What they are saying about The Wrong Side of Memphis…

“Get ready to meet some of the most intriguing characters ever. There are secrets and surprises galore to be found among the tenants of the Jewel Arms Apartments – and Claire Applewhite brings them all to life in THE WRONG SIDE OF MEMPHIS.”

– Tess Gerritsen, author of The Keepsake

“In The Wrong Side of Memphis, Claire Applewhite creates a story as memorable as the classic Clue board game we all used to play as kids. Reminiscent of the eccentric cast of characters in that murder-mystery game, Applewhite’s characters move from room to room in a South St. Louis apartment building known as the Jewel Arms, leaving murder in their wake and clues that only the most clever of the bunch will discover. If you enjoy an old-fashioned mystery that keeps you guessing to the end, you’ll love The Wrong Side of Memphis.”

– Julie Compton, author of Tell No Lies

“Claire Applewhite’s debut mystery The Wrong Side of Memphis is a polished story wrapped in layers of intrigue, sharpened by unexpected twists, and warmed by heartfelt emotions. A grisly murder in a South St. Louis apartment baffles police and residents alike, and sets in motion an intricate plot that careens to a satisfying ending you’ll never see coming. The characters are compelling, with their human frailties and strengths expertly drawn. You’ll be racing toward the end of this book but wanting it not to end just yet, so you can hang out with the characters a while longer. I’m ready for the next book so I can rejoin Dimond, Elvin, Vanna, and Cobra, who have each other’s backs, even though one of them walks on four legs.”

– Shirley Kennett, author of the PJ Gray mysteries

“This is an old-fashioned who-dunnit, and don’t let the title fool you. It’s set in St. Louis, a hard-scrabble apartment building where all the tenants have dreams and secrets, and some have motive and opportunity. It’s a place I might not want to live, but I sure enjoyed my visit.”

– Bill McClellan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Claire Applewhite shows a good feel for local color.”

– Harry Levins, Special to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A Crystal of Hope - March 25,2009

Would you like to have a crystal ball? What if you could predict your future? Would you want to know your fate? These are tricky, deceptive questions. You might want to consider a few things before you respond.

In his essay, Would You Like to Know Your Future?, Alfred Hitchcock reflects on the proverbial crystal ball. After all, he says, a movie director can predict the future in a film. He speculates on a hypothesis: why is it that, if we try too hard to control the future, we get a rude shock? Hitchcock suffered humiliation and despair when his first film was rejected, only to have it rise to critical acclaim at a later date. He believes that, in his personal situation, God deliberately delayed success to show him that his efforts at controlling the future “were not in His scheme of things.”

He also believes that when God hides the future from us, He is saying that things would be very dull without suspense. If the outcome of a certain event was already known, why bother in the execution? Where is the joie de vivre? The fever of anticipation stokes a soul with the flames of Hope. It is that Hope that nurtures the Faith that drives our every thought and action, yet binds us to what we cannot see—our future, our wildest dreams, an intangible love, even a distant God. In the words of the Master of Suspense, “The unknown has its appeal precisely because it is mysterious.”

Speaking of mysterious, I am pleased to announce the debut of my first mystery novel, The Wrong Side of Memphis, published by L&L Dreamspell, Friendswood, Texas. This novel formerly known as Satin Doll, and a short story, Moonlight Becomes You So, will be available after May 1. Like Hitchcock, my initial work faced rejection and sat on a shelf while I reconsidered, reinvented, and most of all, rewrote. At the time, I didn’t see the joie de vivre in the rewrite, or the hope that stemmed from a workshop critique—but, it must have been alive, because for some incomprehensible reason, I kept writing. What was it? Ah, there it is! The gift of a blind future, suspended by faith, hope, and hard work, lurked in the shadows.

Without the shiny gift-wrapping and glitzy bow, I didn’t recognize the Hand of Fate. Like the events of our lives, the future unfolds one day at a time. And so it is with the attainment of a dream. The daily rewrites, my non-negotiable “five page a day” production goal, and the scourge of the workshop critiques were, in essence, my crystal ball. Along the way, I met people who are indelibly etched in my memory. As we’ve all heard before, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey—one day at a time. So, toss the crystal ball, and know what it is to not know the future. Everyone loves a mystery!

— Claire Applewhite