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Key West #8
The Naked Detective
"I never meant to be a private eye."
Thus are we introduced to Pete Amsterdam, the world's most reluctant sleuth and the improbable but totally engaging protagonist of this wry and irresistible novel.
Naked in his hot tub, Pete is idly reviewing his morning tennis game when trouble arrives in the form of the inevitable blonde. This being Key West, the blonde is not quite what she seems, and it's useless to explain to her that he's not a real detective--that, in fact, he got his P.I. license strictly as a tax dodge, a way to pretend his new wine cellar is an "office." She's got troubles of her own--big troubles that are utterly foreign to the cozy little paradise Pete has crafted for himself.
Why, then, does the unwilling gumshoe allow himself to be squeezed ever tighter against Key West's humid underbelly--involved with the likes of local bully Lefty Ortega, his nympho daughter, and the sleazeball who controls the island's gambling boats? And why does he feel that his life is being taken over by the demands and traditions of the detective story?
Will Pete blunder his way through to solving the crime? Will he penetrate the leotard of the lissome yoga teacher who is his only ally? The answers will be found in these fast-moving and hilarious pages, where the hard-boiled flirts with the postmodern. Think of this novel as Raymond Chandler meets Woody Allen meets the Coen brothers, and as a romp that somehow breaks through to serious consideration of the themes of community and responsibility, and the notion that maybe all of us could be heroes--even if mostly in spite of ourselves.
Thus are we introduced to Pete Amsterdam, the world's most reluctant sleuth and the improbable but totally engaging protagonist of this wry and irresistible novel.
Naked in his hot tub, Pete is idly reviewing his morning tennis game when trouble arrives in the form of the inevitable blonde. This being Key West, the blonde is not quite what she seems, and it's useless to explain to her that he's not a real detective--that, in fact, he got his P.I. license strictly as a tax dodge, a way to pretend his new wine cellar is an "office." She's got troubles of her own--big troubles that are utterly foreign to the cozy little paradise Pete has crafted for himself.
Why, then, does the unwilling gumshoe allow himself to be squeezed ever tighter against Key West's humid underbelly--involved with the likes of local bully Lefty Ortega, his nympho daughter, and the sleazeball who controls the island's gambling boats? And why does he feel that his life is being taken over by the demands and traditions of the detective story?
Will Pete blunder his way through to solving the crime? Will he penetrate the leotard of the lissome yoga teacher who is his only ally? The answers will be found in these fast-moving and hilarious pages, where the hard-boiled flirts with the postmodern. Think of this novel as Raymond Chandler meets Woody Allen meets the Coen brothers, and as a romp that somehow breaks through to serious consideration of the themes of community and responsibility, and the notion that maybe all of us could be heroes--even if mostly in spite of ourselves.
225 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
248 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Laurence Shames
40 books238 followersLaurence 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.
His basic laziness notwithstanding, Shames has published more than twenty books and hundreds of magazine articles and essays. Best known for his critically acclaimed series of Key West Capers--14 titles and counting!--he has also authored non-fiction and enjoyed considerable though largely secret success as a collaborator and ghostwriter. Shames 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.
Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1951, to chain-smoking parents of modest means but flamboyant emotions, Shames did not know Philip Roth, Paul Simon, Queen Latifa, Shaquille O’Neal, or any of the other really cool people who have come from his hometown. He graduated summa cum laude from NYU in 1972 and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. As a side note, both his alma mater and honorary society have been extraordinarily adept at tracking his many address changes through the decades, in spite of the fact that he’s never sent them one red cent, and never will.
It was on an Italian beach in the summer of 1970 that Shames first heard the sacred call of the writer’s vocation. Lonely and poor, hungry and thirsty, he’d wandered into a seaside trattoria, where he noticed a couple tucking into a big platter of fritto misto. The man was nothing much to look at but the woman was really beautiful. She was perfectly tan and had a very fine-gauge gold chain looped around her bare tummy. The couple was sharing a liter of white wine; condensation beaded the carafe. Eye contact was made; the couple turned out to be Americans. The man wiped olive oil from his rather sensual lips and introduced himself as a writer. Shames knew in that moment that he would be one too.
