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Fever Beach: A Novel
Another instant classic from Carl Hiaasen—laugh-out-loud funny, tackling the current chaotic and polarized American culture (following in the path of
Squeeze Me
), with two wonderful Hiaasen heroes
“The afternoon of September first, dishwater-gray and rainy, a man named Dale Figgo picked up a hitchhiker on Gus Grissom Boulevard in Tangelo Shores, Florida. The hitchhiker, who reminded Figgo of Danny DeVito, asked for a lift to the interstate. Figgo said he’d take him there after finishing an errand.”
Thus begins Fever Beach, with an errand that leads—in pure Hiaasen-style—into the depths of Florida at its most a sun-soaked bastion of right-wing extremism, white power, greed, and corruption. Figgo, it turns out, is the only hate-monger ever to be kicked out of the Proud Boys for being too dumb and incompetent. On January 6, 2021 he thought he was defacing a statue of Ulysses S. Grant, but he wound up spreading feces all over a statue of James Zacharia George, a Civil War Confederate war leader.
Figgo's already messy life is about to get more complicated, thanks to two formidable adversaries. Viva Morales is a newly transplanted Floridian, a clever woman recently taken to the cleaners by her ex-husband, now working at the Mink Foundation, a supposedly philanthropic organization, and renting a room in Figgo’s apartment because there’s no place else she can afford. Twilly Spree has an anger management problem, especially when it comes to those who deface the environment, and way too many inherited millions of dollars. He's living alone a year after his dog died, two years after he sank a city councilman’s party barge, and three years after his divorce.
Viva and Twilly are plunged into a mystery—involving dark money and darker motives—they are determined to solve, and become entangled in a world populated by some of Hiaasen’s most outrageous Claude and Electra Mink—billionaire philanthropists with way too much plastic surgery and a secret right-wing agenda—and Congressman Clure Boyette—who dreams of being Florida’s (and maybe America’s) most important politician. The only things standing in his way are his love for hookers and young girls, and his total lack of intelligence. We meet Noel Kristianson—a Scandinavian agnostic injured when Figgo thinks he’s a Jewish threat to humanity and runs him over with his car; Jonus Onus—Figgo’s partner in white power idiocy; and many, many more. Hiaasen ties them all together and delivers them to their appropriate fates, in his wildest and most entertaining novel to date.
“The afternoon of September first, dishwater-gray and rainy, a man named Dale Figgo picked up a hitchhiker on Gus Grissom Boulevard in Tangelo Shores, Florida. The hitchhiker, who reminded Figgo of Danny DeVito, asked for a lift to the interstate. Figgo said he’d take him there after finishing an errand.”
Thus begins Fever Beach, with an errand that leads—in pure Hiaasen-style—into the depths of Florida at its most a sun-soaked bastion of right-wing extremism, white power, greed, and corruption. Figgo, it turns out, is the only hate-monger ever to be kicked out of the Proud Boys for being too dumb and incompetent. On January 6, 2021 he thought he was defacing a statue of Ulysses S. Grant, but he wound up spreading feces all over a statue of James Zacharia George, a Civil War Confederate war leader.
Figgo's already messy life is about to get more complicated, thanks to two formidable adversaries. Viva Morales is a newly transplanted Floridian, a clever woman recently taken to the cleaners by her ex-husband, now working at the Mink Foundation, a supposedly philanthropic organization, and renting a room in Figgo’s apartment because there’s no place else she can afford. Twilly Spree has an anger management problem, especially when it comes to those who deface the environment, and way too many inherited millions of dollars. He's living alone a year after his dog died, two years after he sank a city councilman’s party barge, and three years after his divorce.
Viva and Twilly are plunged into a mystery—involving dark money and darker motives—they are determined to solve, and become entangled in a world populated by some of Hiaasen’s most outrageous Claude and Electra Mink—billionaire philanthropists with way too much plastic surgery and a secret right-wing agenda—and Congressman Clure Boyette—who dreams of being Florida’s (and maybe America’s) most important politician. The only things standing in his way are his love for hookers and young girls, and his total lack of intelligence. We meet Noel Kristianson—a Scandinavian agnostic injured when Figgo thinks he’s a Jewish threat to humanity and runs him over with his car; Jonus Onus—Figgo’s partner in white power idiocy; and many, many more. Hiaasen ties them all together and delivers them to their appropriate fates, in his wildest and most entertaining novel to date.
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First published May 13, 2025
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About the author
Carl Hiaasen
99 books9,904 followersCarl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida. After graduating from the University of Florida, he joined the Miami Herald as a general assignment reporter and went on to work for the newspaper’s weekly magazine and prize-winning investigations team. As a journalist and author, Carl has spent most of his life advocating for the protection of the Florida Everglades. He and his family live in southern Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,012 reviews
May 1, 2025
Despite his rococo buffoonery, Donald Trump has been a slippery character for novelists to hit. Writing satire about the self-satirized president so often ends up extruding something intolerably mealy, like twice-ground beef. Even the finest writers — including Booker winners Howard Jacobson and Salman Rushdie — have seen their spears glance off the great whale’s gilded blubber.
Curiously, sillier writers have struck deeper, possibly because they spent years in the absurdist world that the Very Stable Genius has rendered our reality. In July 2020, Christopher Buckley’s “Make Russia Great Again” offered a pastiche of the first Trump White House. Just a few weeks later, Carl Hiaasen published “Squeeze Me,” a funny takedown of the high-society inanity swirling around Mar-a-Lago. As Washington Post reviewer Richard Lipez noted in his review, Hiaasen’s long career lambasting political corruption and moral grotesquerie means that “the Trump era is truly Carl Hiaasen’s moment.” These days, Je suis Florida.
So who can blame the Sunshine State novelist for continuing to tap that swamp?
But with his new novel, “Fever Beach,” Hiaasen has drifted from the golden toilets of the presidential palace to poke around in the human effluence at the bottom of the MAGA septic tank.
As the story opens, we’re riding along with Dale Figgo, a dim-witted bigot out for a day of antisemitic outreach. When he’s not working at Bottom Drawer Novelties — the local sex-toy warehouse — he’s driving through multimillion-dollar neighborhoods tossing slur-filled screeds out the...
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
Curiously, sillier writers have struck deeper, possibly because they spent years in the absurdist world that the Very Stable Genius has rendered our reality. In July 2020, Christopher Buckley’s “Make Russia Great Again” offered a pastiche of the first Trump White House. Just a few weeks later, Carl Hiaasen published “Squeeze Me,” a funny takedown of the high-society inanity swirling around Mar-a-Lago. As Washington Post reviewer Richard Lipez noted in his review, Hiaasen’s long career lambasting political corruption and moral grotesquerie means that “the Trump era is truly Carl Hiaasen’s moment.” These days, Je suis Florida.
So who can blame the Sunshine State novelist for continuing to tap that swamp?
But with his new novel, “Fever Beach,” Hiaasen has drifted from the golden toilets of the presidential palace to poke around in the human effluence at the bottom of the MAGA septic tank.
As the story opens, we’re riding along with Dale Figgo, a dim-witted bigot out for a day of antisemitic outreach. When he’s not working at Bottom Drawer Novelties — the local sex-toy warehouse — he’s driving through multimillion-dollar neighborhoods tossing slur-filled screeds out the...
