Review of "Skinny Dip: Mick Stranahan # 2" by Carl Hiaasen

In this 2nd book in the 'Mick Stranahan' series, the ex-cop helps a damsel in distress. The book can be read as a standalone with no problem.

*****

I always enjoy Carl Hiaasen's satiric, comic novels - which generally highlight some atrocity humans are inflicting on the state of Florida. In this book, Hiassen concentrates on Everglades pollution.

The story: Chaz Perrone - who likes to be called 'Dr. Perrone' - has a Ph.D. in marine biology and a cushy job for the state of Florida - monitoring pollution in the Everglades.



The thing is, Chaz should really be called 'Dr. Scumbag' because he's being paid off by Red Hammernut, a south Florida farmer whose fertilizer is contaminating the region. Chaz pretends to test Everglades water samples, makes up fake results, and collects his payoff. Job well done (in his own mind)!



Things start to go bottoms up when Chaz thinks his wife, Joey, has cottoned on to his scam. So Chaz takes Joey on a luxury cruise for their second wedding anniversary, and throws her overboard in the middle of the night. Chaz pretends to be overwrought about his 'missing wife', but Detective Karl Rolvaag - who gets the case when the ship returns to port - is immediately suspicious.



Meanwhile, Joey - a champion swimmer - has survived. She evaded predatory wildlife, latched onto a bale of marijuana, and drifted toward shore on the Gulf Stream.....all the time seething at her husband. Luckily, Joey was rescued by Mick Stranahan, a fiftyish ex-cop living on a tiny island off Florida's coast. After hearing Joey's story Mick wanted to call the police, but Joey had a better idea. She planned to drive that lowlife Chaz crazy!!



Chaz, convinced he got away with murder, proceeds to live his life. He rids the house of Joey's belongings; romances his long-time girlfriend/hairdresser Ricca Spillman; and dreams of a fruitful, long-lasting partnership with Red. Though Chaz is repeatedly questioned by Detective Rolvaag (à la Columbo), he believes there's no proof of his crime.



Joey starts her campaign against dirtbag Chaz by hanging a favorite black dress in her (now empty) closet and leaving a torn photo under his pillow.



Chaz is bewildered, and thinks some stranger is breaking into his house. When Chaz reports the intrusion to Red Hammernut, the farmer saddles Chaz with a 'bodyguard' - a big, hairy galoot named Earl O'Toole ('Tool').



Tool is in pain from a bullet lodged mid-butt, so he sneaks into hospitals/nursing homes and peels Fentanyl patches off elderly patients - then puts them on his roughly shaved back. In the course of this larceny Tool meets an elderly lady, Maureen, and they develop a rather sweet friendship.



Through all this, Joey continues to play tricks on Chaz - with the help of her brother Corbett and Mick. As the pranks escalate, Chaz's anxiety increases, and he becomes alarmed when he 'can't get it up anymore.' Chaz starts taking 'little blue pills' - and the results are priceless. Eventually Joey and her fellow tricksters perpetrate a jaw-dropping hoax, which is wonderfully effective. As they spend time together, Joey and Mick develop an attraction, which should appeal to romance fans.



As Chaz's life falls apart, he starts to become suspicious of everyone around him. In fact - in the course of the story - Chaz 'kills' several people. However, none of them stay dead. LOL

All this action and hilarity leads to an appropriate climax that's quite satisfying.

Some fun animal characters in the story (besides the Everglades alligators and mosquitoes that freak Chaz out) are: Mick's dog - a lovable, but slow-witted Doberman called Strom, who tries to bark potential intruders away from the island; and Detective Rolvaag's two pet pythons - who don't have much personality....but might just be eating the building's pet cats and dogs.







I enjoyed the book, which made me laugh. Recommended to fans of light, amusing books (with a message).

Rating: 3.5 stars