The Miracle Strip (Sierra Lavotini Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Nancy Bartholomew (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sierra Lavotini Mysteries | Publication Date: July 15, 1998

A Sexy Stripper-Sleuth Bares It All to Catch a Cold-Blooded Killer
The whip-smart Sierra Lavotini is the hottest act on Panama City's strip scene. She's the headliner at the bare-all bar, the Tiffany Club. Besides her bodacious business, Sierra's life is fairly simple. And that's the way she likes it. But when a good friend, Denise, seeks her help, Sierra's life takes a murderous turn.

Seems Denise's furry friend Arlo has just been "dognapped." From the pricey ransom note, Sierra figures there's much more to this case than meets the eye. And her hunch proves correct when a quick trip to Denise's apartment reveals a fresh corpse. Sierra can't shake the feeling that her friend isn't telling her the whole story--especially after Denise turns up missing and the body count continues to rise. Determined to reveal the naked truth, Sierra tackles this steamy caper head on, digging in her stiletto heels until the dangerous job is done.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like the fabled hooker with the heart of gold, Panama City, Fla., stripper Sierra Lavotini flaunts her 24-carat concern for a bartender's abducted dog in this wise-cracking debut. When Arlo the mutt is snatched, his gorgeous redheaded owner, Denise, gets a ransom note asking for $100,000, and Sierra agrees to help look for the missing dog. After a dead man turns up in Denise's motel room, Sierra learns that her friend has run away from her abusive former lover, a drug dealer who is now out of prison. Sierra speeds after a car in which she sees Arlo but is forced off the road by the other driver. In the hospital, she learns Denise is now missing. Taking up the search for friend and dog, Sierra must sidestep the proprietary attitude of her boss, a squabbling but intent police duo and her solicitous trailer-park neighbors, all of whom think she's in over her head. Spunky Sierra, aided by her Chihuahua, Fluffy, her unquestioning confidante and supporter, devises plan after plan to find her friend and snatch back Arlo. In the process, she steps up the heart rate of a stolid cop and lets readers in on her views of her trade.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Panama City, FL, serves as setting for this promising first mystery featuring Sierra Lavotini, tough-talking narrator/stripper, and her dog, Fluffy. Assertive and gutsy, Sierra helps bartender friend Denise when someone holds Denise's dog for ransom; that is, until they find a body in Denise's apartment and Denise herself disappears. Despite drug-related revelations about Denise's past, Sierra tries to rescue her?risking death or worse at the hands of a biker gang. Rapid-transit prose, wild characters, nonstop action, and frequent dramatic humor make this a pleasure to read.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312192991
• ISBN-13: 978-0312192990
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,287,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fans of Stephanie Plumb books will LOVE Sierra!, September 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Miracle Strip (Sierra Lavotini Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I first bought The Miracle Strip because I was going through a Stephanie Plumb withdrawl. At first, the missing dog plot didn't seem like it would be able to sustain an entire book, but the way Nancy Bartholomew weaves the story with mystery and humor, the plot actually works! The humor in this book is definately similar to that of Janet Evanovich and this series will keep Evanovich fans entertained between Plumb outings! Sierra is a rare character in the fact that she is unappolgetic about what her profession is. She likes being an exotic dancer (NOT a stripper! <G>) and takes pride in doing her job (and her sleuthing) well. Do yourself a favor and buy this excellent book. You won't be sorry. :)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Evanovich Fan Finally found another FUN Series!, August 10, 2001

By 

"ynnig" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Miracle Strip (A Sierra Lavotini Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was so happy to come across this fun series. I eagerly devoured all of the Evanovich Books and someone recommended I should try the "Strip" Series. I loved it! I felt it was different enough from Evanovich but still had such Fun characters. Can't wait to read the rest in the series now!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fast-paced, humorous mystery with earthy characters, February 28, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Big Canoe, GA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Miracle Strip (Sierra Lavotini Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The Miracle Strip is a fast-paced mystery featuring earthy characters living in the underbelly of our culture. Nancy Bartholomew gives us a humorous yet realistic view of the frailty of people who both express and occasionally contain, the raw emotions we all feel. Her heroine, Sierra Lavotini, is an exotic dancer with beauty, brains, inner sensitivity, and a fierce loyalty to family and friends. She displays this with a reckless "kick butt" attitude that sets her on a wild adventure beginning with a vow to rescue her friend's dog, Arlo. Sierra's amazing and humorous acceptance of others is displayed in her description of Raydeen, her loyal friend and neighbor, who happens to be a paranoid schizophrenic. But Sierra's own comic complexity is enhanced by her struggle to be true to her "inner child" and a hidden desire to be a writer, as opposed to her love of making money and engaging in the fast-paced and exciting world of a stripper.

Nancy Bartholomew is a keen observer of our physical reality, has a great understanding of human motivation and behavior, and appreciates the humor found in our incongruous natures. She is quick in her thinking, and her stories pull us in and move us along. I'm looking forward to more tales of colorful characters and their adventures. Bravo Nance!