He began writing stories and longer things he thought of as novels. He couldn’t sell them.
By 1979 he’d somehow become a journalist and was soon publishing in top-shelf magazines like Playboy, Outside, Saturday Review, and Vanity Fair. (This transition entailed some lucky breaks, but is not as vivid a tale as the fritto misto bit, so we’ll just sort of gloss over it.) In 1982, Shames was named Ethics columnist of Esquire, and also made a contributing editor to that magazine.
By 1986 he was writing non-fiction books. The critical, if not the commercial, success of these first established Shames’ credentials as a collaborator/ghostwriter. His 1991 national bestseller, Boss of Bosses, written with two FBI agents, got him thinking about the Mafia. It also bought him a ticket out of New York and a sweet little house in Key West, where he finally got back to Plan A: writing novels. Given his then-current preoccupations, the novels naturally featured palm trees, high humidity, dogs in sunglasses, and New York mobsters blundering through a town where people were too laid back to be afraid of them. But this part of the story is best told with reference to the books themselves, so please spend some time and explore them.
His basic laziness notwithstanding, Shames has published more than twenty books and hundreds of magazine articles and essays. Best known for his critically acclaimed series of Key West Capers--14 titles and counting!--he has also authored non-fiction and enjoyed considerable though largely secret success as a collaborator and ghostwriter. Shames 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.
Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1951, to chain-smoking parents of modest means but flamboyant emotions, Shames did not know Philip Roth, Paul Simon, Queen Latifa, Shaquille O’Neal, or any of the other really cool people who have come from his hometown. He graduated summa cum laude from NYU in 1972 and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. As a side note, both his alma mater and honorary society have been extraordinarily adept at tracking his many address changes through the decades, in spite of the fact that he’s never sent them one red cent, and never will.
It was on an Italian beach in the summer of 1970 that Shames first heard the sacred call of the writer’s vocation. Lonely and poor, hungry and thirsty, he’d wandered into a seaside trattoria, where he noticed a couple tucking into a big platter of fritto misto. The man was nothing much to look at but the woman was really beautiful. She was perfectly tan and had a very fine-gauge gold chain looped around her bare tummy. The couple was sharing a liter of white wine; condensation beaded the carafe. Eye contact was made; the couple turned out to be Americans. The man wiped olive oil from his rather sensual lips and introduced himself as a writer. Shames knew in that moment that he would be one too.
He began writing stories and longer things he thought of as novels. He couldn’t sell them.
By 1979 he’d somehow become a journalist and was soon publishing in top-shelf magazines like Playboy, Outside, Saturday Review, and Vanity Fair. (This transition entailed some lucky breaks, but is not as vivid a tale as the fritto misto bit, so we’ll just sort of gloss over it.) In 1982, Shames was named Ethics columnist of Esquire, and also made a contributing editor to that magazine.
By 1986 he was writing non-fiction books. The critical, if not the commercial, success of these first established Shames’ credentials as a collaborator/ghostwriter. His 1991 national bestseller, Boss of Bosses, written with two FBI agents, got him thinking about the Mafia. It also bought him a ticket out of New York and a sweet little house in Key West, where he finally got back to Plan A: writing novels. Given his then-current preoccupations, the novels naturally featured palm trees, high humidity, dogs in sunglasses, and New York mobsters blundering through a town where people were too laid back to be afraid of them. But this part of the story is best told with reference to the books themselves, so please spend some time and explore them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
August 11, 2020
Another wonderful tale from Mr Shames and The Keys. This has a reluctant investigator feeling his way through relationships, corruption and weather all written so beautifully that I found myself constantly highlighting parts of the prose.
For example:
‘The sky was yellow in the west; the last vague purple shadows were stretching toward oblivion on the sidewalk. Palms were softly rustling, and the air seemed strangely mottled, as if light and dark were different-colored marbles being stirred.’
This is just wonderful, loved it.
