Wacky characters and a fun plot make for a great summer read
Florida is a unique state. It is the number one tourist destination in the world with more theme parks and pristine beaches than just about anywhere else. However, it also is quickly being overdeveloped and if you believe Carl Hiaasen, it is due to greedy and unscrupulous individuals. However, Hiaasen makes them out to be cruel and ridiculous characters whose greed will lead to their inevitable demise. The fun for the reader is watching them self destruct.
The latest Hiaasen antihero is Chaz Perrone who for no explicable reason throws his wife off an upper deck of a cruise ship in a vain attempt to kill her. His wife, Joey, survives and with the help of her rescuer and new friend, former cop and hermit Mick Stranahan, try to come up with answers while exacting their revenge.
So many authors try for humor. However, in many instances they try too hard and it becomes quite forced while the plot lags. Hiaasen is the measure of what ingredients go into making the best humorous novels in the mystery genre today. The strength of his work are several. First, the plot is always interesting comically reflecting abnormal behavior in what should be routine situations. In this case taking a cruise vacation. Second, the characters are truly outrageous and unforgettable. The wackiest in this story is Troy, a very large man hired to protect Chaz. He has a bullet stuck in his buttocks which causes him severe pain requiring him to steal pain medicine in the form of adhesive Band-Aids from local nursing homes. Chaz comes in at a close second. He is incredibly self centered worried more about his potency than the well being of his wife or girlfriend. He is a marine biologist who hates marine life as well as biology. Why he does it remains the mystery. Of course it is the act of throwing his wife off the ship that begins his eventual demise. On top of all this is an ecological warning about saving the Everglades and a riveting plot occasionally interrupted by truly hilarious lunacy. Many try but nobody does funny like Carl Hiaasen.

I don't want to give any plot away, so I will be careful here. Let's just say that this book is a typical but exceptional hilarious Hiaasen tale where everything goes wrong.

The characters include science challenged biologist Chaz, and his wonderful, rich wife Joey (who he throws off of a cruise ship on page one.) There is also an ex-policeman living on an island, a wild hairdresser with some interesting quirks, a behemoth bodyguard with so much body hair he was once shot because he was mistaken for a bear, a sleazy corporate bad guy, and a Vietnam vet who mistakes the people he meets for famous persons. Oh, and a detective who has two giant pythons.

Yes, this is a typical Hiaasen romp. And a good one.

Highly highly recommended. (Just not around anyone trying to sleep!)

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