Books by Carl Hiaasen

Book SynopsisHilarious, touching and thought-provoking, Hoot is a modern classic, now celebrating its fifteenth anniversary. Winner of the Newbery Honor award and a New York Times bestseller, Carl Hiaasen's first novel celebrates the natural world with his trademark wit and warmth.Roy Eberhardt never wanted to move to Florida. In his opinion, Disney World is an armpit. Roy’s family moves around a lot so he’s used to the new-kid drill – he's also used to bullies like Dana Matherson. And anyway, it’s because of Dana that Roy gets to see the mysterious running boy who runs away from the school bus and who has no books, no backpack and, most bizarrely, no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy starts to trail the mystery runner – a chase that will introduce him to many weird Floridian creatures: potty-trained alligators, cute burrowing owls, a fake-fart champion, a shoeless eco-warrior, a sinister pancake PR man, new friends and some snakes with sparkly tails. As the plot thickens, Roy and his friends realise it's up to them to save the endangered owls from the evil Mother Paula's pancake company who are planning to build a new restaurant on their home . . .Trade ReviewEvery now and then a book comes along that is so striking it gives the reader goosebumps and stays in the mind long after its pages are closed. Carl Hiaasen's Hoot is one of those. * Times Educational Supplement *Absolutely compelling - the nearest thing to Sacher's Holes I've read yet * The Times *A sharp, funny, fast-moving mystery romp * Financial Times *Good entertainment for all ages * Sunday Times *Touching and well-written. These characters leap off the page at us, and we want to spend time around them. * Guardian Review *You don't need to be far into this book to be engaged. Page one will do. * Glasgow Herald *Hiaasen is a great storyteller and he conjures up intriguing characters and plenty of chuckles. * Manchester Evening News *

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Book Synopsis''Follow the adventures of a news-photographer-turned-private-eye as he seeks truth, justice, and an affair with his ex-wife'' (The New York Times) in this hilarious caper from bestselling author Carl Hiaasen.R.J. Decker, star tenant of the local trailer park and neophyte private eye is fishing for a killer. Thanks to a sportsman''s scam that''s anything but sportsmanlike, there''s a body floating in Coon Bog, Florida - and a lot that''s rotten in the murky waters of big-stakes, large-mouth bass tournaments.Here Decker will team up with a half-blind, half-mad hermit with an appetite for road kill; dare to kiss his ex-wife while she''s in bed with her new husband; and face deadly TV evangelists, dangerously seductive women, and a pistol-toting redneck with a pit bull on his arm. And here his own life becomes part of the stakes. For while the ''double whammy'' is the lure, first prize is for the most ingenious murder.

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller and laugh out loud thriller from Carl Hiaasen about a missing cousin, a half-crazy governor, giant gators and justice -- swamp justice, that is.Typical Malley - to avoid being shipped off to boarding school, she takes off with some guy she met online. Poor Richard - he knows his cousin's in trouble before she does. Wild Skink - he's a ragged, one-eyed ex-governor of Florida, and enough of a renegade to think he can track Malley down. With Richard riding shotgun, the unlikely pair scour the state, undaunted by blinding storms, crazed pigs, flying bullets and giant gators. Carl Hiaasen first introduced readers to Skink more than 25 years ago in DOUBLE WHAMMY, and he quickly became Hiaasen's most iconic and beloved character, appearing in six novels to date. Both teens and adults will be thrilled to catch sight of the elusive 'governor' as he pursues his own unique brand of swamp justice. With Skink at the wheel, the search for a missing girl is both nail-bitingly tense and laugh-out-loud funny.Trade ReviewA spectacularly weird and wonderful read * Pop Sugar *A crime story with a difference * School Librarian *Satire is a powerful weapon in the hands of an expert , and you're more likely to laugh out loud than cry during this book because the situations the characters get themselves into are so utterly off-the-wall... well worth a look. * THE BOOK BAG *An hilarious, edge of your seat read. Animal lovers everywhere will love this great story about dangerous creatures, which also gives a behind the scenes look at how the worst TV shows are made. -- Julia Eccleshare * LOVEREADING4KIDS *

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Book SynopsisFrom ''Florida''s most entertainingly indignant social critic'' (New York Times Book Review) comes an inventive tale yet of savage appetites and sweet justice.Only in America could an innocent, if drunken, guest of honor at a strip joint bachelor party become a mortal threat against Big Money and Big Government.Only in south Florida, land of roadside honky-tonks and sinister pleasure boats - not to mention blackmail and murder - would a virtuous topless dancer join forces with a cool but clueless cop.And only in the fiction of Carl Hiaasen do readers experience riveting suspense and razor-sharp characters along with the most wicked humor imaginable.

