Here are the eleven reviews I’ve gotten for Stripper! to date.
I’m posting them here so Amazon can’t obliterate them on a whim at a later time.
5.0 out of 5 stars terrifyingly realistic
By Kalli on July 20, 2018
Stripper is a mystery thriller that far surpassed my expectations. When I first opened this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The cover of the book, as well as the title, shows the obvious stripper, however the book is far deeper than the cover and the title suggest. The 2 main females are mistaken for sisters quite often. So Becca is an online stripper/porn star. Natalie is a struggling college student/former P.I. who is trying to figure out where her next meal is gonna come from. When Becca proposes that Natalie join her in her business, Natalie declines. I mean, there’s gotta be a line, right? Well, right after that, she tries to call Becca but she can’t get ahold of her. A few days goes by and still nothing. Turns out, Becca has been murdered! And what’s more, she has left everything she owns to a girl she has only known for a week or two!! But now Natalie’s financial problems are over. However, she takes over Becca’s online business in the hopes of catching her killer. She even gets her old P.I. job back. The interesting thing about how this plays out is that while Natalie is invested in catching Becca’s killer, she also gets kind of a rush out of performing, but at the same time she has PTSD about the whole situation. So it’s interesting to see how the whole thing plays out. We also have Danny, a former police officer turned P.I. with a dark past. I won’t give too much away, but suffice it to say that this is definitely a book that you won’t want to pass up. The story will keep you on the edge of your seat, interested, emotionally invested, and hooked. This book doesn’t skirt the nitty gritty like a lot of books, it gets right down in there and shows the dark underbelly of things. I love it.
3.0 out of 5 stars Who writes good descriptions and has a fantastic grasp of literary expression
By Surfs Up Writers’ Bookshelve son June 13, 2018
STRIPPER by Thomas A. Burns Jr. is a mystery thriller beyond my expectations. Burns, who writes good descriptions and has a fantastic grasp of literary expression, has written a book that builds tension throughout.
Although Burns depicts the reality of what women go through when they attempt to get hired by a male boss, he also depicts their sexual subjugation in various other ways. As characters come and go in this book, and their departures are often marked by trails of blood they leave behind, they predominately express themselves throughout this book by their sexual escapades.
The sneaky villain at the end of the book is dealt one of the most horrifying departures I have ever read. While the theme of the book may not be for me, the author writes well and deserves recognition for the hard work and discipline he demonstrates in his writing.
By deb on August 2, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Great Book.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
By Brian on July 31, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Extremely well written. The plot was very entertaining and the characters were well developed and likeable. Told from the first-person perspective of Natalie McMasters – the book is a real page turner. Great read!
4.0 out of 5 stars A zesty take on the genre
By E. Itkin on June 27, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Natalie McMasters’ best friend of a week or so has been murdered. The friend in question was an internet sex worker, so Natalie decides to track down the killer herself by working at a strip club. During her escapades both on and off the pole, she meets and must best a number of creepy characters. Along the way, she gets in touch with her burgeoning sexuality by developing a relationship with Lupe, a fellow dancer at the club.
Natalie, while ditzy, has an irrepressible spirit and a can-do attitude, which makes her a likable protagonist. She’s also funny, and I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this.
“My first pep talk from my stripper mom. Now there’s a high point in my life!”
“A stripper with a black eye. That will attract the right kind of fans!”
Although I enjoyed this fresh, fast-paced novel, I found Natalie’s voice (relayed in first person) to be inconsistent. She uses lots of teen-speak (“OMG,” “totally,” and tons of exclamation points), all of which is believable. Yet we’re supposed to believe that she, a college dropout, also comfortably employs words like “fetor” and “replenish.” Sometimes, it feels like the author’s voice overpowers Natalie’s before Natalie takes over again.
“She serves dinner up on the bar, replenishes the wine, then sits next to me. The salad is scrumptious with its creamy, citrusy dressing and even better when wrapped in the crispy, golden pancakes. The wine goes perfectly with the food. I’m not much for rabbit food, but this is one of the best meals I’ve had, ever!”
I also found that some things strained credibility. A therapist encourages Natalie (who’s not even a proper PI yet) to go after the killer, which doesn’t seem like anything a therapist would ever do. Also, Becca, Natalie’s new BFF, leaves Natalie all her money, even though they barely knew each other. Natalie’s coming out as a lesbian also feels handled glibly, with little self-reflection.
