Erin Grant is truly in a difficult situation. Her criminal ex-husband, Daryl, has managed to get her fired from her FBI job. As a result, she has resorted to dancing at the Eager Beaver strip club in order to cover her attorney expenses. Daryl then uses this against her in family court, convincing the judge that she is an unfit mother.

One night, at a bachelor party that gets out of hand, an insatiable congressman is recognized by one of Erin's fans. This sets off a chain of events involving blackmail, murder, politics, and snakes. The story that unfolds is a satirical mystery that will make you view exotic dancers with more respect and politicians with less.

I vividly remember seeing the movie when I was in high school, and I recall really liking it. Now, I realize that it's not just a fun movie, but a rather faithful adaptation. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, as well as the vivid picture that Hiaasen painted of life in the seedy underbelly of South Florida. It's a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes you think about the darker side of society.

A generous 3 stars.

I have delved into several books penned or narrated by this author, and thus had a certain anticipation. However, to my disappointment, I didn't relish this particular one as much as I recalled enjoying the others.

Perhaps it was because I wasn't in the appropriate mental state to endure the continuous portrayal of so much greed, corruption, lust, dishonesty, and drug addiction. While there were indeed some good and decent individuals in the story, along with a few moments that elicited genuine laughter, the overall tone was depressingly dark and cynical. It made me eager to just get through it so that I could turn to something that doesn't mirror the current state of our country so closely. Moreover, the book was overly long, which further contributed to my somewhat lukewarm experience.

Nonetheless, I have upgraded my rating from 2 to 3 stars due to the excellent narration. The narrator managed to bring the story to life in a way that, to some extent, compensated for the less-than-ideal aspects of the content.

An audaciously clever example of the superb genre of comedy-noir presents a captivating narrative. The story unfolds around a stripper who finds herself in the midst of a complex web. She is grappling with the challenges of divorce, which brings its own set of emotional and practical difficulties. Additionally, she has to contend with the issue of political corruption that seems to pervade the system. And then there is the hypocrisy of a fundamentalist Christian judge, whose actions and beliefs are at odds with what one might expect. The combination of these elements creates a rich and engaging storyline that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. With its unique blend of humor and noir elements, this example of the genre offers a fresh and exciting take on the traditional formula. It delves into the darker aspects of human nature while still managing to find moments of levity and laughter. Need I say more?

Carl Hiassen's writing is renowned for its typical humor, which is masterfully crafted with irony and satire.

His works offer a unique and often hilarious perspective on life in Florida. Hiassen has an uncanny ability to understand the idiosyncrasies and absurdities of the Sunshine State better than most.

He weaves together engaging storylines with a cast of colorful characters, all while injecting his signature brand of humor. Whether it's poking fun at the state's politics, environmental issues, or the eccentric behavior of its residents, Hiassen's writing always hits the mark.

His books are not only entertaining but also thought-provoking, making readers laugh while also making them consider the deeper issues at play. Overall, Carl Hiassen's writing is a testament to his talent as a humorist and his deep understanding of Florida.

'Strip Tease' is undoubtedly my all-time favorite novel among those written by Carl Hiaasen that I have read! It is such a hilarious book filled with absurd villains, lively dames, and silly state officials! Florida has never held much appeal for me, but Hiaasen manages to make it a somewhat lovable state.

Erin Grant fell in love and married Darrell Grant, which turned out to be the worst mistake of her life. Darrell is a drug addict and a criminal, and by the time Erin realized it, she was pregnant with 4-year-old Angela. She lost custody of the little girl in the divorce because Darrell became a police snitch. The police then erased his felonies from the computer, and the evangelical judge ruled that her job as a stripper, which she took to pay her divorce lawyers, made her an unfit mother. Sadly, she continues to dance and strip, saving her tips, hoping for another custody trial. Since she is a mother, she only dances and strips, much to the confusion of the other dancers who think she is missing out on opportunities to make real money.

One night at the Eager Beaver club, the judge who refused Erin custody of her daughter, a lovesick little man nicknamed Mr. Peepers, and a drunken party of young men celebrating Paul Gruber's upcoming wedding the next day were all in the club watching the dancers. Paul crawls onto the stage and hugs Erin, the last dancer of the night, and refuses to let go. When Shad the bouncer leaves the club for a minute and the owner Orly is in his office, a strange man jumps onto the stage and beats Paul on the head with a liquor bottle until it shatters. Paul is taken to the hospital, and the attacker is pulled out of the club by another unknown man. The two disappear into a limousine.

If Mr. Peepers, or Jerry Killian, hadn't decided to take pictures of the incident, and if the violent man hadn't been the United States Florida Congressman, and secretly a perverted sex-addict, Dave Dilbeck, or as his fixer, Malcolm 'Moldie' Moldowsky, calls him, "a card-carrying shithead", the story would have ended there. But Jerry Killian has a crush on Erin and decides to help her by blackmailing the Congressman with the photos to force Dilbeck to put pressure on the religious divorce judge.

