This is yet another remarkable piece of work from Carl Hiaasen. I happened to discover him quite late in my life, but now I'm having a blast catching up on all the wonderful stories I've missed.

Here, we are presented with a somewhat intricate tale that involves an attempted murder, the肆意 pollution of the Everglades, corruption, and, most importantly, a despicable scumbag finally getting what he deserves. It's truly great. Hiaasen writes with great skill and an extremely witty style. He creates fascinating characters, such as the very engaging Mick Stranahan, and tells a highly involving story while also making some important observations about people and their behavior. He has an intimate knowledge of Florida, including its political tricks and some of its more extraordinary residents, and the sense of place is very well conveyed.

In conclusion, this is an enormously enjoyable read. I highly recommend it with great warmth.

I came into reading this book with extremely low expectations. However, I was completely and utterly blown away. From the very first page to the very last, this book was hilariously funny. It managed to strike that delicate and perfect balance between being outrageously silly and yet still telling a completely coherent and engaging story.

I found myself loving every single character in the book, and that includes that absolute asshole, Chaz Perrone. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would hands down be Earl O'Toole. At first, he is presented as this serious and deadly individual that you would never, ever want to cross paths with. But as the story progresses, you quickly realize that he is actually a bit of a nut case sweetheart. Everything that comes out of his mouth is pure comedy gold.

I will admit that I was a bit worried about the length of the book and whether the story would start to feel a bit stagnant along the way. But to my great delight, it seemed to hum along just fine until the very end. In fact, I think the funniest parts of the story are how much of a screw-up loser Chaz is and how nobody seems to ever die. I could absolutely envision this book being made into a film. Fingers crossed that it happens!

Carl Hiaasen is indeed a funny author. He has the remarkable ability to create a plethora of compelling and funny characters that truly engage the readers.

However, it must be noted that there is a certain flaw in his character development, particularly when it comes to his female characters. In this regard, the female characters, especially the lead here, seem to be underdeveloped and rather boring. It is quite astonishing to see that the tertiary characters such as Tool, Red, and the Captain are far more interesting and complex than the main character. This disparity makes one wonder about the author's ability to fully flesh out the women in his books. Interestingly, I have the same complaint about the only other book of his that I've read, namely "Lucky You".

Nevertheless, despite this shortcoming, the book is still an amusing read. It is well-plotted, with a story that unfolds in an entertaining manner, keeping the readers hooked from start to finish.

I'm currently on a huge Carl Hiaasen binge. I simply adore the way his characters are so distinct and larger than life! You never have a moment of confusion, thinking, "Now who's that guy?" because each and every one of them is truly unforgettable.

I listened to "Skinny Dip" on audio, and let me tell you, the sex scene in chapter eight is hands down one of the funniest and most awkward character-driven sex scenes I've ever experienced! I was driving down the street when it started, and I found myself roaring with laughter. I had to pull over into my driveway and just sit there with the car running for a few minutes to see how it all unfolded. I firmly believe that's the sign of a truly great audiobook.

The audio version really enhanced the parts where a character disguised his voice and made blackmail phone calls in the voices of Charlton Heston and Jerry Lewis. It added an extra layer of hilarity and authenticity to the story. It was like I was right there, listening to the characters come to life in the most unexpected and entertaining ways.

Overall, my experience with Carl Hiaasen's work, especially through the audio format, has been nothing short of amazing. I can't wait to dive into more of his books and see what other crazy and wonderful characters and stories he has in store for me.

If you're seeking a lighthearted and darkly humorous story filled with characters that will have you regularly shaking your head in disbelief, then this is the perfect story for you!

Chaz Perrone, a rather devious character, has just callously pushed his wife of two years off a cruise ship. He then nonchalantly saunters back to their cabin as if nothing out of the ordinary has occurred.

As Joey Perrone plummets headfirst into the water, her mind races with the question of why on earth her husband would attempt to kill her. After all, the cruise was meant to celebrate their wedding anniversary, for goodness sake!

Fortunately, Mick Stranahan discovers the aforementioned Joey clinging to a bale of marijuana in the sea. He brings her back to his island to recover. And thus begins the revenge plan to end all revenge plans. Poor, poor Chaz Perrone is about to experience a world of hurt and will feel as if he's been hit by a truck.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found myself laughing out loud several times, much to the surprise of my husband and kids. The writer has masterfully crafted a novel that doesn't take itself too seriously, yet is immensely entertaining from start to finish.