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Book SynopsisA hilarious and scathing novel about a crazed and determined man who has devoted his strange existence to saving southern Florida from con artists and carpetbaggers after a hurricane hits.When a ferocious hurricane rips through southern Florida, insurance fraudsters, amateur occultists, and ex-cons waste no time in swarming over the disaster area.Caught in the middle are Max and Bonnie Lamb, honeymooners who abandon their Disney World plans to witness the terrible devastation.But when Max vanishes, Bonnie, aided by a mysterious young man with a tranquilizer gun and a roomful of human skulls, has to follow her only clue: a runaway monkey.''Hysterically funny . . . Hiaasen at his satirical best'' - USA Today

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Book SynopsisBrilliantly twisted entertainment wrapped around a powerful ecological plea from the New York Times bestselling author of Squeeze Me.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 favours 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

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Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Squeeze Me, a novel starring three lottery winners, two heavily armed psychopaths, and a big-city investigative journalist set deep in Florida Bay.Grange, Florida, is, famous for its miracles-the weeping fiberglass Madonna, the Road-Stain Jesus, the stigmata man. And now it has JoLayne Lucks, unlikely winner of the state lottery. Unfortunately, JoLayne''s winning ticket isn''t the only one. The other belongs to Bodean Gazzer and his raunchy sidekick, Chub, who want the whole $28 million jackpot to start their own underground militia.The pursuit takes them to a buzzard-infested island deep in Florida Bay, where they finally catch up with the fledgling militia-and their baffled hostage, a Hooters waitress. The climax explodes with the hilarious mayhem that is Carl Hiaasen''s hallmark. Lucky You is his funniest, most deliriously gripping novel yet.

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Book SynopsisTwenty-two-year-old pop star Cherry Pye is attempting a comeback from her latest drug-fuelled disaster. Her ''stunt double'' Ann travels everywhere with her, throwing paparazzi off the scent when they get too close.But one night, Ann''s resemblance to Cherry Pye proves too convincing - she is kidnapped by an obsessed paparazzo who only realises his mistake once it is too late to go back...From there it''s a fast, funny and furious race against time to rescue Ann from a terrible fate. An international bestseller, acclaimed as Hiaasen''s most hilarious, gripping novel to date, Star Island is an addictive read.Trade ReviewExhilarating return to form for the satirical Florida crime writer...a witty satire and a nail-biting thriller * The Times *His investigative journalist's eye for detail and his merciless, only-just exaggerated satire are a killer combination...wickedly funny * Sunday Times *If you have never entered Hiaasen's world before, this is a wickedly funny place to start * Daily Express *Bright, breezy and hectic, Star Island wears its pessimism lightly. It is, in fact, a blast * Financial Times *This is Hiaasen back on top form and picking his targets with gleeful malice * Shots mag *Is there a funnier novelist on the planet than Carl Hiaasen? I hope not, because after nearly injuring myself reading his latest comic thriller I don't think my poor body could take it * Mail on Sunday *Like a really good sandwich, made with a winningly simple recipe * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author comes a novel in which dedicated, if somewhat demented, environmentalists battle sleazy real estate developers in the Florida Keys.When the precious blue-tongued mango voles at the Amazing Kingdom of Thrills on North Key Largo are stolen by heartless, ruthless thugs, Joe Winder wants to uncover why, and find the voles.Joe is lately a PR man for the Amazing Kingdom theme park, but now that the voles are gone, Winder is dragged along in their wake through a series of weird and lethal events that begin with the sleazy real-estate agent/villain Francis X. Kingsbury and can end only one way....''Rips, zips, hurtles, keeping us turning the pages at breakfinger pace'' - New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisBestselling author Carl Hiaasen serves up a humorous helping of ''taut, fast-paced action . . . crisp and hot'' (The New York Times). After dispatching a pistol-packing intruder from his home with the help of a stuffed Marlin head, Mick Stranahan can''t deny that someone is out to get him.His now-deceased intruder carries no ID, and as a former Florida state investigator, Stranahan knows there are plenty of potential culprits. His long list of enemies includes an off-point hitman, a personal injury lawyer of billboard fame, a notoriously irritating TV journalist, and a fumbling plastic surgeon.Now, if he wants to keep fishing into his golden years, Stranahan has no choice but to come out of retirement to close this one last case . . .

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Book Synopsis''One of the world''s funniest novelists''SUNDAY TIMES ''Scabrous and unrelentingly hilarious . . . the Trump era is truly Carl Hiaasen''s moment''WASHINGTON POSTFrom the highly acclaimed author of Bad Monkey and Razor Girl comes this hilarious new novel of social and political intrigue, set against the glittering backdrop of Florida''s gold coast. It''s the height of the Palm Beach charity ball season: for every good cause, there''s a reason for the local luminaries to eat (minimally), drink (maximally), and be seen. But when prominent high-society dowager Kiki Pew suddenly vanishes during a swanky gala, and is later found dead, panic and chaos erupt.Kiki was an ardent fan of the Winter White House resident just down the road, and a founding member of the POTUSSIES, a group of women dedicated to supporting their President - who immediately declares that Kiki was the victim of rampagingTrade ReviewCarl Hiaasen remains the undefeated, unscored-upon conscience of Florida, maybe the conscience of the whole country. I laughed and laughed and laughed while I read Squeeze Me - until I remembered, hey, I live in Palm Beach! * James Patterson *Scintillating, driven and very, very funny. Sheer comic genius * Metro *Hiaasen is wondrously fertile in devising fizzing plots and zany characters, but also as a comic prose stylist he can give Wodehouse and Waugh a run for their money * The Sunday Times *Creating laughter in a tough world may be Hiaasen's hallmark * Independent *If you could use some wild escapism right now, Hiaasen is your guy. In its themes and its wild imagination, Squeeze Me offers some familiar pleasures, akin to a Greatest Hits collection. Anyone who's read him will know what a prime recommendation that is * New York Times *By the evidence of the scabrous and unrelentingly hilarious Squeeze Me, the Trump era is truly Carl Hiaasen's moment * Washington Post *Rampagingly funny satire * Kirkus *Splendid satire [...] One of his best * Crime Club *Will have you crying with laughter * Best *

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Book SynopsisSquirm is a funny, wildly entertaining adventure about the great outdoors and protecting the environment, from New York Times bestselling author Carl Hiaasen, author of modern classic, Hoot.Some facts about Billy Dickens: * He once saw a biker swerve across the road in order to run over a snake.* Later, that motorcycle somehow ended up at the bottom of a canal.* Billy isn't the type to let things go.Some facts about Billy's family: * They've lived in six different Florida towns because Billy's mum insists on getting a house near a bald eagle nest.* Billy's dad left when he was four and is a total mystery.* Billy has just found his dad's address – in Montana.This summer, Billy will fly across the country, hike a mountain, float a river, dodge a grizzly bear, shoot down a spy drone, save a neighbour's cat, save an endangered panther, and then try to save his own father.Trade ReviewHumorous, self-deprecating narration and convoluted exploits will keep pages turning till the satisfying close. * Kirkus Reviews *Hiaasen's latest is richly steeped in the natural world and all the peril it contains, from rattlers to grizzlies. Still, what may be most satisfying for readers are the personal connections Billy makes, whether it's getting to know his new stepsister or making peace with his dad. * Booklist *Hiaasen's ecological passion shows no sign of abatement, and neither does his faith in kid resourcefulness and family resilience * Bulletin *

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Book SynopsisRichard's cousin is missing, and his best hope of finding her rests with the wily, one-eyed, ex-governor of Florida. Carl Hiaasen introduces his iconic character Skink to a younger audience in this nail-biting adventure!   A National Book Award Longlist Selection  Classic Malley: her parents are about to ship her off to boarding school, so she takes off with some guy she met online... Poor Richard: he's less of a rebel than Malley, and a lot less trusting. He knows his cousin is in trouble before she does. Wild Skink: he's a ragged, one-eyed, ex-governor of Florida, and enough of a renegade to think he can track Malley down. With Richard riding shotgun, this unlikely pair scour the state, undaunted by blinding storms, crazed pigs, flying bullets, and giant gators.     In Carl Hiaasen's outrageous, hilarious, and wildly dangerous state of Florida, there are a million places an outlaw might stash a teenage girl. A million unpleasant ways to die. And two who will risk everything to rescue a friend . . . and to, hopefully, exact a bit of swamp justice.

