Meanwhile, back in Miami, bookish misfit Jane Ellen Ashley, oyster shucker extraordinaire, has been metamorphosing into a very attractive young woman, so notices her employer Billy Byars and many of his customers. Jane Ellen’s main goal, however, is to collect whatever tips she can and get out of Miami as fast as she can. Of course kidnapping would not have been her method of choice, but she soon realizes it has the desired effect.

When Jane Ellen’s and Harry’s paths collide, they both realize they may have stumbled onto the same operation, just different ends of it. They form an uneasy partnership and before they know it, they are chasing mobsters and polluters from one end of Apalachicola Bay to the other, all the while with one eye on the condition of the oyster population.

Oyster Blues is a funny, fast-paced novel, though the absurdity of certain situations may not appeal to everyone. A lot depends on coincidence and good timing, of which there is plenty. Harry and Jane Ellen are hard to figure out. At first, Jane Ellen appears to be an awkward teenager looking to get out of her current situation, but she is a young woman who would presumably have more choices. Harry is a former professor, though he never lets his education and former profession come through. Throughout the book, Jane Ellen’s one goal in life is to get out of Miami, yet by the end of the book she seems very attached to the area and to the bay; if an epiphany occurred, the reader missed out on it.

There are plenty of bad guys, some dopey, some slick and some smarmy, plenty for everyone to pick a favorite, but no one to really get attached to. Jane Ellen and Harry stumble into trouble and seem to stumble out of it through sheer luck. While the pace of the book is brisk and there is a lot of action, those looking for something a little more depth with regards to environmental concerns may be disappointed. Oyster Blues is a good choice for a lazy day with a tropical breeze blowing.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry