Stripper!

Natalie McMasters Mysteries #1

by Thomas A. Burns Jr.

Natalie McMasters is twenty, short and blonde (OK, it’s bleached!), way cute, and a pre-law student at State. She's also straight, or at least she thinks so. To put herself through school, she's moonlighting as a private detective trainee at her uncle Amos Murdoch's 3M Detective Agency, where the most exciting thing she does is sit in a car. After she directly confronts a subject on a stakeout, Amos fires her for taking too many chances. Then she meets another student who bears an uncanny resemblance to her, and everything in her life changes.
When her new best friend is brutally murdered and Amos is critically injured, Nattie immerses herself in the seamy world of web cams and strip clubs to hunt the killer. Her investigation forces her to reassess many of the ideas that she’s lived by her whole life and do things she’s never considered before – strip on a stage, question her sexuality, and rediscover the meaning of love itself.
Nattie eventually exposes a drug ring, police corruption, and an assassin-for-hire online. Then she stumbles upon the true face of evil, and her encounter does not leave her unscathed…

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, LGBT, Romance, New Adult, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

274 pages, ebook

First published April 16, 2018

About the author

As a kid, Tom started reading mysteries with the Hardy Boys, Ken Holt and Rick Brant, and graduated to the classic stories by authors such as A. Conan Doyle, John Dickson Carr, Erle Stanley Gardner and Rex Stout to name a few. Tom has written fiction as a hobby all of his life, starting in marble-backed copybooks in grade school. He built a career as a writer, doing technical writing, science writing and editing for nearly thirty years in industry and government. Now that he's truly on his own as a freelance science writer and editor, he's excited to publish his own mystery series as well. Follow Tom on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/3MDetectiveA..., on Twitter @3Mdetective or email him at tom@3mdetectiveagency.com to get all the news about Nattie and 3M, as well as Tom's other writing projects.

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Stripper! (Natalie McMasters Mysteries #1)” is very, VERY, good!

MC Nattie reminds me very much of Lillian Byrd, of the crime series by Elizabeth Sims. Like Lillian, Nattie struggles with her love life, and finds herself in many amazing brushes with evil-doers and the law.

I like Nattie very much, and I really liked her BFF Becca. Be aware that when the blurb says Becca suffered a brutal death, the details in the book are very gruesome! We learn of the details from a police detective rather than suffering through her death with Becca, but ugh. No cartoony violence here; this is true evil (and I don’t mean in a paranormal evil).

The blurb does an excellent job of summarizing much of Nattie’s adventures, so I won’t elaborate here. I will say that even with some twists and turns, I did identify Becca’s killer pretty quickly, and for me much of the enjoyment was watching for the lightbulb to go off with Nattie. There’s plenty of fast-paced action, yet Nattie is intelligent and introspective enough that she feels like a real person.

Whoever created the Goodreads Audiobook didn’t tag the narrator, which is a shame. She is Lisa S. Ware and she really delivered a terrific performance!

I really enjoyed the five Lillian Byrd audiobooks, and I really enjoyed “Stripper”. I recommend “Stripper” with 4.6*, and I’m looking forward to the sequel: “Revenge!”.

[Cam Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young protagonist and aspiring lawyer, Natalie "Nattie" McMasters has a far more interesting life than your typical college student. In one of the more intriguing opening scenes of any book I've read lately, we find Nattie in her part-time job as a P.I for her uncles' company sitting down to give a nationally televised interview after rescuing a young woman being held as a sex slave in the basement of a man's home. Her reward - possible indictment for breaking and entering and first-degree murder.

Shortly thereafter, Nattie befriends a classmate - Rebecca Chapman, a spitting image of herself - who is unexpectedly murdered after revealing to Nattie that she operates an internet strip site. At the time, Nattie can't even afford to pay the rent whilst subsisting on ketchup and mayo sandwiches but fortunately, Rebecca has done quite well financially and leaves everything to Nattie: car, bank account, townhouse, and even the stripper studio, technology, and all the accessories that go with it. The police don't seem to have much interest in investigating the death of an internet sex worker - maybe they don't care? maybe they're even conflicted? - so Nattie, young, principled, and rash, decides to take the case on herself.

Nattie soon finds herself as a stripper in a sleazy club with a cast of even sleazier characters: the club owner, the bartender, bouncers, and of course, the patrons. Along the way, people go missing, family members and friends get attacked and Natalie is thrust even deeper into the shady underbelly of the darknet.

About halfway through the book, a police detective sits down with young McMasters: "Natalie, I like you, I really do. You're intelligent, you have spunk and you seem to have more principles than most young people do these days. You might even make a good cop someday. And you've been through a lot, which might have contributed to the stupid choices you've made lately."

“Stripper” is a thoroughly enjoyable read with a creative and intricate plot. The pacing is superb and unexpected surprises grab you without a moment's notice. By telling the story in the first-person, present tense, Burns draws us closer to the action and exposes us to the inner monologue of Nattie, whose ponderings and observations made me laugh on several occasions.

I waffled between 4 and 5 stars. I think the “stripper” story has been told many times before but I’m rewarding up because I found the pace, plotting, and above all, the messages in the novel to be noble. The author took risks and books that leave you thinking afterward have an impact. Underneath the mystery, topical subject matter is explored – society’s ambivalence to sex workers; the perilous nature of illegals in America; sexual identity; and police corruption.

[Erin Bomboy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Balroop Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Stripper’ by Thomas A. Burns is a gripping, fast-paced thriller that reveals the sleazy, grisly world of strip clubs. I didn’t expect it to flow so well! What I like about Burns’ style is that his story moves forward, exploring many dimensions of the plot. Having said that, I must point out the profane language he uses liberally through out the book, with sexual innuendoes and graphic details of the strippers. I also didn’t like the unprofessional and indifferent male attitude toward the dancers that peeps through the narrative. The clandestine support that such clubs get from law enforcements is no secret but The Kitten Club is an exploiters’ hub and harbors a predator too!

Natalie, an intrepid and impulsive young student is placed in such a hazardous atmosphere but she grows with the story and determines to solve the jigsaw that she comes across unawares. On the way she discovers her true self and much more about the world. A female-oriented story, Becca’s presence is felt even after her murder. Lupe remains a weak character and is ready to accept male dominance and exploitation meekly. The ending is quite horrifying and dramatic and keeps the avenues open for further action. Such books don’t evoke my interest but it is well-written.

[Lori Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie, or Nattie, is a down-on-her-luck college student when she meets a girl who looks very much like her and the two become fast friends. This friendship leads to life-changing events that will take Nattie places she never thought she'd go! The book takes off and never slows down, taking the reader on a wild ride as Nattie goes undercover to solve the murder of her friend. I have to say, I wasn't a fan of the graphic sex in the book, but the over-all story is really good!

[Dave Saari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feisty Female Detective

“Stripper!” by Thomas A. Burns Jr., features college student Natalie McMasters, a “way cute,” feisty young woman who pays the rent by working for her uncle’s detective agency. Until she gets fired, for reasons that don’t make a whole lot of sense, but hey, it’s a novel. But not to worry – soon enough, she’s back working for the “3M Detective Agency,” though not necessarily doing what her uncle has in mind. Natalie is a tiny dynamo, barely over five feet and less than a hundred pounds, but she punches way above her weight as she attacks whatever life throws her way, driven by a fierce loyalty to the people she loves. Her main character flaw is a tendency to make rash decisions, but once she sets her mind to something, nothing will stop her. One of those rash decisions leads her to become a stripper in a sleazy club, as a cover for investigating the death of Becca, a woman who designates Natalie as her sole heir despite knowing her for only a week or so (another plot element that didn’t really make sense to me). One thing leads to another and soon enough Natalie is in all sorts of trouble, just what we want in a mystery story, and also falls for Lupe, another stripper at the club. Burns also gives us an interesting cast of supporting characters, most of whom have strengths, weaknesses, and conflicts – except the bad guys, who are just plain bad.

Beyond the exciting plot, another thing I found interesting about the book was Burns’s seeming attempt to convey society’s ambivalence about sex industry workers. On the one hand, many of the characters are repulsed by the idea of Natalie’s stripping and see her fellow performers as degenerates. On the other hand, the exploitation of the women by the club’s owner paints them in a much more sympathetic light, and the book shows that stripping can be a viable means of support for women lacking social status and/or other marketable skills. Natalie herself is ambivalent about it – she abhors the personal contact with leering club customers but enjoys her work as an on-line “interactive dancer” in the safety of her home studio, following in Becca’s footsteps. She staunchly defends Lupe’s choice to work as a dancer, yet wants to lead her toward a more “respectable” career. Burns also reminds us of our own voyeuristic instincts by providing some powerfully erotic descriptions of performances by Becca, Natalie, and Lupe (both on-stage and off). There seems to be an unstated undercurrent throughout the book – how can we simultaneously take personal pleasure from these beautiful women performers and yet put down their work as smutty or low-class?

The story is told by Natalie in a first person, present tense narrative. I generally do not like the present tense narrative style, but I thought it worked fairly well in this book. There are also a boatload of typos, the bane of many indie authors, but the excellent pacing of the book allowed me to glide over most of them without too much wincing. The biggest negative for me was the attempt by some characters (and presumably the author) to equivocate about the meaning of rape

All-in-all, not quite a five-star rating, but a very enjoyable read.

[Byron Fortin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and Gritty

A fresh take on the mystery thriller genre, thanks in no small part to the depth of its characters, the details put into crafting descriptive exchanges, and the creation of dark, suspense filled, anxiety inducing atmospheres. It's an intricate story design, sewing together complex scenes with clever dialogue, leaving behind a pattern of clues that keeps you guessing. 

Told in the first person, it runs at a rather fast pace, going from the safety that a life of semi-normalcy brings to navigating the seedy outskirts of society. All it takes is for a friend to wind up dead and a world gets turned on its head. You're sent tumbling down a rabbit hole full of odd individuals and dangerous liaisons. Yet along the way there's the added discovery of an inner awakening, like as though this is the path that you were always meant to be on. 

The few issues I had were minor nitpicks only, but they took me out of the story at times, such as the use of acronyms to express emotion (OMG). For the most part though, it was a solid telling of neo-noir. The author took on the enormous duty of entering into the mindset of one who could be considered outside their wheelhouse, and taking risks is never boring.

Rich in scandal, layered in secrecy, ever dark and always gritty, I recommend 'Stripper!' for those wanting a mature murder mystery that isn't afraid of what it is and doesn't pull any punches.

[Carolyn St-Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

STRIPPER! is a detective novel that centers on Natalie McMasters, a young pre-law student who works at her uncle’s PI firm to pay the bills. When her friend and doppelganger, Becca, is killed and her uncle is injured, Nattie risks everything by going undercover as a stripper to flush out Becca’s killer.
Even though this case completely consumes Nattie, she manages to narrow it down to a few suspects. Nattie’s search for the killer exposes her to the underbelly of police corruption and the violence people who do sex work face. As someone who has done crisis work with sex workers, Burns Jr.’s depiction of this is pretty authentic.
Through the first-person narrative, we see Nattie grow into her sexuality and make sense of the world around her. I figured out who killed Nattie’s friend Becca fairly early on but it was amusing to see Nattie put two and two together.
I did, however, find myself getting frustrated with Nattie as her risk-taking felt reckless, not heroic. Yet, this flaw also endeared me to her and speaks to her young age. It also didn’t prevent me from binge reading it when I should have been adulting!
As to be expected in a detective novel, there’s sexual violence, murder and a little erotica sprinkled in but none of it felt gratuitous. I’d definitely read something from this author again!

[J.C. Gatlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a 1990s vibe, with a female college student/former P.I. who investigates the murder of an online stripper. She gets wrapped-up in the seedy underbelly of the industry and, along the way, experiences a sexual awakening. The story moves quickly, with a solid mystery driving the plot. The characters feel templated from a 90s “Crime Time in Prime Time” TV show (Silk Stalkings, Sweating Bullets, Baywatch Nights), which actually fits well with the writing style and theme. The one thing that threw me somewhat is the first person narrative…it’s told from Natalie’s point of view, but the voice often sounds masculine. Sometimes that voice didn't sound like a female college student, which broke the illusion and threw me out of the story. I often felt like it would’ve worked better if told in third person. Still, the book has a lot going for it. It’s fun and never takes itself too seriously. It’s also well plotted, including a few a twists that’ll take the reader by surprise. I’m looking forward to checking out the next mystery in the series.

[Mary Markstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't the kind of book I normally read but I'm glad I gave it a try. It's a fast paced detective story which kept me turning the pages. Natalie is the sort of heroine I like; fearless and resolute as well as being extremely charming. While working for her uncle's detective agency, she gets into many hair-raising exploits such as saving a young woman from a life as a sex slave and she even shoots a couple of bad guys. She never gives a thought for her own safely but despite her bravery, she doesn't crave public applause. The only thanks she gets from her uncle is to be sacked from her job. The author writes convincingly in the style of the detective, 'noir,' novels except that in this genre, the characters are often flawed and they don't usually have happy endings. I'm happy to say that Natalie doesn't appear to have flaws and the story has a satisfactory ending which is how I like it. This is the kind of book that you can curl up on the sofa with on a cold, winters night and enjoy.

[Matthew Summers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to make of this book. The overall writing wasn't bad. But there were a lot of things that stood out to me that kept this at a 2.5 star, rounding up to 3 stars.

For one, the plot seemed to jump at convenient, not logical, times. For example, at the beginning when she meets the victim of the story, she spends a day or so with her. We flash forward a week, with only a text from the victim that went unanswered - now the victim's dead, and MC's inherited all victim's worldly possessions?

And no one feels like this is suspicious in any way (which it would be). Plus at the end, the resolution with the main baddie went far too smoothly. He took her at her word waaaayyy too easily, given the situation (trying to keep this spoiler-free by being vague).

There are other inconsistencies throughout, plus a lot of repetition - the phrasing "OMG", for example, is used 35 times. It pulls you out of the story and detracts from the overall, I'm afraid.

[Helen Mathey-Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stripper! was a great murder mystery involving the heroine Nattie McMasters. Nattie seems to be like all young wannabe detectives and is good at getting her nose in places she shouldn't. Nattie meets a girl at the college, Becca, and before she knows it, she's wrapped up so tightly in a whirlwind of murder, spying and stripping. Nattie really is an interesting character and Burns does a great job of introducing each character. Each character introduced to the plot was very aptly described and you could get a feel for what the character was going to provide. Sometimes it turned out to be a complete surprise! I enjoyed the book and am interested in Nattie's future adventures.

[Camille Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Angela Panayotopulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a modern and unique spin on a classic amateur-sleuth-hits-jackpot story -- at least in my own not-as-familiar-with-the-genre eyes. Burns tells his tale with refreshing frankness and impressive detail, making good use of scene-building, dialogue, and character development to spin the story of a poor yet feisty college girl whose detective skills and sexual experimentation get her into a pretty scalding pot of hot water. The story-line is brisk, the narrative entertaining, and the plot is... well, it's fiction, and I suppose some things can happen in a storybook or Hollywood universe that aren't as plausible in real life.



The acronyms (OMG, WTF) and especially the exclamation points are a bit overkill (in some scenes--like at the end of a shooting--the quiet pause of a period can be much more powerful), and a final round of proofreading could have polished this book to its full potential.

I also couldn't shake off how quickly Nattie gets attracted to people, particularly women. Besties in a week? Love at first session? Take it easy, sugar...



For the most part, though, Nattie's personality, thoughts, and demeanor were believable enough for me to generally suspend my disbelief. I enjoyed the narrative voice and protagonist more than I initially expected to, and commend the author for writing from a young woman's perspective.

A lot of thought and energy must go into a book of this length from start to finish, and that effort certainly shines through. At times quite gritty and at times almost lighthearted, this is a mystery thriller that gets darker as it goes. If you're looking for an unusual mystery that delves into a darker facet of society, give this a go!

[Kalli Kounavong · Rating 5 out of 5]

STRIPPER by Thomas A. Burns Jr. 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.

[Rebecca Winkler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep on Reading:

Stripper! (Natalie McMasters Mysteries #1) by Thomas A. Burns Jr. was a surprise. When I say that Natalie is a complex and contradicting character, I mean it in the best sense. Her relationship of one week with her new BFF resulted in a hefty inheritance for Natalie when her BFF was murdered. Natalie takes on finding her murderer with her therapist’s encouragement??? If it were me, I’d run for the hills hiding—so I kept on reading.

Burns is consistent with developing Natalie’s character. I’ve read the following book 2 and 3 of this series, and she is someone you look forward to exploring more. Many complex character traits from the spunky teenage language to dropping out of college, taking a job as a stripper when her Uncle Amos fires her from his security company, all the while figuring out her sexuality, is a handful. In the end – somehow it makes sense. Oh yes, and at the same time using her PI trainee skills to chase a murderer. She is unique, funny, serious, curious, and that’s why I like reading Natalie (the protagonist) as Burns writes this series—in first person. She is a gung-ho type of girl. Afraid of nothing, yet living with uncertainties in her life. She is willing to take risks because to her…she must act to find the answers she seeks.
The plot is guilty of mysteries, murder, and mayhem in spades. If you are sensitive to these things, don’t read this because Burns makes sure you get plenty.

[Bruce Hutchison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books gets off a bang-up start that drew me in right from page one. The heroine, Natalie McMasters, initially recounts a horrific event in which she was mauled and nearly killed attempting to rescue a victim of sexual exploitation. But that’s just the beginning of a story that sets Nattie up as a full fledged detective investigating the murder of a friend with whom she has an uncanny resemblance. I liked that up close and personal aspect of the plot. Nattie is not simply tracking down a killer. She is after a murder who killed a friend. Her undercover work requires hers to delve into the life of that deceased friend who, as the title suggests, paid her bills by stripping in porn clubs. While Nattie stalks a killer in that underground world, her friend’s killer stalks her. As Nattie does, she is forced to confront her own prejudices and self judgements on lifestyle and sexuality in a dangerous and unfamiliar world that could trip her up at every step. The characters are realistically drawn and the plot easily pulled me along. I would buy it or barrow it, and read it.

[CR · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a little hard to get into. It wasn't horrible but it seemed like the same old same old. The pacing was choppy as was the story. And all in all I think this one just wasn't for me at all.

[Andrew Gracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stripper! by Thomas A. Burns Jr is a murder-mystery thriller following the adventures of Natalie ‘Nattie’ McMasters, a trainee detective and college student who is struggling to deal with the weight of her past as well as her current day situation. The writing is solid, the plot and characters are engaging, but some parts I felt let the book down.

To start, Natalie is a very engaging and likeable lead. She is strong-willed, independently-minded, kind, compassionate, and yet completely ruthless to those who threaten to harm her or those she cares about. She is driven by a strong sense of justice and a need to protect those who cannot protect themselves, something that I really liked. With the weight of a court case hanging over her, money struggles, alienation from her family and a growing feud with mobsters, she certainly has a lot to deal with when we meet her. We also get a good sense of those around her, such as Becca and Lupe, and even the bad guys are well-written and believable. Some of the characters, however, are not really explored, including one who dies early on after existing no more than a few pages, his purpose not really explained - I would have loved to have seen more of his storyline.

Nattie’s transformation into a stripper seemed a little contrived in my view. Yes, she had money troubles, and yes Becca’s murder were good motivations, but the whole adoption of her lifestyle, house and car seemed a little forced. Nattie only has a moment’s hesitation before jumping into a whole new lifestyle. I also found her use of WTF and OMG a little distracting - Nattie does not strike me as the sort of person who uses these phrases; in fact I get the impression that they would annoy her more than anything. I felt that they undermined her power and turned her into a teenager, rather than the bright young woman we have known so far.

The issue I did have was that the book came across poorly in its attitude towards sexual violence. At parts it felt a little pushed in, serving no real plot purpose and its devastating repercussions not really highlighted. Even worse, the authors attempt to define what is and what isn’t rape on the very last page was a little disturbing. I felt that its use was very ill-conceived for a character I was so invested in and disagreed strongly with the author's attempts to make it work.

The action scenes are great! There are some very good ideas that worked very well, especially the last fight, even though it felt a little tagged on at the end. There are gunfights and fistfights with some very imaginative use of technique and skill. We also got closure on the entire book with a strong setup for a sequel.

With a title like Stripper! and this being written by a male author, there was a lot that could have gone wrong. And some of it did. Despite the issues I had with some aspects of the book, it does make for a thrilling read.

[Harry Old · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely liked this book more and more as it went on. However, I didn't really get on with the main character (and the narrative as it was first person from her perspective), especially at the beginning, and that spoiled it for me. In fact, after the first few chapters I was struggling to keep going. I'm glad that I did - after the action starts the pace really picks up, more characters are introduced and I wanted to know what was going to happen - so I would say that it is worth getting through the first bit.

I liked the bad guys, Bobby, Danny and the stripper girls (Bobby was my favourite in terms of characterisation and drawing my interest, getting me invested in his fate) and the plot was exciting with good twists.

Natalie herself, however, felt as though the author was trying too hard to make her likeable and to write from the perspective of a young woman, and that made her irritating. Yes, we do say OMG, WTF and use exclamation marks, but not while describing very dark, serious situations. Often I would be really engrossed in the action then her overly upbeat tone would jolt me out of it. The book begins with an interview about rescuing a sex slave and the killing of her captor, but Natalie seems more bothered by the fact that her interviewer is attractive than her recent traumatic experience. While in therapy for PTSD, she's frequently distracted by how hot the therapist is. I felt that her outward actions and reactions to things were believable and would have been likeable if the style of her internal monologue didn't jar so much with these situations and somewhat trivialize them. She also describes herself as "way cute" and frequently comments on how attracted she is to a girl who looks exactly like her, which personally struck me as arrogant and a little creepy. I wasn't keen on Becca either as she felt very unrealistic, but she wasn't in it for long.

Natalie does improve though as the story progresses, or the rest of the book was good enough to distract me - either way, I did end up enjoying it from about a third of the way in. I also liked that there were a few trick endings where it seemed like things were settled then more action unfolded. The book ends with a teaser for the next in the series and I must say, despite my feelings towards Natalie being lukewarm at best, I may be tempted to continue for the intrigue of who this next bad guy might be and their relationship to the previous one - this darker side of the book was very good.

[Carro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a noir detective story with some violence and a few erotic scenes, written first person and present tense.
Natalie is a student, hoping to become a lawyer, and working part time for her Uncle's detective agency. Before the story opens, she rescued a woman being held as a sex slave in a man's basement – she worked out she had to be there from clues she saw during a surveillance.
Her next job is tailing a woman who is claiming workers compensation for an injury sustained as a waitress in a strip club. The woman spots her and tells the cops – because she is an undercover cop herself. Things get worse when the undercover cop is murdered.
Natalie makes a new friend in class – Becca – who it turns out is making a substantial living, working as an online stripper. Becca is then murdered and the police aren't interested – she's just a sex worker. Natalie decides to investigate and starts working as a stripper herself, trying to bring the murderer out of hiding.
Natalie is also struggling with her understanding of her own sexuality and learning more about herself.
The erotic scenes are mostly descriptions of working as a stripper and pole dancer, with a couple of sex scenes that reach a fade point. There are also some interesting details on the level of athleticism you need to swing round a pole, and how to lure and control customers. The level of erotica mentions nipples, but no details of genitalia. You should be aware there is sexual violence.
The pluses of this book are it is well written and edited and the detail rings true to my level of knowledge (not actually ever been in a strip club.... or indeed fired a hand gun) and gives a good feeling of place – both nice ones and sleazy.
I had one small niggle with the book – the author makes a point on the cover and in the opening of the character talking about how short she is, but the only time it really influences the text is when she is in a dangerous situation with a much larger man. For my taste, there'd be more realism if she was occasionally muttering because she couldn't see in a crowd, or can't reach something on a high shelf.
I dithered between three and four stars on this. Three stars for my level of enjoyment, four stars for the quality of the book. I went with four stars as it is a good example of a noir detective novel and well produced.

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, let me say that 'Stripper!' isn't a bad book. It's a cinch to read and flows from chapter-to-chapter like—well, I won't use a metaphor that would fit with the themes of the book—but it's pretty easy to read.

'Stripper!' follows the journey of Natalie McMasters—Nattie—as she investigates the murder of her would-be stripper partner, Becca. (More on that in a moment.)

What really works about the novel is the 'gee golly' aspect of the main character being an amateur sleuth. Things happen almost by accident, and the character's actions (and reactions) seem genuine. I found myself reading for stretches just to see what would happen next.

What doesn't work for me is the portrayal of female characters. It's clearly a dude writing for women, and with the subject matter—exotic dancing—the content gets a little tricky to maneuver. As a guy, I'm pretty much able to glide along with the narrative, in part because I have no idea how the whole industry works.

But one of the main conceits of the story is that the main character looks similar to another character, and so she invites her—on their first meeting—to be her stripper co-partner. This is not a deal-breaker, but it knocked me right out of the narrative, like, "Does this sort of thing really happen?"

The little touches are what give me pause. I think the book works just fine for what it is, but it's hard for me to navigate my feelings about the ins and outs of the story without becoming...nervous.

Overall, I'd say it's worth a read, if you've already plowed through all the Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey and Christopher Moore novels out there.

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

STRIPPER! Is more than just another whodunit. It is the knife-edged story of a young woman discovering who she really is. Natalie, call me Nattie, McMasters is a smart, down-on-her luck college student eating mayo and ketchup sandwiches until the unthinkable happens. She is also a private investigator trainee working for her uncle. This is a Cinderella story except there is no prince charming, and no glass slippers. It is about transformation, and, in a grizzly sort of way, there is a fairy godmother.

