Although this book attempts to set itself in the same colorful "wacky Florida crime" world of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiassen, it falls totally flat. The idea is kind of nice, a beloved Key West painter goes missing in a storm and is presumed dead. His agent holds a memorial show of his work in an attempt to drive up the price of the posthumous painters work., this results in a canonizing review by a super-influential critic. A little later a Sotheby's auction is arranged and his friends, agent, and others all try and cash in on the painter's new cachet. Meanwhile, he comes back from the dead, throwing a spanner in everyone's plans! So, someone tries to kill him to maintain the value of the art. It's a neat idea, but not particularly well executed. Airplane reading at best.

With Scavenger Reef, Laurence Shames leaves his entertaining crowd of displaced mafia thugs and paints a stunning portrait of a creative life in a real-world (if Kew-West-surreal) context. As a growing fan of the Florida mysteries by Leonard, Hiaasen, Hall, Shames, and others I like to identify what I consider the Key Book by each author, the one you most eagerly recommend. With Leonard it's La Brava. Tourist Season is the Key Book from Carl Hiaasen as is Under Cover of Daylight for James W. Hall. For Laurence Shames I definitely recommend Scavenger Reef. The usual literary portrayal of artists is as hacks, or as painters of alegorical canvases that serve the needs of the novel but which never sound like a painting you'd want to look at. The qualities of Augie Silver's canvases are abstract and radiant, they inform the descriptions of every setting in the book. Within this well-told story of friends and enemies is a startling sense of light and space.

I stumbled upon this author after exhausting myself on James W. Hall and Carl Hiassen. It was arguably the best mystery book I've ever read in which no murder is ever committed! (Don't worry, I didn't give anything away.) Shames' lead character, Augie, is a refreshing change from the genre's typical hard-boiled, prone-to-violence protagonist. And Reuben, the gay servant, is a true hero. A pleasure to read! I'll be looking into more Shames titles.

What the hell was this? I think this has got to be one of the most boring books on the planet. I was looking forward to some short stories so I could read quickly in my lunch break but after skimming through the first 3 pages and then trying to read about a dying AIDS patient and finally settling on a story about a girl who was so fat that she was shocked when someone wanted to marry her and then he took off when she decided to lose weight (sorry to spoil that ending, but that is as good as it gets!)..I knew that I could not continue reading such boring drivel. What was the point of these stories? I have no idea, except maybe to cure insommnia.

PLEASE do yourself a BIG favour and DO NOT get this book!

I was somewhat baffled and unimpressed by THE CHILD BUYER (1960) when it was assigned to me in high school and never bothered to read another thing by John Hersey. I bought KEY WEST TALES because (a) I had recently been to Key West, and (b) being a collection of short stories, I knew I could jump to another story if I didn't like the one I was reading.

This collection of stories, more than anything, reminded me of Sherwood Anderson's WINESBURG, OHIO. I have become distrustful of fiction writers who load up their characters with endearing (or annoying) idiosyncrasies in order to make them more memorable (as much as I enjoyed Berendt's MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL, I suspect he indulged in this vice a bit). Like the citizens of Winesburg, Ohio, Hersey's Key West natives are believable people experiencing a plausible share of dissonance with the world they seem trapped in. The result is often poignant, as in "The Two Lives of Consuela Castanon," the story of an obese young receptionist who resists, then acquiesces to the advances of a handsome young man not from Key West. In fact, Hersey comes close to replicating the eeriness and desperation of Shirley Jackson's "The Daemon Lover." The best crafted story in the collection is "Fantasy Fest," a story about a woman who has been contacted by the son she had put up for adoption when he was an infant. In his letter to her he suggests that they each dress up as "their own particular fantasy" about themselves and join in Key West's Halloween parade. He is confident that using this ploy they will both be naturally drawn to one another. Does it work? Do they meet? I wouldn't dream of spoiling the story for you. The longest story in the collection, "Get Up, Sweet Slug-a-bed," is the story of a gay man dying of AIDS and of the people in his life. This is no TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. The relationships are complex and unsentimental. Like Anderson, Hersey does not people his world with saintly or purely wicked folk. It's a fallen world, for sure, one peopled with sinners, many of whom act with the best intentions.

