Laurence Shames

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...

A wacky mystery in Florida featuring PI Aaron Katz, a Wall Street financier turned innkeeper. With his snooping girlfriend, Sukie Sperakis, whose ambition is to be a reporter, they discover Russian gangsters who are using T-shirt shops to launder money.

Top-notch suspense and "killer" comedy merge in this rollicking national best-seller filled with funky characters, resounding dialogue and inappropriately named "wise" guys. In the grand tradition of Elmore Leonard, Laurence Shames creates an outrageous heavyweight thriller that's heavy on atmosphere and action. Joey Goldman is a low level New York hustler. He's taking a working vacation in South Florida, and looking to score big with a time-share...

Take three speedboats, a disgruntled ghostwriter, and a hit TV show starring a gorgeous but impossible diva and created by a driven genius who may be losing his marbles. Add a fearless and gleefully profane stuntwoman, an ancient Mafioso with a Chihuahua, and a revenge-crazed blonde in gladiator sandals. Stir in a thug with a heart of gold and an inveterate slacker who yearns for glory. Whisk a loopy but tender romance into the mix, turn the whole...

Murray Zemelman, aka the Bra King, gives up his trophy wife and boring lingerie business in New Jersey for Key West. There, he meets an Indian and together they cook up a plan to build a casino on an alligator-infested island which is part of tribal land. Problem is, other reptiles want in on the deal, including the local mafioso. By the author of Sunburn.

A poignant, funny, and, above all, honest look at obesity from the inside out. Is it the goal of life to be thin, or to be happy? In this inspiring story, those two elusive goals become one, as a fat man learns acceptance, loses the guilt, and gains the wisdom to manage his weight. A self-proclaimed "fat man" who is also a happy man--successful in his career, marriage, and friendships--Mike Berman has earned his insight and peace of mind through decades...