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trampled flat. Artemus escapes the chaos but is mortified to learn that Willie snapped photos of the fiasco. Clapley's death dooms the Toad Island project. Apart from his many lobbying clients and crony politicians, only a few friends and family members show up at Stoat's funeral. Desi is among the mourners, during which she is approached by McGuinn, holding a note with Twilly's new address on it. Meanwhile, Twilly and Skink are driving along the highway when they see another group of litterbugs. They immediately agree they have to teach them a lesson.
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wives, tell racist jokes, flaunt their wealth in unusually obnoxious ways, and mangle the lyrics to good rock-and-roll songs. They do not just do bad things, like steal wheelchairs, shoot cops, and scam retirees; they are bad people, "maggots," "vermin," "cretins," "sleazeballs," "sewer scum," "reprobates," "whorehoppers." They care more about their golf games than their families, and more about money than anything else on earth. They drive Range Rovers with "COJONES" on their vanity plates. They don't listen and they don't learn.
674:]. His bad guys are the baddest, and his good guys are anything but the Dudley Dorights of popular fiction. How does Hiaasen come up with his new means of doling out justice to the terminally greedy? Just when you think, "they'll never get out of this mess," he devises a plan, and they're off and running.
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Now you have land use attorneys whose job it is to get around master plans and zoning restrictions, and they make good livings off finding loopholes or making loopholes so people can build something where they weren't intended to build it. A good example is Key West. . . . They live off the
Hemingway
318:
Twilly is on the verge of shooting
Clapley, but McGuinn runs into the preserve and nips playfully at the rhino's tail. The rhino–so ancient that it has hardly moved since it arrived at the ranch–goes berserk and charges at the hunting party. Clapley is gored to death on the rhino's horn, and Stoat is
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Sick Puppy is ultimately as unforgiving as nature's order. The characters are not likeable. There is no redemption or apology. But that's
Hiaasen's design. In the end, we are treated to one of his favorite devices, the epilogue with thumbnail descriptions of the fates of many of his characters. Some
462:
Although some of the themes of the novel may suggest an autobiographical element the author himself shrugs off at least one aspect of this parallel. The main character Twilly and himself both had attorney forebears who lived in
Southern Florida, but the development in this area came as a surprise to
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Desi becomes attracted to Twilly, and the two eventually develop a relationship. Stoat is disgusted and washes his hands of her and McGuinn, telling Twilly that the bridge is going up no matter what he does. A violent confrontation with Twilly, Desi and Skink on Toad Island leaves Mr. Gash mortally
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and by Desi herself. Desi, who is increasingly unhappy with her marriage, tells Twilly that he is "aiming low" if he is trying to correct Stoat's misbehavior. She guides him to Toad Island, where
Clapley's construction crew has deliberately buried thousands of oak toads to avoid later protest by
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Carl
Hiaasen is South Florida's literary proctologist: he examines the region's assholes. The rapacious villains of Hiaasen's crime novels do not just commit murder, extortion, assault, fraud, and every conceivable variety of larceny; they also park in handicapped spaces, cheat on their trophy
291:", who vanished in the mid-1970s after a short term of office and is said to be hiding in the remaining wilderness of Florida. Artemus knows that Skink's mentally disturbed elder brother, Doyle, is still on the state's payroll as the keeper of an abandoned
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of the scoundrels prosper, some don't. There's the sense that there is more work to be done. Sure, Hiaasen himself may not be ready to kidnap the dogs of unregenerate litterbugs or clobber drunken jet skiers, but it's the thought that counts.
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company executives who have "persuaded their
Jamaican and Haitian cane pickers to donate generously - well beyond their means, in fact - to reelection account." This scam - using the names of migrant workers to cover illegal
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and threatens to put him on the street if Skink doesn't apprehend Twilly. Artemus fails to realize the dire consequences of threatening Skink, or of putting him and Twilly in contact with each other.
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funding for the bridge but has no intention of letting the project fail. He tells
Clapley and Artemus that the funding can be put back into the budget later, through a special session of the
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mystique, they trade on the
Hemingway mystique, constantly. If Hemingway were alive, he'd take a flame-thrower to Duval Street, and that's the truth. Fifty T-shirt shops? Give me a break.
