Strawberry Tattoo

Sam Jones #5

by Lauren Henderson

If Bridget Jones could sculpt--well, forget it. Bridget and Sam Jones, Lauren Henderson's snappy artist heroine, share only surface similarities. They're young, English, and sexy, but Sam has a better sense of humor--dead-on and wicked--and a better wardrobe, which runs mostly to latex. In her third U.S.-published adventure after Black Rubber Dress and Freeze My Margarita, she lands in lower Manhattan with her first group show at an important gallery in SoHo. But the natives seem restless. First someone trashes the work of another gallery artist, the unpleasant (and according to Sam, untalented) stepmother of her girlhood pal, and then two of the gallery's employees are garroted to death. Sam is still suffering from culture shock. It's her first trip to New York, and her sardonic asides on Manhattan's unique denizens are worth the plot-skimpy narrative. But when she gets a bead on the killer, she finds herself too close for comfort to the deadly wire.

Sam goes to extremes--in her dress, sex life, and drug use--but she's as cheeky as a London tabloid. New readers will want to track down her previous books, in which she's on her home turf. If you liked Absolutely Fabulous, you'll love Strawberry Tattoo. And if you're looking for other independent-minded female sleuths like Henderson's Sam Jones, Sparkle Hayter's Robin Hudson, Katy Munger's Casey Jones, and Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan, check out Tartcity.com, a Web site devoted to tart noir, a genre composed of "neofeminist women, half Philip Marlowe, half femme fatale, who make their own rules, who think it's entirely possible to save the world while wearing a drop-dead dress and stiletto heels." --Jane Adams

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Chick Lit, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Art, British Literature

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Born in London in 1966, Lauren Henderson read English at university and then worked as a journalist for - among other publications - the New Statesman, Marxism Today, the Observer and Lime Lizard, a much-mourned indie music magazine. Lauren now divides her time between Italy and London and, when not wine-tasting, writes full-time.

Reviews

[Kate-Um · Rating 5 out of 5]

So effing good I loved it I need more chaotic female protagonist books who r funny like this. Also now I rlly rlly need to go to NYC

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren Henderson's outrageous heroine, sculptor Sam Jones, heads off to Manhattan in this one for a show featuring young British artists. Self-described as "Miss Marple crossed with weedkiller", Sam is not entirely at a loss when she finds herself yet again involved in a murder investigation. In fact, she rather takes it in her stride.

I like Sam's bit ... er, forceful, style and in-your-face attitude. She's not a character I can truly identify with (I feel even more staid and boring than usual in contrast after following her around for a few hours), but I'm crazy about her anyway. This is a series with a strong, original voice and lots of humor; THE STRAWBERRY TATTOO is another good one. I can't say I was entirely thrilled by the idea of a trip to Manhattan (I find London more interesting), but it worked for me.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, enjoyable and nostalgic read. Sam Jones discovers New York and her British cheekiness and perspective in an uptight-at-the-time Manhattan during the early nineties makes for a fun read. The mystery was pretty entertaining as well aside from the ending which lacked believability.

[Amanda Larkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Number five in the Sam Jones series and highly enjoyable. A little bit of Hugo - with whom I am completely in love - but the best bit is the New York setting, which buzzes with colour and energy. Great descriptions of the food and cocktails - it made me long to jump on a plane. (If only!)

Set around a fashionable gallery, Sam is part of the Young British Artist craze and is exhibiting her mobiles. Some very sharp and funny comments about the art world at the time. Looking forward to re-reading 'Chained' - number 6!

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam Jones, artist and amateur sleuth, is booked for a showing of Young British Artists in a fancy Manhattan gallery and finds lots of action plus a few bodies during her eventful stay in the Big Apple. I had not read this series in years but found Sam as fun as before and enjoyed the look at the late 1990s art scene.

[Kirsty Darbyshire]

Sam's off to Manhattan. Sounds like a laugh to me.

And it was.

This was a much stronger book from the mystery point of view than 'Freeze My Margarita'. There's stuff you could quibble over about the motive and the background to the murders involved but Henderson has done a great job with the characters. And Manhattan is pretty realistic too. It's not quite how I see Manhattan so I could quibble with that too. I spotted at least a couple of the Americans in the book talking in British idioms that I've had trouble using in America myself. On the whole though it was a strong book. The plot was good and the atmosphere was great.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manhattan is a new planet to British sculptor Sam Jones, whose latest mobile is being featured in an exhibition at Carol Bergmann's SoHo gallery. The canned voices of Joan Rivers and Placido Domingo exhort taxi passengers to fasten their seatbelts, and the ready availability of acid and heroin shocks Sam, who would never abuse her system with anything but cocaine and margaritas. The cops who turn up at the gallery after a nasty spate of vandalism turn out to be from Homicide South, investigating the murder of an inoffensive gallery archivist who was strangled in Strawberry Fields in Central Park. One of my 11 best mysteries read in 2000.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam Jones meets New York and New York meets Sam Jones. Light, anchored in the time it was written late 1990s, early 2000s.There are quite a bit of cultural and pop reference specific to that era. TV shows, music in particular and the contemporary Young British artists scene of up coming artists that are big names now (Damien Hirst). The murder plot is okay but the best part is Sam discovering New York. There are pages that are just like a very nice tall drink of something cool and tasty. I enjoy this series, the glitz, the cultural references and the milieu it is set in.

[Winifred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked this book but not as much as freeze my margarita. sam jones has gone to new york to show her sculpture. The gallery is broken into and some paintings hace had graffiti put on them and then kate is killed at strawberry fields. Then don is also killed. Sam and suzanne lure the killer to reveal themselves.

[Rebekkila · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a mystery this book wasn't very mysterious. There was not a lot of time devoted to the mystery, 2 people are killed and then nothing happens until the end when it is revealed rather quickly. but I do love English chick lit and the book was entertaining and a fast read.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so, so liked this book! It made me realize how we Americans are so sunk deep into our uptightness, we can't even see it for what it is. We think everything is so life-and-death, and really, in the grand scheme of things, who cares? And so what? Refreshing!

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of nostalgia, published in the late 90's when pay phones were used regularly. Full of stereotypes of New Yorkers and artists, you are left feeling judged yourself. Not a book I'd recommend to a friend.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) This isn't the best of the Sam Jones books, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I do wish the author had consulted an American or two while writing the dialogue in New York...

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam Jones is too cool for school, and that's why I like her sometimes and want to smack her others.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a great mystery, but such an entertaining, readable book.

[Valissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There was a boy in it. As so often."

[Carolyn Patricia Allen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Much ado about nothing has great meaning with this author. Her characters talked too much about nothing. I felt like the author wrote to entertain herself instead of me: the reader.

[Emmaj · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful