Key West Luck

Key West, Volume 11

By: Laurence Shames

Narrated by: Jem Matzan

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Sometimes, small dreams are the ones most worth fighting for....

Phoebe has a dream - a very modest dream. She wants to own a Sno-Cone truck at the beach in Key West. Nicky, her would-be boyfriend, also dreams small. All he wants is a decent gig as a guitar player in a bar. Doesn't seem like too much to ask of life, does it?

So why do things keep going so dreadfully wrong for Phoebe and Nicky? Is it just plain bad luck? Or is it the decidedly bad intentions of a sleazy local cheat, a Miami gangster desperate to stay in business, and a murderous Cuban smuggler looking for a fall guy?

Against these enemies, and with only a pair of mangrove-dwelling philosophers and an ancient Mafioso as allies, Phoebe and Nicky will need more than a major shift in fortune to keep their hopes, and themselves, alive. They'll need a kind of smarts and courage they never knew they had.

Lush with Florida atmosphere, deftly balancing suspense and comedy, romance and mayhem, Key West Luck will leave you cheering for the exploits of its unlikely heroes.

©2015 Laurence Shames (P)2016 Laurence Shames

Can’t listen to narrator

The narrator would be passable if all he read was text. But his characters were so grating that I’m returning the book. They sound cartoonish, like the head elf on the Rudolph Christmas cartoon show. It detracts so much from Lawrence Shames masterful writing that I can’t stand it.

Good fun

Decent story for this type of novel. It was entertaining. The narrator left a bit to be desired, over annunciating and characters that sounded like Edward G Robinson. Otherwise I recommend it.

Wonderful book, wretched narrator.

Laurence Shames writes enchanting stories. Being a Florida gal I love hearing about my state as the setting of a book, and LS delivers terrific characters, good plot, and lots of laughs. I would give him 5 stars but the narrator actually gets 0. This git renders Shames’ work unlistenable so read but don’t listen.

I love this Key West series from Laurence Shames

What did you love best about Key West Luck?

The author has a knack for creating characters that stick with you long after you've finished reading or listening to his books and the characters in this book lived up to his usual standards.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Phoebe and Nicky are both beautifully crafted young people who are dealing with life as well as they know how. They are both flawed in their own unique ways. It's tough to steal the spotlight away from Bert the Shirt in one of Mr. Shames books, but Phoebe and Nicky managed to do it for me.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommended for authors of funny, light-hearted, and sun-drenched mysteries.

A perfect beach read...

I thought this was an entertaining book. This is the only one I have read in this series, and I didn't get a sense of missing out on something from previous books, so I'm guessing that the stories stand alone. I thought the characters/anti-heroes were interesting and the facing off between the dirty crime bosses and paradise beach bums was kind of fun. I listened to the Audible audio version of the book narrated by Jem Matson. I thought the narration was fine and fit with the book. Overall, I think this book is definitely enjoyable, but not necessarily super memorable. But if you're looking for something like a beach read, this would be a great book to try out.

Good story, but…

Enjoyed the story and characters. The narration was off this time. Some of the character’s voices were very grating.

Geesh!

I'm a fan of Shames and have read several of his books. The are fun, light reads to enjoy a couple of margaritas with at the Galleon during my annual hideaway in Key West.

This was not one of his best although it would have fulfilled the criteria above. Unfortunately, I'm in Orlando and due to several circumstances I decided to enjoy it on Audible and I wish I could have. I assume the narrator was going for a cartoonish interpretation of the characters but whatever his intent, it was pretty bad.

Do yourself a favor, grab a margarita or two, sit out on the deck and read this one.

Shames' Books Never Disappoint

Laurence Shames writes books I can read over and over anytime I need a good laugh. Key West Luck has all the familiar characters and characteristics that make me love the series. My only complaint was the narration. Jem Matzan was mechanical as if narrating a how-to book. The new main character was supposed to be from Jersey but sounded like a surfer from Cali. The reoccurring characters were unrecognizable in Matzan's interpretation.