Skinny Dip

Chaz Perrone throws his wife overboard on the last night of their second anniversary. Unbeknownst to him, Joey survives the night in the ocean. She is picked up by Mick Stranahan. Together they devise a plan to get back at Chaz. But Chaz has problems of his own:1. He's being babysat by a goon hired by a rich farmer2. His addiction to the little blue pill works at the wrong time for him3. His girlfriend thinks he's a sleazeball4. Detective Rolvagg keeps popping up like Columbo with just one more questionCarl delivers up a fun tale of death, backstabbing, and environmental pollution as only he can. It's never a dull moment in Florida when Carl is writing about it.

I have read many books by this author . Although he uses a similar formula in many of his stories, his writing is clever and entertaining. He is a Floridian writing about the sunshine state and characters . He writes both adult themed and children’s books. Read carefully before buying . I have purposely both both and found both well written . Adult language and subject matter is used but is not overly graphic in adult versions. His plots take some wild twists in both

I can’t imagine Carl Hiassen spent too much mental energy on conjuring this lighthearted, amusing mystery. (Though the longtime Florida columnist and author definitely imbues his story with a certain inventiveness and, more important, a wry authenticity.) I began the book with modest expectations. Still, I found myself pleasantly intrigued from the outset by the circumstances of heroine Joey Perrone’s attempted murder (at the hands of her lowlife, two-timing husband, Chaz); her improbable survival and rescue by wisecracking ex-investigator Mick Stranahan; and most of all, Joey’s reluctance to involve Florida authorities, as she plots with Mick to render justice on her terms.I thought Hiassen’s dialogue is a bit too witty and contrived to be fully “believed.” (At times, the slightly stilted banter, and Hiassen’s descriptive interjections, seem crafted to avoid any ambiguity about his characters’ mindset or motivations.) But Hiassen draws his colorful characters sharply enough, and with entertaining blends of quirkiness, that I excused the occasional dialogue misfires.Skinny Dip was my first exposure to Hiassen’s popular, amusing tales of malfeasance, corruption and mayhem, “Sunshine-State-style.” And, based on this breezy read, I’ll be sure to be back for more.

This is my first taste of Hiassen’s writing and it was a good one. Characters rich in personality and backstory embroiled in a complex web of circumstances and coincidences make this book hard to put down. The writing flows smoothly and seemingly without effort. Hiaasen clearly has mastered his craft of spinning entertaining tales of human foibles and the universal compass of right and wrong. Florida provides a perfect background and is obviously well known to Mr, Hiaasen. The book is briskly paced and is a highly satisfying story. I look forward to enjoying more of Mr. Hiassen’s works!

It’s been a few years since I read one of Carl Hiaasen’s books and after reading Skinny Dip I ask myself, “Why the delay?” It was another fantastic read full of twists and turns, the piling on of bad luck for one of the key characters and some sole searching and a turnaround (of sorts) for one of the least expected bad guys. Hiaasen continues to be the master at weaving a well thought out story together with excellent Floridian references that should put his books on the required reading list for those who need to know Florida. Nothing is left out in this book; stilt city, cruise ships, the glades, and the ribbons of hot asphalt that connect it all together. If you think you know what is going on in this state, think again. Better yet read one of Hiaasen’s books and learn. I recommend this as a strong “Buy” for entertainment, action, and mystery. The educational value is tossed in by Hiassen as a bonus….If you need more psychotic insanity may I recommend another Florida writer named Tim Dorsey. He’ll introduce you to his friend Serge Storms. And if you can’t handle the wackiness of Hiassen, you have another Florida writer named Randy Wayne White to appeal to your mystery and action reading needs; a trio of great writers that tell the story of the Sunshine State.

Hiassen is quite bright, and has an excellent imagination, bringing about nearly impossible people and hilarious situations. Like a good Bordeaux, he may take some 10 more years to mature to greatness, but he is under-way, and very prolific. Focusing on a female person as the center of the plot, with a rich palette of male losers (some charming) one is distracted from the classical male-driven mystery books, (all derived from the father-son conflict), which is refreshing and keeps you engaged. There is even a well-described environmental angle, Florida-specific, which adds depth. There are some 80 pages or so which I would edit out, likely added for heft, and some crowd-pleasing sections which you may find boring, but overall, refreshing, and hope he continues. Already there are several more, possibly built on the same basic formula.

I've read all of the John Niven novels and loved them. Looking for a similar author I came across Carl Hiaasen who sounded promising. If I like them there are loads of books to read, all of which seem to review highly so I was hopeful!32 chapters and 475 pages.This is a crime story but written with a good dose of dark humour so it did what I wanted. The book kept me chuckling all the way through with it's black comedy and ridiculous situations. The characters were setup well and given plenty of back story to explain their current situations/mindsets.Joey has been pushed overboard from a cruise ship by her husband. The book is then about her getting revenge.The violence is funny, the forgery is amateurish and the black mail improbable but all the elements together make for a funny book.I suspect there are a few cultural references that I missed (being from the UK) and I certainly hadn't been aware of the ecological problems in the Everglades but the heavy emphasis on this was easy to forgive.There is a particular technique that the author uses which I enjoyed. We move between Chaz and Joey, both in the third person - often weird things happen to Chaz that are not explained but become much clearer when we see the same event from Joey's perspective.I think I need to read a few more to completely get the author's humour but I am keen. He's not John Niven but he's good enough to tempt me in.

A funny and very moral tale for us all. Carl Hiassen should be on every school curriculum

This is a raunchy, larger-than-life rollercoaster of a story. Gross caricatures and oddballs play out the drama in the very worst man-made environments, balanced against a precious eco-system in this smart Florida-based satire. A rollicking good read, with some hilarious moments to do with sex and lust. Lots of symbolism for man's general crapness. The book doesn't lose any pace and rips along. Absolutely loved it.

Bought for my husband as he likes this author. He enjoyed reading it so done the job.

Hysterically funny and so well written. This guy is brilliant.