Tropical Depression by Laurence Shames

So why is Murray Zemelman so depressed he is considering suicide? He's the Bra King - the leading producer of, you guessed it, bras. He's married to one of his models, spends his days looking at, designing, and marketing certain female assets. And he's taking enough Prozac to perk up a Clydesdale. So, instead of sucking down the carbon monoxide in his garage, he tears off for . . .

Key West where he pays 6 months advance for a penthouse and decides to take up fishing . . . no deals, no pressure, just he and the fish. Problem is, he has no clue how. Watching this Indian, Tommy Tarpon, gives him some clues. And he plays cards with a bunch of old farts and a Florida state senator. He also wants to see if Franny, his first wife now living in Sarasota, will consider dropping in.

But Murray is getting bored. He needs a deal. While chatting it up with the Indian fisherman, he learns that Tommy Tarpon is the last living member of a small Florida tribe, the Matalatchee. But he's not the only guy looking at a deal. Our senator accepted campaign money from a connected guy who wants to open a casino in Key West, but so far hasn't been able to deliver the goods and Charlie Ponte ain't happy. No he isn't.

Tommy is bitter toward the Whites, so Murray sees the deal he needs and starts the process to get the Matalatchee recognized by the US of A in order to partner up to open their own casino and stick it to the Man. Once that process starts, the Senator tells Ponte who tries to lean hard on Tommy Tarpon to accept him as his partner, but Tommy politely passes.

Franny comes down for the recognition ceremony, Tommy turns Ponte down getting Franny kidnapped, but Murray orchestrates a distraction at the exchange (a boat load of models in lingerie, of course) and they they retreat to a small island to hash out a plan to draw out the Senator and Ponte so that Tommy can protect his Sovereign Island nation.

My brother-in-law lives in Tampa and has read a number of Shames's books, recommending him to me and glad he did. Call Shames "Carl Hiaasen lite". Surely everyone knows humorist Hiaasen who writes about the rape of Florida by developers and crooked politicians. If the other books by Shames follow this trend, the sleezebags are transplants from the north and (surprise, surprise) politicians trying to get a piece of Key West.

And funny. Having just returned from a week at the NC Outer Banks, I would have to say that any of the Key West series by Shames are excellent examples of a beach read. Funny mystery? Mysterious humor? Who cares. If you like Hiaasen, you will like Shames.

East Coast Don