Okay, this is my new favorite book of the year, I think.

It is extremely silly, which makes it stand out.

I'm really into detective novels at the moment, and this one combines the elements of a detective story with silliness and just plain fun. I really liked it.

Now, I'm going to proceed to read all of his books.

The way it's written almost feels like it could be a movie.

I'm excited for my longer tube commutes with my Kindle, as I'll have this great book to keep me company.

It's nice to find a book that can make you laugh and also keep you engaged in a detective mystery.

I can't wait to see what other adventures await me in the author's other works.

Overall, this book has really made my reading experience more enjoyable and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of silliness in their detective novels.

I chanced upon this novel in a Free Little Library, and I simply couldn't pass it up. Hiaasen has an uncanny ability to whisk the reader away to a specific location, in this instance, South Florida, and reveal all of its seedy underbelly.

Erin finds herself in a desperate situation where she has no option but to dance at a strip club to quickly earn some money to hire an attorney and fight for custody of her daughter from her despicable ex-husband. The scene is filled with creepy characters and more.

It becomes especially captivating when a prominent politician is caught in a compromising position that could end his career. His handlers are willing to go to any lengths to cover up the truth.

The story is suspenseful and entertaining from start to finish. I adored this well-loved paperback and truly relished the opportunity to revisit the area where I grew up.

It was like taking a trip down memory lane while also being engrossed in a thrilling tale. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for an exciting read that combines elements of mystery, drama, and a touch of the seamy side of life.

Every summer, I have a tradition of delving into a Carl Hiaasen novel, and this year, "Strip Tease" did not let me down.

A compromising photo of a Florida congressman is snapped at a strip club. In the photo, he is shown attacking another customer with a champagne bottle. This incident sets off a chain of events. Jerry Killian, a man hopelessly infatuated with Erin, the dancer in the photo, decides to blackmail the congressman. His plan is to force the congressman to speak with Erin's divorce judge. The judge has awarded custody of Erin's four-year-old daughter to her ex, despite the fact that he is a thief and a drug-addict.

The congressman's fixer gets involved, as does a lawyer for the man who was attacked. And when a body shows up where the congressman is vacationing in Montana with his family, a Cuban American cop begins to investigate. The story is filled with great fun and excitement, and eventually, all the loose ends connect up.

I especially loved Shad, the strip club bouncer with a checkered past. He looks out for Erin and her fellow dancers, and he is truly a stand-up guy. His character adds an extra layer of depth and charm to the story. Overall, "Strip Tease" is a great read that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun and engaging novel.

Strip Tease is the book upon which the Demi Moore and Burt Reynolds movie of the same name is based.

The author is truly remarkable with his outstanding sense of humor and sharp wit. He has crafted another set of crazy and engaging characters. There's Erin, the beautiful stripper; Shad, the educated and conniving bouncer; Al Garcia, the tough-minded detective; Congressman Dilbeck, the drunken womanizer; Moldy, the political fixer; and Darrell, Erin's felonious ex-husband. What an amazing story it is! How the author managed to conceive such a tale is beyond my comprehension.

The story kicks off with a bachelor party at the Eager Beaver. At the end of the night, a drunken groom hugs Erin on stage, and a disguised Congressman jumps up and attacks him with a champagne bottle, sending him to the hospital and postponing the groom's wedding. The Congressman is recognized by a patron, and his picture is taken while he is beating up the groom on stage. Dilbeck is the head of the panel that oversees sugar subsidies in Congress. This is where Moldy gets involved as Erin has a fan who believes he can assist her with the judge in her custody case. Erin's daughter was given to her ex, Darrell, the wheelchair-stealing felon. Moldy has a difficult time controlling Dilbeck, even with the help of Erb Crandall, a security man assigned to the Congressman. It's an excellent read, a lesson in irony, and a testament to the belief that good things come to those who wait. Garcia is the perfect example of this as he perseveres throughout the story.

Overall, Strip Tease is a captivating and entertaining book that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

The humor that pervades this crazy Floridian tale truly makes the book a gem.

It is rather amusing to note that a significant number of the ridiculously absurd things described in the story are entirely believable when one thinks about a place like Florida.

The state has long been associated with outlandish events and unique characters, and this book capitalizes on that reputation.

However, what I truly enjoy about Hiaasen's work is not just the humor but also the honest messages he conveys in the book regarding the environment and corrupt politics.

He uses the crazy antics and storylines as a vehicle to shine a light on these important issues, making the reader both laugh and think.

It is a clever and effective way to raise awareness and engage the audience in a meaningful discussion about the state of our world.

The combination of humor and social commentary makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in a good story with a deeper message.

A Terrific Spoof on Florida's Political and Property Landscape

In this hilarious spoof, we are taken on a wild ride through the state of Florida's politics, property developments, and the colorful cast of characters that inhabit it. From the owners, operators, employees, and patrons of strip joints to the court system and the concept of justice, no stone is left unturned.

Erin Grant, a former FBI secretary, has found herself in a desperate situation. She has quit her job in order to earn more money to pay for her lawyers and fight to regain custody of her daughter. As the story unfolds, we are introduced to a host of other characters, each with their own unique quirks and motives. There's Shad, Orly, David Dilbeck, Malcolm "Moldy" Moldowski, Erb Crandell, Darrell Grant, and Urbana Sprawl.

The author masterfully weaves together a tale that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Through the lens of this spoof, we get a glimpse into the often absurd and corrupt world of Florida politics and property developments. The characters are well-developed and the story is filled with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.

Overall, this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good satire or wants to get a better understanding of the inner workings of Florida's political and property scenes. It's a fun and engaging read that will leave you laughing out loud and shaking your head in disbelief.

