Tourist Season

By: Carl Hiaasen

Narrated by: George Wilson

Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carl Hiaasen's best-selling novels are funny and sardonic. Hilarious postcards of south Florida, they also decry the lurid commercialism that is draining and paving the tropical landscape.

Tourist season is swinging into high gear in Miami. So are the activities of a bizarre terrorist group determined to keep the hapless "snowbirds" away. Armed with bombs, weed, and jumbled credos, they move toward their grand target, the Orange Bowl Parade, with plans to bring Miami and its tourist trade to a halt.

The cast, which includes a deranged journalist, a visionary ex-jock, and a lovesick detective, is just the kind of company Carl Hiaasen's fans love to keep. Narrator George Wilson's performance lures each quirky character out into the full light of the Florida sun. With over half a million copies in print, this is one of Hiaasen's most popular works.

©1986 Carl Hiaasen (P)1998 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Reading a Hiaasen book is always a high-speed boat ride where laughter can turn to horror and disaster at any moment. Hearing the story aloud adds a dose of realism and sensation....Wilson's narration is perfectly timed, laid-back, and salty." (AudioFile)

Laugh out loud funny!

I listened to this book on a recent road trip and I am sure that people passing me wondered if I was nuts because I was laughing so hard out loud...driving alone! The cast of characters in this book are crazy and nutty and it is a non-stop book of fun. I highly recommend it!!

good plot, fascinating read, horrible end

Loved the initial story and plot, but the book dont end properly - its as if the author just stopped writing.

The narration is what makes this book great.

It’s Carl Hiaasen.

It’s Carl Hiaasen. You’ll like him or you will not. I do. Try one. Then John D. Macdonald.

Hilarious first novel! Still relevant in 2021

This is extremely, often darkly, funny. I've been invited on several occasions to visit S. Florida, and I've always declined - which may be an historic first for a native New Yorker. The narration is brilliant. A great departure from "everything Skink". Well worth a credit!

To all the people who complained about the 'N word, allow me to explain: I lean farther to the left the than many people do. As in, left of liberal. Furthermore, I'm Native American. I have not complained about the use of the word 'Indian' in reference to Seminoles, as the characters making these statements did so in 1986 and were, shall we say, unenlightened. I noticed NONE of the complaints mentioned the word 'Honky', which is also a racial slur. Are people honestly more tolerant now than they were in 1986? Is it fair to rate a book poorly because certain characters actually thought and spoke this way? NO to both questions.

A lot going on in this one

I am a huge fan of Hiaasen and this is the first book I have listened to. Narration is ok, There are a lot of things happening in this book and it really requires one to keep up.

Carl Hiaasen & George Wilson at starsat stars

Carl Hiaasen is my all time favorite author and this book does not disappoint! He stands alone in his ability to develop characters, weave and interesting, intricate and humerus story line AND address important social issues is
Unparalleled!

He has written better

Tourist Season was a disappoinment after reading Skinny Dip, which was wonderfully funny and constantantly suspenseful. Carl Hiassen's sense of humor is terrific! George Wilson, as the narrator, was also disappointing. There are a lot of chuckles in this book, but not "laugh-out-loud" ones (as in Skinny Dip).

Love This Author

Carl Hiaasen just can't write a bad book...he's hilarious...his stories have just enough mystery to keep them interesting and his humor is dark and edgy. I wish he'd write more! I'd "read" them all!

An Offbeat Story of Florida

With his dry humor, Carl Hiaasen reminds us of how overdeveloped Florida has become. He uses his usual offbeat characters to tell his story. It’s funny and sad at the same time. Having been there many times I have to agree with his frustration. Definitely worth a listen.

Like Only Hiaasen Can

Tourist Season is another fun Hiaasen tale. Not as funny as the ‘Skink’ series but it has some great characters in ridiculous positions and his always present fight for the environment. Well written with a plot that is part serious, part thriller and part humor the way only he can. If you’re looking for something to take you to sunny Florida and fight the good fight pick this and fight the good fight pick this up!