Fans of murder mysteries will appreciate this zesty take on the genre. For those who are squeamish, the body count is on the high side, and some of it is graphically described although I didn’t find it to be anything different than what I’ve seen on TV.
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
By Jeffrey Cochrane on June 14, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Good premise, good action. I liked the main character, who grew through the book. Some of her actions should have been thought out better but it was part of her character. The sexuality issue was resolved without being explicit. All in all, recommended.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great reading
By richard solomson on June 14, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Good storyline and characters. Start book 2 soon and I’m sure to enjoy it. Check out the author’s work, you’ll be pleased
5.0 out of 5 stars A thriller page-turner until the very end
By Camille Marino on June 11, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Stripper! is an exciting and fun book but, for me, the most important element was the depth of character that emerges as strippers and johns, dirty cops and drug dealers, or just regular people — students or single mothers trying to make a living — navigate a largely-hidden and misunderstood subculture.
When an internet sex worker is murdered, her new friend, Natalie McMasters, is thrust into a world of bright lights, g-strings & stillettos, and unsavory characters. As a young woman working toward her law degree, there’s a vicarious thrill as necessity thrusts her onto a stripper pole in a g-string and stillettos to solve the crime. And she finds that maybe all the male attention is just a little repulsive and intoxicating at the same time. Without giving away any details that the reader will enjoy discovering for themselves, the likely suspects range from an abusive strip club owner, his muscled henchmen, disgruntled working girls who’ve been raped, johns, and drug dealers. The reader will be left guessing until the final chapters when the real depth of human depravity is revealed in full display.
On another level, in the characters of Danny, an ex-cop who left the force because of pervasive corruption, and Lupe, an illegal immigrant who dances for men and allows herself to be raped to protect her family, Natalie is allowed to explore her own sexuality and, ultimately, find true love against a backdrop of sex, drugs, and shocking violence.
It needs to be noted that Thomas A. Burns negotiates some salacious and provocative material without a hint of cliche or tackiness. As soon as we entered the netherworld of internet hitmen, I just knew I’d turn a page and find a reference to the “Beso Mafia” — a darknet phenomenon that’s been known to snag more than a few wannabe criminals. It never happened. The author crafted this story with nothing but realism and sincerity. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast Paced Plot With Twists And Turns
By Peter J. Reilly on April 27, 2018
Format: Paperback
Natalie McMasters is an engaging character that I got to like quite a bit. It is hard to say a lot without introducing plot spoilers, but you probably would not want to hang out with Natalie – way too dangerous. In “about the author”, Burns notes the influence of Rex Stout and sometimes you can catch a bit of Archie Goodwin, the narrator of the Rex Stout novels coming through, which might seem disconcerting from a way cute college girl, but a bit of cynical wise-assery probably transcends gender. The setting is a little generic, but you get the sense that the city might turn into something like Ed McBain’s Isola in subsequent installments.
Burns doesn’t mention F Paul Wilson as an influence, but you can also catch a bit of Repairman Jack in Natalie particularly in her process of becoming a gun nerd. There was one scene that struck me like the classic Western as round after round is fired without reloading, but when I looked back, I realized that Natalie had explained in some detail the thirty round magazine she was packing.
Another strong point of the characterization in the novel is villains who manage to be quite satisfactorily villainous while maintaining believability.
What really distinguishes the work is the fast paced plot, with twists and turns that are surprising but plausible within the story line.
I regret that I was not able to read Stripper straight through, which would have enhanced the tension. I plan on doing that this summer and will be looking forward to the next installment in what I hope will be a series.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent crime/mystery story
By Craig Chapman on April 20, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Excellent crime/mystery story, kept me turning the pages. Burns has created a fascinating lead character–Nattie McMasters. She’s young, sexy and courageous. That makes her a tough cookie but her weaknesses make her so much more interesting. She’s hard-headed, naive and sexually-conflicted. The story is written in first person, so the reader gets to see Nattie’s point of view as she throws herself into a seedy world to solve a murder. I felt intrigued and entertained by this story and Nattie’s tendency to put herself in danger. She’s an inspiring combination of capability and vulnerability, with a large dose of sex appeal thrown in.
