Film Strip

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.)