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
June 16, 2025
Title of my review: A Confederacy of Bumblefucks. It’s a line near the end of the book that perfectly captures the characters, and boy o boy are they ever characters, in this zeitgeisty romp of a book.
Books sometimes feel like a puzzle piece you’ve been looking for to connect one part to another. I didn’t realize how much I needed to laugh and just breeze through a book like Fever Beach.
This was my first book by Hiaasen so I had no idea what to expect. The first laughs were like a surprise attack with ninja stars (IYKYK) and they happened so often that I had the hiccups for a full day, and I never get the hiccups. It nearly became a medical emergency as I was listening to the audio as I fell asleep and my head was bouncing up off the pillow with each ‘cup and I think I ‘cupped myself to sleep.
This book reminded me very much of my experience reading Inherent Vice. I guess I love outlandish, whacky, and sometimes low brow satire. This book is more low brow than Pynchon, but let’s be honest here folks, the times call for it.
This book definitely has a better chance of being enjoyed by politically engaged individuals who tilt left and would never Don (cough cough) a particular red hat. And it’s not subtle about this in any way shape or form.
I love to laugh, I love seeing other people laugh, and I love this book for reminding me how much fun it can be to read.
Lastly, I think decades from now “Figgo’s nose” will be known much like “Fibonacci’s Sequence.” It’s that important to the world.
Books sometimes feel like a puzzle piece you’ve been looking for to connect one part to another. I didn’t realize how much I needed to laugh and just breeze through a book like Fever Beach.
This was my first book by Hiaasen so I had no idea what to expect. The first laughs were like a surprise attack with ninja stars (IYKYK) and they happened so often that I had the hiccups for a full day, and I never get the hiccups. It nearly became a medical emergency as I was listening to the audio as I fell asleep and my head was bouncing up off the pillow with each ‘cup and I think I ‘cupped myself to sleep.
This book reminded me very much of my experience reading Inherent Vice. I guess I love outlandish, whacky, and sometimes low brow satire. This book is more low brow than Pynchon, but let’s be honest here folks, the times call for it.
This book definitely has a better chance of being enjoyed by politically engaged individuals who tilt left and would never Don (cough cough) a particular red hat. And it’s not subtle about this in any way shape or form.
I love to laugh, I love seeing other people laugh, and I love this book for reminding me how much fun it can be to read.
Lastly, I think decades from now “Figgo’s nose” will be known much like “Fibonacci’s Sequence.” It’s that important to the world.
May 16, 2025
The trouble with getting a book by Carl Hiaasen is that I can't put it down, rush through it, know that there will be years to wait until the next one. Here he goes after white supremacy and its rampant stupidity.
July 30, 2025
Carl Hiaasen hilariously excoriates Trumpian politicians, super-wealthy Republican donors, and white supremacists in his latest novel "Fever Beach". And, in keeping with his love-hate relationship with his home state, Hiaasen paints a wonderfully awful picture of Florida, in all its flamingo-pink and alligator-green absurdity.
As always, Hiaasen populates his book with a cast of colorful characters, including an incredibly stupid white supremacist who was kicked out of Proud Boys for masturbating too much, a congressman being blackmailed by his favorite seventeen-year-old prostitute, and a wealthy older couple who loves giving charitable donations to hospitals, the Republican party, and white supremacist organizations that aren't the Proud Boys (they're a bit too liberal...).
Then there's the hero: a guy with a fetish (along with financial means and an uncomfortably unlimited supply of dynamite) for blowing up development projects of flashy resorts and golf courses that threaten Florida's natural wildlife.
I didn't think it was possible to find the absurdist humor in a post-January 6 world. At least, I didn't think it was possible to find it so hysterical, but I guess that's Hiaasen's super power.
As always, Hiaasen populates his book with a cast of colorful characters, including an incredibly stupid white supremacist who was kicked out of Proud Boys for masturbating too much, a congressman being blackmailed by his favorite seventeen-year-old prostitute, and a wealthy older couple who loves giving charitable donations to hospitals, the Republican party, and white supremacist organizations that aren't the Proud Boys (they're a bit too liberal...).
Then there's the hero: a guy with a fetish (along with financial means and an uncomfortably unlimited supply of dynamite) for blowing up development projects of flashy resorts and golf courses that threaten Florida's natural wildlife.
I didn't think it was possible to find the absurdist humor in a post-January 6 world. At least, I didn't think it was possible to find it so hysterical, but I guess that's Hiaasen's super power.
June 23, 2025
__________________________
“It is easy to sneer at stupid conspiracy theories... But in doing so, academics and journalists are contaminating the good theories with the bad... Which is, of course, what the government wants us to do.” – – Robin Ramsey
This is a book that Dave Barry would have written if Carl Hiaasen had not snuck up behind him, hit him over the head with a brickbat, and absconded with the outline for this novel. I am sure that writing it wasn’t difficult. I could have written this story myself–– if I had had a brickbat. But Hiaasen is a member of the deep state: I saw a picture of him down in the cellar with my own eyes. This is part of a government conspiracy.
OK, this story does seem extremely Hiaasenesque. It takes place in southern Florida. There are corrupt politicians. There are evil land developers. There is the mandatory eco-terrorist. There are stupid villains. But all that is just a front to cover the government takeover of all fart jokes.
One of the main characters in Fever Beach is Figgo. He has been thrown out of Proud Boys for being too dumb. He has been ejected from Oath Keepers for being totally incompetent. So, he has started his own group of unhinged white nationalists and conspiracy theorists. Figgo and his band of scary men are called the Strokers for Liberty. Figgo is a clever guy who can believe up to 5 contradictory conspiracy theories at the same time, and his followers are just as smart. Figgo has some big plans, but unfortunately for him, some other people have some different plans for his group.
Viva asked what topic he [Figgo] had chosen for this week’s screed. “The rise of the international Zionist cowbell,” he said. “You mean ‘cabal,’ [Viva replied.] ” Figgo sneered. “I ain’t fallin’ for that.”
Now, maybe you believe that my indictment of Carl Hiaasen is one of those unhinged conspiracy theories. Maybe you believe the liberal, Soros-backed, fedsurrectionists who aided and abetted the FBI in their attack on the Capitol Building on January 6 and tried to blame it on peaceful, patriotic, flag-waving, bear spraying, spear-toting, shit-smearing tourists. Or maybe you believe those leftist barbers who brag openly about grooming people. (Did you know that in the last days of Biden’s failed administration, he signed an executive order mandating that all white baseballs had to be rainbow colored by 2028?) Wake up, sheeple. Wake up! But do not stare directly at the Jewish space lasers.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars. This is a funny book--for a government conspiracy. I suspect that it was written in some psychical code that changed my brain so it can’t believe everything I read. I am very scared.
“It is easy to sneer at stupid conspiracy theories... But in doing so, academics and journalists are contaminating the good theories with the bad... Which is, of course, what the government wants us to do.” – – Robin Ramsey
This is a book that Dave Barry would have written if Carl Hiaasen had not snuck up behind him, hit him over the head with a brickbat, and absconded with the outline for this novel. I am sure that writing it wasn’t difficult. I could have written this story myself–– if I had had a brickbat. But Hiaasen is a member of the deep state: I saw a picture of him down in the cellar with my own eyes. This is part of a government conspiracy.
OK, this story does seem extremely Hiaasenesque. It takes place in southern Florida. There are corrupt politicians. There are evil land developers. There is the mandatory eco-terrorist. There are stupid villains. But all that is just a front to cover the government takeover of all fart jokes.
