Mo.'s the Ville, Ms. Etta's Fast House—considered the hottest joint this side of Chicago where couples boogied heartily to exorcise their work week demons, as others swayed to the soulful rhythms—was the place to be for the young doctors and nurses of the Homer G. Phillips Hospital, the local baseball team and the criminal element. But life in the Ville is forever altered when Baltimore Floyd strolls in with a gun and a plan to horn in on a crooked cop's heroin trafficking operation. Simultaneously, the St. Louis Police Department becomes racially integrated, despite massive riots throughout the city and public outcry against it. As bodies pile up, Baltimore gets under the covers with a cop's wife and soon faces a bogus rape charge, leaving residents of the Ville to try and save him. McGlothin weaves convincing historical elements into a fast-moving caper, and Baltimore Floyd is a delightful scoundrel. (Oct.)
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Product Description

Essence® bestselling author Victor McGlothin delivers a stirring novel about a player who's down on his luck only to receive help from the most unlikely source--the very women whose hearts he broke...

The year is 1947, and Ms. Etta's Fast House is the hottest nightclub this side of Chicago. The city's fastest-talking street hustlers rub elbows here with the rich and famous, and anyone with enough cash in their wallet can drink like a king and dance the night away. Life is good--until a stranger named Baltimore Floyd strolls into town...

Handsome and charming, Baltimore is a hustler with a penchant for stirring up trouble. Everyone adores him, including Etta Adams, the matron of Ms. Etta's Fast House. But before he can imagine settling down with one woman, Baltimore is up for a little action, which is how he hooks up with a corrupt cop's wife. In the blink of an eye, Baltimore finds himself on trial for a crime he didn't commit. Now, to keep him from hanging, the patrons of Ms. Etta's Fast House will need to heal their heartache and come together before the world beyond the Ville's borders tears them apart...

Praise for the Novels of Victor McGlothin...

"McGlothin's tale is sophisticated and sexy, with the plotting and pacing of first-rate noir."
--Publishers Weekly

"An absolute page-turner...intriguing and thought-provoking."
--Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times bestselling author

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2143 KB
• Print Length: 330 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0758213816
• Publisher: Dafina (October 1, 2007)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001E5E0OM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #299,413 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Essence Best Seller- Victor McGlothin is a former bank vice-president who nearly forfeited an athletic scholarship due to poor reading skills. His knack for weaving passionate tales of suspense and drama, ('Autumn Leaves,' 'What's A Woman To Do?' 'Every Sistah Wants It,' and 'Down on My Knees') has book clubs across the country adding his novels to their Must-Read lists. Victor, the on-line columnist of highly entertaining Victor Said', a real Brotha to Sistah look at relationships, has also given his loyal readers several reasons to hail him as a refreshing voice in African American fiction. Living in Dallas with his wife and two sons, Victor is working on future novels and as a contributing writer for D Magazine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast Times, Fast Living & Fast Women..., October 6, 2007

By 

Phyllis Rhodes (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ms. Etta's Fast House (Paperback)

Victor McGlothin's latest novel is set in 1947 St. Louis where the music is hot, women are hotter, and Ms. Etta's Fast House is the place to be. The bold, the beautiful, the bad and the good mingle at Ms. Etta's - including the debonair hustler, Baltimore Floyd. Women love him, men want to emulate him, and trouble seems to follow him everywhere.

Friend to many, Baltimore has a cadre that includes the new interns at the renowned Homer G. Phillips hospital as well as some with shadier skills and less than perfect pasts. Penny, an ill-treated girl, who reminds Baltimore of his little sister, is also adopted into the "family". However, change comes in more ways than one on the cusp of Baltimore's arrival in St. Louis. His best friend, Henry, seemingly does a complete reversal leaving the lush life (including a steamy relationship with Ms. Etta) and hurriedly marries a school teacher with a ready-made family. He even foregoes his friendship with Baltimore and Etta to join/integrate the police force - a move that severs ties from his dark past and con-artist friends. However, when Baltimore crosses dirty, racist cops in a `get-rich-quick' scam, sleeps with the "wrong" woman, and ends up on the trial for his life, it is all of his friends (including Henry) that come to his aid, risking their reputation, professions and lives to save him from the gallows in a creative, yet dangerous rescue.

The author blends realism of the times in the sub-plots surrounding the supporting characters: racism and discrimination force top medical minds to practice at segregated facilities; Jim Crow laws impact the character's daily lives (shopping, dining, commuting, sporting events, etc.); and social taboos of interracial dating complicate relationships. The author paints Baltimore as a scoundrel with a big-heart. In addition to Baltimore; Ms. Etta, Penny, Delbert, and Jinx are also lovable characters that readers will love and want to see again. Fast paced, well-conceived (I didn't see some plot twists coming and the sub-plots came together well), with saucy dialogue it is recommended for those seeking a quick, entertaining read.

Reviewed by Phyllis
October 5, 2007
APOOO BookClub
Nubian Circle Book Club

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of: Ms. Etta's Fast House by Victor McGlothin, January 9, 2012

By 

Kissablysweetone - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ms. Etta's Fast House (Paperback)

Set in 1947, St. Louis, Missouri, this story follows the struggles of many black people during that time period. The Ville was the place to be if you wanted to drink, play cards, or dance the night away with women. Ms. Etta's seen it all and then some in her lifetime. One of her dearest friends, Baltimore Floyd, is a hustler. Always looking for the next scam to make money at. He decides St. Louis is the place to be. His next scam might be his last. The cast of characters include doctors, nurses, cops and society ladies.

This book is a perfect snapshot of 1947 America. I love that it tells the story straight up with no sugar coating it. I'm amazed at the things I learned in this book, even though it's fiction. This sad, poignant story will catch your attention from the first paragraph and not let you go. You feel as though you've stepped back in time.

The only thing I saw wrong was there were so many characters and so many stories being told, it was difficult to keep them all straight. More like a soap opera than a work of fiction.

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK, December 20, 2011

By 

msrmzeig "msrmzeig" (oklahoma city) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ms. Etta's Fast House (Paperback)

I listened to this book on CD from the library. I loved it. I will have to buy it. The person reading the book was perfect. It would be a great movie.