Sunday, June 23, 2013

Beach Read: The Good, The Bad and The Quirky


Bad Monkey – Carl Hiaasen (Knopf)

There’s just something different about a Carl Hiaasen book. When you peel back the layers of the story he tells, there is a certain eclectic mix of characters, setting and style all sprayed on the unique canvas that is his vision of Florida.

Hiaasen’s latest Bad Monkey is a heady mix of quirky characters that will leave you never looking at your vacuum cleaner attachments the same way ever again. I can’t think of another author who could craft a lead character that is a twice disgraced police detective who avoids a fall on felony charges only to land on his feet has a health department restaurant inspector. Given Hiaasen’s graphic description of what Yancey encounters behind the kitchen door, is it any wonder that he’s lost his appetite?

 Where else but a Hiaasen novel could a charter fishing boat scam to fleece unsuspecting tourists, feature a unique twist in the form of severed arm, which with a little help and rigor mortis setting in, has permanently left it flipping off the story’s main players. Add to the mix a dose of voodoo queen, a pinch of scorned daughter, a touch of sexy medical examiner and the usual sprinkling of Hiaasen’s south Florida environmentalist sentimentality and you end up with a tasty little treat, perfect for the beach this summer.

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