One of the main characters in Fever Beach is Figgo. He has been thrown out of Proud Boys for being too dumb. He has been ejected from Oath Keepers for being totally incompetent. So, he has started his own group of unhinged white nationalists and conspiracy theorists. Figgo and his band of scary men are called the Strokers for Liberty. Figgo is a clever guy who can believe up to 5 contradictory conspiracy theories at the same time, and his followers are just as smart. Figgo has some big plans, but unfortunately for him, some other people have some different plans for his group.
Viva asked what topic he [Figgo] had chosen for this week’s screed. “The rise of the international Zionist cowbell,” he said. “You mean ‘cabal,’ [Viva replied.] ” Figgo sneered. “I ain’t fallin’ for that.”
Now, maybe you believe that my indictment of Carl Hiaasen is one of those unhinged conspiracy theories. Maybe you believe the liberal, Soros-backed, fedsurrectionists who aided and abetted the FBI in their attack on the Capitol Building on January 6 and tried to blame it on peaceful, patriotic, flag-waving, bear spraying, spear-toting, shit-smearing tourists. Or maybe you believe those leftist barbers who brag openly about grooming people. (Did you know that in the last days of Biden’s failed administration, he signed an executive order mandating that all white baseballs had to be rainbow colored by 2028?) Wake up, sheeple. Wake up! But do not stare directly at the Jewish space lasers.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars. This is a funny book--for a government conspiracy. I suspect that it was written in some psychical code that changed my brain so it can’t believe everything I read. I am very scared.
August 15, 2025
This is probably my favourite Carl Hiaasen novel to date.
The specific style of his stories and his talent for writing chaotic and stupid characters fit perfectly with the subject of a MAGA cult and corrupt politicians.
It's a wild ride, and a fun one.
The specific style of his stories and his talent for writing chaotic and stupid characters fit perfectly with the subject of a MAGA cult and corrupt politicians.
It's a wild ride, and a fun one.
June 16, 2025
I rarely tap the NYTimes best seller list for my reading material but 2025 has been such a serious slog that a new Carl Hiaasen book seemed to hold the possibility of being an effective antidote. Unlike the original Pilgrim’s Progress you have to stretch a little bit for the personalities behind the names of the characters that include:
Galaxy
Dale Frigo
Jonas Onus
Viva Morales
Twilley Spree
Claude and Electra Mink who head the Mink Foundation
Congressman Clure Bouette
The Oath Keepers, The Proud Boys and the newly formed Strokers for Liberty.
The plot revolves around the Congressman’s reelection and involves all the characters to some extent. Many less than believable but hilarious things happen on the run up to election day.The plot *(as usual) doesn’t really matter. Almost anything and everything that is currently happening (or could be happening) in Florida is held up for ridicule. Hiaasen is a master of storytelling by dialogue and his command of the various local forms of vernacular is always impressive.
Here the satire includes:
Male militias
Corrupt politicians
Ignorant tourists
White supremacists
Pet lovers
Nature lovers
Those with anger management issues
Plenty of social commentary is (as usual) thrown in and it is quite entertaining. Will Damron does very well with the many voices on the Audible version.
Galaxy
Dale Frigo
Jonas Onus
Viva Morales
Twilley Spree
Claude and Electra Mink who head the Mink Foundation
Congressman Clure Bouette
The Oath Keepers, The Proud Boys and the newly formed Strokers for Liberty.
The plot revolves around the Congressman’s reelection and involves all the characters to some extent. Many less than believable but hilarious things happen on the run up to election day.The plot *(as usual) doesn’t really matter. Almost anything and everything that is currently happening (or could be happening) in Florida is held up for ridicule. Hiaasen is a master of storytelling by dialogue and his command of the various local forms of vernacular is always impressive.
Here the satire includes:
Male militias
Corrupt politicians
Ignorant tourists
White supremacists
Pet lovers
Nature lovers
Those with anger management issues
Plenty of social commentary is (as usual) thrown in and it is quite entertaining. Will Damron does very well with the many voices on the Audible version.
July 15, 2025
2.5 stars, rounded upwards.
What happened? I used to absolutely love novels by Carl Hiaasen. In his most recent release, Fever Beach, we see a conflict between good—in the person of our main character, Viva Morales—and evil, played by a variety of Proud Boys wannabees and other undesirables. The good person is always good; the bad guys have no redeeming qualities. Only Viva’s ex-husband is a dynamic character.
Still, my thanks go to Doubleday and NetGalley for the review copy. This book is for sale now.
As I read, I keep reminding myself that this is not a book I’m supposed to take too seriously, to lighten up and just roll with it. I certainly used to do so when reading Hiaasen’s work. But perhaps because of the stereotyping and complete lack of nuance, what might otherwise have seemed droll and satirical, instead comes across like a whole lot of cheap shots fired off the bow.
Mind you, I am certainly not a fan of ultraright organizations, and the rising tide of bigotry, fascist ideology and anti-Semitism concerns me greatly. But in an already highly polarized nation and world, all I can think as I read is that this story isn’t helping. It is the snobbery and elitism of the highly educated that has driven a large number of folks into the arms of extreme right; some intelligently reject the elitism and cancel culture consciously, but they aren’t in this book. In real life, those that are poorly educated and/or intellectually handicapped, as the bad guys in this book are, would in most cases give their right arms to wake up “clever” like Viva. It strikes me as counterproductive to write a book that makes fun of right-wing intolerance, while practicing intolerance from a different angle.
Back in the day, before anyone judged anyone else by the color of their hat, I used to roar with laughter at this author’s work. Did it change, or did I? I would like to think it is the former.
I rated this book 2.5 stars and have rounded it upward, more from a fondness of his early novels than anything else. I do recall reading another of his more recent books—not for review, but just because I felt like it—and saw some of the same problems, so I will tell you that this book will probably work for you if you enjoyed his last one. Apart from that, I cannot recommend it.
What happened? I used to absolutely love novels by Carl Hiaasen. In his most recent release, Fever Beach, we see a conflict between good—in the person of our main character, Viva Morales—and evil, played by a variety of Proud Boys wannabees and other undesirables. The good person is always good; the bad guys have no redeeming qualities. Only Viva’s ex-husband is a dynamic character.
Still, my thanks go to Doubleday and NetGalley for the review copy. This book is for sale now.
As I read, I keep reminding myself that this is not a book I’m supposed to take too seriously, to lighten up and just roll with it. I certainly used to do so when reading Hiaasen’s work. But perhaps because of the stereotyping and complete lack of nuance, what might otherwise have seemed droll and satirical, instead comes across like a whole lot of cheap shots fired off the bow.
Mind you, I am certainly not a fan of ultraright organizations, and the rising tide of bigotry, fascist ideology and anti-Semitism concerns me greatly. But in an already highly polarized nation and world, all I can think as I read is that this story isn’t helping. It is the snobbery and elitism of the highly educated that has driven a large number of folks into the arms of extreme right; some intelligently reject the elitism and cancel culture consciously, but they aren’t in this book. In real life, those that are poorly educated and/or intellectually handicapped, as the bad guys in this book are, would in most cases give their right arms to wake up “clever” like Viva. It strikes me as counterproductive to write a book that makes fun of right-wing intolerance, while practicing intolerance from a different angle.
Back in the day, before anyone judged anyone else by the color of their hat, I used to roar with laughter at this author’s work. Did it change, or did I? I would like to think it is the former.