For example:
‘The sky was yellow in the west; the last vague purple shadows were stretching toward oblivion on the sidewalk. Palms were softly rustling, and the air seemed strangely mottled, as if light and dark were different-colored marbles being stirred.’
This is just wonderful, loved it.
March 24, 2021
Imagine Humphrey Bogart as our hero, only reluctant, lazy, chicken—oh, and nude.
As Pete Amsterdam tells you the very first line, he never meant to be a private eye. It started out as a tax dodge, dreamed up by his accountant, so Pete could retire at forty-seven and move from New Jersey to Key West. Sounds perfect, right? Enter the quintessential blonde into his office…er, back yard, where he just happens to be naked in his hot tub. As Pete tries to figure out if the blonde is everything she seems to be, he suddenly has his first case.
Quite different from the other Key West Capers, Laurence Shames tells the story in first person without any of his usual cast of characters. He recreates the tone of the hard-boiled detective stories from a bygone era and mixes it with his Key West style, making the story unique. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Naked Detective and hope there are many more Shames books on the horizon!
As Pete Amsterdam tells you the very first line, he never meant to be a private eye. It started out as a tax dodge, dreamed up by his accountant, so Pete could retire at forty-seven and move from New Jersey to Key West. Sounds perfect, right? Enter the quintessential blonde into his office…er, back yard, where he just happens to be naked in his hot tub. As Pete tries to figure out if the blonde is everything she seems to be, he suddenly has his first case.
Quite different from the other Key West Capers, Laurence Shames tells the story in first person without any of his usual cast of characters. He recreates the tone of the hard-boiled detective stories from a bygone era and mixes it with his Key West style, making the story unique. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Naked Detective and hope there are many more Shames books on the horizon!
January 15, 2018
This book has it's moments but it is different from most of the previous books in the series. If you haven't read any Laurence Shames, try to start with the first book in his Key West series, Florida Straits.
Peter Amsterdam comes into some money and his accountant advises him that it would be good tax write off for Peter to have a business in his Key West home. As a result, he is listed in the phone book as a private detective. When a client turns up, he doesn't want to take the job but ends up involved anyway.
Peter Amsterdam comes into some money and his accountant advises him that it would be good tax write off for Peter to have a business in his Key West home. As a result, he is listed in the phone book as a private detective. When a client turns up, he doesn't want to take the job but ends up involved anyway.
August 27, 2010
Shames's eighth Key West novel (after Welcome to Paradise) has its moments of charm and interest, especially when narrator Pete Amsterdam, debuting here, describes the particular pleasures of the setting: "Key West is a place to withdraw to, a retreat without apology or shame. And you learn things from the place you live. One of the things Key West teaches is that disappointment and contentment can go together more easily than you would probably imagine." Pete has learned this lesson well, as a man both disappointed (by his lack of success, especially with women) and contented (with his cozy house and the freedom to indulge his three main interests--wine, music and tennis--without actually working). Unfortunately, his accountant has talked Pete into getting a PI's license for tax reasons, and that's where the trouble begins--for Pete as well as for the novel. Shames does provide a few original touches--for example, the well-built blonde who arrives early on to hire Peter (and catches him naked in the hot tub) and who turns out to be a cross-dressing man. But the plot quickly bogs down into a routine search for two missing mail pouches buried on a spit of sand, sought after by not only Pete and his soon-to-be-late client but also by the usual assortment of local thugs and corrupt cops. Too bad. Amsterdam and his main squeeze, a lithe yoga instructor named Maggie, deserve better next time out.
September 25, 2009
The Naked Detective is a poor man's version of a Carl Hiassan Novel. The hero, Pete Amersterdam, isn't a real detective. He goes to remodel his house and his accountant convinces him that he can get a huge tax deduction if he opens a detective's office in his house, runs an ad, etc. Amesterdam gets his P.I.'s license but has no desire to pursue a career.
One day, as he sits in his hot tub, naked, hence the book's title, a damsel in distress comes by. He refuses to take the job and of course she is killed. This puts him on the case he doesn't want to take.
