Product Description
AnAmerican investigating his mentor's murder finds himself ensnared in a web of lies and treachery in China, where even tomorrow's weather is a state secret.From a nightmarish interrogation to assassination by cobra, A Death in China takes readers on a trip with no rest stops through a world of claustrophobic mistrust and terrifying danger.
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Customer Reviews (7)

Great descriptions of the complex and dangerous world of China in1984
As another reviewer said, "Hiaasen proves again that had he not found his niche in offbeat humor, he could still have had a solid future as a thriller writer." Absolutely. I read thrillers for total mental relaxation, and "gripping" though they may be, a good one like this provides exactly that.

The story clearly relied quite heavily on the China knowledge provided by Hiaasen's collaborator, Bill Montalbano. To me, the scheming and complexity of the intrigues going on in Chinese politics were just as interesting as the twists and turns of the thriller's plot! On the plot level, I do think the "hero," Tom Stratton, could not possibly have recovered so quickly and completely from all the various beatings and the bullet-wound he received. And one does guess pretty quickly that the coffin is not what it seems...though I admit I was thinking suitcase nuke, not the actual contents...(hey, the question is so obvious that I don't think this is a spoiler).

Good accounting of Tom's PTSD from his Vietnam experience: in general a lot of strong descriptions of the impact of experiences on people's feelings and their reactions, not too much lantern-jawed macho-ism.

I gotta be careful if I ever order Peking duck (see explanation in other reviews. . .

Excellent Vintage Hiaasen
Hiaasen's work has never been so far from Florida, though it does at least make a cameo appearance.In this story, professor Thomas Stratton is on vacation in China, annoying the busybody in his tour group by eschewing nearly all its tours.When he finds out fellow professor and mentor David Wang is also in Peking, he makes plans to see him.Stratton is shocked to learn his friend is dead, a victim of "death by duck," a pithy expression for American tourists who die on vacation in China after overexerting themselves and eating too much rich Peking duck.When Wang Bin, David Wang's influential and nearly identical Chinese brother, asks Stratton to accompany David's body back to the United States, Stratton initially agrees.His casual investigation into David's death turns up a few irregularities, however, and Stratton decides to stay in China instead, setting him unwittingly on a path of danger when he gets in the way of Wang Bin's ambitious plans.That he also falls in love with Wang Bing's daughter Kangmei is his salvation in more ways than one as he is forced to face his demons from a previous, undocumented visit to China as a soldier during wartime.

Just as Stratton pieces the entire puzzle of what happened to David Wang together, instead of ending, the story takes a turn and becomes even more intriguing, holding us on the edge until the end.Though Stratton gets conked from behind and overpowered by his enemies at least once too often, this is nonetheless a gripping page-turner.Hiaasen proves again that had he not found his niche in offbeat humor, he could still have had a solid future as a thriller writer.Montalbano's skills and knowledge as a foreign correspondent also come shining through, giving a vivid picture of China's people and politics.Their writing blends seamlessly for a dark tale of mystery and secrets that unfolds on two continents.Hiaasen fans looking for humor won't find it here, but those who enjoy his plotting skills will relish this excellent book.

Not typical Hiaasen, but a good thriller
Lots of action, suspense, and mystery.A good read, well written.Not a "can't put it down", so only 4 stars.But if you're looking for something to take to the beach this summer, you could do worse.

Thrills and Intrigue Across the Pacific
Hiaasen and Montalbano again show their ability to write a thriller with twists and turns enough to satisfy most readers. Tom Stratton is a college professor on a guided tour of China. During the tour, he meets his old mentor, David Wang, brother of a deputy minister in the Chinese government. They agree to meet again, but Wang turns up missing. As Stratton tries to find his friend, he uncovers a whole snake-den of double dealing and murder involving David's brother. Immediately, Stratton becomes a target for murder, beginning with being locked in a closet with a king cobra. His desperate flight gets him back to the United States, but death follows him. You jump right in during the early chapters, and the authors never let up. All in all, a satisfying tale of intrigue and action.