I rated this book 2.5 stars and have rounded it upward, more from a fondness of his early novels than anything else. I do recall reading another of his more recent books—not for review, but just because I felt like it—and saw some of the same problems, so I will tell you that this book will probably work for you if you enjoyed his last one. Apart from that, I cannot recommend it.
June 16, 2025
Oh Florida fiction, how I love thee! Those familiar with the author will be delighted by the madcap satire that cuts far to close to the current zany times we are all experiencing.
As is required for Florida fiction, inside you will find:
-Several kooky, madcap storylines that ultimately intersect
-Characters ingesting drugs then making terrible decisions
-Characters not ingesting drugs and making terrible decisions
-Attempts to destroy the natural beauty of the land
-Sleazy politicians that get their comeuppance, usually in an embarrassing or humiliating manner
-Reference to at least one wild animal endogenous to the state
-A happy-ish ending
If you have never experience Florida fiction but you enjoyed the Apple TV program Bad Monkey then definitely give this book a whirl, chances are very high it will tickle your fancy.
(Some other FL fiction authors: Dave Barry; Tim Dorsey)
As is required for Florida fiction, inside you will find:
-Several kooky, madcap storylines that ultimately intersect
-Characters ingesting drugs then making terrible decisions
-Characters not ingesting drugs and making terrible decisions
-Attempts to destroy the natural beauty of the land
-Sleazy politicians that get their comeuppance, usually in an embarrassing or humiliating manner
-Reference to at least one wild animal endogenous to the state
-A happy-ish ending
If you have never experience Florida fiction but you enjoyed the Apple TV program Bad Monkey then definitely give this book a whirl, chances are very high it will tickle your fancy.
(Some other FL fiction authors: Dave Barry; Tim Dorsey)
January 25, 2025
Hiaasen's back with his unique brand of laugh-out-loud satire. The Strokerz for Liberty is a group of white men in Florida who are determined to take back America. They insist that everything that goes wrong for them is the fault of migrants, Jews, and people of color. Dale, the leader of the group, works for an "adult novelties" firm whose main product, "Darcy's Dream Booty," plays an important part in the story. Dale's tenant, Viva, works for the wealthy couple funding the Strokerz under the guise of philanthropy, with the funds channeled through a crooked congressman. When Viva learns of the shady schemes of both her employer and the congressman, she and her boyfriend conspire to defeat the Strokerz. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC.
December 28, 2024
Wild and whacky as always! Hiaasen never disappoints.
May 26, 2025
Carl Hiaasen has written a hilarious political satire about dimwitted white supremacists in Florida organizing to get a sexually-perverted Congressman reelected and maybe get themselves famous and on Sean Hannity's show. Everything that can go wrong does, with the help of a Hispanic woman named Viva Morales and Twilly Spree, a wealthy man with anger management issues who wants to save the Earth, one piece at a time. Hope to see those two delightful characters again. I missed Carl's previous book Squeeze Me, a satire about Mar-a-Lago, which I look forward to reading soon.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
May 19, 2025
Bravo!
April 23, 2025
Thanks to Knopf & NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have read and enjoyed several Hiaasen books in the past (probably a decade ago) and I thought the "Bad Monkey" series on Apple was pretty great, so I figured I'd enjoy another Florida Man romp.
Weirdly, this was kind of like Bad Monkey minus the island vibes/murder and with neo Nazis tossed in. It could've been funny, but it just wasn't. Twilley Spree (WTF?) is our Andrew Yancey stand-in, except he's somehow extremely wealthy and wants to buy an island to get away from people, but until then he will infiltrate a sub-Proud Boys neo Nazi dudebro hoedown in Florida. Um, OK. He does this at the behest (sorta) of his lady friend, Viva, a good stand-in for Rosealba Campesino from BM. She is EASILY the best character, a wise Latina in a bad spot who, in the wake of a bad divorce, is working for rich asshole-political funders who switched from Democrat to Republican over a perceived slight during a fundraising dinner (Mr. Hiaasen, that is not how political affiliation works IMO) AND is renting a room from the head neo Nazi in charge (in his own mind anyway), who is being bankrolled by a good ole boy FL politician with weird sexual proclivities and a blackmail problem.
See, on paper it sounds funny, right? But it's mostly weird and icky. It *could* work as a TV series, I guess - lots of big personality characters who are little more than stereotypes. There's a guy with a dog named Himmler. It just feels like Hiaasen has veered so far into absurdist territory as to become unreadable.
I did try to make it all the way through but I quit @65%. Sorry, Carl.
I have read and enjoyed several Hiaasen books in the past (probably a decade ago) and I thought the "Bad Monkey" series on Apple was pretty great, so I figured I'd enjoy another Florida Man romp.
Weirdly, this was kind of like Bad Monkey minus the island vibes/murder and with neo Nazis tossed in. It could've been funny, but it just wasn't. Twilley Spree (WTF?) is our Andrew Yancey stand-in, except he's somehow extremely wealthy and wants to buy an island to get away from people, but until then he will infiltrate a sub-Proud Boys neo Nazi dudebro hoedown in Florida. Um, OK. He does this at the behest (sorta) of his lady friend, Viva, a good stand-in for Rosealba Campesino from BM. She is EASILY the best character, a wise Latina in a bad spot who, in the wake of a bad divorce, is working for rich asshole-political funders who switched from Democrat to Republican over a perceived slight during a fundraising dinner (Mr. Hiaasen, that is not how political affiliation works IMO) AND is renting a room from the head neo Nazi in charge (in his own mind anyway), who is being bankrolled by a good ole boy FL politician with weird sexual proclivities and a blackmail problem.
See, on paper it sounds funny, right? But it's mostly weird and icky. It *could* work as a TV series, I guess - lots of big personality characters who are little more than stereotypes. There's a guy with a dog named Himmler. It just feels like Hiaasen has veered so far into absurdist territory as to become unreadable.
I did try to make it all the way through but I quit @65%. Sorry, Carl.
June 3, 2025
It’s been a while since I picked up a Carl Hiaasen novel, and Fever Beach reminded me why that was a mistake. No one skewers Florida—or American absurdity in general—quite like he does. The book opens on a rainy afternoon with Dale Figgo, a man whose name sounds like a typo and whose life is even messier. He picks up a hitchhiker, and from that one seemingly harmless decision, we’re off on a wild ride through a landscape of corruption, extremism, and genuinely hilarious incompetence.
Figgo is one of the most ridiculous characters Hiaasen has ever written—and that’s saying something. He’s a white supremacist who managed to get himself kicked out of the Proud Boys for being too dumb. On January 6, he thought he was vandalizing a Union general’s statue; turns out it was a Confederate. The guy’s a train wreck in flip-flops.
But this isn’t just a story about a Florida Man gone rogue. The heart of the book belongs to Viva Morales, a smart, sharp woman stuck in a bad situation, and Twilly Spree, a rage-prone millionaire who hates polluters and has more money than emotional stability. Their lives collide with Figgo’s in a story that escalates quickly—thanks in no small part to a shady “philanthropic” foundation, a grotesquely ambitious congressman, and a supporting cast of villains that somehow feel both cartoonish and way too real.
The plot spins out in all directions, but never loses its momentum. Hiaasen’s pacing is relentless, his humor dark and biting, and his commentary unmistakably aimed at the present moment. There’s plenty here that feels ripped from the headlines—just filtered through a lens that amplifies the absurdity until you can’t help but laugh, even as you wince.