228:. The project requires the construction of a massive new bridge to the mainland to accommodate Clapley's cement trucks. On the recommendation of Richard "Dick" Artemus, a corrupt
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One of Stoat's most annoying (to his wife) habits is using snippets from classic rock songs in everyday conversation, especially because he always gets the lyrics wrong:
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environmentalists. Twilly orders Desi to tell Stoat that he will kill the dog if he doesn't stop the bridge project. Stoat dismisses the threat until Twilly sends him a
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303:. Despite her pleadings, Twilly is still committed to stopping the Toad Island project. Accompanied by Skink, Twilly trails Stoat, Clapley and Artemus to a private
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287:, Mr. Gash, to kill Twilly, while Artemus, in an effort to avoid the project being tainted by a violent death, locates ex-governor Clinton Tyree, a.k.a. "
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Palmer Stoat to expedite the government funding for the bridge construction. By random happenstance, Stoat becomes subject to the obsessive wrath of
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Twilly arranges ironic pranks–hijacking a garbage truck and dumping its load into Desi's convertible, and filling Stoat's Range Rover with
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Krimmler, Clapley's project manager, justifies his decision to bury the oak toad habitat on the island by referring to the
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840:" by using the word "stick" instead. Hiaasen used the same malapropism in the title of a January 5, 2018, column for the
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1032:"As told by Carl Hiaasen, Steve Bannon clarifies his mean quotes about the Trumps in the Fire and Fury | Miami Herald"
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255:–but is aggravated when Stoat continues to litter. When he breaks into Stoat's home, he is confronted by his massive
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donations - was also used by the sugar cane industry to support the corrupt
Congressman Dilbeck in Hiaasen's novel
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Skink humiliates Governor Artemus inside the executive mansion in a way that reminds Artemus of the fate of
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A subplot of the novel is based on Stoat's, and later Clapley's, obsession with the use of
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reserve in northern Florida, where Stoat has arranged for Clapley to shoot a
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has been reviewed well and one example describes Hiaasen's skills thus.
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Twilly Spree after he witnesses him litter the highway from his luxury
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to whom Clapley has given large campaign contributions, Clapley hires
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This book is the fourth appearance of Hiaasen's recurring character
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and win over Willie Vasquez-Washington, a crucial member of the
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929:"Hiaasen Adds Pop Slut Cherry Pye to Snooki, Palin: Interview"
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416:: Tyree's best friend and former bodyguard, an officer of the
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One of Palmer's lobbying clients, mentioned in passing, is a
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431:: owner of the construction company developing Toad Island
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discusses similar politics during the late 19th century.
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Allusions to actual history, science, and current events
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224:on Toad Island, the home to a large population of
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678:Other reviews praised the novel's harder edges.
437:: construction project supervisor on Toad Island
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697:made several references to the characters of
463:him and his attorney father and grandfather.
248:residence he shares with his wife, Desirata.
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443:: staff biologist employed by Roger Roothaus
380:: Clapley's girlfriends, his planned future
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716:The title of the book inspired the name of
648:comes along and makes my guy look like the
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573:Twilly renames Stoat's dog after guitarist
331:: college dropout, millionaire, protagonist
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791:Twilly Spree reappears in Hiaasen's books
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1336:Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World
782:, aka Skink, who was first introduced in
846:, written as a mock apology letter from
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364:: Governor Artemus's executive assistant
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687:In his review of Hiaasen's later novel
481:"I read the newspaper today, oh boy." (
315:who is opposed to the special session.
916:Carl Hiaasen: Sunshine State Satirist
557:"You can't always do who you want." (
7:
1091:Author's own site entry on the novel
521:"Blond sugar, like the song says." (
885:MacDonald, Jay Lee (January 2000).
657:Literary significance and criticism
503:"I'm having a tough day's night." (
492:"Come on, baby, light my candle." (
559:You Can't Always Get What You Want
244:. Twilly tracks Stoat back to the
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337:: lobbyist and political fixer
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393:who only services registered
971:Schmutterer, Martin (2000).
510:"You're thick as a stick." (
425:: the "Mayor" of Toad Island
410:: former governor of Florida
1436:Environmental fiction books
808:United States Congresswoman
550:"Happiness is a hot gun." (
275:Stoat convinces Artemus to
264:Labrador's severed ear via
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1001:Grunwald, Michael (2004).
977:Curled Up With a Good Book
323:Characters in "Sick Puppy"
630:In a 2010 interview with
610:'s character in the film
368:Willie Vasquez-Washington
216:Robert Clapley, a former
24:
1431:Eco-terrorism in fiction
568:Snail darter controversy
539:"Wouldn't It Be Great" (
532:"He's a no-place man." (
402:: Clapley's hired killer
374:Appropriations Committee
1374:Film and TV adaptations
552:Happiness Is a Warm Gun
370:: Vice Chairman of the
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1363:Naked Came the Manatee
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561:by The Rolling Stones)
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418:Florida Highway Patrol
356:Richard "Dick" Artemus
1446:Alfred A. Knopf books
1441:Novels set in Florida
891:First Person Bookpage
740:A Friend of the Earth
358:: Governor of Florida
16:Novel by Carl Hiaasen
1421:2000 American novels
1311:Skink - No Surrender
735:T. Coraghessan Boyle
163:PS3558.I217 S53 2000
1069:. Alfred A. Knopf.