Clever Travel Reading
This is the perfect book for reading on a long plane ride or in the middle of a sleepless night. Although formulaic, there were some very clever aspects to the plot and it was hard to put the book down. Those who have visited China will particularly enjoy the descriptive writing. ... Read more

Product Description
Architect Chris Meadows has the bad luck to see an old girlfriend get hit by a car full of drugland hitmen. He has the worse luck to see the face of her murderers. Because in a town as violent as Miami, a witness doesn't stand a chance--especially when the cops who ought to be protecting him are more interested in dangling him as live bait. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Drugs and Murder in Miami
A shadowy figure with immense power and money decides to take over the cocaine trade in Miami. It requires, of course, killing his rivals. Chris Meadows, a young, Miami architect, is only dimly aware of the drug trade until an old girlfriend and her child are accidentally killed before his eyes by hitmen. Worse, he can identify the killers, so he becomes their target. When a police detective seems more interested in using Chris for bait to catch the killers than in protecting him, Chris decides that he is on his own. His terrified twists and turns to evade the killers take him through the deadly world of Miami's drug scene. Hiaasen and Montalbano, writers for the Miami Herald, put an authentic edge on a Miami that tourists don't see. This is not the Hiaasen who writes biting humor about Florida's developers and politicians. This is the Hiaasen who gives us a thriller steeped in Miami. The story will keep you reading.

Powder Burn,rewiewed by Geir Elseth
After having enjoyed other books by Carl Hiaasen, I had certain expectations about this book. I was not disappointed, but Powder Burn is not in the same league as Tourist Season, Doubble Whammy, Skin Tight, Striptease and Stormy Weather. But itwas interesting to note the similarities between this book and the later ones mentioned above. It is the cuban cop,journalists playing a part, the plot taking place in Florida (Miami) and the focus of a theme that, I belive, the authors feel is a threat to the Florida region. This time it is drug war and dopers, in the other novels it is the disadvantages of tourism, the destroying of nature, the search for beauty by operations and corruptions among politicians. One major difference is that the main character in this book, an architect named Chris Meadows,is not the tough hero type, but rather a more human hero driven by fear. So if you are a fan of Carl Hiaasen, you should read Powder Burn. On the other hand if you are not a fan, you might find the book a bit ordinary. ... Read more

Product Description
In his attempt to lead a quiet life, ex-investigator Mick Stranaham doesn't expect to have a Mafia hit-man come knocking on his door. He disposes of him promptly with a stuffed marlin head. On closer inspection he notices that the man has recently undergone plastic surgery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"I've killed five men, and I've been married five times."
This intro to the book's unconventional "hero," Mick Stranahan, is just the tip of the iceberg as way-out characters go. Stranahan, formerly with the Florida State Attorney's office, now "retired" at their request, lives in Biscayne Bay in Stiltsville, where he is the only full-time resident. When a hit-man invades his home for reasons unknown, Mick kills him with the only "weapon" at hand--a stuffed marlin head--then drops him back into the bay.

Before long, Mick--and the reader--are up to their eyeballs in craziness. The case of a young woman who disappeared four years ago after undergoing a nose job may be at the center of this wild plot. Her plastic surgeon, Dr. Rudy Graveline, manages to have Hollywood actresses beating a path to his door, but is apparently a complete fraud who has not performed real surgery in years. Reynaldo Flemm, a Geraldo Rivera clone, is doing an investigation of the surgeon, and he has interviewed his former nurse, thereby endangering her life. As Mick becomes involved in all these crazy plots, he is pursued by a second mob hitman, this one seven feet tall, with a skin problem and a face that even major surgery cannot fix.