If you're new to Hiaasen, this might be the best entry point in years. If you’re already a fan, Fever Beach might be his most satisfying book in a long time. It’s outrageous, yes, but also grounded by a kind of moral clarity that gives the satire its edge. Nobody escapes unscathed—least of all the ones who deserve it.
Figgo is one of the most ridiculous characters Hiaasen has ever written—and that’s saying something. He’s a white supremacist who managed to get himself kicked out of the Proud Boys for being too dumb. On January 6, he thought he was vandalizing a Union general’s statue; turns out it was a Confederate. The guy’s a train wreck in flip-flops.
But this isn’t just a story about a Florida Man gone rogue. The heart of the book belongs to Viva Morales, a smart, sharp woman stuck in a bad situation, and Twilly Spree, a rage-prone millionaire who hates polluters and has more money than emotional stability. Their lives collide with Figgo’s in a story that escalates quickly—thanks in no small part to a shady “philanthropic” foundation, a grotesquely ambitious congressman, and a supporting cast of villains that somehow feel both cartoonish and way too real.
The plot spins out in all directions, but never loses its momentum. Hiaasen’s pacing is relentless, his humor dark and biting, and his commentary unmistakably aimed at the present moment. There’s plenty here that feels ripped from the headlines—just filtered through a lens that amplifies the absurdity until you can’t help but laugh, even as you wince.
If you're new to Hiaasen, this might be the best entry point in years. If you’re already a fan, Fever Beach might be his most satisfying book in a long time. It’s outrageous, yes, but also grounded by a kind of moral clarity that gives the satire its edge. Nobody escapes unscathed—least of all the ones who deserve it.
October 9, 2025
*4.5 stars
This is easily the most bonkers book I've read this year, and I must say, I enjoyed every bit of it! I really don't think a coherent description of the plot is necessary here. Just know that you'll be covering some local Florida politics, extremist groups with demented leaders, and an antihero with a heart of gold. Throw in some wacky side characters and you get an unputdownable read. Pure escapism. Recommended.
This is easily the most bonkers book I've read this year, and I must say, I enjoyed every bit of it! I really don't think a coherent description of the plot is necessary here. Just know that you'll be covering some local Florida politics, extremist groups with demented leaders, and an antihero with a heart of gold. Throw in some wacky side characters and you get an unputdownable read. Pure escapism. Recommended.
February 25, 2025
Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I loved this book! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard and so often while reading. This was the perfect palate cleanser/break from my normal thriller and romance stories. I will say that I probably enjoyed this so much because I am on the same page politically as the author, so if you're on the other side of the aisle you'll probably hate it.
This is my first book by this author but definitely won't be the last.
I loved this book! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard and so often while reading. This was the perfect palate cleanser/break from my normal thriller and romance stories. I will say that I probably enjoyed this so much because I am on the same page politically as the author, so if you're on the other side of the aisle you'll probably hate it.
This is my first book by this author but definitely won't be the last.
October 19, 2025
Carl Hiaasen 's FEVER BEACH echoes his life's work as a former journalist and
now full time novelist : conservation of Florida's wetlands and native wildlife
and their mindless destruction by corrupt politicians and land developers.
This latest volume ups the timeliness-ante by focusing on the politics: satirizing
white supremacists, unquestioning MAGA supporters and right wing extremists
with unfounded, unhinged conspiracy theories by the bucketful. Of course the
characters other than the protagonists (both male and female) bring with them
greed, unbridled ego, blackmail, ignorance and the sexual morality of a Bonobo
community*. Now add a few custom built Aston Martins and some anatomically
realistic sex toys. Off-beat character names like Jonas Onus and Twilly Spree
and Viva verify that you have now attained broad satire.
Hiaasen does not end it there. The exploration of relationships between mother
and son, father and son is at the core. "Raising kids is like roulette, except you
just can't cash in and walk away."
Some random notes on reading Hiaasen :
1. Not a fan of #47 ? Try Hiaasen's 2020 novel SQUEEZE ME.
2. This is my 19th Hiaasen, both fiction and nonfiction. Happy to be back.
3. I am neither native to Florida nor have I any stake in the state.
~~I guess corruption and stupidity are universal.
4. The language in these novels is rated R. His specialty is making up
~~compound words so his characters may disrespect each other's lack
~~of intelligence. Thus a white supremecist becomes a 'douche nozzle.'
5. My humble apologies to the Bonobo communities*.
now full time novelist : conservation of Florida's wetlands and native wildlife
and their mindless destruction by corrupt politicians and land developers.
This latest volume ups the timeliness-ante by focusing on the politics: satirizing
white supremacists, unquestioning MAGA supporters and right wing extremists
with unfounded, unhinged conspiracy theories by the bucketful. Of course the
characters other than the protagonists (both male and female) bring with them
greed, unbridled ego, blackmail, ignorance and the sexual morality of a Bonobo
community*. Now add a few custom built Aston Martins and some anatomically
realistic sex toys. Off-beat character names like Jonas Onus and Twilly Spree
and Viva verify that you have now attained broad satire.
Hiaasen does not end it there. The exploration of relationships between mother
and son, father and son is at the core. "Raising kids is like roulette, except you
just can't cash in and walk away."
Some random notes on reading Hiaasen :
1. Not a fan of #47 ? Try Hiaasen's 2020 novel SQUEEZE ME.
2. This is my 19th Hiaasen, both fiction and nonfiction. Happy to be back.
3. I am neither native to Florida nor have I any stake in the state.
~~I guess corruption and stupidity are universal.
4. The language in these novels is rated R. His specialty is making up
~~compound words so his characters may disrespect each other's lack
~~of intelligence. Thus a white supremecist becomes a 'douche nozzle.'
5. My humble apologies to the Bonobo communities*.
August 30, 2025
Oh Carl… how I’ve loved thee.
Your satire has always been my perfect cup of tea.
But you lost me on this one. Maybe I’m tired of political satire. Maybe you’ll return to Florida satire one day again.
Either way, I will always pull my Skink books out again and again for a re-read when that certain Florida wanderlust takes over my head.
Until then, may it all be well with you.
Your satire has always been my perfect cup of tea.
But you lost me on this one. Maybe I’m tired of political satire. Maybe you’ll return to Florida satire one day again.
Either way, I will always pull my Skink books out again and again for a re-read when that certain Florida wanderlust takes over my head.
Until then, may it all be well with you.
Read
May 13, 2025Fever Beach is not my first Carl Hiaasen novel. It’s a satirical commentary on current events and I found myself laughing out loud. Carl’s writing is twisted and when I read one of his books, I know I don’t have to take anything seriously, just be along for the ride.
My thanks go out to Netgalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen.
See more at http://www.fundinmental.com
My thanks go out to Netgalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen.
See more at http://www.fundinmental.com
February 22, 2025
If you like Hiaasen, as I have, you are likely to enjoy this book. It follows a tried and true Hiaasen formula of noble, if slightly off kilter hero with spunky helpmate/love interest, foil the crazy plans of half-Floridaman, half-right wing crazies.
Trouble is we’ve read this before with different, yet rhyming characters. We’ve even seen them on the recent Apple TV version of “Bad Monkey.”
I’d like to see a Hiaasen stretch where the main focus is on a crazy left-wing character who is returned to sanity by the well-reasoned, middle of the road members of an HOA. Now that could really be a breakthrough book for the author.