I read this book when I was on vacation in Florida, and I have to say, I really liked it. It was F-U-N! This is the only Hiaasen book I've ever read, although I've started one or two others but didn't get into them.

I have to admit that while reading this, I couldn't help but wish that Elmore Leonard would care more about the environment. I really appreciate how Hiassen weaves his conservationist message so beautifully into the story, enhancing it rather than detracting from the fun. However, I just can't get as into other aspects of his work as I'd like to be. It's kind of like going on a date with a cute, charming, alcoholic electrician who has a lot of great qualities, but you can't stop thinking about another cute, charming, alcoholic electrician from your past and wishing you were out with him instead.

I didn't find this book to be overly hilarious, and the romance felt really cheesy and flat to me. This Florida crime genre seems to be a romance that it's okay for dudes to read, and Leonard writes better romances than the one in this book. Generally speaking, I just like his books a whole lot more. Maybe it's not fair to compare them, especially since I've only read this one Hiaasen book, but that's who I was thinking of while reading about Carl: Elmore!

Also, although I enjoyed this book, there were some aspects that annoyed me. There wasn't much tension or suspense. You could pretty much figure out what was going on from the beginning, so there wasn't much of a mystery to solve. The husband was a jerk, and it didn't make sense why the heroine would have married him in the first place. Additionally, the heroine was insanely rich, which can be done well in a story, but here it just made everything seem too easy. And the author's constant naming of the various designers she was wearing felt distracting and unnatural to me.

Still, all in all, it was a very enjoyable read, and I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in a madcap caper kind of story, especially for a beach vacation. However, I would not recommend reading it in the dead of winter if you're in a cold place, as it might make you feel depressed and bitter.

So, the question is, should I make an effort to stop comparing Hiaasen unfavorably to Leonard and read more of his books? After all, many people, like Jen and my mom, love him. If so, what are some of his good books?

The story begins with the scene where the husband throws his beautiful wife into the sea from a luxurious cruise ship right on the second anniversary of their wedding. He is certain that she will die - if not die, then at least be eaten by sharks - but who would have thought that she managed to stay afloat on the sea until a former police officer with a strange fate, who is living on an island, rescues her. And then from here, she hatches a plan to take revenge on her husband in her own way instead of letting him be punished by the law...

Although this is a story about a crime, it is told in a humorous way, through a cast of characters with "unstable" backgrounds.

- Chaz: a gambling-addicted husband, known as a biology professor but without the necessary ability or interest in scientific research. His two greatest passions in life are playing cards and women.

- Joey: Chaz's wife, who inherited a large fortune from her parents who died in a plane crash, was a former college swimming athlete and has experienced a life with her husband.

- Samuel Johnson "Red" Hammernut: A cruel agricultural tycoon who pollutes the Everglades wetlands area due to excessive fertilizer runoff. He hires Chaz to fabricate water sample data to deceive the authorities.

- Tool: Red's henchman, 1.9 meters tall, weighs 127 kilograms, and has a hairy body. He has a bullet in his butt but refuses to seek treatment.

- Rolvaag: The inspector investigating Joey's case. He is complained and threatened by the neighbors because he keeps two pigs in his house and poses a threat to their pets.

- Ricca: A hairdresser and Chaz's mistress, infatuated with him because of his "artistic" sexual skills.

- Mick Stranahan: 53 years old, a former police detective who was forced to retire early and lives a secluded life on an island. He has had 6 wives.

The first impressive point for me when reading this book is the Vietnamese translation by translator Bình Bồng Bột. The way he translates the sentences and vocabulary from the Western style into the smooth and new style of Vietnamese is amazing. I don't know how the characters are in the original language, but through the translation with a strong southern flavor, the characters reveal their humorous and vivid sides. Moreover, I can feel the closeness and familiarity of the way of speaking in daily communication, especially the swear words. Here are some common words that can be listed: son of a bitch, pig, monkey, damn it, motherfucker, asshole, cool, awesome, really, soft...

The second interesting thing is that the author weaves the themes of the environment and wild nature into the story, through the criminal act of an individual to thereby draw out more complex issues than just a tragic disaster and the destruction of the ecological system.

