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Laurence Shames is a gifted writer at combining humour with crime. Love, murder and madcap adventures blend to create a special style. He shuns violence. Key West, Florida is the setting for his seven novels. He has resided in Key West since 1989. This enables him to grasp a feel for the character of the setting for his novels. He won the Crime Writers of America Last Laugh Dagger Award for his 1995 novel Sunburn.
Laurence Shames first decided to take up writing as a career while in College. His inability to work well with others combined with a great sense of self-discipline helped his course. He gladly admits in never having an alternate plan of action to fall back on.
Shames is not proud of the fact that he originally came from Newark, New Jersey. He feels more at home with his wife Marilyn in Key West, Florida. The more relaxed lifestyle and atmosphere of the Keys fit his temperament ideally. Humour with optimism comes through in his writing.
The books and writers he most loved had nothing to do with his writing style. He enjoys writers like Shakespeare, Dickens, Conrad and Dostoyevsky. Learning more basically than narration or prose styles. They taught him an admiration for storytelling and to maintain the highest writing standards. Charlie Chaplin showed him that comedy is the strongest medium for uncovering the human physe.
Laurence Shames' first novel, Florida Straights (1992), brought him into prominence. This is the first of a series. The main character Joey Goldman leaves New York City for Key West. He tires of being the illegitimate son of a New York Mobster. His hilarious attempts to set up cons and rackets in the easy going culturally different Keys fail. Pressure from his girlfriend and the need for money force him to attempt to be a straight citizen. He is nearly there until his bumbling brother Gino arrives on the scene. The story is a brilliant literary debut.
Shames' next novel, Scavenger Reef (1994), carries on in the same hilarious theme. A not-so famous artist Augie Selor is presumed drowned near Cuba. Suddenly his paintings become popular with some unsavoury characters. Poor Augie comes ‘back from the dead’. Somebody wants him permanently dead. He recovers and hides with his loving wife. The story is a very funny caper.
Shames' next novel, the award winning Sunburn (1995), is even better than the previous. The books centre on Mafia goons moving from New York City to the completely different Key West environment. Mob boss Vincente Delgetto recently widowed and with time on his hands, resides with Joey Goldman. Delgatto decides to tell his life story to the world. Despite the ghostwriting by a reporter, news leaks back to the New York mob. The mob is unimpressed by these revelations. Delgatto and the reporter live a perilous existence. This work rightly justifies an award.
Shames' next achievement is Tropical Depression (1996). Murray Zemelman is frustrated and depressed. He cannot decide whether to go to work or commit suicide. Instead he drives straight to Key West. There he meets up with Tommy Tarpon, a local Native American. Together they devise a scheme to open a legal casino on Tommy’s tribal land. When a local mobster and a crooked senator decide to join the action, the plot thickens. This novel is another madcap adventure.
You will be unable to put down Virgin Heat (1997). The name is taken from a Key West cocktail. Ziggy Maxx is living under a new identity in Key West after bringing down his former girlfriend’s mobster father. Ziggy has forgotten Angelina Amora until she identifies his hands in a video. She heads to Key West without telling a soul. Ziggy’s troubles are only beginning when passionate Angelina blows his cover. Wherever Angelina goes her father is sure to follow. This is not good news for Ziggy.
Shames next book is Mangrove Squeeze (1998). He continues including vibrant mafia-like characters set in Key West. One difference is that the bad guys are Russian mobsters. Shames wrote a more complex plot closer to the standard thriller, while retaining the humour. In Mangrove Squeeze he admits he hates the abundance of T-shirt shops in Duval Street. He claims they spoil the town. The Russian mobsters own all of the T-shirt shops. Shames admits that the novel was more challenging to write than the previous one.
His latest book Welcome to Paradise (1999) continues with Big Al, a small time mafia hood. Somebody wants Big Al dead. It is a funny case of mistaken identity with a straight salesman called Big Al. One is a short guy with a big dog and the other is a big guy with a small dog. The two Al’s seek a holiday in Key West. Another common link between the two is the beautiful Katy Sanone. A good read.
Shames admits Welcome to Paradise was more enjoyable to write than his previous novels. The book allowed him to search the dilemma of trying to enjoy a holiday in Key West, whilst afraid to admit we would prefer to be back home.
Shames twists language well. His opening line in Virgin Heat is a good example. Paranoia doesn’t sleep; a guilty conscious looks over its shoulder forever (L. Shames). Another is a line from Scavenger Reef. He tried on towns like some people try on hats, telling himself that he needed one to fit his image, but in fact looking for the image in the hat (L. Shames).
Combinations of love, murder, mysterious mayhem and being down and out in paradise make for great storytelling. In a world of increasing negativity, we need writers like Laurence Shames to ad some spice to our lives. Even for those of us who have never been there, the writer brings the atmosphere of Florida alive.
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