Bad Monkey

By: Carl Hiaasen

Narrated by: Arte Johnson

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

A wickedly funny novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Squeeze Me in which the greedy, the corrupt, and the degraders of what’s left of pristine Florida—now, of the Bahamas as well—get their comeuppance.

“[A] comedic marvel … [Hiaasen] hasn’t written a novel this funny since Skinny Dip.”—The New York Times

Andrew Yancy—late of the Miami Police and soon-to-be-late of the Monroe County sheriff’s office—has a human arm in his freezer. There’s a logical (Hiaasenian) explanation for that, but not for how and why it parted from its shadowy owner. Yancy thinks the boating-accident/shark-luncheon explanation is full of holes, and if he can prove murder, the sheriff might rescue him from his grisly Health Inspector gig (it’s not called the roach patrol for nothing). But first—this being Hiaasen country—Yancy must negotiate an obstacle course of wildly unpredictable events with a crew of even more wildly unpredictable characters, including his just-ex lover, a hot-blooded fugitive from Kansas; the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; two avariciously optimistic real-estate speculators; the Bahamian voodoo witch known as the Dragon Queen, whose suitors are blinded unto death by her peculiar charms; Yancy’s new true love, a kinky coroner; and the eponymous bad monkey, who with hilarious aplomb earns his place among Carl Hiaasen’s greatest characters.

©2013 Carl Hiaasen (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[A] comedic marvel ... [Hiaasen] hasn’t written a novel this funny since Skinny Dip.... Beautifully constructed.” (Janet Maslin, The New York Times)

“No one writes about Florida with a more wicked sense of humor than Hiaasen.” (Jocelyn McClurg, USA Today)

“[A] rollicking misadventure in the colorful annals of greed and corruption in South Florida.... Hiaasen has a peculiar genius for inventing grotesque creatures ... that spring from the darkest impulses of the id. But he also writes great heroes.” (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times)

Hilarious!

I don't get the people who have so little sense of humor that waste their time pretending they like an author only to trash it when the don't like it... shut your trap and move on if you don't like it. This book was hilarious in true "Hiaasen style"... no more, no less.

Arte Johnson's narrating is kind of funny and specially loved the Bahamian accents that added to the narration...

loved the book man!

Loved it

Great book and great reader from beginning to end. Loved the storyline never got boring

Good Story; Narrator Drove Me Nuts

The story is humorous and entertaining; if language and sex are an issue, you might want to pass

The narrator mispronounces words, which is distracting. And some of his voices fit the characters; some do not.

Not one of his best

Bit of a disappointment. This story is very convoluted, more so than usual. I'm going to go back and reread this book to see if I can pick up more the next time around. Its good enough that I will go back and reread it, but not good enough that I'll do it right away and for the fun of it. Too many sub stories. Too little connection between the sub stories. And the Bad Monkey plays such a small part in the story. I kept looking to learn more about the monkey and was disappointed.

Hilariously Funny, Excellent Read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The characters are well crafted and complex, the situations absurd, the pace rapid and compelling. And the performance by Arte Johnson -- let's just say I went on a search for more books he'd narrated and was disappointed to find that Carl Hiaasen's other novels are not among them.

What did you like best about this story?

Crazy but likeable characters, funny situations.

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

No, haven't but will be!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wanted to, but couldn't. Perfect for car travel listening.

Any additional comments?

Summer reading at its best.

Love all of Hiaasen's work, but this one was mediocre (for Hiaasen).

I highly recommend Razor Girl instead! This book just felt like Hiaasen was going through the motions. Narrator was fantastic though.

another great Hiaasen book!

although the story wandered a bit, it kept my attention, and it was a great read.

Good times

Loved this book. Great semi-mystery with some good twists and turns. The title character adds some great color to the book where it is involved. The characters are likable in many cases, and loathsome in others, they really are well fleshed out. The narration by Arte Johnson is very good, his voice seems to add to the humor. Great summer listen, fun and light.

More Like 4.5 Stars

I love Carl HIassen and this was one of the few books I didn't have in my Audible library...and facing eye surgery I needed some entertaining. It was entertaining but it doesn't hold a candle to Star Island in story, performance or wit....but thanks Carl for something that kept me cheered up when seeing was not possible.

Humorous but

The story is humorous..., but also racist and sexist in both terminology and attitude. The plot is interesting and follows through, the atmospheres of the Islands and Florida and the Keys is pretty real.