Amesterdam does not prove to be an intelligent detective, but rather a stumblebum who lucks into the evidence he needs as he goes along. He meets number of whacky characters, rides his rusty bike around Key West, plays Tennis with en eccentric cab driver, and local Florida jokes abound.
Though I sped through this book quickly, I have to admit I felt a bit zombie-ish-- in other words it just wasn't compelling enough to enjoy very much. I just wanted to get it done so I could move on to something else.
One day, as he sits in his hot tub, naked, hence the book's title, a damsel in distress comes by. He refuses to take the job and of course she is killed. This puts him on the case he doesn't want to take.
Amesterdam does not prove to be an intelligent detective, but rather a stumblebum who lucks into the evidence he needs as he goes along. He meets number of whacky characters, rides his rusty bike around Key West, plays Tennis with en eccentric cab driver, and local Florida jokes abound.
Though I sped through this book quickly, I have to admit I felt a bit zombie-ish-- in other words it just wasn't compelling enough to enjoy very much. I just wanted to get it done so I could move on to something else.
December 8, 2017
This book was like an homage to the noir detective stories, but with the added quirkiness of Key West. Like many of the Florida writers (Carl Hiaasen, Dave Barry, etc.) Laurence Shames represents the steamy, laid back environment with characters that are all a bit "off." Pete Amsterdam has the laid back lifestyle many dream of. He's wealthy enough that he doesn't have to work, but has his PI license as a tax dodge to cover his wine room (aka office.) He hasn't actually ever had a case and almost forgets he has a gun and license. Pete is thoroughly enjoying his life and contemplating his laziness when the proverbial bombshell blonde walks into his life. When he refuses to help her by digging up some pouches buried on an island she reveals that she's actually a man in drag. Pete is fascinated with the false boobs sitting on his deck chair, but refuses the job.
When he finds out that the guy went to dig them up and was murdered, Pete finds himself wanting to find out what happened. After stumbling around asking dumb questions and pretending to be a real PI, Pete is threatened, taunted, teased, and arrested. He also starts to get very interested in Maggie, a yoga teacher who was friends with the dead cross dresser. Eventually Pete digs up the pouches and finds out why the contents were worth killing to protect; he even gets the girl in the end.
In many ways this is a "guy" book with full descriptions like Pete's balls floating in the water while he sat naked in his hot tub or how Maggie's breasts felt pressed against him when they kissed. The author's rich descriptions and turns of phrase were often amusing and provided insight into the male mind. The narrator, Ron McLarty, did a fantastic job of presenting Pete's casual attitude and increasing lust for Maggie.
This modern quirky pseudo-noir PI story won the 2001 Audie award for mystery beating out 'Hugger Mugger' by Robert B. Parker; narrated by Joe Mantegna and 'Moment of Truth' by Lisa Scottoline; narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.
When he finds out that the guy went to dig them up and was murdered, Pete finds himself wanting to find out what happened. After stumbling around asking dumb questions and pretending to be a real PI, Pete is threatened, taunted, teased, and arrested. He also starts to get very interested in Maggie, a yoga teacher who was friends with the dead cross dresser. Eventually Pete digs up the pouches and finds out why the contents were worth killing to protect; he even gets the girl in the end.
In many ways this is a "guy" book with full descriptions like Pete's balls floating in the water while he sat naked in his hot tub or how Maggie's breasts felt pressed against him when they kissed. The author's rich descriptions and turns of phrase were often amusing and provided insight into the male mind. The narrator, Ron McLarty, did a fantastic job of presenting Pete's casual attitude and increasing lust for Maggie.