Trouble is we’ve read this before with different, yet rhyming characters. We’ve even seen them on the recent Apple TV version of “Bad Monkey.”
I’d like to see a Hiaasen stretch where the main focus is on a crazy left-wing character who is returned to sanity by the well-reasoned, middle of the road members of an HOA. Now that could really be a breakthrough book for the author.
March 1, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Hiaasen’s latest work. Sadly it was simply unreadable. The characters bore no resemblance to real human beings in terms of intellect or interest. There was no discernible plot.
July 12, 2025
Satiric dramady. Floridian right-wing: racist extremists; billionaire, property-developer, grifters; and an unscrupulous congressman collide with a wealthy, environmental vigilante and his smart, principled, insider, Latina GF.
”Pave paradise and put up aparking lot Gated Community of Luxury Homes”: Floridian land developer mantra.
My dead tree copy was a moderate 368 pages. It had a US 2025 copyright.
Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist and novelist. He is the author of more than 20 books of fiction. This is the latest book I have read by the author. I have read about half of his bibliography over the years. The most recent being Bad Monkey (Andrew Yancy, #1) (my review).
TL;DR Review
A denunciation of: crooked real estate deals, political corruption, bigotry and general abandonment of morality in the Floridian MAGA-verse.
Three sets of rightwing villainous characters go about their business: a dimwitted, neofascist, militant organization, wannabee leader; a mean-spirited, paying-to-play, senior, land developer couple; and a narcissistic, morally bankrupt, fetishistic congressman up for re-election.
The progressive, Latina HR Grants Administrator for the developer’s tax-dodging charity, and coincidentally the tenant of the white nationalist, also becomes pursued by the libidinous congressman. She has a serendipitous hook-up with an affluent, uber-capable, eco-activist. Liberal machinations result in the Bad Guys getting their just deserts.
Quirky characters, Set Piece Puzzle Plotting , along with humorous word play, and set piece comedy based on serendipity are trademarks of Hiaasen’s. This book has them all. However, I don’t recall the author being as angry about the general lack of moral and political order in the feverous, beachy, Florida sunshine in past books, as he was in this one? A lighter hand, less serendipity, and a more direct path to the end would have been a better book.
The Review
Hiaasen has been one of my favorite authors. I have enjoyed most his satirical, Floridian, detective thriller cross-overs. His stories are not very deep, although there was always a constant level-of-amusement. It helps that I have lived and worked in different locations within Florida in past lives. It adds personal context. This book was typical of his Floridian satires. (I think all his books of fiction are “Floridian satires”?) I saw this book released, and in need of a “beach read” bought it, I read it before even putting it on my TBR.
Writing was good. Hiaasen is a seasoned author, with many books under his belt and good editors and copyeditors at his long-time publisher Knopf. I don’t have to look hard to see his previous career as a journalist and columnist in the prose.
There were numerous POVs in this story. Hiaasen does a good job switching back and forth, but fewer POVs would have been better and led to a shorter book.
Characters were good. However, if you’ve read any of the author’s books you’ll recognize them from previous Hiaasen stories. (Hiaasen does not seem to have a great range character-wise.) The author does better with male characters than he does with female characters. His women characters are not terribly different from book-to-book. For example, the Love Interest is frequently a Latina. However, all the characters were unapologetically flawed. Still their OTT behavior was typically interesting, if lacking in some verisimilitude.
The protagonists were: Twilly Spree and Viva Morales. Spree was a leftist, trust fund baby, manipulative, Knight in Shining Armor . He’s also an Eco-Terrorist . Although, he only causes property damage. Being wealthy, when he Do the crime, he don’t do the time. He just does Community Service and Anger Management therapy. Morales, was a Plucky Girl . She's an ex-Minnesotan, Hispanic, chic, smart, and an HR Professional. Left bankrupt when her ex-husband embezzles her money and boogies, she was forced into Starting a New Life . A recent divorcee trading life in Minnesota for Florida, what can go wrong? She ends up the tenant of a neo-Nazi and the employee of fraudster property developers, both of whom commit acts beyond her Moral Event Horizon . Twilly and Morales have a leftist Meet-Cute over The New Yorker Magazine and get together for a They Fight Crime partnership with benefits.
Dale Figgo, Claude and Electra Mink and Congressional Representative Clure Boyette were the antagonists. Figgo was a neoNazi doing his dim-witted patriotic best to save the nation. One of the funniest parts of the story was Figgo’s malapropism sprinkled dialog. I had a problem with Figgo and his cohorts being more humorously incompetent and not viciously dangerous. Claude and Electra Mink were the Ecocidal Antagonists . They were a: wealthy, alcoholic, mean-spirited, senior, ultra-rightwing, bribing, fraudster couple bonded in Unholy Matrimony . Boyette was the libidinous, fetishistic, substance abusing, political nepo baby, Sleazy Politician . All of the antagonists were extreme caricatures of a type.
There were a number of other characters. Some of them may have long term series plot significance, whilst others were NPCs. Many of these characters belong to the Floridian demimonde or were recognizable as Floridian archetypes. There was no Florida Man per se but you can see him in them all.
The story contains: sex, violence and substance abuse. Sex amongst the protagonists was heteronormative, but was mildly kinky. The fetishism of the antagonists was taken to a bizarre extreme. The naughty bits were not graphic. Violence includes use of: firearms, edged weapons, and blunt force traumatic injury. There was blood, and some detailed descriptions of wounds. Characters were no more resilient than live folks. There was a moderate amount of substance abuse, all of it recreational. Substance abuse was mostly heavy use of alcohol. However, there was also use of cocaine, and overuse of medicinal morphine.
In all Hiaasen stories, a large amount of serendipity is involved. He uses this to setup his set pieces, which are typically humorous. In this story, I felt it was overdone. I could have done with fewer comedic scenes and a shorter book? I also found the humor to be a bit off. The constant drumbeat of ridiculing Republicans and the rightwing Floridian state government got tiresome.
There were three sub-plots tangled together, that’s a Third Line, Some Waiting structure. Each sub-plot involved an antagonist. They too-neatly converged and resolved themselves in the end. However, the main thread through these sub-plots was that Morales wanted to reinvent herself. She latched on to Spree for help exposing the fraud in front of her. That got complicated. The end, was unfortunately very predictable. There was also a long Epilog around “Where is Everyone Now”. That left me cold.
The story also ends with enough room for Spree and Morales to have another book together, or even separate books.
Typically, Hiaasen sets his books in southern Florida, like Miami and the Florida Keys. This book took place in a fictional, town on the northeastern coast called Tangelo Shores. From the name dropping of actual locations in the narrative, it may have been located in Volusia County or in northern Brevard County ? However, the locational details I’m used to, in his southern Florida home turf were sorely missing.
I’ve lived and worked Florida for long periods. This has always helped me in picking-out the: degree of exaggeration, common sources of ridicule, prejudices, and ironies in the Hiaasen’s stories. The narrative was not as OTT as you'd think.
In this story, all the good guys were flawed. Some of the good guys were also not terribly different from the bad guys. (For example, Spree and Boyette were both wealthy manipulators.) All the bad guys were reprehensible. However, in the end a peculiar kind of justice prevailed. It was frankly too neat. If a character was somewhat good, they ended-up OK. The really bad guys got more than what they deserved. This was in common to Hiaasen’s previous books.
Unfortunately, this was not as good a story as the earlier Skink books by the author that I’ve read. However, it was an amusing and it was ‘feels good’ read, as long as you don't own a MAGA cap.
”Pave paradise and put up a
My dead tree copy was a moderate 368 pages. It had a US 2025 copyright.
Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist and novelist. He is the author of more than 20 books of fiction. This is the latest book I have read by the author. I have read about half of his bibliography over the years. The most recent being Bad Monkey (Andrew Yancy, #1) (my review).
TL;DR Review
A denunciation of: crooked real estate deals, political corruption, bigotry and general abandonment of morality in the Floridian MAGA-verse.
Three sets of rightwing villainous characters go about their business: a dimwitted, neofascist, militant organization, wannabee leader; a mean-spirited, paying-to-play, senior, land developer couple; and a narcissistic, morally bankrupt, fetishistic congressman up for re-election.
The progressive, Latina HR Grants Administrator for the developer’s tax-dodging charity, and coincidentally the tenant of the white nationalist, also becomes pursued by the libidinous congressman. She has a serendipitous hook-up with an affluent, uber-capable, eco-activist. Liberal machinations result in the Bad Guys getting their just deserts.
Quirky characters, Set Piece Puzzle Plotting , along with humorous word play, and set piece comedy based on serendipity are trademarks of Hiaasen’s. This book has them all. However, I don’t recall the author being as angry about the general lack of moral and political order in the feverous, beachy, Florida sunshine in past books, as he was in this one? A lighter hand, less serendipity, and a more direct path to the end would have been a better book.
The Review
Hiaasen has been one of my favorite authors. I have enjoyed most his satirical, Floridian, detective thriller cross-overs. His stories are not very deep, although there was always a constant level-of-amusement. It helps that I have lived and worked in different locations within Florida in past lives. It adds personal context. This book was typical of his Floridian satires. (I think all his books of fiction are “Floridian satires”?) I saw this book released, and in need of a “beach read” bought it, I read it before even putting it on my TBR.
Writing was good. Hiaasen is a seasoned author, with many books under his belt and good editors and copyeditors at his long-time publisher Knopf. I don’t have to look hard to see his previous career as a journalist and columnist in the prose.
There were numerous POVs in this story. Hiaasen does a good job switching back and forth, but fewer POVs would have been better and led to a shorter book.
Characters were good. However, if you’ve read any of the author’s books you’ll recognize them from previous Hiaasen stories. (Hiaasen does not seem to have a great range character-wise.) The author does better with male characters than he does with female characters. His women characters are not terribly different from book-to-book. For example, the Love Interest is frequently a Latina. However, all the characters were unapologetically flawed. Still their OTT behavior was typically interesting, if lacking in some verisimilitude.
The protagonists were: Twilly Spree and Viva Morales. Spree was a leftist, trust fund baby, manipulative, Knight in Shining Armor . He’s also an Eco-Terrorist . Although, he only causes property damage. Being wealthy, when he Do the crime, he don’t do the time. He just does Community Service and Anger Management therapy. Morales, was a Plucky Girl . She's an ex-Minnesotan, Hispanic, chic, smart, and an HR Professional. Left bankrupt when her ex-husband embezzles her money and boogies, she was forced into Starting a New Life . A recent divorcee trading life in Minnesota for Florida, what can go wrong? She ends up the tenant of a neo-Nazi and the employee of fraudster property developers, both of whom commit acts beyond her Moral Event Horizon . Twilly and Morales have a leftist Meet-Cute over The New Yorker Magazine and get together for a They Fight Crime partnership with benefits.
Dale Figgo, Claude and Electra Mink and Congressional Representative Clure Boyette were the antagonists. Figgo was a neoNazi doing his dim-witted patriotic best to save the nation. One of the funniest parts of the story was Figgo’s malapropism sprinkled dialog. I had a problem with Figgo and his cohorts being more humorously incompetent and not viciously dangerous. Claude and Electra Mink were the Ecocidal Antagonists . They were a: wealthy, alcoholic, mean-spirited, senior, ultra-rightwing, bribing, fraudster couple bonded in Unholy Matrimony . Boyette was the libidinous, fetishistic, substance abusing, political nepo baby, Sleazy Politician . All of the antagonists were extreme caricatures of a type.
There were a number of other characters. Some of them may have long term series plot significance, whilst others were NPCs. Many of these characters belong to the Floridian demimonde or were recognizable as Floridian archetypes. There was no Florida Man per se but you can see him in them all.
The story contains: sex, violence and substance abuse. Sex amongst the protagonists was heteronormative, but was mildly kinky. The fetishism of the antagonists was taken to a bizarre extreme. The naughty bits were not graphic. Violence includes use of: firearms, edged weapons, and blunt force traumatic injury. There was blood, and some detailed descriptions of wounds. Characters were no more resilient than live folks. There was a moderate amount of substance abuse, all of it recreational. Substance abuse was mostly heavy use of alcohol. However, there was also use of cocaine, and overuse of medicinal morphine.
In all Hiaasen stories, a large amount of serendipity is involved. He uses this to setup his set pieces, which are typically humorous. In this story, I felt it was overdone. I could have done with fewer comedic scenes and a shorter book? I also found the humor to be a bit off. The constant drumbeat of ridiculing Republicans and the rightwing Floridian state government got tiresome.
There were three sub-plots tangled together, that’s a Third Line, Some Waiting structure. Each sub-plot involved an antagonist. They too-neatly converged and resolved themselves in the end. However, the main thread through these sub-plots was that Morales wanted to reinvent herself. She latched on to Spree for help exposing the fraud in front of her. That got complicated. The end, was unfortunately very predictable. There was also a long Epilog around “Where is Everyone Now”. That left me cold.
The story also ends with enough room for Spree and Morales to have another book together, or even separate books.
Typically, Hiaasen sets his books in southern Florida, like Miami and the Florida Keys. This book took place in a fictional, town on the northeastern coast called Tangelo Shores. From the name dropping of actual locations in the narrative, it may have been located in Volusia County or in northern Brevard County ? However, the locational details I’m used to, in his southern Florida home turf were sorely missing.
I’ve lived and worked Florida for long periods. This has always helped me in picking-out the: degree of exaggeration, common sources of ridicule, prejudices, and ironies in the Hiaasen’s stories. The narrative was not as OTT as you'd think.
In this story, all the good guys were flawed. Some of the good guys were also not terribly different from the bad guys. (For example, Spree and Boyette were both wealthy manipulators.) All the bad guys were reprehensible. However, in the end a peculiar kind of justice prevailed. It was frankly too neat. If a character was somewhat good, they ended-up OK. The really bad guys got more than what they deserved. This was in common to Hiaasen’s previous books.
Unfortunately, this was not as good a story as the earlier Skink books by the author that I’ve read. However, it was an amusing and it was ‘feels good’ read, as long as you don't own a MAGA cap.