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A collection of the best Miami Herald columns from the New York Times bestselling author of Squeeze Me on burning issues like animal welfare, polluted rivers, and the broken criminal justice system. If you think the wildest, wackiest stories that Carl Hiaasen can tell have all made it into his hilarious, bestselling novels, think again. Dance of the Reptiles collects the best of Hiaasen’s Miami Herald columns, which lay bare the stories—large and small—that demonstrate anew that truth is far stranger than fiction. Hiaasen offers his commentary—indignant, disbelieving, sometimes righteously angry, and frequently hilarious—on issues like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Bernie Madoff's trial, and the shenanigans of the recent presidential elections. Whether or not you have read Carl Hiaasen before, you are in for a wild ride.

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Book SynopsisThis Newbery Honor winner and #1 New York Times bestseller is a beloved modern classic. Hoot features a new kid and his new bully, alligators, some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes.A PARADE BEST KIDS BOOK OF ALL TIMEEverybody loves Mother Paula's pancakes. Everybody, that is, except the colony of cute but endangered owls that live on the building site of the new restaurant. Can the awkward new kid and his feral friend prank the pancake people out of town? Or is the owls' fate cemented in pancake batter?Welcome to Carl Hiaasen's Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder!

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Book SynopsisCarl Hiaasen takes us deep in the Everglades with an eccentric eco-avenger, a ticked-off panther, and two kids on a mission to find their missing teacher. Florida—where the animals are wild and the people are wilder! Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved. But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a family emergency, Nick and Marta just don't buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance. And he does! But not in the way they think. There's a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. It’s all about to hit the fan, and when it does, the bad guys better scat.  “Ingenious . . . Scat won’t

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Book SynopsisA hilarious, high-stakes adventure involving crooked casino boats, floating fish, toxic beaches, and one kid determined to get justice. This is Carl Hiaasen's Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder! You know it's going to be a rough summer when you spend Father's Day visiting your dad in the local lockup.Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor–which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement. Right. The boat is pumped out and back in business within days and Noah's dad is stuck in the clink.Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally . . . somehow. His allies may not add up to much–his sister Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a greedy sot with poor hygiene; Shelly, a bartender and a woman scorned; and a mysterious pirate–but Noah's got a plan to flush this crook out into the open. A plan that should sink the crooked little casino, once and for all.

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Book SynopsisA wildly entertaining adventure involving snakes, grizzlies, a menacing drone, a missing father, and the kid determined to find him. In classic Hiaasen fashion, the animals here are wild, and the people are wilder! Some facts about Billy Dickens:   *  He once saw a biker swerve across the road in order to run over a snake.   *  Later, that motorcycle somehow ended up at the bottom of a canal.   *  Billy isn't the type to let things go. Some facts about Billy's family:   *  They've lived in six different Florida towns because Billy's mom insists on getting a house near a bald eagle nest.   *  Billy's dad left when he was four and is a total mystery.   *  Billy has just found his dad's address--in Montana. This summer, Billy will fly across the country, hike a mountain, float a river, dodge a grizzly bear, shoot down a spy drone, save a neighbor's cat, save an endangered panther, and then try to save his own father. A fun romp that will keep readers hooked. —The New York Times

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPraise for Skin Tight“A hell of a story...If there is a patron saint for bestsellers, this one will inspire a hallelujah chorus.”—New York Daily News“Good, mean fun...a twisting, high-speed ride on a roller coaster without brakes.”—San Francisco Chronicle“A high-speed tale of murder cover-ups and gonzo revenge...Hiaasen delivers every time.”—Seattle Times “Hiaasen display[s] his manic sense of humor at every turn...wickedly amusing.”—Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisThis Newbery Honor winner and #1 New York Times bestseller is a beloved modern classic. Hoot features a new kid and his new bully, alligators, some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes.Everybody loves Mother Paula's pancakes. Everybody, that is, except the colony of cute but endangered owls that live on the building site of the new restaurant. Can the awkward new kid and his feral friend prank the pancake people out of town? Or is the owls' fate cemented in pancake batter?Welcome to Carl Hiaasen's Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder!