The mystery of why not a single Carl Hiaasen book has been made into a truly great movie has finally been somewhat understood. Suffice it to say that Mr. Hiaasen might justifiably feel the urge to be frustrated. And his readers should perhaps have the right to be equally angry at those involved in the disaster that was “Strip Tease” the movie.

Unbeknownst to stripper Erin Grant, she finds herself at the center of a major cover-up one fateful night. A drunk beats up another with a champagne bottle while she is on stage. The bottle wielder is none other than US Congressman David Dilbeck. He heads the committee that keeps sugar prices artificially high, ensuring fat profits for corporate sugar farmers who, in turn, pay their workers disgustingly low wages. Dilbeck is recognized by one customer who is so infatuated with Erin that he offers to blackmail the congressman into helping her get custody of her daughter. She lost custody in the divorce because of the job she had to take to pay her attorney fees. When the customer disappears and his body is later found by Florida detective Al Garcia while on vacation in Montana, Garcia links the death to a missing attorney and his cousin, who happened to be the fiancée of the man who was bludgeoned by Dilbeck with the champagne bottle.

At the same time, the bouncer at Erin’s strip club, the Eager Beaver, had been attempting to earn a huge settlement by planting a roach in a carton of yogurt. His attorney happened to be the same one who went missing. Erin’s ex also goes off the deep end, with his drug habit and wheelchair stealing getting out of control as he gets closer to losing it. There’s a diverse cast of characters, from the bigshots behind the scenes keeping Dilbeck’s career on track to the dancers and crooked managers of both the Eager Beaver and its rival club, the Flesh Farm. It’s great entertainment throughout. This just makes one wonder how the unskilled individual who hacked this book into a screenplay managed to miss all the good stuff and come up with the script that made it to the big screen.

Maybe I was a little prejudiced because of that awful excuse for a movie, but it took me a few chapters to really get into this book. Erin was a bit too much of a powerless victim at the beginning, but once she gets mad enough to start taking some drastic action, things pick up and this wound up being one of my favorite Hiaasen novels. It has everything we expect from him: a convoluted plot full of off-the-wall characters and plenty of laughs. It even managed to overcome the stigma of sharing a title with the worst movie I have ever seen.

Another good Hiaasen book

Hiaasen is a renowned author who has a knack for creating captivating stories. His latest book is no exception. It takes readers on an exciting adventure filled with unique characters and unexpected plot twists. The story is set in a vibrant and diverse world that comes alive through Hiaasen's vivid descriptions. The characters are well-developed, each with their own distinct personalities and motives. As the plot unfolds, readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats, eager to discover what happens next. Whether you're a fan of mystery, adventure, or simply a good story, this Hiaasen book is sure to satisfy. It's a must-read for anyone looking for an engaging and entertaining read.

Hiaasen's green conscience seems to take a backseat in this particular story. Here, we have a stripper mum who finds herself in a rather precarious situation, caught between a loony ex-husband and a horny congressman. It's a wild and wacky scenario, to say the least. Fortunately, Hiaasen's brand of wit remains intact. I haven't had the opportunity to see the movie adaptation of this story. However, I can't help but think that a faithful adaptation might look too absurd to actually work. The charm of this sort of book lies in the fact that it appears larger-than-life. The characters and their situations are so extreme that they almost verge on the fantastical. But somehow, Hiaasen manages to make it all work, creating a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

I've discovered my new Elmore Leonard in Carl Hiaasen. This is the second book of his that I've read in '09, and I liked this one even more than the first. Just like Leonard, Hiaasen assembles a vast collection of characters. He endows each of them with great dialogue and memorable scenes, and then sets them free in a story that typically involves some sort of criminal behavior by some or all of them. And it's incredibly entertaining.

Strip Tease features an array of people. There are strippers, Kafka-reading bouncers, shyster lawyers, a speed freak wheelchair thief, a Cuban homicide detective, a kinky politician, wannabe mobsters, good people, and not so good people. All of them come together in this story.

This is simply pure entertainment. When it's this much fun, you can count me in for the ride. I can't wait to see what other crazy and engaging stories Hiaasen has in store.

A funny, irreverent, police procedural thriller unfolds. It's about a stripper with a heart of gold. She is determined to get her daughter back from her criminal ex-husband. All the while, she has to deal with a corrupt, perverted Congressman. This Congressman is in the pocket of "Big Sugar", a quasi-mafia like group of sugar growers who rely on government subsidies to stay prosperous.

I didn't realize until after I completed it that this book was the basis for the Demi Moore/Burt Reynolds movie of the same name. However, that doesn't necessarily make the book any better. It was just an interesting fact and I never made the connection before.

It's a strange little story that I listened to on audio. Normally, it's not a genre I would have chosen. But it was part of a Humble Bundle package deal that I got some time ago.

S: 9/9/14 F: 10/1/14 (23 Days)

I picked up this book with great anticipation, eager to immerse myself in Hiaasen's unique brand of satire and the delicately weaved details that are his trademark.

However, what I wasn't prepared for were some of the brutally honest lines that seemed to resonate so strongly with the particular weeks during which I was reading it.

"He'd say that people got exactly the kind of government they deserve, and those who won't vote have no grounds to complain." Ouch! This statement really hit home and made me reflect on the importance of civic participation.

Strip Tease is indeed a highly entertaining book. It maintains a relentless pace that keeps you engaged from start to finish, never once making you feel left behind. While it may not be as focused on the environment as some of Hiaasen's other works that I've read, it still manages to sharply criticize corruption and evil.

The story is just over-the-top enough that you don't question the actions or credibility of the characters. It serves as a perfect palette cleanser in the absolute best way, providing a much-needed escape from the realities of the world.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Strip Tease and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and thought-provoking read.