...
Show More
Another exciting outing by Hiaasen awaits. The protagonist here is Jack Tagger, who, after insulting the owner of a Florida daily newspaper, is condemned to writing obituaries. He yearns to return to writing more important stories. When he is assigned to pen the obituary of a former rock star, he might just have found what he's been seeking. Jimmy Stoma, who once led the band Jimmy and the Slut Puppies, dies in a scuba "accident," but Tagger suspects foul play. Was it truly an accident or a murder? And if so, could his young widow, Cleo Rio, be behind it? Cleo Rio is an up-and-coming pop singer with only one hit to her name, yet she claims she and Jimmy were collaborating on a new album for her. However, Jimmy's sister disputes this, telling Jack that Cleo was not working with Jimmy. So, if Cleo is responsible for Jimmy's death, what could be her motivation? And can Jack piece together a crime story that will boost his newspaper career? As always, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from Hiaasen. It focused on the newspaper business while also being filled with trivia about music and personalities dating back to the 60s. I'll admit the novel did seem a bit dated. It was originally published in 2002, when most print newspapers were on the verge of being overtaken by the internet and before online music became the norm and CDs were still the standard. But it was definitely an enjoyable journey through Hiaasen's Florida. In fact, Hiaasen even wrote a song, "Basket Case," along with Warren Zevon, which he attributes to Jimmy and the Slut Puppies. Great stuff! This is actually the last adult Hiaasen novel I had left to read. But I'm eagerly anticipating his next one, "Fever Beach," which is set to be released next month (May 2025). I can't wait!
