Rose's life has never been easy. When she finds her pimp murdered it gets a whole lot harder. At first, she sees it as an opportunity but discovers the status quo has been disrupted and she's not at the top of the food chain, not even close.

Avoiding psychopaths, police, and friends like thieves, there is no one she can turn to for help not once she discovers a pimps life is cheap, a prostitute's even cheaper.

Stuck between the desire for a better life and holding on to hers, is a needle she's not sure she can thread. But maybe Hard Luck is better than no luck at all?

Topshee Johnston's profile page

Topshee Johnston writes because it’s the only way to get his characters to stop talking to him. He lets them tell their story and trusts their voice. Once a story is finished, he moves on to the next in line. He lives in Victoria, B.C with his wife and daughter and when he’s not writing, he’s skateboarding, playing guitar, or fly-fishing.

"Hard Luck Girl is a gritty read with strong language, sexual violence, prostitution and drug abuse. As Rose’s race to deal with Rod’s body quickly becomes a fight for her survival, the action moves briskly, and author Topshee Johnston ends every chapter on a cliff-hanger, ensuring readers turn the pages.

Rose is a determined but damaged character. Her sister has died violently, and Rose has turned to prostitution to escape a dreary future cleaning houses. She’s her pimp Rod’s favorite girl and shares a room with him in a motel where he runs a string of girls.

Despite its at-times sordid subject matter, the story has comic overtones. Rose’s ongoing struggles with Rod’s dead body humanize her character—a good thing, as Rose isn’t always a sympathetic character."

- Blue Ink Review

"A gritty novel with a surprising and strong female lead."

"Johnston offers all the expected hard-boiled elements in this mystery—including shady characters, near misses with the police, rampant sex, drug use, and violence. Protagonist Rose certainly fits well into the genre with her brazen dialogue: “Name’s Rose, and I’m a prostitute,” she boldly tells strangers. “Feel better now?” But she also offers up the book’s most unexpected elements. Her struggle to dispose of Rod’s body, for example, is black-comedy gold, and her eventual team-up with gay sex worker Taylor results in some great, quirky exchanges of dialogue. Johnston provides plenty of suspenseful set pieces throughout, but the mystery surrounding Rod’s death is never as engaging as Rose’s jaw-dropping attempts to become a queen of vice."

- Kirkus Review

"Author Topshee Johnston knows how to dish up fear, suspense, and an anti-heroine worthy of a sequel of his debut novel, HARD LUCK GIRL."

"Life has never been easy for Rose, but it becomes a bed of thorns when she wakes to discover that her pimp, Rod, was murdered in her motel room as she slept. HARD LUCK GIRL is a mystery about prostitution in a location better known for gardens than gangsters — Victoria, British Columbia.

It isn’t just the smell of death that overwhelms Rose as the story opens. Nixing a request for 911 services as being a dangerous choice, she thinks of the operator’s “gentle voice” as crawling “in my ear like a cockroach.” Actually, a cockroach attack is painful. But the image is a good metaphor for Rose’s experience, throughout the novel, of being invaded and gnawed at by something vile and infectious that only she can rip out. Rose’s brain races to think of how to dispose of her boss while keeping his demise secret from would-be competitors, his network of call girls, and the police. In order to earn, she quickly learns how to run Rod’s business."

- IndieReader Review

READER REVIEWS

"Fast-paced story of a fascinating character and the gritty world in which she lives. It’s a captivating thriller that keeps you turning the pages right to the end. Can’t wait for the next book by the same author."

- Jay (Amazon.ca)

"Binge-worthy. Seeing a girl working the corner leads to all kinds of judgements. Through a series of intense moments Hard Luck Girl reveals you don't have a sweet clue."

- Toni (Goodreads.com)