Intercut with the short stories are fictionalized glimpses of Key West's history and legends. Neither Hersey, his widow, nor his editor reveals the publication history of the pieces that make up this collection, but I suspect the "historical" pieces were items Hersey wrote for the local newspaper. Taken together, they give the reader a sense of place. Key West is more that the southernmost town in the United States, a tourist destination, or a gay haven. It's a place with a history, a place that has always honored independent thinking. The historical vignettes bring more than color to this collection, they provide its spine.

This collection is Hersey's swan song...and he sings it well.

Hersey's book is much like Michener's "Tales of the South Pacific." Of course the destiny of the world isn't on the line here, but the sense of wonder, so much a part of Michener's tales, permeates this book. Anyone who loves a place with a unique and special local history or stories of real people in an exotic locale, should relish this book. It may be a bit slow for a few, but for many the rewards will be great.

The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie wasn't quite what I originally expected it to be, but it was in some ways more than expected. I started reading it out of an interest in history and sailing ships, and with curiosity about slaving ships. What I found was a fair amount on slaving ships and the history of slavery. But more than that, I became sympathetically engrossed in the author's personal journey of discovery in which he traveled to England and Africa to find more information. I, too, have sometimes become passionate about a topic, searching out information like a detective. But for obvious reasons, this African-American diver and writer had an expecially deep and meaningful passion for this topic. This book inspried me to learn more about the history of slavery in America, and I am currently reading Africans in America: America's Journey through Slavery (by C. Johnson).

I was able to feel the pain and pride that the author presented in this book. I found myself kneeling at the dedication momument beside the author during his prayer for all the lost african souls lost in the middle passage.

Michael Cottman has written a gripping account of a slave ship, The Henrietta Marie, whose remains were, appropriately and accidentally, discovered by an African American diver searching for lost treasure. The ship is located on New Ground Reef off the Marguesas Keys (approximately 37 miles from Florida). Cottman painstakingly researches the ship's path, finding the town in England where the ship's guns were made. He next traces the most likely path of the Henrietta Marie to the coast of West Africa, where slaves were brought on board; and he then describes the route to Barbados and Jamaica where slaves were off loaded. These islands are where a new cargo of sugar and rum was picked up for the return trip to England. The vast majority of Americans have no concept of the conditions under which slaves were transported to the Americas. A small minority may have seen the film Armistad, but Cottman's writing brings home this tragedy that makes compelling reading. His pages describing the Middle Passage evoke heart wrenching descriptions of man's inhumanity to man. Cottman has done a masterful job in capturing the emotion of this sadly neglected episode in American History. Yet, equally important, he has captured the celebration of spirit of a people who refused to be defeated by the horrors of slavery. This is a story that needs telling and retelling. As a former teacher, I would make this required reading for every American.

This book recommended a dive shop in Grand Cayman for Scuba diving, because it was so reasonable. The book said it was $60 for a 2-tank dive. In reality, the shop charges $85 for a 2-tank dive, and the rental equipment was another $50 - outrageous!! I showed the dive shop the book, and they said they can't remember when their price was that low.

For overall advice or history on a port of call, this book was ok. If you want current information, look elsewhere.

This book is an absolute must for cruise passengers. It details every port from the perspective of the cruise guest, rather than the regular hotel-bound island visitors. If you want to do your own thing rather than buying shore excursions from the ship, this book will make that possible. Ship personnel are notorious for knowing little or nothing about what to do in port, other than take their expensive tours; you can take matters into your own hands with this detailed guide. I highly recommend it!

Sonnie Keith Giacano didn't remember much of the accident that killed her unborn daughter and put her in the hospital, only what people told her. And what she dreamed or imagined. According to her overbearing half-sister, Billy, she needs help. Her brother-in-law, Romano Giacano has also hinted that Sonnie would be better off with him. All Sonnie knows is that her husband was supposedly kidnapped eight months earlier, causing Sonnie to drive her car at high speeds, hitting a wall on the beach road. No ransom was ever received. Desperate to find out the truth, Sonnie returns to Key West and demands the assistance of burned-out ex-cop Christ Talon. As danger mounts, so does the sexual tension between Chris and Sonnie.