Each character that the author introduces has its own unique color, and I especially like the character Tool. Just think that he is the bodyguard, the henchman of Hammernut, and he will have a malicious heart, but who would have thought that hidden within his rough appearance is a kind heart and a desire for redemption: "Red had ordered Tool to deal with Chaz Perrone before they arrived at Stiltsville, but Tool suddenly couldn't bring himself to do it. He had thought a lot about what Maureen had said about change: it's never too late to choose a new, more positive and refreshing path. Tool knew that if he did something to the professor, Maureen would somehow find out. Thinking of the old woman's sadness, in such a critical illness, he couldn't bear it. So he decided that he would no longer kill Perrone directly, throwing him into the sea and letting him swim to the shore was already a severe enough punishment."

A book where everything is presented through a humorous lens but not in a vulgar way, on the contrary, it contains many meaningful messages like this, along with a high-quality translation, then I will not hesitate to give it 5/5⭐️

This book was an absolute delight! It was filled with such wit and fun that I found myself completely engrossed from the very beginning until the end.

Right from the start, it managed to capture my attention and hold it firmly, without any of those long, dull stretches that can sometimes make a book a chore to read.

I adored getting to know all the diverse characters. Tool, in particular, ended up being one of my absolute favorites. Through each person's perspective, I got to learn new and interesting aspects of the story, which made it all the more engaging.

While I do wish there had been a more conclusive ending, especially when it comes to what becomes of Chaz, I'm still quite satisfied overall. He clearly got what was coming to him, and I think it's safe to assume that life won't be a walk in the park for him after everything that happened.

I also really loved Joey as a character. She's a total badass! I like to imagine that once all is said and done, she finally finds her much-deserved peace on the island with Mick.

Spice rating:

Stranahan is back!

And so is the ex-governor 'Skink'.

This might be the very reason why I awarded a fifth (!) star to this particular one.

Perhaps it simply suited me to perfection at that moment.

Anyway, I had an incredibly enjoyable time while reading this book.

The return of Stranahan and the appearance of 'Skink' added a new layer of excitement and intrigue to the story.

Their characters brought a unique charm and charisma that kept me engaged from start to finish.

The plot was filled with twists and turns, making it impossible for me to put the book down.

Each page held a new surprise, and I found myself completely immersed in the world that the author had created.

It was truly a remarkable reading experience that I will cherish for a long time.

What does it feel like to have a bullet in the butt? Probably to show that if there is one or more bullets stuck in many other places, it's not that big of a deal either;)) Of course, taking them all out is still... more comfortable than "hugging" them for a lifetime :v

This kind of description is rather strange and perhaps a bit inappropriate in a serious context. However, if we were to expand on it in a more light-hearted or fictional way, we could say something like this. Imagine having a bullet lodged in your butt. You might initially feel a sharp pain and a sense of shock. But as time goes on, you might start to get used to it, or at least find ways to cope. Maybe you'd develop a limp or have to sit in a certain way to avoid aggravating the wound. And if there were multiple bullets in other parts of your body, well, that would just add to the fun (or not). You'd probably be constantly aware of their presence, and every movement would be a小心翼翼 dance to avoid causing more pain. But in the end, taking them out would be a huge relief, like finally being able to let go of a burden that you've been carrying around for far too long.

I’ve read numerous comic crime capers penned by Carl Hiassen, and “Skinny Dip” truly stands out on the top shelf.

It commences with a thrilling attempted spousal murder at sea, which then propels us into a madcap adventure across the Florida Everglades. The story features a diverse and wild cast of characters, both from the legal and illegal sides, and offers detailed and vivid descriptions of the vast swampland. Just like most of the author’s works, a scam lies at the core of the plot. In this case, it involves a scheme to cover up agricultural pollution, with a marine biologist who is also a would-be wife killer shilling on behalf of Big Farm.

Although it is on the longer side for a Hiassen novel, it is filled to the brim with non-stop action and captivating details that keep the reader hooked from start to finish.

Highly recommended for fans of crime fiction with a touch of humor and adventure.

This guy seemed to have a great plot for a book initially. However, as I delved into it, I realized he wasted my precious time with his writing.

The whole narrative turned out to be a rather self-indulgent exercise in stereotyping. And here's the shocking part - he created a baseless and extremely boring romance between a gruff older cop and a gorgeous younger woman.

There was nothing original or engaging about this storyline. It felt like a tired and overused trope that failed to capture my interest.

I was completely underwhelmed by this novel. It didn't meet my expectations at all. As a result, I will definitely be steering clear of his other books in the future. I don't want to waste any more time on something that doesn't offer any real value or entertainment.