Skinny Dip
I just finished yet another pleasurable thriller by Carl Hiaasen, who has once again picked up a rock in South Florida to reveal some nasty critters roaming around underneath. Hiaasen, who has particular ire toward those who are raping the environment for purposes of greed, takes on large-scale farming operations that pollute the Everglades with pesticides and practically enslave their immigrant workers. But he begins the book with a man throwing his wife off of a cruise ship.
The man in question is Chaz Perrone, a biologist who hates nature. Perrone is one of Hiassen's more despicable characters, which is saying something. His wife, Joey, manages to survive the fall, and clings to a floating bale of marijuana until she is rescued by Mick Stranahan (a character who was in Hiassen's novel Skin Tight). Instead of going to the police, she decides to get revenge on her murderous hubbie.
Hiassen's novels are a giddy delight. This one is not a departure from his usual template, with the villains stupid and venal, and the good guys roguish and witty. In this book he does offer a few wrinkles. There's a character called Tool, who is a dim, hairy colossus, but Hiassen allows him to grow over the course of novel in a manner that is rather touching. He has less success with convincing us of how Joey, who is as appealing a female character as you can get, would ever have hooked up with the obnoxious, immature Chaz. Hiassen seems to be aware that it just doesn't work, because he has Joey rationalize it many times, but I just couldn't buy it.
Hiassen aficionados will also be pleased by the appearance of the Captain, the ex-governor of Florida turned exile in the Glades. He is not identified by name here, so if you haven't read any Hiassen, you will want to read the backlist to catch up on this marvelous character.
The man in question is Chaz Perrone, a biologist who hates nature. Perrone is one of Hiassen's more despicable characters, which is saying something. His wife, Joey, manages to survive the fall, and clings to a floating bale of marijuana until she is rescued by Mick Stranahan (a character who was in Hiassen's novel Skin Tight). Instead of going to the police, she decides to get revenge on her murderous hubbie.
Hiassen's novels are a giddy delight. This one is not a departure from his usual template, with the villains stupid and venal, and the good guys roguish and witty. In this book he does offer a few wrinkles. There's a character called Tool, who is a dim, hairy colossus, but Hiassen allows him to grow over the course of novel in a manner that is rather touching. He has less success with convincing us of how Joey, who is as appealing a female character as you can get, would ever have hooked up with the obnoxious, immature Chaz. Hiassen seems to be aware that it just doesn't work, because he has Joey rationalize it many times, but I just couldn't buy it.
Hiassen aficionados will also be pleased by the appearance of the Captain, the ex-governor of Florida turned exile in the Glades. He is not identified by name here, so if you haven't read any Hiassen, you will want to read the backlist to catch up on this marvelous character.
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