Dilbeck receives millions of dollars from the sugar cane producers of Florida, and an important farm support bill is soon to be up for a vote. It is essential no scandal erupts before that vote, so Moldie decides to 'fix' Mr. Peepers. By a wild coincidence, a Florida police detective, Al García, finds Killian in a very peculiar circumstance and decides to find out who wanted to kill him and why.

Meanwhile, Erin is trying to find where Darrell has hidden her daughter again. She goes to Darrell's sister Rita's home, who raises 'gentle pet' wolves to sell. Visiting Rita is a challenge as she even wears a catcher's mask and logging gloves to feed the baby wolves. Angela is frequently left at Rita's by Darrell, but this time Rita explains that Darrell has decided to use the girl to steal wheelchairs from hospitals to sell for cash by pretending Angela is sick and wheeling her out in the wheelchair. Erin knows if Darrell is arrested, they both will lose custody.

Believe it or not, things start to spiral even more out of control. Dilbeck decides to go back to the club against strict orders because he has fallen in love with Erin. One of the other dancer's snakes disappears. Orly wants to put in a lady-wrestling arena to defeat the competition down the street. Lawyers start showing up, and there is still 2/3 of the book to go! There are lots of jokes, pratfalls, illegal schemes, devious plots, and a psychopath or two, not counting the snakes! Delightful disasters abound and rebound, and I truly hated turning the last page!

A seedy strip club, filled with larger than life characters, serves as the backdrop for a disastrous drunken stag party. Things take a wrong turn when one of the partygoers gets overly hands-on with one of the dancers.

The person who, out of an obsession with the dancer, uses a champagne bottle to "protect her honour" is a local, corrupt politician. This act puts his entire political career in jeopardy and gives his "fixer" a major headache.

Thus begins a complex, comedic thriller.

The conclusion of the whole affair is quite satisfying, with the bad guys mostly getting their just deserts and the good guys (for the most part) receiving their due. It's a fun little distraction.

The only issue I can note is that I listened to the audiobook. While the reading was excellent and most of the voices were distinct and reflective of the characters, the voice of the senator sounded a bit too much like the old "Ronald Reagan" voice from "Spitting Image", the satire programme from my youth. It didn't ruin my enjoyment, but it did grate on me at times.

Overall, it was an entertaining listen that kept me engaged from start to finish.

Strip Tease, a work penned by Carl Hiaasen and set in South Florida during the 1990s, is an uproarious crime fiction piece. It vividly exposes the pernicious nature of the sugar industry. The lobbyists of these companies have the power to bribe and influence government officials, which leads to a web of corruption.

Moreover, the book delves into the unjust situation of working women who are single mothers. They are often fighting an uphill battle against an unfair divorce settlement, struggling to make ends meet and provide for their children.

However, when it comes to the movie adaptation, it fails to capture the essence and charm of the novel. The movie simply does not come close to the level of excellence and entertainment that the book offers. The rich characters, the intricate plot, and the sharp social commentary in the novel are all lost in translation on the big screen. It is truly a disappointment for fans of the book who were hoping for a faithful and engaging movie adaptation.

It all begins with a peep show that takes a violent and unexpected turn.

From that fateful moment, everything descends into a chaotic maelstrom, vividly highlighting the various aspects of the debauchery that plagues the Sunshine State.

The diverse cast of characters alone is a sure sign of a wild and zany ride. There's a lecherous US congressman, a group of oily operatives, corrupt lawyers, and brutish bouncers.

At the center of it all is a beleaguered stripper engaged in a custody battle with her husband, whose main line of business is trafficking in stolen wheelchairs.

The already colorful atmosphere is further enhanced by the numerous scams that are scattered across the Florida landscape.

Price gouging of sugar costs to enrich local farmers, residential sewage wreaking havoc on the coral ecosystem, rampant insurance fraud, and scandal cover-ups are just some of the problems that add to the chaos.

Behind the abundant laughter that these pages elicit lies a wealth of insights into both local and national chicanery. And, of course, there are a few bodies hidden amongst the lush flora and fauna.

This is yet another comic masterpiece from Carl Hiassen, filled with just enough detail to keep the reader firmly grounded in its real-world messages.

When you find yourself in need of a break from the overly serious attitudes of everyone around you, Carl Hiaasen is the perfect antidote. His works, such as "Strip Tease", are filled with a hilarious cast of characters.

These characters are a motley crew of inept and nefarious individuals, each with their own get-rich schemes that inevitably go awry. Thankfully, there are also enough good guys (albeit often with their own share of troubles) to foil their criminal endeavors.

Hiaasen is a master of the writer's craft. He creates a plethora of characters, sometimes so many that it can be a challenge to keep track of who's who. Each character is赋予了 a distinct personality through their dialog and behaviors. The story is filled with a profusion of scenes that keep the action flowing smoothly, and the intricate weaving of various threads builds a narrative that is impossible to put down.

