Who's killing off the Slut Puppies??? 'Not I ' said the bleached blonde...

I first read Carl Hiaasen about a year ago when an editor I work with raved about his stuff. (Don't worry, I don't work for Hiaasen's publisher!) I had told this editor friend that I'd been bass fishing quite a bit during the summer, and he told me that I simply HAD to read a book called "Double Whammy", a hilarious novel about a murder involving pro bass fishermen and a bass tournament. The book was a gem, and I was more than happy to hike over to the Boston Public Library in a snowstorm to pick up Hiaasen's latest, Basket Case.

The book was 320 pages of pure fun that I wished would never end. In addition to writing hilarious murder mysteries, usually set in South Florida, Hiassen is, by day, a columnist for the Miami Herald. He knows of what he writes!

The protaganist of this book, Jack Tagger, is an obituary writer (formerly a reporter) at the Union Register, a Florida daily. After Jimmy Stoma, lead singer of the Slut Puppies, dies in a diving accident in the Bahamas, Tagger gets to interview the "grieving" wife, Cleo Rio, as he writes the obituary. Something is clearly not right here and Tagger decides to go after the story, in spite of his paper's upper management who would prefer that Jack's work stay off the front page. You see, Tagger is a bit too outspoken, and when he humiliated the greedy new owner of the paper in front of the board members, he was quickly demoted to the obits page and kept away from any real chance at glory. Jack will find a way to get his byline on the front page though, and investigating this mysterious celebrity diving death may just be his ticket. It may also get him killed.

In spite of a few predictable scenarios, this book has it all; great humor, quirky characters you love to hate, suspense, a bit of romance (even a kinky webcam sex show involving a SWAT team member!), a great Florida setting, and a real appreciation for all that is absurd in the world. Many entertaining subplots keep you glued to this book and I was bummed to see it end.

Who really killed Jimmy Stoma of Slut Puppies fame? Was it a bowl of nasty fish chowder? A bad case of underwater vertigo while he expores a shipwreck? The bends? Why wasn't the autopsy conducted properly? Does the "grieving" widow, who Jack catches shortly after Stoma's death, doing some NC-17 rated things on a balcony with another man, have her own musical ambitions? Could she want something that her dead husband had? Hmmm.

Hiaasen's writing is hilarious. A quick example...

J_izz is the only joint on Silver Beach with a red velvet rope and sullen, T-shirted, steroid addled doorman.
The club's motif combines the exotic ambience of a Costa Rican brothel with the cozy, down-home charm of a methamphetamine lab. By the time I reach Carla's booth, I feel like I'm hacking up bronchial tissue. The first topic of discussion is my wardrobe. "Are those really Dockers?" Carla blurts, horror-struck.

Tagger the reporter gets into this 'whoddunit?' story a little too deeply. Woodward and Bernstein, look out. Luckily he has friends who can, hopefully, get him out safely.

One of the funniest aspects of this story is Tagger's obsession with how old people are when they die. He is pushing fifty and is painfully aware of this. Will he outlive this celebrity or that reporter? How will he die and how will he be remembered in his own obituary? My wife and I find that it's quite fascinating to read our local paper's obits (you know what I mean if you're over 35) and are always amazed at the sub-headlines. "Worked for General Electric", "Raised in the Azores in Portugal", "Worked for a Dot.Com that failed miserably." The perspective of an obituary writer in this book is quite amusing to say the least.

I'm giving this one five stars. I tend to be generous with my ratings and I know the other reviews of this title go lower, but I think Hiaasen's done a great job here and has earned it. It's a great read and will leave you satisfied!

Cheers from Boston and thanks for reading!

E-mail with any questions. Hiaasen has a new book out for younger readers called "Hoot" which I haven't read yet, but I might just have to introduce my ten year old son to Carl's work soon!