Perhaps the most difficult thing that humans must learn is just who they are. How does a single person quantify self? In some ways, this is the crux of the book. How does Nattie see herself? How does she fit into society? The answers are not simple, and we have the privilege of knowing her innermost thoughts.

STRIPPER! Is definitely a page-turner. I found it really hard to put down even when my eyelids were at half-staff and my eyeballs were burning. Sleep could wait; the story couldn't. Although it takes in much of what is called the seedier side of life, it is easy to get lost in the prose. It is a rare talent these days to find someone who commands both the language of the literate with the language of the streets. This is a book you don't just read, you live it.

There is no doubt that my next read will be REVENGE!, the next book in the Natalie McMasters series.

[Felix Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light-hearted detective story with a twist that needs a trigger warning

I feel that the name of this book lets it down a bit. Clever piece of marketing continuity though it may be.

The story of Natalie McMasters picks up from where it left off in the previous book. Natalie is facing criminal charges for doing the right thing which went pretty badly wrong.

After extracting herself from that mess she dives right into a series of increasingly implausible dramas that all serve the same purpose. To get her to take her clothes off in front of strange men ... and secretly enjoy it.

There's a lot more to this tale than it's outlandish plot. The supporting cast of characters are lovingly drawn. And the pace chugs along nicely without every stopping too long in any spot.

Even though Natalie McMaster is one boilermaker short of thinking in emojis, she manages to rescue the maiden, take down the bad guys and look smoking hot while doing it.

Fans of Janet Evanovich will enjoy Stripper!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first book in the Natalie McMasters Series by Thomas A Burns, Jr. was definitely an entertaining thrill ride as the race was on to not only solve several murders but also to prevent a few future ones from happening as well. Natalie goes about this is a very unorthodox manner, by getting involved with stripping at a club while she conducts her private detective work. Natalie also struggles to balance the relationship of her family against her evolving feelings of questioning her sexuality. The story races along on a dingy and dark and sometimes grisly path towards the unknown as answers are sought. The reader is brought along to feel and immerse themselves in the emotional struggles of Natalie and her friends. I have already added book 2 in the series to my TBR file. This is a voluntary review of this book.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An old story kept fresh by good character development, action and multiple plots threaded together almost seamlessly.

I usually read female authors as I find female characters are a bit more believable at their hands and the sex is not (usually as much) gratuitous.

This story -written by a male author - has a young college student working her way through school by traing as a PI. Natalie goes under cover and discovers a dark, seedy side of life. She makes friends who lead her further into the mystery/case she is working on. Natalie learns quite a bit about loyalty, curiosity, sexuality.

I look forward to the next installment.

[The Christian Book Critic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stripper is the first book in the Natalie McMasters series and the debut novel for Thomas A. Burns. Stripper is a captivating suspense novel about a twenty-something pre-law college student, Natalie McMasters that works part-time for her Uncle Amos’ detective agency, 3M Detective Agency. Everything is somewhat typical for Natalie until she meets a classmate name Becca, that could be her twin. However, Becca isn’t your average college student; she lives in luxury townhouse and drives an expensive sports car. Becca quickly informs Natalie that she is an online stripper, and she wants Natalie to join her. Before Natalie could decided, Becca ends up dead as Natalie investigates Becca’s murder, her Uncle Amos to shot. Natalie is determined to find the killer; however, it may cost her life.

[Mx Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas A. Burns Jr. makes us dizzy with all of the twists and turns as if we had just kept spinning on a pole in Spinner! (2018). I want to ride this pole again. (laugh)

Natalie McMasters is feisty and a risk-taker sometimes to her own detriment and our entertainment. Burns has created a heroine to root for. Some of the side characters are very disagreeable, but maybe they are supposed to be (laugh).

The mysteries are good and yes, I wrote mysteries as there is more than one. Burns keeps us entertained and the story moving fast. I do not want to give anything away other than you need to start this series. Nattie is a hoot and watching her will make you want to take a spin on the pole too.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

[David MacMaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Entertaining

This book has more in-depth content than what the cover or title implies. It is a great storyline presented in the first-person perspective of Natalie McMasters, a young, petite "way cute" and feisty blonde who sometimes acts more on impulse than she should. She is questioning her sexuality and at the same time dropping out of college to become embroiled in solving the murder of a fellow classmate she adored. The author throws in some characters from the seedy outskirts of society along with a few well developed and likable characters. Great read and looking forward to his next book.