Razor Girl

A Novel

By: Carl Hiaasen

Narrated by: John Rubinstein

Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The new full-tilt, unstoppably hilarious and entertaining novel from the best-selling author of Skinny Dip and Bad Monkey.

When Lane Coolman's car is bashed from behind on the road to the Florida Keys, what appears to be an ordinary accident is anything but (this is Hiaasen!). Behind the wheel of the other car is Merry Mansfield - the eponymous Razor Girl - and the crash scam is only the beginning of events that spiral crazily out of control while unleashing some of the wildest characters Hiaasen has ever set loose. There's Trebeaux, the owner of Sedimental Journeys - a company that steals sand from one beach to restore erosion on another...Dominick "Big Noogie" Aeola, a NYC mafia capo with a taste for tropic wear...Buck Nance, a Wisconsin accordionist who has rebranded himself as the star of a redneck reality show called Bayou Brethren...A street psycho known as Blister who's more Buck Nance than Buck could ever be...Brock Richardson, a Miami product-liability lawyer who's getting dangerously - and deformingly - hooked on the very ED product he's litigating against...And Andrew Yancy - formerly Detective Yancy, busted down to the Key West roach patrol after accosting his then-lover's husband with a Dust Buster. Yancy believes that if he can singlehandedly solve a high-profile murder, he'll get his detective badge back. That the Razor Girl may be the key to Yancy's future will be as surprising as anything else he encounters along the way - including the giant Gambian rats that are livening up his restaurant inspections.

©2016 Carl Hiaasen (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Carl Hiaasen’s irresistible Razor Girl meets his usual sky-high standards for elegance, craziness and mike-drop humor. But this election-year novel is exceptionally timely, too. . . . [A] wonderfully overstocked book." (The New York Times)

"Raucous.... It’s a classic Hiaasen setup, and Razor Girl delivers on it with seasoned, professional ease. The dialogue somehow sounds believable even at its most deadpan hilarious, and the multi-pronged satire—of Florida, corrupt cops, bumbling criminals, and, most exquisitely, the entertainment industry - is gentle but merciless." (The Washington Post)

"One of the wildest, funniest Hiaasen novels yet." (The Daily News)

Excellent Hiaasen Hilarity

Would you listen to Razor Girl again? Why?

Yes, and I probably will in 5 or 10 years. Humor is easy to listen to more than once.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Sure, but it's not really about the plot so much as the characters and humor. But that is the norm for Hiaasen.

Would you be willing to try another one of John Rubinstein’s performances?

His performance was fine, except he doesn't know how to pronounce Porsche. Sure, if one of the redneck Bayou Brethren says "garsh look at that thar Porsch" it's fine. But that's not the case here. Porsche is mispronounced throughout by the reader. And sorry to be pedantic about it, but frankly it's just as big a mistake as pronouncing Ferrar(i) or Lamborghin(i) without the trailing "eee". It's nails-on-a-chalkboard grating every single time you hear it. So, yes, if he learns to pronounce words correctly, I would be happy to try another reading.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me laugh until I cried. Does that count?. Really, Hiaasen is absolutely one of the best humorists of our time. Possibly the only author to make me laugh-out-loud as much as Douglas Adams. If you laugh like you mean it then don't listen while driving!

Annoying narration

Once again I'm disappointed in an audible book. I absolutely LOVE Hiaasen and I loved this book but the narrator put on phony, ridiculous voices for the different characters that I just couldn't get past. In particular the female parts. He made one female character sound like an idiot. I read the book, she wasn't an idiot.

Repeat characters hilarious antics what more could you ask for?

The characters in this book are well developed, funny and spot-on. The performance is amazing. There are so many characters with differ weeny backgrounds and different walks of life and the narrator kills it with every little nuance he can muster. Great performance. The story is hilarious. I love Yancy and how he continues to keep the lot next door from being developed using quick-wit and letting nature take its course. Hiasson nails it in this book. If you want to laugh, his is the book for you.

One of the Funniest Books I've Ever Read

Whatever drugs Carl Hiaasen is doing, I want some. This book is totally hilarious! The narrator really does a great job and is hilarious in his own right.

need a hoot

What made the experience of listening to Razor Girl the most enjoyable?

Funny in an election year sort of funny

What does John Rubinstein bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He does a hysterical imitation of various dialects, Big Nuggie is great, as are the girls.

Who was the most memorable character of Razor Girl and why?

Mary as in Merry Christmas, she is the best.

Any additional comments?

Just a funny funny book of really ridiculous twist and turns, the descriptions of Key West characters is great. The lawyer is such a typical Florida ambulance chaser it is uncanny.
Sand replenishment is the best scam I ever heard of.

Another outstanding book.

A beautiful read kept me curious throughout very entertaining, several story lines that all joined together.

typical Hiassen

Carl loves Florida but hates the people who live there. Not as original or refreshing.

Fun and light

Second book of Hiaasen's I read after Hoot. Enjoyed the Florida Keys setting and light summer reading by the pool feel. Good fun with the razor and car crashes, mob, and Duck Dynasty characters. Nothing too deep but I was looking for that. Like Hoot, focus on animals fun- this time Gambian pouchies... characters at time a little one dimensional but in the spirit of fun I did not mind much.

Great escape!

This was a quick, fun read. Love the narrator. Exactly what I was looking for.

Another wonderfully strange South Florida story

This story is easy to follow, yet contains all the texture of the Florida Keys. A good read and not too serious.