What an odd story indeed!

It really reminded me of Travis McGee in numerous ways, yet it was an insane version.

Ordinarily, I don't have any problem with satirical stories. However, Skin Tight just couldn't seem to make up its mind whether it was serious or completely loopy.

It should be one or the other, not both. Mr. Hiaasen appears to have forgotten that old saying about not being able to have one's cake and eat it too.

The inconsistency was just too jarring.

So, all in all, I must say that I didn't care for the book at all.

I'm aware that I should say more, but the truth is I simply didn't have any interest in the book.

I've heard about Carl Hiassen for years, and now that I've finally gotten around to reading him, I'm not impressed.

I understand that one shouldn't judge an author based on just one book, but this doesn't look good.

What a truly weird and wacky book this is!

It is almost unbelievable how one seemingly silly event could culminate in such profound tragedies. The story takes unexpected turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Surprisingly, there are also parts that are downright hilarious, adding a touch of levity to the overall narrative. Despite the serious undertones, it is quite an enjoyable read, I must say.

The author has done a remarkable job of creating a world that is both strange and captivating. The characters are well-developed and their actions and decisions drive the story forward in a most interesting way.

Overall, this book is a unique and engaging read that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for something different.

Ahhh, Florida.

Florida is a truly remarkable state. It is known for its beautiful beaches with soft white sands and crystal-clear blue waters. The warm climate makes it a popular destination throughout the year, attracting tourists from all over the world.

There are numerous attractions in Florida, such as the world-famous theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. These parks offer endless entertainment and excitement for people of all ages.

Florida also has a rich and diverse culture. The cuisine is a unique blend of different flavors and influences, with delicious seafood being a highlight.

In addition to its natural beauty and attractions, Florida is a great place to live. The state offers a high quality of life, with excellent educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and a vibrant job market.

Overall, Florida is a place that has something for everyone. Whether you're looking for a relaxing beach vacation, an exciting adventure, or a great place to call home, Florida has it all.

Ahhh, Florida.

I highly recommend indulging in the guilty pleasure of reading any of Hiaasen's books. Fortunately for me, I still have a few remaining titles to explore. This particular book is his third, following Tourist Season and Double Whammy. It features his typical cast of wickedly absurd characters embroiled in a chaotic mess. However, it's not as uproariously funny as his later stories. Perhaps this is because a relatively high number of the bad guys actually meet their demise in this one. I seem to recall that in Bad Monkey, Stormy Weather, and Skinny Dip, the body count was lower. But I'll leave the task of fact-checking to others.

What a truly enjoyable and lighthearted romp this was!

The characters in this story were completely absurd and over-the-top, which added to the charm.

The storyline was even more ridiculous than the characters, but that's what made it such a fun read.

It was the kind of book that you can just lose yourself in and have a great time.

After reading this, I may have just discovered a new go-to author for those moments when I'm in the mood for some lighthearted antics.

I gave this book 4 stars because, unfortunately, the ending felt a bit rushed.

It seemed like the author was in a hurry to wrap things up, and as a result, some of the details and character development suffered.

However, despite this minor flaw, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and entertaining read.

The cover of this book describes it as "good, mean fun", and that's about right.

It follows the typical Hiassen formula, presenting a likable yet damaged hero and a group of quirky characters who are engaged in a fast-paced, sometimes violent, and often hilarious battle.

A crucial element of Hiassen's books is the southern Florida environment. It serves not only as a backdrop but also as the driving force behind much of the action.

I was raised in Florida, so I can understand the love he has for his home state. However, regardless of where you come from, this is an enjoyable read.

Hiassen's vivid descriptions of the Florida landscape and its unique inhabitants add an extra layer of authenticity to the story.

The characters are well-developed and their interactions are both entertaining and engaging.

The fast-paced plot keeps you on the edge of your seat, while the humorous moments provide welcome relief.

Overall, this book is a great choice for anyone looking for an entertaining and lighthearted read.

This is a rather convoluted storyline, filled with numerous interwoven character arcs.

Primarily, we center our attention on Mick Stranahan, who simply desires to escape everything, residing in Stiltsville on Biscayne Bay. Unintentionally, he finds himself thrust into a predicament where a former nurse is on the verge of exposing a doctor who killed a patient - and she informs him that Mick is about to disclose the matter to the police.

Consequently, this doctor, Rudy Graveline, a butcher of a plastic surgeon, hires several individuals, including the unforgettable assassin, Chemo, to eliminate Mick and prevent him from talking. Mick is astonished to suddenly become a target for assassination, yet he is not one to go down easily. In fact, he takes his retaliation to the next level.

It is not your typical murder mystery story. This one contains a great deal of absurdity, which at times seems to take itself seriously, but not always. For instance, Chemo loses a hand to a barracuda and rigs up a prosthesis with a weed-wacker and a battery pack, which astonishes those outside the story, yet within the storyline, people hardly bat an eye.

Some of the situations are rather ridiculous, such as Mick's tendency to fall in love with cocktail waitresses immediately after sleeping with them (hence the 5 wives), but it adds a certain charm to the story. However, as charming (or not) as Mick may be, there is a ruthless streak in him that leads him to blackmail, kill, and manipulate - he is no hero. But he does possess a certain sense of honor.

I'm certain this is also some sort of commentary on the corruption and vice that was rampant in Southern Florida in the late 1980s, but if so, it doesn't seem entirely applicable here... it's almost like a history lesson. And who knows, maybe it's still the same way, but since I've never been to Miami, I wouldn't really know. This was definitely an entertaining story, and since I have a great fondness for absurd humor, it was even more so.

Carl Hiaasen's works often teeter between the realms of black humor and the simply dark. In some of his stories, the situations can be so disturbing that they lose their comedic value, or they may just make the reader feel uncomfortable. However, with "Skin Tight," he seems to have found the perfect balance.

I haven't read many of his other novels, so perhaps he is usually like this. But after reading this one, I am definitely eager to explore more of his works. The characters in this book are all delightfully bizarre, yet they manage to behave like real human beings.

Even the hit man who was burned in an electrolysis accident and is repeatedly described as having rice krispies glued to his face doesn't strain the suspension of disbelief that comedic books should maintain. The story, although categorized as a "mystery" at my local library, is relatively simple. Mick Stranahan, a former Florida investigator, is attacked in his secluded stilt house off the coast of Miami and defends himself with a stuffed marlin head.

This incident sets the tone for the rest of the book, as Stranahan has to fend off an increasingly hostile plastic surgeon who believes he has incriminating evidence of a botched nose job. One of the highlights of this book is the social satire that runs through it, particularly targeting the vanity of cosmetic surgery and shady medical practices in general.

Trust me, if you're considering plastic surgery, reading this book will make you think twice. It will definitely turn you off the idea for good, and that's a great thing. Another excellent send-up is of Geraldo Rivera and other journalists like him. A reporter named Reynaldo Flemm is covering the story of the questionable surgeon, but he leaves all the real journalism to his producer, Christina Marks, while he focuses on preening himself and trying to get injured on camera for shock value and ratings.

Undoubtedly, the most memorable character in the book is the next hit man in line to take down Stranahan: Chemo, the seven-foot tall, rice krispy-faced killer. His back story and the events that unfold for him throughout the book are laugh-out-loud funny. I don't often find myself laughing out loud while reading, but this book managed to do just that. None of the characters are forgettable, but Chemo stands out as the most unusual and yet oddly sympathetic villain that I can currently think of.

If you're looking for a serious mystery with numerous twists and turns, this may not be the book for you. The story follows the antagonists just as much as, if not more than, the protagonists. Hiaasen doesn't hide much from the reader, but he makes up for it with his incredible characters and moments of pure hilarity.

It's the little things, those minute details that have the power to transform a story from ordinary to extraordinary. And "Skin Tight" is truly a treasure trove of such captivating details that elevate what could have been a run-of-the-mill crime thriller into a magical and enthralling experience.

The story kicks off with a former investigator enjoying a moment of relaxation at home when, out of the blue, an assassin barges in with the intention of killing him. Right from this very moment, I knew I was in for a treat. In most typical stories, the assassin might be dispatched in a rather conventional way, perhaps with a gunshot or a broken neck during a fistfight. But not in "Skin Tight." Here, the main character manages to kill the assassin using a marlin head. It's these kinds of unexpected and unique details that make this crime thriller truly otherworldly.

Moreover, it's not just about a main character who is simply investigating. He is hyper competent and has a dark side to him. And it's not just a single hitman after him. There's a backup to the first, and this one is an ex-Amish hitman with surgical burns and a weed whacker in place of his left hand. Then there's the sleazy doctor lurking behind it all. He's a plastic surgeon involved in so many illegal operations that one can't help but wonder how he manages to squeeze them all into his day.

Needless to say, "Skin Tight" is an absolute blast! One of the great things about reading a different author for each book in my Goodreads challenge is that it allows me to discover which authors are worth coming back to once I've completed the challenge. Carl Hiaasen is most definitely one of those authors.

3.9/5 or 8.3/10 | Definitely Recommend!

Hiassen's first book starring Mick Stranahan is truly a gem. Mick, a likable character who has retired early from being a police investigator, finds himself in a rather precarious situation as people keep showing up with the intention of murdering him. Set in the vibrant backdrop of Florida, this book is teeming with a diverse cast of ridiculous characters and events. What makes it truly remarkable is Hiaasen's outstanding writing skills. Despite the absurdity, every plot point feels completely believable within the vivid setting he has crafted.

The book features some truly unforgettable characters. There's an ex-Amish giant with a weed wacker attached to his arm where his hand was severed, and a shady plastic surgeon whose actions are rather suspect. Mick Stranahan not only has to figure out who is trying to kill him and why but also solve a case from 4 years ago. It's a thrilling and engaging story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This book is very similar to its follow-up, Skinny Dip, which Hiaasen wrote 15 years later and follows Mick Stranahan as he is 15 years older. With fun characters, exciting murders, and the sunny Florida setting, these stories are well-written and don't take themselves too seriously. They are highly recommended as a light-hearted beach or summer read, or simply if you're in need of some entertaining literature.

*****

I like to rate books out of 5 stars and 10 stars as they often provide a more comprehensive assessment. Each of the 5 categories (as detailed below) is awarded 1 point and 2 points respectively, for a total out of 5 stars and 10 stars.

Skin Tight by Carl Hiaasen | Book 17, 2021 | Completed 04.20.2021

Writing: .9 ..... 1.8

Entertainment: .8 ..... 1.7

Characters: .7 ..... 1.6

Plot: .7 ..... 1.6

Recommendability: .8 ..... 1.6

Total: 3.9/5 ..... 8.3/10

1. Writing Style / Grammar / Structure / Continuity

2. Entertainment / Personal Enjoyment / Engagement

3. Characters Development / Believability

4. Plot Development / Complexity / Predictability / Believability / Conclusion

5. Recommendability

A story unfolds where stupid people engage in even dumber acts, lacking any rhyme or reason. Strangely, even the likable individuals are as inane as the villains, and there isn't a single plausible person within the narrative.

The story predominantly presents a comic book-like portrayal of how an outsider, presumably the author, pretends to view a world muddled with corruption and stupidity. People are simplistically defined in a narrow manner, as if the world were an extended episode of the 1980s version of Magnum PI, but this time set in Florida instead of Hawaii. What's more, it's deemed perfectly acceptable for the hero in this case to torture a criminal with the threat of death to extract a confession.

This book would likely appeal to those who believe that Miami Vice was a documentary and a valid commentary of the time period, rather than the silly, inane dribble that it actually was.

Oh, and by the way, this is available on Scribd. It offers the modern-day reader a reflection on just how stupid the background of our world was during the 1990ish time period and how fortunate we are not to have our present determined by such foolish backgrounds.

Not my cup of tea.

I've only read about 30 pages of this book, but I already come to the conclusion that this Stranahan guy isn't the protagonist I was hoping for.

I find him rather dull.

Maybe it's just that I don't understand the humour that the author is trying to convey.

It could be that the writing style is not to my taste.

However, I'm willing to give it a little more time and see if my opinion changes as I read further.

But for now, I'm not overly impressed with this character or the story.

Perhaps there are some hidden depths or interesting plot twists that I haven't discovered yet.

I'll keep reading and hope that it gets better.

Otherwise, I might have to put this book aside and look for something else that suits my interests more.