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)

Hiaasen Strikes Again

Crazy as his characters are, they entertain. Love a good, funny but thought-provoking story by this Florida author.

Good but not my Favorite of his.

I istened to this after listening to Razor Girl, (which is hilarious and has excellent narration). Tourist season, has it's dark humor moments... but was a bit slow and the narration was just a bit too laid back... took me awhile before I got into thisbook. But overall a good listen

Dated 35 year old story loses some humor

I had read and or listened to several of Carl hiaassen’s novels in the past and enjoyed the madcap nature of south Florida
Sadly I had to quit this one after about an hour because having been written in the 1980’s all the cultural references fell flat and despite a good narration I just couldn’t listen anymore

Great sequel to a Land Remembered..

Leave it up to Emory alumnus and Miami Herald icon to size up the disaster of Florida’s rape and pillage by developers and corrupt politicians. I finished A Land Remembered by Smith and listened to Tourist Season next. Although comedic and tongue and cheek,the story is accurate. Given the recent June 2021, sad disaster at the Surfside condominium complex, this work is so clairvoyant about the awful disasters that likely will besiege Florida for decades. A great sad fictional story that captures the awful ruination of Florida. This is a must read. Thank you Carl Hiaasen.

Interesting Story

As someone born/raised/& live in Miami I know all the locations mentioned and made it easier to draw the picture of the story in my head. All of the shadiness, murders, etc is everything Miami is. My only issue was the 3x a very derogatory term was used towards African Americans. I get it’s a story but hearing it still made me cringe

Missing chapter 20

Story is fine, but somehow they skipped chapter 20 in the recording. Feel free to read it but know that it is abridged.

Maybe not

George Wilson has the opposite of comedic timing. It’s like he’s telling bad dad jokes and hoping for groans.
CH creates good characters and situations but we never get to a punchline. Mostly it just didn’t age well. Not in same league with Dave Barry or Christopher Moore but maybe nostalgia partly offsets the lack of humor.

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.