Showing posts with label Nancy Bartholomew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nancy Bartholomew. Show all posts

Tuesday, 5 December 2006

Book ~ "Strip Poker" - Nancy Bartholomew (2001)

From Amazon.com ~ Sierra Lavotini, the gutsy, busty, blonde exotic dancer who moonlights as a catcher of bad guys, is back for her fourth raunchy and amusing adventure. Sierra, along with her fellow dancers, is out of a job after Vincent Gambuzzo, the dim owner of Tiffany Gentleman's Club, loses it in a poker game. When a gang of hoods bursts into the room to seize the take, in the ensuing fracas one player, Denny, is killed and the bouncer is badly injured. The police, including Sierra's boyfriend, John Nailor, arrest Vincent for murder, since the fatal bullet came from his gun. At Denny's wake, Sierra literally stumbles on another corpse. And so it goes. This girl is a magnet for trouble, as one of her friends points out. But with the help of her familiar supporting cast of characters, notably Raydean, her lovable but certifiable trailer-park neighbor, and Fluffy, her hairless Chihuahua, you can count on Sierra to sort it all out. Sierra displays her usual uninhibited candor and bad grammar, neither of which can be attributed to Sister Frances, a former teacher, whose advice she often gives herself. Sierra and Nailor, now an established couple after a long flirtation, enjoy steamy sex, but unexpected competition enters in the person of "Big Moose" Lavotini, a New Jersey mobster whom Sierra has long claimed sight unseen as her uncle to impress others of his ilk. While the murders are satisfactorily resolved, the author leaves a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up and soon!

Another quick read by the fabulous (I know you are, but what am I??!!) Nancy Bartholomew with a slew of qurky characters that I enjoyed. Was this the last in the series? What happened with Sierra and Nailor??!! Did Raydean return to the mothership?? I've gotta know!!

Saturday, 2 December 2006

Book ~ "Film Strip" - Nancy Bartholomew (2001)

From Amazon.com ~ 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. Bartholomew moves deftly from screwball comedy to crime scene melodrama, periodically visiting the Tiffany for Sierra's performances. Sierra gets to the bottom of things quickly, her 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.

Nancy had suggested I check out her Sierra Lavotini series. So I did!

My flight home was 3 hours late in leaving Halifax (!!) so Sierra and her wacky cast of characters kept me company during my wait. It was a quick fun read that I finished before my plane touched down in Toronto.

I enjoyed this book. It was funny yet kept me in suspense.

Thursday, 16 November 2006

Book ~ "What Stella Wants" - Nancy Bartholomew (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ What Stella Wants: A successful P.I. business. A sexy man she can love and trust. Relatives who stay safely at home. And good friends she can count on.

What Stella's Got: An anemic trickle of clients. An infuriatingly secretive (but hot!) former special forces soldier who may or may not be around in the morning. A feisty elderly aunt whose love life is waaaaaay more on track than Stella's. And an old high-school rival who's just hired Stella, only to be blown up in what seems to be a terrorist attack.

I don't usually read Silhouettes but this one sounded interesting. It's part of the Bombshell series ...

These are the heroines you've been waiting for! Strong, sexy and savvy, she'll save the day and get her man - both good and bad!

I really enjoyed this book. Stella was reminiscent of Stephanie Plum (a P.I. in a series I enjoy) and Bartholomew reminded me of Janet Evanovich. There was a cast of wacky characters who were funny and caring.

I'll definitely be looking for other books by this author and in this series.