This modern quirky pseudo-noir PI story won the 2001 Audie award for mystery beating out 'Hugger Mugger' by Robert B. Parker; narrated by Joe Mantegna and 'Moment of Truth' by Lisa Scottoline; narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2017
This book was like an homage to the noir detective stories, but with the added quirkiness of Key West. Like many of the Florida writers (Carl Hiaasen, Dave Barry, etc.) Laurence Shames represents the steamy, laid back environment with characters that are all a bit "off." Pete Amsterdam has the laid back lifestyle many dream of. He's wealthy enough that he doesn't have to work, but has his PI license as a tax dodge to cover his wine room (aka office.) He hasn't actually ever had a case and almost forgets he has a gun and license. Pete is thoroughly enjoying his life and contemplating his laziness when the proverbial bombshell blonde walks into his life. When he refuses to help her by digging up some pouches buried on an island she reveals that she's actually a man in drag. Pete is fascinated with the false boobs sitting on his deck chair, but refuses the job.
When he finds out that the guy went to dig them up and was murdered, Pete finds himself wanting to find out what happened. After stumbling around asking dumb questions and pretending to be a real PI, Pete is threatened, taunted, teased, and arrested. He also starts to get very interested in Maggie, a yoga teacher who was friends with the dead cross dresser. Eventually Pete digs up the pouches and finds out why the contents were worth killing to protect; he even gets the girl in the end.
In many ways this is a "guy" book with full descriptions like Pete's balls floating in the water while he sat naked in his hot tub or how Maggie's breasts felt pressed against him when they kissed. The author's rich descriptions and turns of phrase were often amusing and provided insight into the male mind. The narrator, Ron McLarty, did a fantastic job of presenting Pete's casual attitude and increasing lust for Maggie.
This modern quirky pseudo-noir PI story won the 2001 Audie award for mystery beating out 'Hugger Mugger' by Robert B. Parker; narrated by Joe Mantegna and 'Moment of Truth' by Lisa Scottoline; narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.
When he finds out that the guy went to dig them up and was murdered, Pete finds himself wanting to find out what happened. After stumbling around asking dumb questions and pretending to be a real PI, Pete is threatened, taunted, teased, and arrested. He also starts to get very interested in Maggie, a yoga teacher who was friends with the dead cross dresser. Eventually Pete digs up the pouches and finds out why the contents were worth killing to protect; he even gets the girl in the end.
In many ways this is a "guy" book with full descriptions like Pete's balls floating in the water while he sat naked in his hot tub or how Maggie's breasts felt pressed against him when they kissed. The author's rich descriptions and turns of phrase were often amusing and provided insight into the male mind. The narrator, Ron McLarty, did a fantastic job of presenting Pete's casual attitude and increasing lust for Maggie.
This modern quirky pseudo-noir PI story won the 2001 Audie award for mystery beating out 'Hugger Mugger' by Robert B. Parker; narrated by Joe Mantegna and 'Moment of Truth' by Lisa Scottoline; narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2022
Pete Amsterdam is the accomplished slacker many of us dream we could be. After quasi-retiring "by sheer dumb luck, doing work [he] hated," Pete registered himself as a PI to net some tax advantages with his home additions (Shames 7). But when a persistent transvestite barges in on our literally naked detective in his hot tub, Pete gets caught up in a conspiracy fit for the likes of Marlowe or Hammer. The only trouble is his resources amount to a touch of occasional glibness and a tragic streak of honesty.
Shames masterfully kicks this tale of intrigue off. His dialogue creates distinct personalities, his powers of description are evocative, and his pace could wind a Cheetah. There's absolutely no fat to be cut. At times, there is a setting-appropriate languor where Pete processes the tornado of troubles that assault him at every turn. Shames's perfectly rendered sunsets and locales are first-rate, often delineating the rapid pace with sensorium-rich details that put the reader in Amsterdam's sweaty boat shoes. Rounding out this rich narrative is a unique cast of potential suspects (and allies), an old and continually nurtured hatred between some of Key West's power players, and some memorable bit players for laughs. I didn't settle on a suspect until the end of this tale, and the payoff is well worth it.
In brief: Shames's deconstruction of the reluctant private eye genre delivers an acerbic, meticulously observed, amusing tale through the eyes of a genuinely likable and believably flawed protagonist.
