Mon 12 Jan 2015
A Review by Barry Gardner: LAURENCE SHAMES – Florida Straits.
Posted by Steve under Authors , Reviews[7] Comments
LAURENCE SHAMES – Florida Straits. Simon & Schuster, hardcover, 1992. Dell, reprint paperback, 1993.
Have you noticed how much good ink down-and-dirty novels set in Florida get? Ever wonder why? The easy answer is that lots of good writers are writing about it, but I rarely enjoy these books as much as others seem to, so I don’t like that one. I like the conspiracy theory better. Shames’ book, by the way, got rave reviews.
Joey Goldman is the bastard son of a bigtime Mafia chief in NYC, and the half brother of the heir apparent, both of whom ignore him. He decides to start over in Florida, so he and his girl friend Sandra head for Key West and the pot of gold. It proves, elusive, though, and he has been reduced to taking a legit job when he finds himself caught between a gang boss and his bigshot half-brother, the latter having stolen 3 mil worth of emeralds from the former.
What this story is, is the story of a Young Man Finding Himself. Klutz becomes Competent. Shames writes well, and has the wiseguy dialect down pat. The plot is believable, as is the slightly tacky atmosphere of Key West. Well and good, except he wants me to like Joey Goldman, and I don’t.
Goldman is a junior-grade hood from a long line of hoods, and having him develop a few virtues doesn’t change that. He talks blithely of becoming a super-pimp (among other things) and doesn’t see anything wrong with it. Though he eventually decides not to be a wiseguy, it isn’t because he repents the way of life, he just realizes he isn’t equipped for it.
With the exception of his girl (and even she is perfectly willing to live with and off criminal efforts), these are a bunch of jerks who prey on decent people. I don’t like people like that, and I don’t like people who want me to like them. OK?
Editorial Comment: This was the author’s first work of crime fiction, and the first of nine books in what is known as his “Key West” series, the most recent being Shot on Location, 2013. From one website it can be learned that:
“In prior careers, Laurence has been a NYC cab driver, lounge singer, furniture mover, lifeguard, dishwasher, gym teacher and shoe salesman. Following these failed careers, he moved to writing on a full-time basis in 1976. Since then, he has made four different New York Times Bestseller lists, all writing under different pen names (and none of which were his own).”
January 12th, 2015 at 7:28 pm
I remember getting a review copy of this one, looking at the blurb on the inside flap of the dust jacket and saying this isn’t for me. I sold the book and was happy that I did, but with Shames’ success over the years, I’ve always wondered if I’d made a mistake.
Now I know. I’m going to go with Barry’s description and opinion. The book could easily be what other people like to read, whose opinions I value too, but in this case I’m going to say that no, I didn’t. Make a mistake, that is.
January 12th, 2015 at 11:49 pm
I suppose I should feel guilty about it, but I am sick of the Florida setting. It isn’t like MacDonald, Brett Halliday, Rufus King, and Carl Hiasson didn’t have it covered long ago.
And today every Florida set mystery seems to be the same mix of down and dirty, rednecks, the mob, refugees from the cold north, Cubans, corrupt officials, totally lost cops, con men, and ruthless feds.
It’s reaching the point if I see Florida mentioned in the jacket copy I put the book down and walk away.
All right, Florida is colorful, but at this point there must not be anyone left in the state but crooks and cops.
And I extend this to the Keys as well.
Nothing wrong with Florida, I’d just like to read a mystery set somewhere else.
Couldn’t somebody go to Puerto Rico or Jamaica once in a while?
January 13th, 2015 at 12:36 am
One exception to your Florida Rule, David, may be Paul Levine’s Solomon and Lord series, the first of which I reviewed here about a month ago:
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=30503
I didn’t even mention that the story takes place in Miami. It didn’t seem relevant.
Levine also writes a series with Jake Lassiter, a lawyer whose adventures also take place in Florida. Since that review I’ve meant to find one to read, but I haven’t yet, so I don’t know if they’re about the down and dirty Florida or not.
I like that phrase. Down and dirty. And done with?
January 13th, 2015 at 8:22 am
Sorry, but I disagree totally. First, I liked this book a lot. Shames does a terrific job with the setting – the drive to Key West over the Seven Mile Bridge was so vividly described I could see it before I took the drive for the first time the following year. He also gets the look and feel of the place exactly right. So you don’t like Joey? Fine, but don’t write off the book without reading it.
As for other Florida authors, I would also disagree. It’s Carl Hiaasen, David, and I will read anything he writes. Also read Dave Barry, Tim Dorsey and several other Florida writers.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:51 am
Good to know you liked the book, Jeff. You’re one of the people I referred to in Comment #1 whose opinions I value too, as well as Barry’s and David’s.
But Barry is the one who didn’t like Joey, and from his description I don’t think I would either. With as any books as I have to read, I’ve come to the conclusion that if I don’t like the people in them, no matter how well the books are written, I can find somebody else to spend my time with.
So given your suggestion that I shouldn’t close the door completely on reading Shames, I won’t, but right now, I’m still leaning toward not.
January 13th, 2015 at 12:58 pm
There are always exceptions to the “rule” I more or less formulated in the comment above. The protagonist in NEVER SAY NO TO A KILLER by Jonathan Gant, which I read and reviewed here
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=31135
is exactly that, a psychotic killer with no redeeming qualities. I read and enjoyed the book, even though it didn’t have a lot of depth. Maybe the difference is that the reader isn’t expected to side with Roy Suratt in Gant’s book, nor take any sort of pleasure in reading about his semi-comedic behavior. (Maybe I’m misrepresenting Shames’ book badly.)
Or maybe, at the age of mumblety-mumblety, I’m still a work on progress.
January 13th, 2015 at 5:45 pm
I just find the setting and Florida dynamic overused. There are plenty of good books set there, and if one catches my eye I’ll read it, but at some point it all starts to blend together.
I takes more than is described here for even a good writer to pull me into what I’ve come to think of as ‘the Florida Crime Novel.’ I’ve read and admire Dave Barry and Dorsey and Hiasson certainly, but they have all merged into one big glob in my head.
I’m not saying the Florida crime novel is bad, I’m saying I need a change of setting. Keep in mind my reading in Florida set crime novels goes back forty years with books from the thirties up set there, all those Michael Shayne’s, JDM, Rufus King’s shorts and so on.
And Macdonald is one of the few not to beat the exact same parts of the state to death in every book. At least he moves around the state and finds different dynamics.
No matter how well the writer evokes a place if it is someplace you are tired of visiting and yet another variation on the same colorful Florida characters it can get a bit much.
I think where I am not being clear enough here is I am talking crime novels that are about the Florida and Keys setting as opposed to crime novels that happen to take place in Florida. It’s the former with their almost kabuki like need to touch on everyone of the same elements in every book I’ve tired of for now.