May 27, 2025
Carl Hiaasen is one of my favorite authors and I was excited when I heard he was about to publish another of his outlandish adult novels so I immediately put my name on the wait list at the library. I was glad to read Fever Beach which is another very funny satirical novel that is his followup to Squeeze Me where he poked at Trump and his followers during his first term. In this one, the focus is on a group of White Supremacists in Florida called the "Strokerz for Liberty" which is headed by a not-too-bright racist named Dale Figgo. Figgo's right-hand man is Jonas Onus a radical conspiracy follower whose dog is named Himmler. Other wackos in the group include Skid Mark, Raw Dog, Bottle Rocket, and Komodo. Figgo is trying to up his game after he was ostracized from the Proud Boys because he spread dog shit on a statue of a confederate hero in the Capitol during the January 6th insurrection. Figgo is backed by a crooked Congressman named Clure Boyette who wants the group to ensure his reelection by patrolling the polling place in his home town. And in turn, Boyette is funded by the Minks, a wealthy couple who want to develop a former orange grove into condominiums. But then along comes Twilly Spree, an independently wealthy do-gooder who gets easily triggered by anyone who trashes the environment. He at one point picks up a discarded cigarette and puts it out in the ear of the litterbug who tossed it! And he definitely is against the further development of the landscape of Florida. He along with a woman named Viva who rents a room from Figgo, are out to stop the Minks development as well as Dale Figgo and the Strokerz' goal to get Boyette reelected.
This novel is full of Hiaasenesque humor and his usual wacky characters. It satirizes far right extremists who follow Fox News and conservatives such as Tucker Carlson, Rush Limbaugh, and Steve Bannon and as usual, Hiaasen hits his mark.
This novel is full of Hiaasenesque humor and his usual wacky characters. It satirizes far right extremists who follow Fox News and conservatives such as Tucker Carlson, Rush Limbaugh, and Steve Bannon and as usual, Hiaasen hits his mark.
June 25, 2025
Hiaasen enthusiasts can expect another home-run (before falling into the grief cycle and back list re-reads that is the time between new Hiaasen books.)
Readers unfamiliar to Hiaasen’s ouevre should be prepared for a wholly original, satirical tale featuring the dumbest white Supremacists you will ever meet, corrupt politicans, unsexy sex stuff, and one man who walks the fringes of society and is prepared to take names and blow shit up. And everything eventually ties back to greed and overdevelopment in Florida.
I stumbled upon Hiaasen in high school, when I was still a fervent consumer of whatever the YA publishing world was churning out at that time. I can almost guarantee that if my Mom had any idea of the Hiaasen world, that he would have been as off limits as The Exorcist. I don’t think I understood Hiaasen was holding a mirror up to the plagues of the late 20th/21st century, but I couldn’t get enough of the sheer insanity. An adult now, I don’t see Hiaasen’s stories as far from reality as I used to. But even as his satire reads more like nonfiction (his release prior to this title especially) he still manages to make me laugh.
The best part about any Hiaasen story is that, while he makes clear corruption in Florida is endemic, a little piece is taken back and the bad guys get their comeuppance. That part, at least, seems to remain firmly fictional.
Readers unfamiliar to Hiaasen’s ouevre should be prepared for a wholly original, satirical tale featuring the dumbest white Supremacists you will ever meet, corrupt politicans, unsexy sex stuff, and one man who walks the fringes of society and is prepared to take names and blow shit up. And everything eventually ties back to greed and overdevelopment in Florida.
I stumbled upon Hiaasen in high school, when I was still a fervent consumer of whatever the YA publishing world was churning out at that time. I can almost guarantee that if my Mom had any idea of the Hiaasen world, that he would have been as off limits as The Exorcist. I don’t think I understood Hiaasen was holding a mirror up to the plagues of the late 20th/21st century, but I couldn’t get enough of the sheer insanity. An adult now, I don’t see Hiaasen’s stories as far from reality as I used to. But even as his satire reads more like nonfiction (his release prior to this title especially) he still manages to make me laugh.
The best part about any Hiaasen story is that, while he makes clear corruption in Florida is endemic, a little piece is taken back and the bad guys get their comeuppance. That part, at least, seems to remain firmly fictional.
June 29, 2025
I have only read a few of Carl Hiaasen’s books, but I enjoy his satire. This book was funny and deplorable at the same time. Carl’s writing style is so well versed in satire. This book won’t be for everyone - but I very much enjoyed it.
May 16, 2025
perfect - no notes. This was the most fun I’ve had reading a book in a LONG time.
With the current state of the world being a miserable disaster where you constantly feel like you’re insane reading the news each day - this was the exact book I needed to read to lighten the doom and gloom.
I had never even heard of Carl Hiaasen before reading this and I cannot wait to go through his backlist. This was a hilarious, fun read with the most interesting (and mostly vile) cast of characters. I neeed a second book with Twilly and Viva though.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
With the current state of the world being a miserable disaster where you constantly feel like you’re insane reading the news each day - this was the exact book I needed to read to lighten the doom and gloom.
I had never even heard of Carl Hiaasen before reading this and I cannot wait to go through his backlist. This was a hilarious, fun read with the most interesting (and mostly vile) cast of characters. I neeed a second book with Twilly and Viva though.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
May 21, 2025
Not his best book
Carl Hiaasen has become very derivative — of himself. Many of his characters are near clones of those in his other books. His situations are often absurd enough to be humorous, but not this time. It’s more of the usual diatribes about the rape of Florida, corrupt politicians, and the iconoclastic hero. Highly formulaic.
Carl Hiaasen has become very derivative — of himself. Many of his characters are near clones of those in his other books. His situations are often absurd enough to be humorous, but not this time. It’s more of the usual diatribes about the rape of Florida, corrupt politicians, and the iconoclastic hero. Highly formulaic.
May 27, 2025
IMO Hiaasen's world is not so far removed from the one that exists right now. This interfered with my appreciating the characters and situations as just funny, clever exaggerations.
May 14, 2025
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoy Carl Hiassen's books--this one, not so much.
The humor is still there. The plot careens back and forth a bit too much; I found it repetitive.
The MAGA buffoons/bigots are pervasive. The characters are wacky--and so is the "plot." Politics, corruption, racism, anti-Semitism prevail. Some laugh out loud moments. Entertaining but often depressing because of the sorry [political] state we are in--exemplified by the the nitwits in this book. Aside from the group of idiots led by Dale Figgo, there are the Minks--philanthropists out for themselves, and of course, a corrupt politician {Congressmean Clure Boyette]. And many other characters. The mixed up word play, especially by Figgo is hilarious. But not enough to elevate the book.
Some great descriptions:
"pale as a cauliflower and extremely overfed"
"teeth like roof tiles"
I looked it up but found no explanation for a goat wedding which is mentioned several times!
So if you like Hiassen, you will enjoy this tome--and NB--I did enjoy the ending/how he wrapped up the story!
I enjoy Carl Hiassen's books--this one, not so much.
The humor is still there. The plot careens back and forth a bit too much; I found it repetitive.
The MAGA buffoons/bigots are pervasive. The characters are wacky--and so is the "plot." Politics, corruption, racism, anti-Semitism prevail. Some laugh out loud moments. Entertaining but often depressing because of the sorry [political] state we are in--exemplified by the the nitwits in this book. Aside from the group of idiots led by Dale Figgo, there are the Minks--philanthropists out for themselves, and of course, a corrupt politician {Congressmean Clure Boyette]. And many other characters. The mixed up word play, especially by Figgo is hilarious. But not enough to elevate the book.
Some great descriptions:
"pale as a cauliflower and extremely overfed"
"teeth like roof tiles"
I looked it up but found no explanation for a goat wedding which is mentioned several times!
So if you like Hiassen, you will enjoy this tome--and NB--I did enjoy the ending/how he wrapped up the story!
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