On best-seller lists all over the country with his witty cynicism and delightfully dark humor, Laurence Shames writes thrillers that his fans endearingly classify as great "Florida noir." In the tradition of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, he gives character to the inhabitants of Florida's steamy underbelly. Artist Augie Silver's friends are ostensibly grief-stricken when he drowns in a shipwreck off Scavenger Reef, but most of them are nervous because his body wasn't found. They have too much to gain by his death. Since his demise, the price of his art is skyrocketing. If Augie isn't dead, he soon will be, if his money-hungry "friends" get their way. Listeners will delight in Richard Ferrone's narrative expertise as he perfectly captures the tongue-in-cheek humor, compelling characters, and snappy dialogue that have become the author's trademark. The combination of humor and suspense is irresistible.
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"Loved the characters and locale of this comic suspense novel. Since I spent a little time in the Florida Keys, the locations he mentions are a bit familiar which made it a really fun read for me."
— Barbara (4 out of 5 stars)
" This was a great mystery/crime book that I was not expecting to like. I really enjoyed the characters and the story was exciting enough to keep me reading at lunch for a couple of weeks. "
— Andrea, 9/5/2013" Nice twist to the artist-returns-from-dead story "
— David, 2/27/2013" A funny and interesting read. Love it. "
— Jeffrey, 10/20/2012" LANGUAGE. The jacket says it's dark humor. Dark yes, humor no!!! Is Augie Silver dead in a boat accident - or not. His "friends" want to know so they can cash in on his paintings. "
— Carol, 4/3/2012Laurence Shames has been a New York City taxi driver, lounge singer, furniture mover, lifeguard, dishwasher, gym teacher, and shoe salesman. Having failed to distinguish himself in any of those professions, he turned to writing full time in 1976 and has not done an honest day’s work since. He has published twenty books and hundreds of magazine articles and essays. Best known for his critically acclaimed series of Key West novels, he has also authored nonfiction and enjoyed considerable, though largely secret, success as a collaborator and ghostwriter: He has penned four New York Times bestsellers. These have appeared on four different lists, under four different names, none of them his own. This might be a record.
Richard Ferrone recorded over 150 audiobooks including thrillers, romances, science fiction, and inspirational novels. He won the prestigious Audie Award and was a finalist for four Audie Awards, including for Best Solo Male Narrator. He was named an AudioFile "Voice of the Last Century" and a "Rising and Shining Star." He earned many AudioFile Earphones Awards, including being named the 2011 Best Voice in Mystery and Suspense as well as the 2009 Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy. A science fiction fan, he narrated Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy. He also narrated works by James Patterson, Walter Mosley, John Sandford, Eric Van Lustbader, and Stuart Woods.