Double Whammy

By: Carl Hiaasen

Narrated by: George K. Wilson

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carl Hiaasen has staked out his own territory in the world of crime fiction. Set in the neon world of south Florida, his New York Times best-selling novels are colored with broad bands of zany humor and offbeat suspense.

In big stakes bass fishing tournaments, contestants will do anything to win. Maybe that's why there is a corpse floating in Coon Bog. Now it's up to R J Decker, novice private investigator, to find out who was dying to get the biggest fish. Help comes in the unlikely form of Skink, a half-mad hermit with a taste for road kill.

Filled with lures, loot, and an armed pit-bull, this is a story that could only be concocted by the czar of Florida noir fiction. As he has in other Hiaasen novels, including Stormy Weather and Strip Tease, George Wilson's narration highlights the madcap pacing of this ride on the wild side of the sunset.

Critic reviews

"The cast of bizarre characters and the suspenseful events confirm Hiaasen's reputation for creating singular villains and heroes. While he's probably unpopular among some fellow citizens in his home state, he will certainly please readers who appreciate the Swiftian wit in his cautionary tales." (Publishers Weekly)

"The action is swift, and there are some very funny scenes." (Library Journal)

My first Hiaasen read a grand slam

There are two kinds opf audio books in my universe. One is the kind I have to LISTEN to and rewind if I miss something, etc. The kind I might read for actual knowledge of a subject matter or literature. This is the other kind; the kind I don't need to catch EVERY word of, although I try to catch every word These are "books to sit still and do hobbies with." This is the kind of book that is to me "music to clean by" - my house is spotless after a weekend with this book because I couldn't "put it down." It is easy to keep track of things despite my comings and goings, turning it off and on going from room to room and so on. The story was engaging and the narrator fabulous. If the story is engaging and easy to follow I frankly don't care what it is about, and despite not being much of a detective/mystery follower I delighted in this book. Ear candy for the sweet tooth so to speak. The characters are very well developed and it would be easy to imagine some of the characters themselves being the subject of their own "series spinoffs." And much applause to the narrator, a GREAT job making a fun book even more fun. All in all a great little "read" which will serve to make me a Hiaasen fan from now on.

Introducing Skink

Lately, without purposely trying to, I have been finding some wonderfully memorable curmudgeons. Here is one of the more outrageous of the breed - Skink. I ran into Skink first in Hiassen's Skinny Dip which was delightful. Double Whammy turns out to be Skink's debut, and happily, he takes center stage, revealing his full back story as well as allowing him to wreak havoc on the bad guys as no one else could. I have to thank the Daily Deal for motivating me to download this book, because in spite of my fondness for Hiassen, a story about bass fishing just didn't get me excited. I didn't know what fun I was missing, The supporting cast is fun, the mystery not terribly mysterious, but you know that justice will prevail, though with somewhat less dark humor than is found in some of Hiassen's other outings. Still, it was a fun romp if you are looking for something light and diverting.

Great book!

I think the narrator did a good job reading a great book. Totally fun, totally engrossing, and (unfortunately) so twisted that it's nearly believable.

Loved it!

The author does it again. I was only recently introduced to this author but I have enjoyed all of his books to date. There is humor and drama and a good story line here. You'll most likely like it.

Fun, Fun, Fun

If you want to sit back, relax, smile and laugh then this is the book for you. He develops the characters so you end up falling in love with even the weird and cheering for the hero. This is a talented author and I highly recommend his books.