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3.5 stars
Carl Hiaasen's books are always a source of great hilarity, and this one is no different. It's a wild and wacky ride that will keep you entertained from start to finish.
*****
Despoilers of Florida's beauty had better watch out for Twilly Spree, a slightly crazy twenty-something self-proclaimed environmentalist. He's not one to shy away from taking matters into his own hands when he sees something he doesn't like.
Twilly has already made a name for himself by blowing up his uncle's bank for loaning money to an unethical rock-mining company. So, when he witnesses someone throwing trash onto a Florida highway, he decides to take action.
The culprit turns out to be lobbyist Palmer Stoat, who is not only a litterbug but also engages in some rather shady activities. He 'hunts' exotic game in the local Wilderness Veldt Plantation, which imports elderly animals for bigwigs to shoot.
To teach Palmer a lesson, Twilly goes to extreme lengths. He fills one of the Stoat cars with stinking rubbish, another with rustling dung beetles, and when Palmer still doesn't seem to get the message, he removes the glass eyes from all the trophy heads in the Stoat mansion and arranges them into a pentagram.
But Palmer is a stubborn man, and he still doesn't change his ways. So, Twilly takes things a step further and kidnaps the lobbyist's labrador retriever, Boodle. As it turns out, Palmer's beautiful wife, Desie, is also fed up with her slobby husband and decides to join in on the dog-napping.
At this point, Twilly discovers that Palmer Stoat is involved in a plan to turn Florida's offshore 'Toad Island' into an upscale golf resort called 'Shearwater Island.' The developer, former drug dealer Robert Clapley, has been bribing politicians to make the project happen and has even taken steps to wipe out the toads for which the island is named.
Determined to stop the project, Twilly threatens to harm Boodle. But can the welfare of a dog stand up against the fortunes that are to be made? The story unfolds with one funny and ridiculous predicament after another. A hitman who collects CD's of 911 calls is hired to deal with the opponents of the resort, developer Clapley indulges in some rather strange fetishes, Boodle gets to wear a blindfold, and Florida's former governor, Clinton Tyree (Skink), makes an appearance.
The book builds up to a memorable climax and an appropriate finale. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone who likes offbeat humorous stories, especially those who are passionate about preserving our natural environment.
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