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Book SynopsisCarl Hiaasen takes us deep in the Everglades with an eccentric eco-avenger, a ticked-off panther, and two kids on a mission to find their missing teacher. Florida—where the animals are wild and the people are wilder! Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved. But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a family emergency, Nick and Marta just don't buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance. And he does! But not in the way they think. There's a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. It’s all about to hit the fan, and when it does, the bad guys better scat.  “Ingenious . . . Scat won’t

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Book SynopsisNATIONAL BESTSELLER • From “Florida’s most entertainingly indignant social critic” (New York Times Book Review)—an inventive tale yet of savage appetites and sweet justice. Only in America could an innocent, if drunken, guest of honor at a strip joint bachelor party become a mortal threat against Big Money and Big Government. Only in south Florida, land of roadside honky-tonks and sinister pleasure boats—not to mention blackmail and murder—would a virtuous topless dancer join forces with a cool but clueless cop. And only in the fiction of Carl Hiaasen do readers experience riveting suspense and razor-sharp characters along with the most wicked humor imaginable.

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Book SynopsisThis is Oh, the Places You'll Never Go--the ultimate hilarious, cynical, but absolutely realistic view of a college graduate's future. And what he or she can or can't do about it.This commencement address will never be given, because graduation speakers are supposed to offer encouragement and inspiration. That's not what you need. You need a warning.     So begins Carl Hiaasen's attempt to prepare young men and women for their future. And who better to warn them about their precarious paths forward than Carl Hiaasen? The answer, after reading Assume the Worst, is: Nobody.     And who better to illustrate--and with those illustrations, expand upon and cement Hiaasen's cynical point of view--than Roz Chast, best-selling author/illustrator and National Book Award winner? The answer again is easy: Nobody.     Following the format of Anna Quindlen's commencement address (Bei

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Book SynopsisCarl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida. He is the author of nine previous novels, including Sick Puppy, Lucky You, Stormy Weather and Basket Case. He also writes a twice weekly metropolitan column for the Miami Herald.Trade ReviewHilarious, yet serious about the environmental issues * Guardian *A gross-out plot likely to appeal . . . A satisfyingly different kind of adventure book for kids * Inis *Aquatic high jinks in this entertaining ecological tale of responsibility and revenge * The Bookseller *With real villainy and real right and wrong issues but told in convincingly involving, over the top manner * The School Librarian *Flush is pacy and amusing. It will entertain readers with a sense of justice, a concern for the environment and an understanding that the simplest and whackiest ideas are often the best * Writeaway! *

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Book SynopsisPassionate and willful Honey Santana is taking rude, gullible telemarketer Boyd Shreave and his less than enthusiastic mistress, Eugenie Fonda, into the mangroves of Florida?s Ten Thousand Islands for a gentle lesson in humility. What Honey doesn?t know is that she?s being followed by her obsessed former employer, Piejack, and her still-smitten ex-husband, Perry, with their protective and wise-beyond-his-years twelve-year-old son, Fry. And when they all arrive on Dismal Key, they don?t know the island is occupied by Sammy Tigertail, a failed alligator wrestler trying like hell to be left alone despite the Florida State coed clinging to his side. South Florida has never been quite so hilarious as it is in this outrageous tale of one woman?s single-handed quest to eradicate greed and enforcecivility in her corner of the Sunshine State.

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Book SynopsisIn this hysterical #1 New York Times bestseller, one kid has to wrangle gators, snakes, bats that bite, and a reality show host gone rogue! This is Carl Hiaasen's Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder!    When Wahoo Cray’s dad—a professional animal wrangler—takes a job with a reality TV show called Expedition Survival!, Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself to keep his father from killing Derek Badger, the show's inept and egotistical star. But the job keeps getting more complicated: Derek Badger insists on using wild animals for his stunts; and Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her father and needs a place to hide out.  They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head o

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