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In the grand tradition of Elmore Leonard, Laurence Shames creates an outrageous heavyweight thriller that’s heavy on atmosphere and action. Joey Goldman is a low-level New York hustler. He’s taking a working vacation in South Florida and looking to score big with a time-share scam. His half brother Gino Delgatto is a man in need of a fall guy. When they meet in Key West, the term dysfunctional family takes on a new meaning. Will one of them succeed? Or will the Miami mob find an eye-popping way to dispose of them both?
Sunshine State trivia buff Serge A. Storms loves eliminating jerks and pests. His drug-addled partner Coleman loves cartoons. Hot stripper Sharon Rhodes loves cocaine, especially when purchased with rich dead men's money. On the other hand, there's Sean and David, who love fishing and are kind to animals - and who are about to cross paths with a suitcase filled with $5 million in stolen insurance money. Serge wants the suitcase. Sharon wants the suitcase. Coleman wants more drugs... and the suitcase.
Its cool gulf breezes lured him from a life of danger. Its dark undercurrents threatened to destroy him. After 10 years of living life on the edge, it was hard for Doc Ford to get that addiction to danger out of his system. But spending each day watching the sun melt into Dinkins Bay and the moon rise over the mangrove trees, cooking dinner for his beautiful neighbor, and dispensing advice to the locals over a cold beer lulled him into letting his guard down.
Russell Bricklin "Bric" Whal is the guy that every Key West local knows and every tourist wants to be. Relaxed, tanned by island sun and comfortable in his skin, he slides onto a barstool next to you at Schooner Wharf and lets you buy him a beer. Ex-Navy Seal, Key West native and full time treasure diver, Bric has been searching for a fortune in gold and silver in the Florida Keys his whole life. Today he may have found it, but not the treasure he expected.
When I wrote Money Talks back in 2007, neither I nor anyone else imagined that the White House would soon be occupied by a man who bears such a striking and in fact uncanny resemblance to my villain, Robert Maxx. I wasn't trying to write a predictive dystopia; all I wanted to do was to tell an engaging story that would let me think my way into the mind of a real-estate mogul with a bullying manner, a head of hair flamboyant enough to match his ego, and a somewhat childish fixation to see his name on very tall buildings.
When Lane Coolman's car is bashed from behind on the road to the Florida Keys, what appears to be an ordinary accident is anything but (this is Hiaasen!). Behind the wheel of the other car is Merry Mansfield - the eponymous Razor Girl - and the crash scam is only the beginning of events that spiral crazily out of control while unleashing some of the wildest characters Hiaasen has ever set loose.
In the grand tradition of Elmore Leonard, Laurence Shames creates an outrageous heavyweight thriller that’s heavy on atmosphere and action. Joey Goldman is a low-level New York hustler. He’s taking a working vacation in South Florida and looking to score big with a time-share scam. His half brother Gino Delgatto is a man in need of a fall guy. When they meet in Key West, the term dysfunctional family takes on a new meaning. Will one of them succeed? Or will the Miami mob find an eye-popping way to dispose of them both?
Sunshine State trivia buff Serge A. Storms loves eliminating jerks and pests. His drug-addled partner Coleman loves cartoons. Hot stripper Sharon Rhodes loves cocaine, especially when purchased with rich dead men's money. On the other hand, there's Sean and David, who love fishing and are kind to animals - and who are about to cross paths with a suitcase filled with $5 million in stolen insurance money. Serge wants the suitcase. Sharon wants the suitcase. Coleman wants more drugs... and the suitcase.
Its cool gulf breezes lured him from a life of danger. Its dark undercurrents threatened to destroy him. After 10 years of living life on the edge, it was hard for Doc Ford to get that addiction to danger out of his system. But spending each day watching the sun melt into Dinkins Bay and the moon rise over the mangrove trees, cooking dinner for his beautiful neighbor, and dispensing advice to the locals over a cold beer lulled him into letting his guard down.
Russell Bricklin "Bric" Whal is the guy that every Key West local knows and every tourist wants to be. Relaxed, tanned by island sun and comfortable in his skin, he slides onto a barstool next to you at Schooner Wharf and lets you buy him a beer. Ex-Navy Seal, Key West native and full time treasure diver, Bric has been searching for a fortune in gold and silver in the Florida Keys his whole life. Today he may have found it, but not the treasure he expected.
When I wrote Money Talks back in 2007, neither I nor anyone else imagined that the White House would soon be occupied by a man who bears such a striking and in fact uncanny resemblance to my villain, Robert Maxx. I wasn't trying to write a predictive dystopia; all I wanted to do was to tell an engaging story that would let me think my way into the mind of a real-estate mogul with a bullying manner, a head of hair flamboyant enough to match his ego, and a somewhat childish fixation to see his name on very tall buildings.
When Lane Coolman's car is bashed from behind on the road to the Florida Keys, what appears to be an ordinary accident is anything but (this is Hiaasen!). Behind the wheel of the other car is Merry Mansfield - the eponymous Razor Girl - and the crash scam is only the beginning of events that spiral crazily out of control while unleashing some of the wildest characters Hiaasen has ever set loose.
The Road to Key West is an adventurous/humorous sojourn that cavorts its way through the 1970s Caribbean, from Key West and the Bahamas, to Cuba and Central America. In August of 1971, Kansas Stamps and Will Bell set out to become nothing more than commercial divers in the Florida Keys, but adventure, or misadventure, seems to dog them at every turn.
Tourist season is swinging into high gear in Miami. So are the activities of a bizarre terrorist group determined to keep the hapless "snowbirds" away. Armed with bombs, weed, and jumbled credos, they move toward their grand target, the Orange Bowl Parade, with plans to bring Miami and its tourist trade to a halt.
If you love John D McDonald and Carl Hiassen mysteries you are going to love Square Grouper. For fans of Key West murder mysteries, laugh out loud funny storytelling, and great characters, this book delivers. Authentic locations, great humor, and compelling action, Key West author Lewis C. Haskell has captured the traditions of South Florida writers with a first novel that was a finalist for the Key West Mystery Writers 'Jeremiah Healy' Award. Here is your next winter vacation beach listen.
Jack Nolan had his life all mapped out as he pursued a promising career as an attorney in Michigan. Suddenly his world was knocked out of orbit and he found himself living with his Uncle Mickey above Mickey's bar in South Florida. Mickey's untimely death leads to Jack becoming a bar owner. Jack's protective approach to his life includes staying emotionally uninvolved with everyone around him, those who work at the bar, customers, and the objects of his frequent one-night stands.
After finding millions in treasure, Russell Bricklin "Bric" Wahl has suffered a terrible loss, and embarks on a long and dangerous journey to find thieves and murderers. Missing Spanish gold, Greek mobsters, racing in Baja, a near fatal deep water dive in England and a dangerous rail journey in Europe make for "cant put it down" mystery listening in this fast-paced sequel to Treasure Key.
When Jesse McDermitt retires from the Marine Corps at age 37, he has no idea what he will do for the rest of his life. He only knows he doesn't want to spend the coming winter anywhere cold. His greatest skill is killing people from up to a mile away, and he knows there aren't many job opportunities in the civilian world for that. However, he also knows his way around boats and has an old friend living free and easy in the Florida Keys.
The "maddog" murderer who is terrorizing the Twin Cities is two things: insane and extremely intelligent. He kills for the pleasure of it and thoroughly enjoys placing elaborate obstacles to keep police befuddled. Each clever move he makes is another point of pride. But when the brilliant Lieutenant Lucas Davenport, a dedicated cop and a serial killer's worst nightmare, is brought in to take up the investigation, the maddog suddenly has an adversary worthy of his genius.