As the violence and the body count rise, author Carl Hiaasen keeps the absurdities coming, and his satire of Florida, the entertainment industry, the plastic surgery "industry," and even the New Jersey mob never flags. Laugh-out-loud funny, this 1989 novel captures universal "truths," and is still as irreverent and as timely as it was when it was written. n Mary Whipple

The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport
Basket Case
Native Tongue
Nature Girl
Skinny Dip
Paradise Screwed: Selected Columns of Carl Hiaasen

... Read more

Product Description
In South Florida, everyone wants to get a head. But not just any head. A very famous human head--severed and snugged away in a cryonic container. A head that could spark a revolution and change the course of history.

Everybody wants a piece of the noggin: rotund gangster Big Joey G., a 102-year-old environmentalist, hard-boiled Miami reporter Britt Montero, lawyer Jake Lassiter,and a would-be dictator in exile--with ex-president Jimmy Carter and a lovable manatee named Booger thrown in for good measure.

With bodies piling up it's anybody's guess what will happen from one chapter to the next, as an all-star line-up of Florida's finest writers take turns at taking this outrageously original novel to the limit--and beyond.Amazon.com Review
Dave Barry starts the madness in Naked Came theManatee, introducing a 102-year-old environmentalist named CoconutGrove and a manatee saddled with one of Barry's favorite monikers,Booger.Carl Hiaasen closes down the party, andin between, 11 of Florida's literati, including ElmoreLeonard, John Dufresne, and Edna Buchanan, make twistedofferings to the affair: three severed heads, all bearing a remarkableresemblance to Fidel Castro; four murders; some sex; someespionage; even an appearance by Jimmy Carter and one by Castro himself.

Originally published as a serial novel in the Miami Herald'sTropic magazine, Naked Came the Manatee resembles aliterary game of telephone, with each writer contributing a chapter andpassing it on to the next, who then makes the most of what he or she isgiven. The result is a novel with wildly fluctuating styles and morecrazy plot curves than a daytime drama, but thanks to these 13masters of the craft this roller coaster of a book isalmost as much fun to read as it obviously was to write. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

Entertaining But Uneven
Like the waters of Key Biscayne, in and near where much of the plot of this book occurs, this story is choppy.That's to be expected, given the novel consists of 13 chapters, no two written by the same author.Dave Barry kicks off the story, Carl Hiaasen finishes it, and the writers in between are all seasoned Floridian authors of varying renown.Some of the chapters are funnier than others, some better written, and a couple don't work at all.The approach makes for disjointed storytelling at best, and reads more like a series of tenuously interconnected vignettes than an actual story.It's an interesting writing experiment, but one that's been done before and better.If you're a fan of any of these authors or the peculiar inanities of south Florida life, you'll enjoy this book.

Naked Manatee
Very enjoyable book. Surprising to have such an author lineup, one/chapter. Left the mystery a little shallow but a fun read.

Crazy good read!
I had a lot of fun reading this mess of a book, but if you are looking for a 'normal' novel then you might want to run the other way. This is NOT a book to be taken very seriously (and if you try then you'll probably end up hating it). It's like the pass a long stories you wrote with friends back in school - it jumps around adding and dumping characters at will and it sometimes seems like the authors wanted to see how crazy they could make their chapter end to see how the next author would write their way out of the mess. I think it was pure ridiculously demented fun from Dave Barry's opening to Carl Hiassen's ending.

A Manatee with an Identity Crisis
In case you didn't know, this book is actually written by several Florida authors, each contributing a chapter and taking the story where they so choose.I believe it was originally published in a magazine, with each author submitting the next installment of the story.The first is Dave Barry and the final is Carl Hiaasen with several other prime examples of Floridian writing genius in between.

This book covers the bases when it comes to Florida humor, taking place in Miami, we have nature lovers, skin divers, lawyers, police, Castro Impersonators, drug dealers, hit men, famous actors, and of course Castro himself.Throw in a couple of severed heads and a manatee with an identity crisis and you have an entertaining 201 pages.

The manner of the writing of this book leads to characters making drastic personality changes, some characters not getting a proper ending, and lots of laughter all around.The writing styles vary from chapter to chapter, some more focused on plot than others, but I recommend this book to anyone looking for a short entertaining read that they don't want to invest a lot into.

