Virgin Heat by
Laurence Shames
pbk out May 98
(Orion)
at £5.99
Laurence Shames is not always consistent. But he did write Florida Straights, and for my money, anyone who can write as well as that is worth a second look.
Virgin Heat begins with a promise. Paul Amaro's daughter is in love with Sal Martucci. Oh, nice. Except for one little prob. Paul Amaro is a Mafia Capo, and Sal Martucci is the guy who betrayed him and got him sent down for ten years.
After a period in the resettlement bureau, where he has been given a new name and a new face, Sal has now become Ziggy Maxx a part-time barman in Key West. He's still looking over his shoulder, expecting Paul or one of his hoods to show up looking for blood.
When fate takes these star-crossed lovers in hand, Paul Amaro forgets all about Mafia business, members of the family who never got their hands dirty before suddenly find themselves in the front ranks, and Laurence Shames keeps everyone on a tight rein, squeezing them for all the laughs that present themselves in the situation.
And it doesn't quite work. Don't get me wrong, here, it is funny, and the plot is tight as tight could be. But it's smiley funny rather than belly-laugh funny, and I was forever looking at the page numbers, wondering why it didn't go any faster.
At the end I put the book down and thought it wouldn't be long before someone made it into a film. Maybe that's what the author wants. With a good director it could be really funny."
(
John Baker
- author of the Sam Turner mysteries and one of Britain's most highly acclaimed writers)