It's not every afternoon that an enigmatic, comely blonde named Stilton (like the cheese) walks into the scruffy gin joint where Sammy "Two Toes" Tiffin tends bar. It's love at first sight, but before Sammy can make his move, an air force general named Remy arrives with some urgent business. 'Cause when you need something done, Sammy is the guy to go to; he's got the connections on the street.
This novel by Carl Hiaasen, author of Tourist Season and Native Tongue, begins as most thrillers do, with a killing. But this is no everyday, hum-drum, garden variety killing. Our hero, Nick Stranahan, a 42-year-old private investigator who has killed five men and been married five times, skewers his attacker's aorta with the razor-sharp bill of a stuffed marlin.
A twisted tale of murder in the world of big-stakes bass fishing tournaments. Filled with ex-wives, evangelists, and an armed pit-bull, this is a story that could only be concocted by Carl Hiaasen, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, New York Times best-selling author, and czar of Florida noir fiction.
New York Times best-selling author Carl Hiaasen teamed up with journalist Bill Montalbano for this gripping thriller. Powder Burn stars Chris Meadows, a successful Miami architect who's leaving a meeting with an ex-girlfriend when he sees a car strike his ex, killing her. But the nightmare is only just beginning. As a witness to the crime, Chris knows the car's passengers - thugs linked to Miami's deadliest drug lords - are sure to come after him next. But what can he do if the police refuse to give him protection?
Daniel Graham MacCormick - Mac for short - seems to have a pretty good life. At age 35 he's living in Key West, owner of a 42-foot charter fishing boat, The Maine. Mac served five years in the army as an infantry officer, with two tours in Afghanistan. He returned with the Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, scars that don't tan, and a boat with a big bank loan. Truth be told, Mac's finances are more than a little shaky. One day Mac is sitting in the famous Green Parrot Bar in Key West, contemplating his life....
Popular crime novelist Laurence Shames consistently draws favorable comparisons to Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen. In his Key West tales, Shames paints vivid, hilarious portraits of the sun-splashed “paradise” he calls home. The retired Pete Amsterdam isn’t really a private investigator. But he has a license, a gun, and a listing in the phone book—all so he can write-off his wine cellar as an “office.” While soaking in his hot tub and rethinking his earlier tennis match, the inevitable blonde in distress comes calling, and Pete is reluctantly pulled into his first case. Feeling trapped by the conventions of detective stories, Pete stumbles his way through the Key West crime scene, hardly realizing the danger he’s in. The Naked Detective is vintage Shames—full of the biting wit, absurd scenarios, and quirky characters that recall his earlier works, such as Scavenger Reef and Mangrove Squeeze. Ron McLarty’s narration captures the off-beat, colorful island and its inhabitants and brings them fully to life.
This is Shames's last book in the Key West series, and he shoulda quit while he was ahead. The protagonist, Pete Amsterdam, is a reluctant detective, a reluctant lover, and generally a reluctant human being. He plays tennis with the most obnoxious character Shames has ever created. There are a couple of deaths, of course, but the solving of these crimes is slow and lugubrious. Shames just seems to have run out of steam. There is absolutely no humor or wit in the entire book. Shames's fans will be sorely disappointed, as his prior ability to create truly funny people and amusing situations has vanished. In its place is a vacuum, not to be too harsh about it. Certainly there is some good writing. The love affair between Pete and Maggie is tender and halting. Way too halting. There is a truly unbelievable so-called nymphomaniac. There is highly improbable digging in the ground, which Shames has described many times as hard coral, which fills up with liquid whenever you dig in it. There is a nifty funeral in which the dead man is hauled up about five stories into a family crypt, because you really can't bury a dead body in solid coral. Still, we are used to so much more from this writer. Don't go for it.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I thought it might be funny the way it started out but it turned out to be tedious and predictable.
What could Laurence Shames have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Wouldn't dream of telling a successful author what I think, He doesn't need me and doesn't care.
Which scene was your favorite?
The beginning
Do you think The Naked Detective needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
Just don't care, I'm not buying it.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful