The second 'on his own' book showcases the very first appearance of 'Skink', the former mayor!

This book follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Tourist Season, yet it has more of everything. Regrettably, there is a significant increase in the fishing aspect. However, this is the sole reason for the deducted star.

Aside from that, it is precisely what one would anticipate. Just more! It offers a more intense and engaging experience, with all the elements that made the first book so enjoyable, but in a more exaggerated and expanded form. The characters are more vivid, the plot is more convoluted, and the humor is even more biting. It's a must-read for fans of the genre and those who loved the first book.

Have you ever had the intense desire to know everything there is to know about bass fishing? Well, I haven't either. However, I did manage to learn a significant amount while reading this satirical and hysterical thriller. This story is set in Florida, specifically in the small town of Harney.

R.J. Decker, a down-on-his-luck ex-con and private investigator, finds himself in Harney. He has been hired by Dennis Gault, a wealthy bass fishing enthusiast who firmly believes that Dickie Lockhart, a champion fisherman and host of a popular weekly bass fishing show on the Outdoor Christian Network (OCN), is cheating in the high-dollar bass fishing tournaments. Now, it's Decker's task to figure out how the cheating is happening and obtain photographs as evidence. Decker teams up with Skink, a very strange hermit with a surprising back-story. Skink lives on the outskirts of Harney and survives on road kill. He has no hesitation in shooting intruders and behaves very peculiarly both in public and private.

Hiassen creates other humorous characters to enhance the story. There's Lainie Gault, a sexy swimsuit model with no morals. Then there's beautiful and classy Catherine, Decker's ex-wife, who, despite being remarried to an incredibly dull chiropractor, still keeps in touch with Decker. Ott Pickney, Decker's old friend and a reporter who should have retired long ago, also makes an appearance. And let's not forget Charlie Weeb, the televangelist and owner of OCN, who has trouble staying away from prostitutes and enjoys performing fake healings on farm animals on "live satellite television", as well as marketing his development, Lunker Lakes Resort, which is built on a contaminated landfill. Needless to say, even though there are murders, attempted murders, close calls of all kinds, muggings, and intrigue to keep any reader on the edge of their seat, Hiaasen has inserted enough of his unique brand of humor to make this book almost impossible to put down.

Admittedly, this book is not going to end up in the "classics" section of the library or bookstore, and it won't be studied in college literature classes. But as a light, upbeat, and fast-paced thriller, it is highly recommended. Hiaasen's characters are charming, and this book has an absolutely wicked sense of humor. There were numerous situations and moments that actually made me laugh out loud. Some of those situations were truly priceless as they pointed out some very serious flaws in several over-the-top stereotypes.

Mr. Hiaasen's literary creation, The Miami Sun, is facing a serious situation. If all the staff continue to leave the paper to become private detectives, it will soon run out of employees.

In Tourist Season, this happened with reporter Brian Keyes. And in Double Whammy, it occurred again with photographer R.J. Decker, who is affectionately known by his ex-wife as Rage, and for a good reason.

I have read most of Hiaasen's books. Just recently, I discovered the first two in his environmental mystery genre, Tourist Season published in 1986 and the novel published a year later. In Double Whammy, we encounter Skink, surely one of the oddest yet endearing protagonists who has ever held murder in his heart for those who would trash the environment. God only knows how Skink must feel about Scott Pruitt! But let's not talk too much about current politics.

Hiaasen's novels are lively and convoluted. They are so interesting, with characters beyond belief... and yet you believe in them.

Thank God for authors like Hiaasen who care both about the prose of a good novel and the earth we live on.

This is the very first Hiaasen book that features the character Skink.

It presents a truly engaging story. Skink, in fact, was once the Governor of Florida. However, at present, he has chosen to live in the wild. His diet consists of fresh roadkill, which is rather unusual.

One can't help but wonder just how crazy he really is. Is his choice to live in the wild and consume such unorthodox food a sign of madness or perhaps a result of some deeper psychological turmoil?

The character of Skink adds an element of mystery and eccentricity to the story, making it all the more captivating for the readers.

As we delve deeper into the book, we are bound to discover more about Skink's past and the reasons behind his current lifestyle.

It will be interesting to see how his character develops and how he interacts with the other characters in the story.

Overall, this Hiaasen book with Skink is a must-read for those who enjoy stories that are filled with unique characters and unexpected twists.

Well, that was really weird!

I had to constantly adjust my expectations of this novel as I was reading along. Since I had never read this author before, when I started the book, I thought it was a crime novel. However, the majority of the characters are extremely over-the-top caricatures - and that's deliberate - and the story includes some extremely bizarre incidents, especially in the second half.

I'm not entirely certain how to classify this book. It's a sort of strange combination of a surreal farce, a horror novel, and a political satire. I will admit that I did get a few laughs, but at other times, the humor seemed rather mean-spirited to me. This was especially the case in the scene when the lead character is at the house of his ex-wife and her new husband. I also felt that there were several scenes where the author was fulfilling his own political wish-fulfillment fantasy.

