Film Strip (Sierra Lavotini Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Nancy Bartholomew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000 | Series: Sierra Lavotini Mysteries

Exotic dancer Sierra Lavotini's latest brainstorm to help the Tiffany Gentleman's Club turn a profit is a disaster. Sierra, headliner for the classiest strip joint in Panama City, Florida, and the club's owner, Vincent Gambuzzo, invited a gallery of porn actresses to guest star on the Tiffany stage. It's a gutsy plan, considering that most of these silicone-enhanced creatures don't have much in the way of true talent. As Sierra likes to say, at the Tiffany dancing consists of more than T&A working a pole.

Still, under Sierra's firm guidance, the venture seems to be raking in the cash. At least until a sniper begins taking exception-starting with Venus, who is shot and killed. Sierra takes a bullet in the, ahem, posterior region during the attack, and would like nothing more than to forget about the whole thing and convalesce with the help of her on-again boyfriend, Homicide Detective John Nailor. But when the investigation hones in on Marla, another Tiffany girl, Sierra is forced to focus her energy on finding the real killer. No small task, considering the interest of the local "organization" in the situation, even once Sierra enlists the help of her landlady Pat; Raydean, her psychotic neighbor; and her oldest brother Francis.

Steamy romance, intrigue, laugh-out-loud humor, mob bosses, and Sierra's overprotective Italian family-it's all here in Nancy Bartholomew's latest hilarious tale.

Editorial Reviews

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.

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 McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur; 1st edition (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312261616
• ISBN-13: 978-0312261610
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,525,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep them coming, August 11, 2002

By 

Angel L. Soto (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Film Strip (Mass Market Paperback)

Sierra Lavotini is back and the story is even better than ever. Someone is targeting the dancers at the Tiffany Gentlemen's Club in Panama City. At first the police think that Sierra's nemesis, Marla, is trying to stop the competition by killing Venus Lovemotion and Frosty Licks. Sierra is not convinced that even though she hates Marla's guts she does not think that she is responsible and will do her best to find out.

This book is even more fun and the author provides more information about Sierra mainly why she moved from Philadelphia to work at Panama City. In DRAG STRIP we met one of Sierra's four brothers and here we meet another brother. He helps Sierra work the case by pretending to be Little Moose Lavotini, a well-known mobster. As far as Sierra knows she has no relation to Moose Lavotini but she uses this `familial' connection to help her control her boss, Vincent Gambuzzo, and to put fear at the person she believes to be the killer. She provides a unique touch to her investigation and at the same time helps her police boyfriend, Detective John Nailor. The book is filled with many laugh out loud moments and provides a nice twist at the end of this book. STRIP POKER is going to be a lot of fun.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "Stephanie Plum" Of Florida, December 5, 2001

By 

Chad Spivak (North Miami Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Film Strip (Mass Market Paperback)

Nancy Bartholomew has done it again. In this third book of the Sierra Lavotini series, the action and intrigue is non-stop.

Sierra, who claims to have "family" ties, is the classy, headlining exotic dancer at The Tiffany. When a pair of visiting stippers get gunned down and her co-worker, Marla the Bomber, is arrested as the primary suspect, Sierra must spring into action to get to the bottom of the crime.

All of the regulars are back, including the crazy, yet irreplaceable, scene-stealing Raydean. Sierra's love interest with top cop John Nailor also heats up in this book, so watch out for the sparks. Bartholomew does a fantastic job of meshing all of these diverse characters together into one intersting mystery. The dialogue and scenarios are quite funny, and this humor peppers the already excellent, cohesive writing.

This is a very entertaining book, and is sure to make you laugh out loud several times, let alone, flipping the pages in a rapid motion. FILM STRIP is another excellent effort.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sierra Peaks in FILM STRIP, October 10, 2001

By 

Kent Braithwaite (Palm Desert, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Film Strip (Mass Market Paperback)

...Since I'm writing this review, you know I believe Nancy Bartholomew's FILM STRIP works. It is another fun novel about those adult entertainers at the Tiffany in Panama City, Florida. Venus Lovemotion and Frosty Licks are two big name porn stars brought in to boost the gentlemen's club's profits. Both end up dead, and we know who finds herself struggling to solve the murder. Yes, Sierra Lavotini is on the case, and this case is loaded with fun. There is even a little fun for Sierra to share with her detective friend John Nailor. FILM STRIP is a fun read and sassy read, if you are looking for a fun and sassy read. Even Fluffy has a good time.