Many comedy readers know the names Hiaasen and Dorsey for Florida-born hijinks (and rightfully so). What more of them need to know about is Laurence Shames's brilliant Key West Capers. After reading this one? I raced back to Kindle and eBay and bought everything the man has written. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Shames masterfully kicks this tale of intrigue off. His dialogue creates distinct personalities, his powers of description are evocative, and his pace could wind a Cheetah. There's absolutely no fat to be cut. At times, there is a setting-appropriate languor where Pete processes the tornado of troubles that assault him at every turn. Shames's perfectly rendered sunsets and locales are first-rate, often delineating the rapid pace with sensorium-rich details that put the reader in Amsterdam's sweaty boat shoes. Rounding out this rich narrative is a unique cast of potential suspects (and allies), an old and continually nurtured hatred between some of Key West's power players, and some memorable bit players for laughs. I didn't settle on a suspect until the end of this tale, and the payoff is well worth it.
In brief: Shames's deconstruction of the reluctant private eye genre delivers an acerbic, meticulously observed, amusing tale through the eyes of a genuinely likable and believably flawed protagonist.
Many comedy readers know the names Hiaasen and Dorsey for Florida-born hijinks (and rightfully so). What more of them need to know about is Laurence Shames's brilliant Key West Capers. After reading this one? I raced back to Kindle and eBay and bought everything the man has written. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
July 5, 2022
🔍 Peter Amsterdam is a private investigator in title only. After making enough money to move to the Florida Keys and live a modest life of relaxation. The P.I. license was all his accountant's idea. In two years, he has never taken a case. A blonde, desperate for help comes to his home while Pete is enjoying his hot tub – neither the blonde and the investigation he is dragged in to are what they seem.
🔍 I love riffs on the classic detective novel. Add some Florida madness with a reluctant hero and I’m hooked. The Naked Detective is a fun, quick read with a good story and mystery at its heart. The writing is clever as Pete is quick witted and wants to take life less seriously than circumstances allow. He’s not a macho lead character, however – in fact he is a self-described chicken at times and often confused when it comes to relationships.
🔍 Books with comedic moments set in Florida aren’t necessarily unique. Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen have made a career of them. The Naked Detective fits into that group well. A great summer weekend read.
🎻 Peter Amsterdam took his music seriously to match his mood and pair with what he was drinking at the time. My playlist was taken right from the Pete’s world:
🎻 Bach – Art of Fugue
🎹 Thelonius Monk – Brillian Corners
🎻 Schubert – String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 Op. Posth. 163
🔍 I love riffs on the classic detective novel. Add some Florida madness with a reluctant hero and I’m hooked. The Naked Detective is a fun, quick read with a good story and mystery at its heart. The writing is clever as Pete is quick witted and wants to take life less seriously than circumstances allow. He’s not a macho lead character, however – in fact he is a self-described chicken at times and often confused when it comes to relationships.
🔍 Books with comedic moments set in Florida aren’t necessarily unique. Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen have made a career of them. The Naked Detective fits into that group well. A great summer weekend read.
🎻 Peter Amsterdam took his music seriously to match his mood and pair with what he was drinking at the time. My playlist was taken right from the Pete’s world:
🎻 Bach – Art of Fugue
🎹 Thelonius Monk – Brillian Corners
🎻 Schubert – String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 Op. Posth. 163
August 17, 2017
Peter Amsterdam is not a real private detective. He came into a chunk of money and his accountant decided that it would be good move tax wise for Peter to have an "office" of some kind in his Key West home. He's listed in the phone book as a private detective, though, and when a client comes knocking he finds himself embroiled against his wishes and his better judgement in a case that involves a couple of corrupt businessmen, a couple of corrupt cops and a yoga instructor.
A fun read.
This was one of our Lutrecia Read-alouds and number 39 on the 2017 Read-alouds List
A fun read.
This was one of our Lutrecia Read-alouds and number 39 on the 2017 Read-alouds List
July 27, 2022
Loved his writing again and again, descriptions of the Keys and area are so much fun and interesting. I started with one and now am on the 8th book in the series. I could not get into this one as much as many of the past, but it was still Shames giving the descriptions of the characters and mobsters galore . His background from NY, his living in Key West and his realationships with NY style do give it a bit of history not only of the author but of the setting again and again. Always recommended.