1003:"Skinny Dip review"
973:"Sick Puppy review"
948:"Sick Puppy review"
541:Wouldn't It Be Nice
441:Dr. Steven Brinkman
281:Florida legislature
230:governor of Florida
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1271:Young adult novels
946:Shea, Roz (2006).
850:to then-President
810:wishing to reward
711:Cultural influence
640:, Hiaasen said of
527:The Rolling Stones
505:A Hard Day's Night
451:Labrador Retriever
362:Lisa June Peterson
283:. Clapley sends a
257:Labrador Retriever
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1061:(February 2000).
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695:Michael Grunwald
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588:smoking on then-
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1140:
1127:Carl Hiaasen
1064:
1042:the original
1037:Miami Herald
1035:
1026:
1015:. Retrieved
1011:the original
1007:Swamp Things
1006:
996:
985:. Retrieved
981:the original
976:
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955:. Retrieved
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918:, Chapter 4.
915:
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899:. Retrieved
895:the original
890:
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852:Donald Trump
848:Steve Bannon
843:Miami Herald
841:
830:malapropisms
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722:Sick Puppies
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458:Major themes
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414:Lt. Jim Tile
413:
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382:Barbie Twins
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238:ecoterrorist
222:condominiums
215:
212:Plot summary
206:Carl Hiaasen
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184:
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41:Carl Hiaasen
1328:Non-fiction
1261:Fever Beach
1230:Star Island
1222:Nature Girl
1206:Basket Case
1174:Strip Tease
834:Jethro Tull
822:Strip Tease
755:Henry Adams
637:Star Island
625:aphrodisiac
613:Deliverance
534:Nowhere Man
523:Brown Sugar
516:Jethro Tull
487:The Beatles
449:: Palmer's
395:Republicans
345:trophy wife
343:: Palmer's
242:Range Rover
186:Basket Case
20:Sick Puppy
1415:Categories
1398:Bad Monkey
1382:Striptease
1254:Squeeze Me
1246:Razor Girl
1238:Bad Monkey
1214:Skinny Dip
1198:Sick Puppy
1158:Skin Tight
1065:Sick Puppy
1052:References
1017:2013-08-12
987:2006-12-12
957:2006-12-12
901:2006-12-12
817:hard money
794:Skinny Dip
773:Continuity
720:rock band
718:Australian
699:Sick Puppy
690:Skinny Dip
662:Sick Puppy
650:Dalai Lama
642:Sick Puppy
608:Ned Beatty
601:cigar tube
293:lighthouse
202:2000 novel
197:Sick Puppy
151:813/.54 21
1190:Lucky You
873:Footnotes
760:Democracy
757:'s novel
737:'s novel
590:President
579:The Byrds
498:The Doors
391:call girl
226:oak toads
173:Lucky You
103:Paperback
78:February
63:Publisher
1344:Kick Ass
858:'s book
729:See also
400:Mr. Gash
262:roadkill
234:lobbyist
138:41565087
99:Hardback
55:Language
1318:Wrecker
749:ecotage
387:Estella
301:Atlanta
285:hit man
270:McGuinn
97:Print (
58:English
1401:(2024)
1393:(2006)
1385:(1996)
1366:(1996)
1347:(1999)
1339:(1998)
1320:(2023)
1314:(2014)
1306:(2012)
1298:(2009)
1290:(2005)
1282:(2002)
1263:(2025)
1257:(2020)
1249:(2016)
1241:(2013)
1233:(2010)
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1217:(2004)
1209:(2002)
1201:(2000)
1193:(1997)
1185:(1995)
1177:(1993)
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1145:(1985)
1134:Novels
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866:Ivanka
836:song "
623:as an
188:
175:
101:&
37:Author
1355:Other
1303:Chomp
1287:Flush
812:sugar
586:cigar
289:Skink
266:FedEx
200:is a
110:Pages
1390:Hoot
1295:Scat
1279:Hoot
1071:ISBN
800:Scat
797:and
747:and
389:: a
277:veto
132:OCLC
119:ISBN
80:2000
671:sic
543:by
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