Sick Puppy

By: Carl Hiaasen

Narrated by: George Newbern

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's Summary

When Palmer Stoat notices the black pickup truck following him on the highway, he fears his precious Range Rover is about to be carjacked. But Twilly Spree, the man tailing Stoat, has vengeance, not sport-utility vehicles, on his mind. Idealistic, independently wealthy, and pathologically short-tempered, Twilly has dedicated himself to saving Florida's wilderness from runaway destruction. He favors unambiguous political statements - such as torching Jet-Skis or blowing up banks - that leave his human targets shaken but re-educated. 

After watching Stoat blithely dump a trail of fast-food litter out the window, Twilly decides to teach him a lesson. Thus, Stoat's prized Range Rover becomes home to a horde of hungry dung beetles. Which could have been the end to it had Twilly not discovered that Stoat is one of Florida's cockiest and most powerful political fixers, whose latest project is the "malling" of a pristine Gulf Coast island. Now the real Hiaasen-variety fun begins.... 

Dognapping eco-terrorists, bogus big-time hunters, a Republicans-only hooker, an infamous ex-governor who's gone back to nature, thousands of singing toads and a Labrador retriever greater than the sum of his Labrador parts - these are only some of the denizens of Carl Hiaasen's outrageously funny new novel. 

Brilliantly twisted entertainment wrapped around a powerful ecological plea, Sick Puppy gleefully lives up to its title and gives us Hiaasen at his riotous and muckraking best.

©2000 Carl Hiaasen (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"Carl Hiaasen once again produces a devilishly funny caper. In Sick Puppy, he shows himself to be a comic writer at the peak of his powers." (Publisher's Weekly)

Therapy for green folk

Would you consider the audio edition of Sick Puppy to be better than the print version?

I do enjoy listening to Carl Hiaasen novels in the car, but I'm sure I'd enjoy the printed word as well. Sick Puppy is a good one for the commuter -- not too hard to follow and plenty of good laughs.

What did you like best about this story?

Skink is always awesome. But in this case I really enjoyed Twilley Spree's antics.

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

Yes, Seabiscuit: An American Legend. Both books were well-read.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Well, one or two moments were moving, but I don't want to write a spoiler.

Any additional comments?

Hiaasen's novels are satirical crusades against government corruption, corporate greed, and most of all, land development and other crimes against nature. He does not spare either side of the aisle, but I suspect that if you tune in to conservative talk radio, you will not like this book. On the other hand, if you are inclined to make donations to The Nature Conservancy and similar-minded groups, Hiaasen may stop your tears for at least a little while.

The Hiaasen Formula

A strange guy sees an a****** in a new sports car driving down the road tossing litter out of his window and finds an ingenious way to get even with him. From there things begin to escalate in ways that could only happen in a Carl Hiaasen novel. As always ecology is a major theme in the plot of a Hiaasen novel as are the weird offbeat characters that always seem to populate fiction written by the author. Again, as usual, there is a beautiful blonde stuck with the dorky p**** whose role is to be the book's clueless antagonist; until she begins an affair with the almost as clueless but much more lovable protagonist. The audiobook is okay even with a narrator who seems to be mediocre at best; it might be better to read the print version.

Hiaasen - how can you go wrong...

Would you consider the audio edition of Sick Puppy to be better than the print version?

The same

What did you like best about this story?

Although it pretty much follows his usual formula you can't argue with the results!

Consistently Excellent!

What made the experience of listening to Sick Puppy the most enjoyable?

Interesting plots with a twist and great humor. They remind me of Fargo for their unexpected plot twists. Also, another great 'governor' story.

Mr Hiaasen has done it again revealed Florida

Would you listen to Sick Puppy again? Why?

Yes, in a year of so It has a great cast of characters and the story is interesting

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sick Puppy?

The girls gone wild with the Rhino horn powder that was CRAZY

What about George Newbern’s performance did you like?

Mr George Newbern is without a doubt one of the best readers around for serious and comedy scenes

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Florida's Dark Realestate

Any additional comments?

Very enjoyable and look forward to more of his books

Wonderful!

I really enjoyed this. I took a chance on it based on the reviews, and was glad I did. Although probably part of the last third could have been eliminated (it got a little long and bogged down before the climax) the ending was worth it. The ending was absolutely hysterical, and a great pay-off.

The title, 'Sick Puppy', was great, in that the story did indeed have an actual sick canine, but the same title could have applied to many characters in the book. Great story!

Roland Dahl for adults.

Funny & Entertaining

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

Great book, my first from this author. I really enjoyed the flow and pace!

So good!

The story and narration were perfect. I really loved every second of this book with its crazy characters and the super funny situations they found themselves in.

Typical Hiaasen

I continue to enjoy Carl Hiaasen for a fun, light listen. Sick Puppy was no exception. In typical Hiassen fashion, he comes up with some truly outlandish characters, dirty politicians, polluting public, and eco warriors.

I've never felt like a credit was wasted on a Hiaasen novel.

Paint by Numbers Hiaasen story

I'm a big fan of Carl Hiaasen, at least his earlier books. This one never sat right when I first read it and now listening to the audio I've reconfirmed that impression. Hiaasen has always used familiar elements but never before has it felt so going through the motions than this time. The villains just didn't seem so villainous, the heroes were scum bags. Only the dog was really likable.

Carl Hiaasen must have a labrador because his descriptions are dead on. That is probably why he seems to have transferred over towards children's fair. His bag of tricks was a bit used up.

If you want to try Carl Hiaasen try some of his earlier work. Any of his earlier work.