Skin Tight

By: Carl Hiaasen

Narrated by: George Wilson

Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

This novel by Carl Hiaasen, author of Tourist Season and Native Tongue, begins as most thrillers do, with a killing. But this is no everyday, hum-drum, garden variety killing. Our hero, Nick Stranahan, a 42-year-old private investigator who has killed five men and been married five times, skewers his attacker's aorta with the razor-sharp bill of a stuffed marlin, setting off a roller coaster ride of events that will drop-kick Stranahan into the deep slime of Miami's prosperous plastic surgery industry.

As with Hiaasen's other books, Skin Tight is one long, extended farce, a comic take on everything from TV tabloid hosts to ambulance chasers, chronicling modern America's ever-growing penchant for tastelessness, self-absorption, and high sleaze.

You will find yourself laughing in spite of yourself at wildly improbable characters like Chemo, a 7-foot monster with a face like a bowl of breakfast cereal; Heather Chappell, who wants to completely renovate her Barbi-doll body; and Reynaldo Flemm, the host of prime time's In Your Face, who stages mock attacks to his person in order to increase the Nielsen ratings.

©1989 Carl Hiaasen (P)1993 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Hiaasen's latest thriller is his funniest and sharpest novel to date....This wickedly amusing story is the work of a keen satirist who off-handedly exposes the moral rot at every level of society." (Publishers Weekly)

Another Fun Romp Into the Absurd

This is another fun novel featuring former cop Mick Stranahan, a man who has killed as many men as he has former wives. That would be 5 , at least in this novel. Mick is gifted with an overwhelming amount of common sense along with an uncommonly accurate ability to size people up quickly.

As is the case with many gifted heroes in literature , he has an equally extreme weakness that keeps his ego in check. He has the lowest possible immunity from falling in love with whoever he sleeps with. Thus he has had 5 ex wives, all cocktail or diner waitresses.

Another common trait of Hiasson novels the absurd lives of his villains. In this case the story begins with a former nurse scheming to extort money from her former employer, an unethical quack plastic surgeon, by threatening to expose his killing of a young college girl several years back. To validate her claim while diverting attention away from her actual scam, she plays on the vanity of an egocentric investigative reporter and points all involved parties to a former detective who worked the case years ago. One Mick Stranahan.

Suddenly we are in the world of plastic surgery as viewed by a wonderfully talented, cynical humorist, an ex reporter, turned columnist turned novelist. Let's face it, it is a world of extreme vanity, sexually charged, enormous egos, even larger insecurities...and little oversight by the medical community. There is no shortage of material here for Hiasson to work with.

I love the characters, the humor, the relationships and most of all I enjoyed the whole experience.

A great break from the traditional...

This is just another fun read by a talented author. Not a literary classic but a lighthearted romp thru the trials and tribulations of a great cast of characters. Put on your flip flops, get a Frozen Margarita, and lay back and enjoy...

These are good fun mysteries

Travis McGee grows a wicked sense of humor, loses the testosterone o.d., grows an imaginative cruel streak, and meets the 21st (or maybe even the 20th) century. I loved McGee, but this guy . . .

Lots of Fun

This is a good, fun, relaxing book. You don't have to analyze anything, you don't have to memorize and catalogue the clues, and you don't have to figure out who the bad guy is. Your main character is the tough-but-loveable and sometimes nude hero, the bad guy is a rich sleaze, and the author throws in some great social commentary. A great vacation book.

Mick Shanahan another great chstacter to follow

I have rediscovered the works of this author...i should have never left! A very good read.

I almost peed a little

What made the experience of listening to Skin Tight the most enjoyable?

Imagery. Just the imagery that accompanies reading (or listening to) books. The characters are fabulous. I totally liked the fact that he references characters from other books.

Have you listened to any of George Wilson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

George Wilson, as usual, delivered a wonderful performance. I have only heard Mr. Wilson under CH books and he has read them in the same dry, sarcastic, matter-of-fact manner that is perfect for the author's tone.

Oh, Carl

Funny, bizarre, and catchy. Up there with Bad Monkey and Nature Girl. A humorous romp around South Florida.

Best one yet

I am a big fan of Hiassen and this is his best!
I have already purchased my next novel!

Hiaasen tickles me. I love his characters

but this is Donatello one of my favorites. a hit man with a weed Wacker attachment on his arm... and he sounds so dead pan. love him.

Hiaasen is the master!

Hiaasen is the master and George Wilson is the perfect narrator for another fabulous Hiaasen tale! My favorite author!