What's more, he accomplishes all of this without relying on tired tropes like macho heroes, postmodern puzzles, time travel, or vampires. It's a refreshing and entertaining read that will have you laughing out loud from start to finish.

Sometimes, it only requires a straightforward incident to set the gears of chaos in motion.

A drunken man, reveling in his bachelor party, begins to hug and grope a topless dancer. This act incites fury in another customer, who repeatedly strikes him on the head with a champagne bottle until the bouncer drags him away. Coincidentally, a photograph of this altercation is taken by another patron of the entertainment venue.

The photograph then becomes the catalyst for a series of events. Political fixers strive to safeguard an unravelling Congressman. An ex-husband, a drug addict, steals wheelchairs while still retaining custody of a child. Scorpions and roaches are employed in scams to extort money from corporations. Murders occur, and a dancer and a homicide detective are determined to set things right.

This is a thrilling story that remains at a simmering boil all the way to the end, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with anticipation and excitement.

Strip Tease by Carl Hiaasen is an engaging and action-packed literary work that reads like a thrilling movie. Hiaasen doesn't allow readers or his characters to waste time in idle contemplation. This suits me perfectly as it's precisely why I'm drawn to his books. He unfailingly offers entertaining, amusing, and well-written stories with happy endings. In this book, the somewhat seedy characters are a delight to root for.

Erin, a divorced mother,迫于经济压力和混蛋前夫的缘故，不得不去做脱衣舞女谋生。她那吸毒、从慈祥老奶奶那里偷轮椅的失败者前夫达雷尔，在虚伪、爱抚摸圣经又喜欢脱衣舞女的法官帮助下，获得了他们女儿的单独监护权。一天晚上，一个醉酒的男人——正和他的朋友们庆祝即将结婚——踉跄着走上舞台，紧紧抱住他爱上的脱衣舞女的腿。那个脱衣舞女就是艾琳。在保安能把这个单身汉带走之前，另一个醉酒的男人从他身后走过来，用一个空香槟瓶打他的头。混乱随之而来，医护人员被叫来，保安沙德让拿着香槟瓶的男人和他持枪的同伴逃走了。那个男人是佛罗里达州的一名美国国会议员，他的同伴是他的长期助手兼解决问题的人。后来，国会议员得知自己的所作所为后，问他的助手关于他袭击的那个人：“他是民主党人还是共和党人？”这个滑稽、暴力且完全疯狂的情节设置，随着敲诈、谋杀、一个奇怪的爱狼的妹妹、政治堕落（很可能是基于真实事件）以及一个保安的梦想而变得更加疯狂，这个保安对美好生活的梦想是基于酸奶和死蟑螂。

到目前为止，我非常喜欢我读过的每一本卡尔·希亚森的书。这本书出版于1993年，所以它还有90年代文化的额外乐趣：脱衣舞女跳舞时听的音乐（ZZ Top、MC Hammer和Ice Cube）以及一位艾琳舞蹈的崇拜者送给她的CD（The Smithereens、Pearl Jam、Toad the Wet Sprocket、Boyz II Men、REM、Wilson Phillips）、卡带播放器、只有拍照功能且你必须等待才能看到照片的相机！——以及汽车里被称为“蜂窝接收器”的电话。我想念安德鲁·扬西这个一团糟的角色，他是希亚森笔下从坏警察变成卫生检查员的人物，但这本小说中的侦探阿尔·加西亚很有趣、很讽刺，他不太在意是否按规矩办事，而更关心抓捕罪犯，这让我有点想起扬西。整本书唯一的不足之处是尾声。希亚森为所有角色提供了一个“接下来发生了什么”的总结，而且写得非常生硬，在很大程度上是不必要的。否则，这是一本关于谋杀、混乱、奶油玉米脱衣舞女摔跤和可疑政治交易的有趣读物。

Oh holy crap on a stick.

This book居然有3.5的平均评分！？这是因为它能放进你的钱包吗？还是因为你可以在喝醉、倒着、关灯的情况下阅读它，而且仍然不会错过任何一个情节？（是的，好吧，接受这个双关语——我不在乎）。这本书本可以更差，但这就是评分的方法吗？哦，天哪。而且致谢部分实际上感谢了那些让他注意到在奶油玉米中与半裸脱衣舞娘摔跤这种做法的人。这本书有3.5的评分这一事实让我想挖出我的眼睛，然后依靠听独立电影来娱乐。但我不会这样做，因为还有很多非常好的书有待阅读（而且很多独立电影也很烂）。而且如果我这样做了，我的前任就完全有理由说我过于戏剧化了。我只是不会把这本书推荐给我的狗……如果我有的话。

总之，这本书的评分让我感到非常困惑和失望，我不明白为什么它会有这样的评分。我希望其他读者在选择书籍时能够更加谨慎，不要仅仅根据评分来决定是否阅读一本书。