Too many cooks and all that . . .
If you are a fan of any of these authors, do yourself the favor of sticking with their individual efforts.Hiaasen's chapter (the final one) cracks broadly at the missteps of several previous authors.I enjoyed only 3 chapters (Berry, Hall, & Hiaasen), and I put up with the rest to see how Mr. Hiaasen would tie it up.Even his talents could not salvage this - and here, I strongly agree with other reviewers - MESS. ... Read more

Product Description
Nine-tenths of the population emerge unscathed from the hurricane that devastates Dade County in Southern Florida. But who cares about them? For everyone else, the aftermath of the direct hit - homelessness, looting, destruction - is the second goldrush and the year's hottest scam. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hillarious, an excellent read
[...]

This was an excellent novel.Hillarious to the very end.Nothing is ever what you expect.Hiaasen introduces us to all manner of character, from an eccentric ex-governor who fights corruption and over expansion to a newlywed couple visiting Orlando.From prostitues to police officers to an airplane crash survivor that juggles human skulls.

I enjoyed it from the start and found it very difficult to put it down until I had completed it.Carl Hiaasen brings his unique wit and humour to what was a very tragic event in Florida history. ... Read more

Product Description
Jack Tagger is a frustrated journalist. His outspoken views have relegated him to the obituary page, with his byline never again to disgrace the front page. But Jack has stumbled across a whale of a story that might just resurrect his career ...James Stomarti, infamous frontman of rock band Jimmy and the Slut Puppies, has died in a diving accident and Jack harbours suspicions that the glamorous pop starlet widow may have had a vested interest in her husband's untimely death. It all smells a little too fishy. Aided and abetted by his rather sexy (if unnervingly ambitious) young editor, Emma, Jack sets out to in pursuit of the truth - and a nice juicy story. But of course nothing is ever straightforward and with murderous goons on his tail, brutal internal politics at the paper and a paranoia about death, Jack is struggling to keep his head above water. Was Jimmy Stomarti murdered? Is someone trying to kill off the Slut Puppies one by one? And what significance can a dead lizard named Colonel Tom possibly have? This is one book you'll kill to get your hands on. ... Read more

Product Description
Contains "Tourist Season", in which reporters, cops, politicians and a hungry crocodile, move around the Everglades. In "Double Whammy", investigator R.J. Decker is hired to investigate cheating in Florida while "Skin Tight", takes readers into the world of plastic surgery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Karl Hiaasen Omnibus
The book arrived in very good condition. Looked like new. It arrived a couple days later than anticipated, but since it was coming from England,it was understandable and was not a problem.

Carl Hiaasen's Omnibus
I had no idea that this book existed! I was looking for a copy of "Tourist Season", my all-time favorite Carl Hiaasen book, and I discover it bound with my second favorite, "Double Whammy"!! Who could ask for anything more???!!! Hiaasen has the most wonderfully dark humor and an assortment of believably bizarre characters whose disturbing interactions are what create the story that is too good to put down. Hiaasen is the consumate rebellious environmentalist! The fact that "Skintight" was the third book in this collection is just the icing on the cake.Do yourself a favor...discover Florida native Carl Hiaasen's not-so-subtle and well-placed animosity about the destruction of what he loved about Florida through his colorful characters. Caution: Contents of Hiaasen's books may be addictive! ... Read more

Product Description
The best-selling author Carl Hiaasen takes the reins for the eleventh edition of this series, featuring twenty of the past year's most distinguished tales of mystery, crime, and suspense.

Laura Lippman introduces us to a suburban soccer mom who moonlights as a call girl and who has a fateful encounter with a former client at her son's soccer game. Ridley Pearson traces a famous author of horror tales who becomes trapped in a real one after his wife vanishes while jogging. Joyce Carol Oates travels to a New Jersey racetrack where the animals that break down are of the two-legged type. Lawrence Block tells the story of Keller, a hitman for hire who happens to live in Greenwich Village, loves spicy food, and collects stamps as a hobby. And Scott Wolven plunges us into the world of an ex-con who takes a job at a private and very illegal Nevada racetrack where each day millions are won and lost. Mostly lost.

As Carl Hiaasen notes in his introduction, "The stories in this collection would do honor to any anthology of short literature. More than transcending the genre of crime, they blow away its nebulous boundaries." The Best American Mystery Stories 2007 is a powerful collection certain to delight mystery aficionados and all lovers of great fiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

More crime that mystery, with some real winners
A few too many of the stories had little appeal, so no five stars here. The collection stretches the definition of a "mystery", as most are basically crime stories and none is a traditional detective story where there is an early setup to the crime, followed by the action leading to a resolution through someone's analysis. In some, the whole story is a setup to a crime near the end, and in others there is no resolution, other than we know who did what through basic narrative. We have no detectives or private eyes here, and few cops.

Be prepared for some relative crudeness in language and crime and not much lightweight content where the story is really about the mystery. Not here.

Here are my favorites:

Keller's Double Dribble: masterful story of a hit man, with a creative twist.

T-Bird: poker-playing babe hatches a scam.

One True Love: prostitute / soccer mom deals with an untimely threat.

Stab: unusual mass murder up the food chain as told by the survivor of a pair of separated twins.

Solomon's Alley: sometimes the inner voice demands action.

Pinwheel and Meadowlands: two completely different stories that include horse racing. One is from the perspective of a cool dude who is part of some illegal activity and the other is from a nervous woman clueless about what will happen.

Queeny: quick, crisp story about danger while jogging.

Lucy Had a List: nothing will stop Lucy from achieving her goal to be a professional golfer.

That's nine of the 20. Some of the remainder fall into a pretty decent second tier, and a couple I didn't like seemed rather pointless or uninteresting, never clicking into gear. Some that didn't make my list were probably very well written, and I could understand their selection. "The True History" about the conflict between Texas and Mexico in the 1800s comes to mind. I simply didn't care for it. Sorry.

Always a Winner
The Best American Mystery Stories series is always one of the year's highlights and the 2007 collection is dark, edgy, innovative and exciting. Many old favorites are onhand but so are many new and exciting writers. Is some of the subject matter disturbing? Absolutely! From animal killing to soccer-mom prostitutes, this is a collection that doesn't play it safe. Yet the consistancy of quality is always there. While I prefered some stories more than others, I found every story in this collection interesting and worth my time. Short stories make perfect reading in today's busy world and this collection is a great way to start getting into them!

great original and new dark crime stories
if you love cozies, then don't buy this book.get a cup of hot milk and an miss marple and leave now. fleeee! because this is a dark book. but it's a FABULOUS collection if you love dark noir, crime writing by the best of the best, including:

STAB by Chris Adrian! This is my personal favorite -- the smartest most evocative piece I have ever seen from a child's pov.His story, john dufresne's and scott wolven's are disturbing and fresh crime stories from the dark side of humanity and shouldn't be missed!sophistocated readers will also take satisfaction in the entire collection, especially stories by the usual suspects: joyce carol oates, ridley pearson, laura lippman at her darkest.Fresh, original, dark writing here.Transportive stuff -- so transportive that the suspense might just keep you up at night, either that or the excellent caliber of writing!

Unpleasant collection
This disappointing anthology confuses "mystery" with turgidly written sordidness. If you are looking for ratiocination, deduction - or even civility - look elsewhere. Few of the stories in this collection were readable, as most of them comprised emotive, profanity-laced, hyperbolic ineptly written dialect and bombast. The characters tended to be borderline retarded, and the prose was overwrought. Previous anthologies in this series usually had a couple of well-written and thought-provoking stories, but not this one. None of the stories here raises a puzzle to be solved by the reader, for example.

My favorite was T-Bird by John Bond, which did an excellent job portraying the life of a professional poker player and which deftly tied together the poker and the action. This was a reasonably interesting and well-written story, but its company kind of dragged it down.

Here are my individual reviews of each story:

Stab, by Chris Adrian. I gave up after the first few rather disgusting pages.

Solomon's Alley, by Robert Andrews. I lasted half-a-page, until those gratuitous profanites that mark the inept writer.

Keller's Double Dribble, by Lawrence Block. I lasted until the second page of this one, when a clumsy conversation between a customer and a waiter in an Indian restaurant ("You wish to sweat" "I wish to suffer" etc.) ruined it for me.

T-Bird, by John Bond. Powerful and well-written, particularly if you are interested in poker. A terrific evocation of the characters in a poker room.

A Season of Regret, James Lee Burke. I skimmed this one. Seemed unremarkable.

The Timing of Unfelt Smiles, by John DuFresne. Didn't make it past the disgusting first half-page. Seems like a typically inept job, confusing goriness with skill.

Gleason, by Louise Erdrich. Readable and not entirely uninteresting character study based on a Fargo scenario.

Chellini's Solution, by Jim Fusilli. I skipped this one, which seemeda bit overwrought based on the first couple of sentences.

Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You, by William Gay. One of those stories written in some odd diction, I lasted maybe a page.

Take the Man's Pay, by Robert Knightly. The first line of dialogue is "What's up wit' Charlie Chang?" and it did not appear to improve. Maybe a page before I gave up.

One True Love by Laura Lippman. Quit after pointless profanity in the first paragraph.

The Spot, by David Means. A "funny diction" story, which I gave up on within a page.

Rodney Valen's Second Life. Another "funny diction" story, interlaced with profanity - I don't think I made it to the end of the first incoherent paragraph.

Meadowlands, by Joyce Carol Oates. I could not believe this story used the word "sweetheart" in dialogue twice in the first page - I didn't last longer. Strange diction too.

Jakob Loomis, by Jason Ockert. I skimmed it, seemed somewhat pointlessly gory and unsubtle.

Queeny, by Ridley Pearson. Excellent first paragraph leading into a concise and well-written story that raises intriguing questions.

Lucy Had a List, by John Sandford. Lot of profanity in the few pages I made it through in this one.

The True History, by Brent Spencer. Seemed overwritten from the first paragraph, I didn't get past that.

Pinwheel, by Scott Wolven. Well-written, interesting plot, but a jejune finale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (134)

Flush - Summer Reading
This book is about a man named Mr. Underwood.Another man named Dusty Muleman is dumping waste into the local water.Mr. Underwood tries to stop Dusty from dumping waste into the water.Mr. Underwood sinks Dusty's gambling boat, The Coral Queen.He does this by pulling the plug out of the back of the boat.He does this to make sure he didn't damage the boat but still sink it.Mr Underwood goes to jail for sinking Dusty's boat.His children, Noah and Abbey, visit him at jail a lot.They also try to prove that Dusty Muleman is a bad guy for dumping his waste into the water.Noah and Abbey and a friend come up with a good idea to prove Dusty is dumping his waste int he water.

This is a really good book.My favorite part was when Dusty Muleman was BUSTED!!!!!

A Review by Ian
Because Noah and Abbey's dad is "passionate about the environment", he decides to sink the Coral Queen casino boat.Noah and Abbey's dad believes that Dusty Muleman, the owner of the boat, is flushing the sewage from the boat into the harbor and destroying the environment. It didn't work because a few days later the boat is drained and back in business.Because Noah and Abbey's dad gets thrown in jail for sinking the boat, the kids decide to try to prove that the Coral Queen is polluting the harbor illegally since their dad isn't able to.

FIRST OPINION:
Since I live on a river and earn and sometimes earn summer fun money crabbing, if I saw a sign saying "BEWARE OF CONTAMINATED WATER" I would be angry. I like that the author writes about the environment and has his characters protect it.

SECOND OPINION:
I like a story where the kids are the heros.Noah and Abbey, "They're true champs, both of'em."

I would definately recommend this book to a friend who likes an action style book and someone who is into the environment like me.

Flush
Flush is about a boy, Noah who wants to become like his dad, by following in his dads footsteps. To start, his dad is in jail because he was accused of sinking a casino boat after realizing the owner of the boat was flushing sewage waste into the water. Ruining the water quality and habitat of turtles and fish.
It is a good book if you want a lesson but humor too,(pg.45) such as " Next time you've got a problem just tell me and then we will sit down and talk about like normal human beings". The guy has a point. This has humor and a lesson in the sentence. Also (pg. 75)" A baseball would do the job"," I could tell mom I was tossing it around the living room when it accidentally (on purpose) hit the TV screen" This is sneaky and funny.
I would suggest this book to a friend because you never get bored, whether your laughingor really want to know whats going to happen next!The moral of this book is " if there is a problem and you know its way over your head ( too big of a problem for you) then tell someone, don't keep itto yourself." I would highly recommend this book if you haven't read it before.

My daughter Loved It
I am trying to encourage my 11 year old to read more.I bought her this book and sent it to her at Camp.She loves it.It is the only time I have seen her sitting in her room reading.I love the author as an adult and apparently he is a hit with the tweens and teens.I haven't read it myself, but plan to.

Entertaining and fun for kids 9/10 and up
Well, this was just a plain fun read. I think young readers (10 and up) would easily be hooked by the story and characters. The writing style is easy and natural, and full of humor too. Kids will love the blend of exciting action, funny lines, and interesting plot.

Now, as an adult reader, I had a problem with the believability of the storyline...I mean, the novel is meant to be 'realistic' fiction, right? But regardless of my issues with the events of the story, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to recommend this one to kids who are looking for a fun and action-packed read. ... Read more

Product Description

Lucky You
Grange, Florida, is famous for its miracles--the weeping fiberglass Madonna, the Road-Stain Jesus, the stigmata man. And now it has JoLayne Lucks, unlikely winner of the state lottery.

Unfortunately, JoLayne's winning ticket isn't the only one. The other belongs to Bodean Gazzer and his raunchy sidekick, Chub, who believe they're entitled to the whole $28 million jackpot. And they need it quickly, to start their own underground militia before NATO troops invade America.

But JoLayne Lucks has her own plans for the Lotto money--an Eden-like forest in Grange must be saved from strip-malling. When Bode and Chub brutally assault her and steal her ticket, JoLayne vows to track them down, take it back--and get revenge.

The only one who can help is Tom Krome, a big-city investigative journalist now bitterly consigned to writing frothy features for a midsized central Florida newspaper. With a persuasive nudge from JoLayne, Krome is about to become part of a story that's bigger and more bizarre than anything he's ever covered.

Chasing two heavily armed psychopaths down the coast of Florida is reckless enough, but Tom's got other problems--the murderous attention of a jealous judge; an actress wife who turns fugitive to avoid divorce court; an editor who speaks in tongues; and Tom's own growing fondness for the future millionairess with whom he's risking his neck.

The pursuit takes them from the surreal streets of Grange to a buzzard-infested island deep in Florida Bay, where they finally catch up with the fledgling militia--Chub, Bode Gazzer, a newly recruited convenience-store clerk and their baffled hostage, a Hooters waitress.

The climax explodes with the hilarious mayhem that is Carl Hiaasen's hallmark. Lucky You is his funniest, most deliriously gripping novel yet.

Sick Puppy
When Palmer Stoat notices a pickup truck tailgaiting him down the highway, he fears his Range Rover is about to be carjacked. But Twilly Spree, the man driving the truck, has vengeance, not carjacking, on his mind. Idealistic, independently wealthy, and pathologically short-tempered, Spree has dedicated his life to saving nature. And after watching Stoat dump a trail of litter along Florida's turnpike, Spree is determined to teach him a lesson by filling his precious Rover with hungry dung beetles. This would have been the end had Spree not discoverred that Stoat is one of Florida's most notorious political fixers, whose latest project is the greedy "malling" of a pristine Gulf Coast island. Now the real Hiaasen-style fun begins! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hilarious
Hiassen is very funny and these two stories were not a disappointment!We took the double cd on a road trip and LOL a lot. Ed Asner is an excellent performer/reader. Warning: language and content are not appropriate for families with kids...ok, so that's my opinion...yours might be different. ... Read more

Product Description
"Native Tongue": A hilarious black crime comedy starring PR man Joe Winder, who winds up on the trail of some butter-fingered thugs who've stolen his precious blue-tongued mango voles..."Strip Tease": When corrupt and lecherous congressman Dave Dilbeck throws himself at stripper Erin Grant on stage at the tastefully named Eager Beaver, little does he realise that he's opening himself up to blackmail. Can Malcolm 'Moldy' Moldowsky save Dilbeck's face? Erin has other plans..."Stormy Weather": Nine-tenths of the population emerge unscathed from the hurricane that devastates Dade County in southern Florida. But who cares about them? For everyone else, the aftermath of the direct hit - homelessness, looting, destruction - is the second goldrush and the year's hottest scam. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Where's #3?
Introduced to Hiaasen when I was given the first omnibus as a gift.Enjoyed it so much, I bought this second selection straight away.As with the first three books, this next trio kept me riveted. I delight in his writing style and somewhat strange sense of humour.I cannot wait for the third omnibus... ... Read more

Product Description
New York Times bestselling author Carl Hiaasen serves up a humorous helping of "taut, fast-paced action...crisp and hot"

After dispatching a pistol-packing intruder from his home with the help of a stuffed Marlin head, Mick Stranahan can't deny that someone is out to get him. His now-deceased intruder carries no I.D., and as a former Florida state investigator, Stranahan knows there are plenty of potential culprits. His long list of enemies includes an off point hit man, a personal injury lawyer of billboard fame, a notoriously irritating TV journalist, and a fumbling plastic surgeon.

Now, if he wants to keep fishing into his golden years, Stranahan has no choice but to come out of retirement to close this one last case...

... Read more

Product Description
From a butter-fingered burglary through a plague of snakes to total conflagration, this is a thriller by the author of "Tourists Season", "Double Whammy" and "Skin Tight". This book won the Crime Writers' Association "Last Laugh" Award in 1992. ... Read more

Product Description
Virtually unnoticed, JoLayne Lucks stops by the Grab'n'Go to play the same numbers she's played every week for five years. Each lotto number marking the age at which she dumped a tiresome lover. She doesn't know it yet, but the discarded men in JoLayne's life have finally amounted to something. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hiassen's best
What would do if you won the lottery?Would you spend the money on you, or to buy some Florida swampland to help save endangered turtles? And what if the ticket was stolen before you could redeem it?

These are some of the story lines that appear in Lucky You, one of Carl Hiasson's older works of fiction and one of the best created by the King of Florida Fiction.I liked this book so much I put it up there with two of the authors other works, Striptease and Skinny Dip.

Hiassen's works all have the same zany charecters entertwined with a few sane, reasonable protagnoists (well some have their quirks) but the charecter development in this book makes has incredibly tender moments as the heroine fights for her personal goal of saving her turtles and getting back what was rightfully hers.

I highly recommend this book for its story, its style and its entertainment value. ... Read more

Product Description
The only trace of the first victim was his Shriner's fez washed up on the Miami Beach. The second victim, the head of the city's chamber of commerce, was found dead with a toy alligator lodged in his throat. And that was just the beginning... Now Brian Keyes, reporter turned private eye, must move from muckraking to rooting out murder... in a caper that will mix football players, politicians, and police with a group of anti-development fanatics and a very, hungry crocodile ... Read more