June 19, 2017
I didn't hate it, but didn't find it very compelling or funny. If I knew it was supposed to be funny, I might have laughed a couple times. The narration was very good, though. Still, I might have tried another of his books, but for the interview tacked onto the end of the audio in which Shames describes all his preceding books. As many, if not all, involve the Mafia, I'll pass, as I dislike books that portray Mafioso as amusing thugs.
July 3, 2018
Exactly what I was hoping for. I wanted a Key West-themed detective story that was fairly light and entertaining and that's exactly what I got. I enjoyed that the main character was not an expert, or even skilled honestly, but still had the determination to see the case to the end.
There were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting and I while I would like to have seen Maggie do more, overall it was a satisfying read.
There were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting and I while I would like to have seen Maggie do more, overall it was a satisfying read.
June 29, 2023
Key West Chandler Evans
So the series turns to old time detective novel. Not a bad attempt at a reluctant P.I. Who has a case fall into his lap, a pretty girl with questionable intentions, greasy bad guys on both sides of the law and a typical cast of KW characters to fill in the blanks. Not bad, a bit over the top with the “why me” introspection but overall a worthy addition to the series.
So the series turns to old time detective novel. Not a bad attempt at a reluctant P.I. Who has a case fall into his lap, a pretty girl with questionable intentions, greasy bad guys on both sides of the law and a typical cast of KW characters to fill in the blanks. Not bad, a bit over the top with the “why me” introspection but overall a worthy addition to the series.
July 22, 2024
Easy breezy Pete Amsterdam wants a fun and fancy free retirement (46) in Key West. His accountant says you need a home-based business so he becomes a private investigator. Hoping not to use it he gets involved with a case from a client that’s seen him naked in his hot tub. I chose home-based travel agent instead of PI and have better conversations than murder, kidnapping and corruption.
September 25, 2020
You know what you're getting with Laurence Shames--a bit of bumbling, South Florida style, commentary on the encroachment of nature, some accidental crime solving, a few good laughs. He is a go-to author when I want a fun read.
February 27, 2018
Maybe 3 1/2. I like Shames - fun following his crimes in Key West. Easy read.
September 19, 2018
This one is a little different, none of the familiar characters and its a Private Eye story... sort of. Well written, funny and highly recommended
April 21, 2019
My least favorite of the first 8 books in the series, The Naked Detective is still a decent little mystery. This book felt more autobiographical than the others.
March 27, 2020
I enjoy all his books. Well written and good characters
May 8, 2021
Pretty good. Lots of romance some danger tons of Key West
August 6, 2021
At Jean's. early Aug.
January 6, 2022
Good twists
After a slow start, this one picked up pace and by the final 3rd was rootin' tootin'. Another gem stashed
After a slow start, this one picked up pace and by the final 3rd was rootin' tootin'. Another gem stashed
November 26, 2023
Not Shames’ typical Key West book, but a fun read.
February 21, 2024
Light-hearted and easy to read. It's entertaining while making you stop and think. I am enjoying this series.
December 26, 2024
Well written
February 23, 2025
Slow. Boring. The case wasn’t even good or a good result.
Read
May 1, 2025Amusing
July 6, 2025
Somewhat enjoyable reading.
Few new characters and no old ones in the book.
Moving on to the next.
Few new characters and no old ones in the book.
Moving on to the next.
March 7, 2017
Don't waste your time
The Key West Capers series started out as good airplane books - not great literature, but something to entertain while stuck in a tube. The naked detective didn't live up to this fairly low bar - poorly written and excruciating to read, your own goal becomes to just finish the book and even then that seems to be too much to ask.
The Key West Capers series started out as good airplane books - not great literature, but something to entertain while stuck in a tube. The naked detective didn't live up to this fairly low bar - poorly written and excruciating to read, your own goal becomes to just finish the book and even then that seems to be too much to ask.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews