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Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen
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Double Whammy (original 1987; edition 2005)

by Carl Hiaasen (Author)

Series: Skink (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
2,010418,042 (3.73)33
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Humor (Fiction.) HTML:??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… (more)
Member:MHanover10
Title:Double Whammy
Authors:Carl Hiaasen (Author)
Info:Grand Central Publishing (2005), 416 pages
Collections:Your library, Currently reading, Wishlist, To read, Read but unowned, Favorites
Rating:***
Tags:nonfiction-read

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Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen (1987)

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» See also 33 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 41 (next | show all)
Excellent ( )
  freshmenarerats | Jan 22, 2024 |
Aaaahhhh... this was just what I needed to get out of my reading slump. I listened to it on audio, and I found myself cackling, gaping in shock, and rewinding just so I could hear a particularly crazy bit again. I absolutely adored Skink. He stole every scene he was in. So imagine my delight to see that this is labelled as the "Skink series", not the "RJ Decker series. I liked RJ well enough, but Skink was something special.

I loved returning to the 80s, to a world where cellphones and the internet weren't ubiquitous, photos were still developed using film in darkrooms, and tape recorders were necessary for surveillance. The world of competitive bass finishing was absurd enough to keep me thoroughly entertained throughout. Throw in an evangelist TV preacher, heaps of rednecks, and crazy fishermen and I just couldn't get enough. ( )
  Elizabeth_Cooper | Oct 27, 2023 |
paperback
  SueJBeard | Feb 14, 2023 |
my first Hiaasen book. been hooked ever since. ( )
  btbell_lt | Aug 1, 2022 |
The first of Hiaasen's Skink stories. Very funny and very weird. A fraudulent TV preacher with a sports and fishing TV network wants to build a huge housing development in Florida. A bass fishing tournament will be the kickoff event for the development. Skink, the former Governor of Florida, and a bunch of other characters who will appear in later books are here. The destruction of Florida's natural treasures for profit is always part of Carl Hiaasen's writing. A major character is Queenie a very large bass fish that Skink is fond of. What will happen? Too many surprises to spoil so I won't, just read it. The 1987 era of the book shows in pay phones and flared trousers. ( )
  MMc009 | Jan 30, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 41 (next | show all)
A Miami Herald reporter who struck a blow against corrupt entrepreneurs in Tourist Season, Hiaasen follows through with this acid satire, a real double whammy. Private detective R. J. Decker is hired to prove that TV host Dickie Lockhart cheats to win fortunes in Florida bass-fishing tournaments. The investigation makes Decker a prey to hired killers who have murdered other "snoops," but the detective also finds a strong if weird ally in a hermit who calls himself Skink. Along with two honest cops, Skink goes with Decker to the lake where a big tournament is under way and the four make a tremendous splash, to the dismay of the assembly. Hardest hit is Reverend Weeb, Lockhart's sponsor on the Outdoor Christian Network, whose generous supporters don't know that he's addicted to prostitutes, profanity and land-grabbing. The cast of bizarre characters and the suspenseful events confirm Hiaasen's reputation for creating singular villains and heroes. While he's probably unpopular among some fellow citizens in his home state, he will certainly please readers who appreciate the Swiftian wit in his cautionary tales.
added by kthomp25 | editPublisher's Weekly
 
The "double whammy" is a special lure used in the competitive bass fishing underlying the plot of this thriller by Miami journalist Hiaasen ( The Tourist Season ). Someone is cheating at bass fishing competitions, and people are getting killed. Enter R.J. Decker, former photojournalist and ex-con. Decker teams up with Skink, an unbelievable character who lives in a forest shack, eats road-killed animals, and reads Dostoyevsky (and turns out to be the ex-governor of Florida). Decker's an unlikely hero, always a step behind. Other characters include the usual corrupt TV evangelists, rednecks, smart black policemen, and betrayingly beautiful women. The action is swift, and there are some very funny scenes. Louise A. Merriam, L.E. Phillips Memorial P.L., Eau Claire, Wis.
added by kthomp25 | editLouise A. Merriam, Library Journal
 
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In memory of Clyde Ingalls
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On the morning of January 6, two hours before dawn, a man named Robert Clinch rolled out of bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Humor (Fiction.) HTML:??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

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Hachette Book Group

2 editions of this book were published by Hachette Book Group.

Editions: 0446352764, 0446695661

Recorded Books

An edition of this book was published by Recorded Books.

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