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From working as a taxi driver to serving as a shoe shiner, Laurence Shames has done all kind of odd jobs throughout his life. After trying a number of professionals, Shames was unable to distinguish himself in any of them. However, in the year 1976, Shames turned to writing and has never looked back ever since. Currently, Laurence has managed to publish a total of twenty books and hundreds of essays and magazine articles. As a critically acclaimed author, Laurence is best known for the Key West novel. Furthermore, he has also enjoyed other successes as a non-fiction writer and also as a ghostwriter and collaborator. Laurence Shames has authored a total of 4 New York Times bestsellers. All these four books have been featured on four different lists, under four different names. According to a majority of reviewers, this is indeed a record on its own.
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Order of Key West Mysteries Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida Straits | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Scavenger Reef | 1994 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Sunburn | 1995 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Tropical Depression | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Virgin Heat | 1997 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Mangrove Squeeze | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Welcome to Paradise | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | The Naked Detective | 2000 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Shot on Location | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Chickens (Short Story) | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Tropical Swap | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Key West Luck | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | One Strange Date | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | One Big Joke | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | Nacho Unleashed | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | The Paradise Gig | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 17 | Key West Normal | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 18 | Relative Humidity | 2023 | Description / Buy | |
| 19 | Sunset Bluff | 2024 | Description / Buy |
Order of Laurence Shames Standalone Novels
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bad Twin | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Angels' Share | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Money Talks | 2014 | Description / Buy |
Order of Laurence Shames Non-Fiction Books
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Big Time | 1986 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Hunger for More | 1989 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Not Fade Away | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Living Large | 2006 | Description / Buy |
Order of Lost Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Endangered Species | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Secret Identity (Short Story) | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Signs of Life | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Bad Twin | 2006 | Description / Buy |
Laurence Shames Anthologies
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural Suspect | 2001 | Description / Buy |
Born in the year 1951, in Newark, New Jersey to parents who were serious chain-smokers who survived through modest means. Laurence Shames had no idea who James Roth, Queen Latifa, Paul Simon or Shaquille O’Neal were or any other cool people who originated from his hometown. In the year, 1972, Laurence graduated from the NYU and was then inducted into Phi B Eta Kappa. In the summer of 1970, while enjoying the beauty of an Italian beach, Laurence Shames
Laurence Shames Awards
Laurence Shames is yet to win any awards. Nonetheless, most his books have performed extremely well. Four of his books have been New York Times Bestsellers, while seven have been considered for a feature film.
Laurence Shames Books into Movies
Due to its immense successes and well-written storyline, Boss of Bosses was adapted years later after its release into a movie. The Boss of Bosses is a classic tale of the rise and fall of an extremely powerful organized crime boss, Paul Castellano. This movie was well received, and majorities of the critics have praised it for its unique storyline and well-developed characters. The Boss of Bosses has a rating of 6.9 out of a possible ten on IMBD.
Best Laurence Shames Books
Not Fade Away is one of the best performing books by Laurence Shames. In this book, the author introduces the reader, to Peter Burton, an individual who was not only born to lead but also destined to teach others by their example by living life to the fullest and also facing death with courage and an uncommon honesty. Driven by ideals that sparked a generation, James became a risk-taker and an over-achieving Everyman. With a surprising humor and unflinching candor, this novel finds solace and meaning in Peter Burton’s confrontation with morality. Peters story addresses the universal fears and hopes and also redefines the heroic tasks of redefining the heroic tasks of looking for clarity in the middle of pain.
The Florida Straits and Tropical depression are also some of the best performing books by Laurence Shames. All these two books are installments in the Key West book series. In the Key West book series, we are introduced to Joey Goldman who travels to the Key West, so that he can become a gangster. The first installment, Florida Straits is an exceedingly hilarious and touching book, which introduced the readers to Bert the Shirt and Don Giovanni, his Chihuahua. Both Don and Bern the Shirt are some of the most unforgettable characters in the book. Joey is the son of a renowned NY Mafioso. Joey has decided to break away from a neighborhood that made him to be what he is. Will Joey make it on his own or will his past come back to haunt him? Only time will tell.
Books Similar to Laurence Shames
If you are an ardent fan of the Key West series, then you are definitely going to love Razor Girl. Razor Girl is an excellent novel to start out a summer vacation. This book is an installment that an author can come up with one of the craziest plots and it will still come out as convincing and thoroughly entertaining. Razor Girl introduces the reader to one Merry Mansfield who is running a unique variation of a rear end collision scam where she becomes distracted while she was engaging in some extremely personal grooming. With that being said, the author has managed to paint some extreme characters some of whom remind us of the people who are currently making headlines. This story depicts the adventures of a fake redneck and reality TV star, his hapless agent and a real redneck fan. The book’s hero is a tarnished ex-cop who is exceedingly lovable despite the cop’s tainted behavior.
When Does The Next Laurence Shames book come out?
Laurence Shames doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Sunset Bluff and was released on February, 2nd 2024. It is the newest book in the Key West Mysteries Series.