Cameron has crafted an enthralling read that keeps you guessing to the very last chapters. Not about the enemies Sonnie has, but about her mental state, about the cause of her near fatal accident, and about her missing husband. And, despite the reviewers who would prefer to miss the mushy stuff, the romantic suspense is an important part of the story.

The publisher of this novel markets it as "Romantic/Suspense, although there is some romance (this can easily be ignored without disturbing the plot), the main theme is suspense.

Sonnie Giancano has settled in Key West to try and put her life back together. Eight months earlier her husband was kidnapped and she was in a horrible accident, injuring herself and killing her unborn child. Sonnie can't remember much about the accident, but she is plagued with nightmares of the incident. When she begins hearing and seeing things, she begs for the help of Chris Talon, an ex NYC cop. At first Chris refuses to help (for reasons that become clear as the story unfolds), after spending some time with Sonnie, he agrees.

As the two main characters investigate what happened, they realize Sonnie's life was built on lies and deception, and the accident was actually a carefully thought out plan.

Stella Cameron keeps the pace fast and the storyline moving.

Anyone looking for entertainment (ignore the sappy love scenes) will enjoy this book.

Stella Cameron has always had a talent for bringing a place and time alive. Whether you are reading one of her historical novels set in Regency England or a contemporary, Cameron can make you feel like you are there. However, in Key West Cameron perfects, if it is even possible, something I first noticed in her French Quarter. The location becomes a third main character. I have never been to Key West but in this book I was there. It breathed and had substance that permeated the book. I was blown away. The Key West chamber of commerce should make this book required reading for its members and sell it in every bar as well as every bookstore. Sonnie Giacano and Chris Talon, the heroine and hero respectively, are running in different directions. Sonnie is running to try and capture her past. Chris is running away from his. These runners collide in Key West. Eight months ago Sonnie lost her husband, her unborn child and her memory of how it all happened. Friends and family tell her to leave the past buried and move on. She cannot. Voices invade her mind and provide mere suggestions of a horror so profound it may push Sonnie over the edge. When she starts seeing things she cannot possibly see Sonnie wonders if maybe she has already lost her mind. Still, she wants to discover what really happened that night eight months in the past. Will the reluctant Chris Talon help her? Chris is a former police detective who suddenly retired at age 36 and is hiding out in his brother's bar in Key West. Unlike Sonnie, he does not want to face his demons. He also does not want to help her. He cannot help himself. Something about Sonnie draws him to her. He is not sure that he can both keep his past in the past and assist the troubled woman who is so desperate for that assistance. As he is inevitably drawn to Sonnie's side he discovers not only a strength he thought he had lost but also a nightmare with which he hopes Sonnie can cope. Make sure you have a fan and plenty of ice at the ready when you sit down to read this book. No matter where you are, you will be in Key West.

when i heard laurence shames had a new book out- i made haste to get it. I had read all of his previous books and loved them for their quick diologue and original and diverse characters. i assumed Naked Detective would have more of the same- and discovered it had none of that- the entire book has about 4 characters- and with the exception of a cap driver/tennis bum- all are totally bland and forgetable. It seems like mr shames rushed this one off the fullfill a publishing contract- it is a very very slow moving book- with main characters who are wooden and artificial- it is hard to believe that the same man who created "bert the shirt" could paint in such tiresome colors. I sincerely pray this will be the only shames book with pete amsterdam- but like another Lawrence- Sanders- i fear once an auther has sucess- and an easy tiresome formula- IE- the McNally books- they never are able to recapture their past glory- To me this book is a cop-out- a quickie which tricks mr shames loyal readers into thinking they are in store for more of the wonderful same- yet to get though this book is a real trial..it is that boring and humdrum

The name's Amsterdam. Pete Amsterdam. A tough no-nonsense Key West private eye solving cases with style and ease like a modern day Philip Marlow. Yeah, right. A wacky caper that could only have been dreamed up by Laurence Shames, The Naked Detective is the story of a reluctant gumshoe who would rather be drinking wine naked in his hot tub instead of trying to solve a puzzling murder mystery.

Pete Amsterdam never wanted to be a private eye. He only opened Southernmost Detection on the advice from his accountant. A write-off. A legitimate tax dodge. Butt naked in his hot tub, Pete is approached by a woman (who turns out to be a man) looking to hire a detective. Amsterdam declines to take the case and the next day, the would-be client turns up dead on Sunset Key. Coincidence? Pete decides to investigate and find out for himself. The results are both amusing and intriguing. A fast moving mystery that will keep you guessing whodunit up until the very end.

Laurence Shames has a knack for making the reader feel like he's in the middle of the action. It's not as good as some of his previous books, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. I am anxiously waiting for the day when he writes a Key West novel featuring all of his memorable characters (Charlie Pont, Bert the Shirt, Ziggy Maxx, Tommy Tarpon, Arty Magnus, Joey Goldman, Sukie Sperakis, etc.) Wouldn't that be a hoot?

At about the time of its publication I perused a copy of Florida Straits, Laurence Shames first novel, and was struck by the author's vivid description of garbage accumulating on a New York City street corner. I read the book and became a fan. Mine is the perspective of one who has read each of Laurence Shames' novels in the order by which they were written. All of them are very good, but some are better than others. The Naked Detective is some of Shames best writing yet.

The formula for the author's eighth novel is familiar Shames: colorful Key West denizens reluctantly or unwittingly drawn into a zany plot involving farcical criminal capers, with overtures of lust and ever present danger. This book -- as the others -- are simply fun to read. This plot is slightly less farcical than we have come to expect, but the prose, as always, is wonderfully refreshing.

The Naked Detective is somewhat novel for its style, it is the first book Shames has written in the first person, but it showcases his splendid writing skills wonderfully. Shames' descriptive techniques are superlative; spirited dialogues come alive with vibrant descriptions of body gestures, posture and (his specialty) hand movements. And of course there is the ever present artfully drawn tapestry of Key West.

A slight disappointment is that there are no cameo appearances by now familiar characters, such as Joey Goldman or Burt the Shirt, nor are any ailing pets woven into the story line (I hope the chihuahua is still alive), but several new characters are introduced and fans can only hope that one day they will all meet at a Key West sunset cocktail party in a forthcoming Shames story.

Slogged through 12 or 15 pages of this adjective-drenched drivel. Got to the line where he describes a guy's crooked pinky finger as "independent" and i had to quit. This is truly awful.

After reading (and loving!!!) Florida Straits, Sunburn, Welcome to Paradise, and Tropical Depression, I was looking forward to more of Laurence Shames books. But he disappointed me, big time, he left Bert the Shirt, Sandra & Joey and the other wonderful characters and went on to write more violent, harsh stories minus all the warm characters he had created earlier. I don't know what happened to Laurence Shames - it's as if someone else took over the writing.

This is the rare crime novel that is truly funny, charming, and eccentric without being absurd.

The plot is neatly turned, the characters well-drawn, and the dialogue extraordinarily deft--I don't know if this is how Mafia people talk, but it's certainly how they should talk.

Unlike many humorous writers, Shames seems to treat his characters with true affection. I look forward to reading more by this writer.

This is a cute little thing, but if you really want an extraordinary Wizard of Oz cookbook, you'd be better off finding 'Cooking in Oz' by Elaine Willingham and Steve Cox. Loads of pictures and celebrity recipes, info on L. Frank Baum, trivia and great stuff for all of us who love Oz and Baum.

A neat little cookbook sure to please those who like to collect cookbooks or Oz. Easy to follow recipes named appropriately with the film in mind are studded with excepts from the film.

I was looking for more detail about the area. For instance, the hotel we chose was not listed. I had read that there was a place in the area where we could swim with the dolphins and that information was not listed in this book. If you are looking for general information this is a good book.