I understand that the author is well known for his support of environmental causes. That much is evident from the novel. Curiously, his concern for wildlife doesn't seem to extend to domestic animals. If you're a dog lover, I would strongly advise you to stay away from this one.

Glancing at the other reviews, it seems that I'm in the minority for not giving this a more favorable rating.

I've been seeing mentions of Hiaasen for quite some time now, known for penning interesting and borderline wacky mystery novels. Finally, I decided to pick one up. If "Florida Man" were to be transformed into a novel, this would surely be it.

Hiaasen has crafted a well-written and thoughtfully constructed private eye book here. The cast of characters is such that you could only encounter them in the backwoods of a somewhat backwards state. While I must admit that I found it to be just a little too strange for my taste, this might be specific to this particular book and not representative of Hiaasen's writing as a whole.

This novel is part of a series that follows the adventures and misadventures of Skink, a supporting character in this book who has a crazy backstory all his own. The novel centers around the investigations of multiple murders that are related to bass fishing tournaments and an evangelical television network. I understand that it sounds like a rather silly premise, and indeed it is, but it managed to draw me in and surprise me.

It's a unique and engaging read that offers a different take on the mystery genre. Whether you'll enjoy it as much as I did or find it too odd depends on your personal preferences for reading. However, there's no denying that Hiaasen has a talent for creating vivid and memorable characters and storylines that keep you on the edge of your seat.

I have never come across a Hiaasen novel in which the characters are not larger than life, and in a truly remarkable way, they are amazingly real!

Mr. Hiaasen has a distinct style of writing novels that are not overly complicated. The characters he populates his stories with seem almost too crazy to be true. However, he manages to bring everything together in a highly satisfying manner that often imparts some valuable insights about the human condition and our world to the reader.

Moreover, he has a great sense of humor!

"Double Whammy" serves as a prime example of these characteristics.

Private eye R.J. Decker has a rather checkered past, and his present seems just as strange. Some of the most outstanding writing in the novel pertains to Decker's passion for photography and how this passion influences the way he perceives the world. It is a remarkable talent of Hiaasen's to be able to take the reader from moments of laughter to deep thoughtful reflection within the same paragraph.

R.J. Decker is a likable character, and in this text, he is only surpassed in likability by the unbelievable yet intriguingly "real" character named Skink. There are some interesting twists in the novel involving this character, which I will not disclose here. Hiaasen uses Skink as his avenging angel in this story. When people engage in bad deeds, God's vengeance is swift and usually comes in the form of this crazy hermit.

And surprisingly, all of this revolves around bass fishing!

There are occasions when Hiaasen's portrayal of the "redneck" persona of southerners is a bit too stereotypical for my liking. However, he is careful not to generalize all people in the same way, so it is easily forgivable.

Despite their medium length, Mr. Hiaasen's novels are quick reads. They follow a certain formula, but they are also witty, well-written, and only very rarely do they disappoint.

Another Carl Hiaasen CLASSIC. 3.5 - 4

It was an absolute blast to read this one while I was actually in Florida. I have now developed an interest in the world of Bass Fishing, lol.

You can easily tell that this is one of his older books due to the cruder language.

It would have been a sure 4 stars, but the ending didn't wrap up as neatly as I had hoped. I really need to know precisely how the perpetrator was behind it all, what the consequences were for Weeb/RJ/Catherine/Lanie/The Dumb Brother and, most importantly, what happened to Queenie?

Rage didn't possess all the personality I had expected, like Jack T or Andrew Yancy. I don't know which books they were in. Still, I liked him but wanted more.

I'm completely obsessed with Skink. He's a great character. I'm so excited that he has his own series/books connection. I'll be reading that one next.

My tradition (lore) is to read one of Hiassen's books every summer. Unfortunately, I don't think I can wait until next summer at the moment and will pick up Skink #2 next week.

If you’ve delved into many of Carl Hiaasen‘s over two dozen novels, you’ve likely encountered the six-foot-six, one-eyed Florida ex-governor who has gone wild in the Everglades and mainly survives on road kill. His name is Clinton Tyree, but aside from a few close friends, everyone knows him as Skink. By teaming up with rogue cops, desperate private eyes, and various idealists, Skink wages a continuous battle against the forces of greed that aim to subjugate what little is left of Florida’s natural beauty. And if you’re curious about where this man came from and how he lost that eye, pick up a copy of Double Whammy, in which Skink first makes his appearance.

For the record, Double Whammy is a story centered around bass fishing. Specifically, largemouth bass. And unless you’re like one of the “fish people” who inhabit this often hilarious novel, you’ll probably learn more than you ever cared to know about largemouth bass and the fanatics who are obsessed with them. Just to clarify, I’ve gone fishing only once in my life – it was a rare solo adventure with my dad when I was around ten – and I found it极其无聊. But, in Hiaasen’s capable hands, this story is anything but that.

A funny murder mystery starring Florida’s feral, one-eyed ex-Governor

The tale Hiaasen weaves involves a truly colorful cast:

** Skink, of course;

** a “musclebound black state trooper” who is Skink’s protector and friend;

** a Florida private eye and ace photographer named R. J. Decker who lives in a trailer and yearns for his own ex-wife;

** an ultra-wealthy sugarcane tycoon with a passion for largemouth bass;

the tycoon’s beautiful and ethically challenged sister;

** a Latino Miami police detective who’s Decker’s friend;

the star of a wildly popular TV show about bass fishing on the Christian Outdoor Network; and

** a group of rednecks, witless miscreants, and other misfits.

The tycoon hires Decker to investigate the TV star, whom he believes has been winning all the big bass-fishing tournaments through cheating. And then, of course, everything takes a turn for the worse from there. You don’t need to know any more to get a sense of this charming novel. Just note what Al García, the Miami cop, thinks about where Decker lives: “He hated trailer parks; trailer parks were the reason God invented tornadoes.”

Oh, and by the way. “The Double Whammy was the hottest lure on the pro bass circuit.” Now you know.

I've read what I thought was all of Carl Hiaasen's adult and young adult novels.

I recommended the first book in the Skink series. However, I later realized that the book I really thought my book discussion should read was "Tourist Season".

"Tourist Season" introduces the man who becomes Skink and how that came about. While I don't think it is necessarily a must to read "Tourist Season" before starting the Skink series, it will be interesting to see how my discussion group feels about reading "Double Whammy" without really knowing the whole background of Skink. There is a danger of preconceived judgments about Skink.

Fortunately, in "Double Whammy", I didn't remember reading it previously! It was a joy to breeze through the novel (or mystery if you like) with so many wild twists and turns. The details of the characters must be put into the category of "Good Guy" or "Ass Hole". I often think that if there are characters that I might actually know or have dealt with, then the author has grabbed me. Hiaasen's characters are all around us, which, sometimes unfortunately, makes them believable.

It is Hiaasen's capability to create humor despite the evil that has made him unique. How could I not "Really Like" a book that makes me laugh out loud, not just once, but several times, even if outrageous incidents make me shudder? I often find myself wondering if the end justifies the means with Hiaasen. But I don't dwell on it. A good read is a good read!

If you have delved into Hiaasen's works previously, you are well aware that his mysteries are set in Florida and are peculiarly strange. This particular book was his second, and I can affirm that this pattern has been firmly established from the very outset!

This book is irreverent and outlandish. Certain elements seem nonsensical, yet simultaneously, they make perfect sense (or do they?). If you are unable to suspend your disbelief for a period, you are certain to become lost in the alligator-infested swamp within these pages.

Every individual in a Hiaasen book is a caricature, and I firmly believe that this is one of the aspects that renders them so captivating. With caricatures, there is a great deal of latitude in what can be done – even if it appears absurd, one can't truly complain because it is, in a sense, meant to be absurd. I was thoroughly entertained by each and every character – whether they were good, bad, dumb, smart, goofy, or straight-laced. Moreover, in this book, there is no demarcation (not even a fine line) between those who abide by the law and those who are criminals – anything goes!

Speaking of characters, Skink is introduced in this volume. I had only heard of him prior to reading this, as I had not perused any other books featuring him, but I understand that he holds significant importance in many of Hiaasen's works. As he is depicted in the book, I continuously thought of Hayduke from The Monkey Wrench Gang. He has his principles, will stop at nothing to achieve them, and woe betide anyone who crosses his path. I am most definitely looking forward to more books featuring him.

I think this book represents an improvement over Tourist Season, Hiaasen's first offering. This is understandable considering it was the dawn of his career, and I'm certain he was just beginning to find his rhythm. I intend to persist in working my way through his books in the order of their publication and hope to unearth a few more hidden treasures in the swamps and along the beaches of Florida.

This is my very first foray into the world of Carl Hiaasen. I have been a huge fan of Tim Dorsey for many years. As a result, I constantly receive recommendations to read Hiaasen. I did enjoy "DOUBLE WHAMMY", yet it is not much like Dorsey's works. Perhaps it's an unfair comparison, but that's how I entered this literary game.

"DOUBLE WHAMMY" is a captivating Florida crime story. The bass fishing angle is truly unique and makes it great fun to build the story around. The characters are beautifully fleshed out, and Skink makes for an excellent recurring icon. The story is full of twists and turns, maybe even a little too drawn out at times, but it never becomes boring. It just had a bit of a struggle in getting to its conclusion. If it were a bit more hard-boiled, I probably would have enjoyed it even more.

I will likely read more of Hiaasen's works in the future. However, in the meantime, I'll read twice as many Tim Dorsey books.