Skinny Dip | Carl Hiaasen

Skinny Dip | Carl Hiaasen | Well written, witty and entertaining book

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Skinny Dip

	Skinny Dip Carl Hiaasen Grand Central Publishing, 2006 - 512 pages average customer review:based on 320 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Charles "Chaz" Perrone fancies himself a take-charge kind of guy. So when this "biologist by default" suspects that his curvaceous wife, Joey, has stumbled onto a profitable pollution scam he's running on behalf of Florida agribusiness mogul Red Hammernut, he sets out right away to solve the problem--by heaving Joey off the deck of a luxury cruise liner and into the Atlantic Ocean, far from Key West. But--whoops!--Joey, a former swimming champ, doesn't drown. Instead, as Carl Hiaasen tells in his 10th adult novel, Skinny Dip, she makes her way back to shore, thanks both to a wayward bale of Jamaican marijuana and lonerish ex-cop Mick Stranahan (Skin Tight, 1989), and then launches a bogus blackmail campaign that's guaranteed to drive her lazy, libidinous hubby into a self-protective frenzy.You've got to hand it to Hiaasen: He's perfected a formula for crisply written, satirical crime fiction that makes the best use of imaginatively repulsive villains, as well as less thoroughly venal scoundrels and victims who ultimately overcome their antagonists, all while stumping for the preservation of Florida's environment, particularly the Everglades. In Skinny Dip, we find Chaz (who'd rather be golfing than puttering around the "hot, buggy, funky-smelling and treacherous" reaches of nature) falsifying water samples to help Hammernut turn the 'Glades into "God's septic tank." That scheme, though, is endangered not just by Joey's sudden disappearance, but by the suspicions of a python-loving police detective and Chaz's own outstanding inability to tame his Viagra-enhanced tumescence. Even by assigning Chaz a baby-sitter--the hulking, hirsute, and painkiller-addicted Tool--Hammernut can't keep his pet biologist out of trouble. As Joey and Stranahan unfold their revenge plot, and Tool's conscience grows in competition with Chaz's ego, the reader can only marvel at the extent of the train wreck ahead.As much fun as Hiaasen has delivering Chaz his climactic comeuppance, what's missing from Skinny Dip is a more complex, more credible development of Mick Stranahan's character and the relationship he builds with the much younger Joey Perrone. Like Erin Grant, fromStrip Tease, Joey has far more going for her than her bra-cup size; but "hero" Stranahan is of far less interest here than any of his fellow players. --J. Kingston Pierce

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Ton o' Fun

This was my first Hiaasen. Gotta say, I was captured from the first paragraph. Really, get out of your robe (or even better, stay in it) and go to the bookstore right now and read that opening page. You'll thank me later.

I've seen some other reviews citing that our lead good guy here isn't as compelling or developed as he should be. Perhaps, but I didn't have a problem with that. He is more of an action-based character anyway and Hiaasen generally focuses this tale around the bad guy, Chaz. And Yow! what a great depiction of that doofus. Hilarious!

Hiaasen writes well with simple language that gets straight to the point quickly and effectively. His pacing is great and the man is just a crack up to read. To break up some of your more serious dramatic fiction, Skinny Dip is a perfect answer.

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Well written, witty and entertaining book

I really enjoyed reading this book; it's a great summer read. The author does a great job of creating a plausible story from a most unusual circumstance and brings humor and satire to a topic not generally thought of as light.

Fun!

Although not the first one written, this is the first one I read. Again - stranded at an airport. It's interesting and made me laugh. The characters are so unbelivably unbelievable! I could've done without all the Florida preservationist hooplah, but a great, funny read, nevertheless.

Zippy, Funny, Fun

Yeah, the totally, hot chick Joey will drive you a little mad: she's fearless, she can swim like a dolphin, she looks great after hours in the sea with her make up washed off--essentially she's EVERYTHING I'M NOT! But if you can forgive her the coolness and strength, then you can laugh your way though this novel that moves so quickly you'll wish it didn't end so soon. This is a totally FUN read. And darnnit, YOU (the person reading this review) should quit being so damn serious all the time and lighten up a little. Go lounge on the hammock. Screw the dishes in the sink, or the unfolded laundry piled on the couch, or the grease stains on the garage floor that will take you hours and many toxic chemicals to remove. Relax and read this book today. It's much more fun than domestic chores and carpool!

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Funny, fun...fun

This is a funny, comical novel about a selfish, arrogant biologist (said loosely) name Chaz, who pushes his wife, Joey, off a cruise ship because he thinks she's figured out he has been doctoring water samples from the Everglades he tests for his job with a local farm. What he doesn't know is, she doesn't die. She is rescued by a former cop, Mick, who is living on an island off the coast. Joey decides she wants to seek revenge on her husband and recruits Mick to help her. Add to the mix Chaz's girlfriend, Ricca, the investigating detective, Karl, and the bodyguard/babysitter, Tool and you have yourself a slapstick comedy. I enjoyed this book. It is full of wit and humor with a little bit of political rant regarding the protection of the Everglades. It was subtle enough to not take away from the enjoyment of the novel. I recommend this and may try another one of Hiaasen's novels.

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