It doesn't surprise me that I am the first to actually REVIEW this book rather than just rate it. Reading this book is akin to mental masturbation, similar to the fluffy romance novels that are so popular with bored housewives and readers who always want a happy ending.However, this book (series, I'm sure) has the distinction of being a complete and utter rip-off of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum One for the Moneyseries, but doesn't raise to the moderate level of Sarah Strohmeyer's Bubbles Series Bubbles Unbound: Bubbles Yablonsky Book 1. A Single Italian stereotype, thirty-something solving a crime with the help of her "crazy old lady" neighbor (who drives an antique car) much to the chagrin of her Detective boyfriend, while being attracted to a mysterious, dark and dangerous man. Oh, and her boss is a short, fat, scummy Italian who talks about his mob connections. (Stephanie, Grandma Mazur, Big Blue, Morelli, Ranger, Vinnie if you couldn't already make the connection.)The reader is dropped of into the world of a stripper...wait...EXOTIC DANCER (never a stripper and 10x better than a porn star) names Sierra. Sierra works at a "class establishment" where she proves how classy she is by beating up her rival "dancers" in the make up room for sitting in the wrong chair or for giving her "lip". It seems that everything Nancy Bartholomew knows about Exotic Dancing Clubs she learned from the movies Strip Tease and Showgirls. To further class the place up, two porn star strippers from Atlanta are killed and a car bomb explodes in the parking lot. Sounds like a high end joint to me! As a reader, I don't know if the author is stupid or if she's really great at writing stupid characters. Sierra withholds vital evidence from the police (multiple times)because she feels excluded from the investigation or because she is too dumb:a small bomb explodes in her driveway. Is this just an average weekday at the stripper's trailer park?With the Evanovich books, the crime solving is plausable: Stephanie is a bounty hunter. With Sarah Strohmeyer, Bubbles is a reporter. I can see how a nosy old lady (Agatha Christie) can snoop around, but not a Barbie Doll Stripper.There is a quote by Sierra's brother Francis about "Feelings", that gave this book an extra star. "Feelings! God damn, Sierra, when are you going to grow up? Feelings don't get you shit. It doesn't change anything. Feelings don't undo what's happened or take it all back. Feelings just get in the way of moving on." I am reminded of Jack Nicholson's character in As Good as it Gets when he says how he writes women characters so well: "I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability." Keeping this quote in mind it makes me think that the author is not a total dummy as she can write male characters pretty well.
I was looking for a series like the Stephine Plum series. I found Nancy Bartholmew's "sierra" and feel this is BETTER then Stephanie Plum. Sierra needs help but can also take care of her self, whereas Stephanie has become somewhat weak as time goes on. The "stripper" character , I feel , is totally believable .The mystery is also written better, there is actually a mystery. Granted shes not an Agatha Christi, it is still an easy read, but enjoyable.Unfortunately, St. Martins, the publisher, didn't choose to continue the series and they hold the rights to the Strip series.Please WRITE ST.MARTINS and beg them to bring this series back!
What do You think about Film Strip (2001)?
Vincent, the Tiffany Club owner, has acquired some hefty debts and has decided to invite some Atlanta porn film stars as guests to increase business. The film stars are murdered and Sierra and John are on the case.
—Ruth
The Tiffany Gentleman's Club is in financial trouble. The plan to save it is to bring in guest porn stars and it seems to be bringing in big bucks until a girl is killed by a sniper. The police believe that another dancer, Marla, is the best suspect but Sierra knows that she couldn't have done it. There has been a strange man hanging out at the club and Sierra makes his think that she is related to the mob. Her detective boyfriend wants her to keep her nose out of the investigation but she is determined to find the real killer before she gets killed too. She needs help and gets it from her landlady, her crazy neighbor, and her older brother. It's a funny but suspenseful tale.
—Jennifer
