Book Review: Strip Poker

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Strip Poker     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Nancy Bartholomew
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Amateur Sleuth   Humorous
Series: Sierra Lavotini # 4
St. Martin’s, Nov 2001, $23.95, 272 pp.

Sierra Lavatoni works at the Tiffany Gentleman’s Club, a high priced strip joint in which the ladies do not provide extracurricular service to the customers. Sierra is actually an exotic dancer who affectionately treats the girls and the club’s owner Vincent Gambuzzo as her children. Life at the serene club turns nasty when a back room poker game incites the murder of one of the participants and the police charge Vincent with the crime.

Before the homicide occurred, Vincent signed over the club’s ownership as collateral to Mike Riggs, a charter boat captain in Panama City. Mike lowers the standards renaming the joint Big Mike’s House of Booty. Most of the women quit, but Sierra temporary remains to learn the identity of who framed Vincent.

Between a gangster who wants her and a police officer that loves her, Sierra runs from relationships because she knows men leave. This makes her vulnerable and sympathetic to the audience when she dives into her investigation. Readers will like her and root for her, hoping she obtains whatever her heart’s desires. It is very amusing to observe Sierra try to not get killed while on the case. Nancy Bartholomew ties everything up with a bow except for one critical personal question that will leave the audience coveting the next novel in this series quite soon.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner