From Publishers Weekly
Who's killing the adult film stars at the Tiffany Gentleman's Club? And why? These questions perplex club headliner Sierra Lavotini and the Panama City police in this rollicking, steamy tale, a Damon Runyon-meets-Mickey Spillane on the Florida panhandle. Bartholomew (The Miracle Strip; Drag Strip) moves deftly from screwball comedy to crime scene melodrama, periodically visiting the Tiffany for Sierra's performances. Sierra gets to the bottom of things quicklyDher bottom, that is. When porn legend Venus Lovemotion is gunned down, a bullet gouges Sierra's derriere, threatening livelihood more than life. Despite the plot's immersion in a subculture synonymous with sleaze, the author avoids moralizing. Don't call Sierra a "stripper." That, she explains, connotes cheap sex. She's an "artist," the best around, and a lapsed Catholic ready to summon a Hail Mary in a pinch. She's also a delightfully acerbic narrator and a fearless detective, abetted by her feisty chihuahua and her trailer park friends, notably zany neighbor Raydean, who guards against suspected space invaders, including homicide detective John Nailor, Sierra's love interest. Bartholomew develops almost as much suspense around their romance as she does around the murderer's identity. And all this is done to terrific effect, from the sympathetically drawn characters, atmospheric regional details and unvarnished quips to a climax reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs. The third novel in this quality series can only enhance the author's reputationDand it's just quirky enough to generate film interest. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
The third entry in Bartholomew's Sierra Lavotini series, featuring the classy stripper, headliner at Tiffany Gentlemen's Club in Panama City, Florida, is full of kooky characters, dumb thugs, and lots of bodies--both dead and bare. In an effort to raise profits, club owner Vincent imports some outside "talent"--porn stars who disgust the ethical Sierra. When two of the girls are murdered, and Sierra herself gets in the way of one of the bullets, sexy detective John Nailor is on the scene--and doing his best to keep Sierra out of it. Fans of this volatile couple will be happy to see that the pair finally does make it into the bedroom, an encounter described in steamy erotic detail not often seen in this genre. Sierra, of course, begins her own investigation, enlisting the help of crazy neighbor Raylene, brother Francis from her hometown of Philadelphia, and, of course, her hairless Chihuahua, Fluffy. Some readers will figure out who the killer is early on, but they will be having way too much fun to care.
Jenny McLarinCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
