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.
Just finished reading The Naked Detective by Shames while on a vacation at the beach. It was definitely a good beach read. Key West culture played less of a role than I was expecting, but it was there enough to set the tone. The sex in the book was gratuitous and completely lacked subtlety. Had that aspect of Shames writing shown more finesse the book would have easily made four stars. Fun, light, and likable. I am tentatively adding Shames to my list of authors whose works I make a point of reading.
