Sierra works at the Tiffany, a club with standards, where she says "... we appeal to a higher class of customer, and that is why we choreograph our dances. We have costumes and music you can relate to..." and where she sometimes performs as Little Bo Peep. Sierra's friend Denise is the bartender and usually brings her little trick-dog, Arlo, to work. He is well liked by everyone including the health inspector, who lets her get away with it.

One night, Sierra finds Denise in tears, Arlo missing, and a $100,000 ransom note in her possession for his safe return. Sierra doesn't understand why anyone would dognap Arlo, who although talented, isn't famous, nor does she understand how anyone could think a poor bartender could pay that kind of ransom. She does understand how important a pet can be because of Fluffy, her little Chihuahua, so Sierra is determined to help out her friend. Denise may have lost her dog, but when she invites Sierra to her place after work to plan a course of action, they find she has gained a dead body in her bed.

The action continues to heat up a few days later when Sierra and Denise leave work together and get shot at by someone in a white limo waiting outside. Sierra spots a furry face and paw, possibly the missing Arlo, and they jump into her car, take off in hot pursuit, and are driven off the road and crash. Denise is treated at the hospital, released, and disappears, while Sierra remains unconscious for two days. Her friend and landlord, Pat, a charter fishing boat captain, sneaks Fluffy in for a visit and organizes a team of friends and neighbors to protect and baby-sit Sierra after she returns home. Even her gruff, mob-wanna-be boss, Vincent, chips in by showing up at her home wearing an apron, listening to opera, and baking a lasagna casserole.

Since Sierra Lavotini "don't run out on nobody, especially when (she's) figuring they're in trouble," she decides to visit Fort Lauderdale and check out Denise's ex-husband, a huge dope dealer. Her car is totaled from the car chase so she borrows her neighbor's car, but Raydean insists on coming, too. Raydean's not only a good friend, but an unpredictable loose cannon who takes shots every three weeks to stop her from thinking the Flemish are invading. After Sierra's confrontation with Leon, who gives her the creeps, she is smart enough to high tail it back home.

The plot thickens when Sierra discovers another body, and the police think she is either the murderer or will lead them to Denise, the other likely suspect. She finds herself with a permanent police tail and frequent visits from John Nailor, a sexy detective who is extremely interested in her personal life. The attraction between them is steeped with potential.

The characters in the book have an excellent capacity for growth and future development, but without calling in the grammar police, the use of double negatives and the incorrect agreement of subject and verb detract from, rather than add to, what the characters have to say. This dialect or vernacular might be common in the Philly neighborhood where Sierra grew up, and it might help to flesh out Sierra's character, but less might be best.

Also, it was inconsistent throughout the book, used heavily sometimes, while not being used at other times. Sierra is a likable and insightful person with an unpredictable but discerning philosophy of life. She is a high school graduate who reads Larry McMurtry, John D. MacDonald, Eudora Welty, and psychology books to better understand her fellow man. Surely she knows how to speak correctly?

The true highlight in The Miracle Strip lies in the varied and eclectic cast of characters whose rich textures and unusual personalities create the ensuing bizarre and crazy incidents that turn it into a truly original romp. In one of these incidents, Sierra constructs a plan to outsmart a sleazy car salesman. For this scene alone, the book is worth reading. The small town setting of Panama City and Sierra's motley crew of friends build a charming extended family, and her unfinished business with Detective John Nailor leave it wide open for a continuing series.

--Monica Pope