419:. Readers may believe that Skip Wiley is a slightly more crazed version of the author; both are newspaper columnists, and both are very passionate and entertaining writers. One theme that persists in the book is moral ambiguity; while Brian Keyes understands the value of Skip Wiley's ends, Keyes would have preferred a less violent means. Their conflict arises as a matter of where they place their allegiance: Brian Keyes to humankind, and Skip Wiley to the wild.
261:, is hired to help defend petty burglar Ernesto Cabal, who was caught driving Sparky's stolen car. Brian does not believe that Ernesto killed Sparky, but Miami police dismiss him. Ernesto commits suicide when told by his own lawyer that the case is a lost cause. Brian is then hired by Nell Bellamy to find her missing husband (the first tourist victim) and by
230:'s natural beauty from destruction is to violently dissuade tourists from visiting and/or settling in the state. Recruiting three comrades with similar vendettas against the Florida establishment, they begin a spree of flashy kidnappings, murders and bombings to frighten off new arrivals. Their first victim is B.D. "Sparky" Harper, the head of
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or to provide the beauty queen with visible police protection, Al suggests hiring Brian as her undercover bodyguard. Brian finds the beauty queen, Kara Lynn
Shivers, to be an intelligent and sensible girl who is only in the beauty queen "racket" to indulge her father. Brian and Kara Lynn grow closer,
292:". The terrorists retaliate with several bombings, forcing the authorities to take them seriously. Brian's old friend, Detective Al Garcia, is appointed head of a task force to catch the terrorists. Based on Skip's hints, Brian, Cab and Al deduce that the terrorists plan to kidnap Miami's much-touted
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Before Skip can depart, Brian arrives and disables him with a bullet to the leg. Skip initially refuses to tell Brian where he has anchored his boat, prepared to let the dynamite claim the three of them all at once. However, upon realizing that Brian has brought Jenna along, he surrenders the boat's
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is a "soft" medical discipline and those that practice it are not "real" doctors. This novel features the first such joke: aboard the Orange Bowl cruise, a tourist couple introduce themselves as a doctor and his wife; a few minutes later when his wife is bitten by a snake the "doctor" does nothing,
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at committing terrorist acts, but in fact is completely inept at anything except writing snappy press releases (a number of farcical situations in the novel arise from his attempts to plant homemade bombs). His militant politics are also something of a pose, since he was born and raised in
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to Al. Farcically, the bomb is instead opened by an over-eager Ricky, illegally sifting Garcia's mail for clues about the terrorists. Because of Jesús' poor construction, the bomb only injures Ricky. Al never learns that the bomb was addressed to him, and the bombing is attributed to
512:. Wiley wants to save the Florida environment by scaring tourists out of Florida. Wiley reasons that the entire Florida economy is dependent on tourism and emigration from other parts of America, and that without it the whole state structure will collapse.
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is summoned, the helicopter unexpectedly crashes at sea before it reaches land. No bodies are recovered. Miami's civic leaders assume the terrorists are dead, but Brian and Al insist that their security precautions remain in place until after the parade.
273:. Revealing himself, Skip tells Brian to return to Miami and spread the word of the group's demands. He then has Brian watch as their latest victim is fed to Pavlov. Brian tries to stop the murder and is stabbed in the back by one of Skip's followers, a
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football team, Wilson was cut from the team after critically injuring both knees. After several years as a drug addict and a petty criminal, he has cleaned up, educated himself, and dreams of revenge on the white-dominated establishment of
357:, though one of the terrorists, ex-football player "Viceroy" Wilson, is shot to death by her unofficial escort. Brian deduces from Skip's old press clippings that he has taken Kara Lynn to Osprey Island, a small
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nesting there into taking flight before the dynamite explodes. The novel ends just as the "all clear" signal for the detonation is sounded, with the three of them whispering the same prayer: "Please fly away."
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group (the "First
Weekend in July Movement") in Florida seeking to drive Castro from power and let Cuban exiles return home. Jesús was expelled from the movement after one mistake too many. Overflowing with
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The terrorist group that Jesus Bernal belongs to, "The First
Weekend in July Movement," is fictional, but Bernal refers to several real-life anti-Castro terrorist groups operating in South Florida, including
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When Reed
Shivers, Kara Lynn's father, dismisses the risk to his daughter's safety from "a bunch of losers," Keyes reminds him that "one nut can shoot the damn President in Dealey Plaza," referring to the
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Hiaasen's novels typically deal with distinctly
Floridian themes such as environmental destruction of unique ecosystems, the inability to sustain rapid growth, and crooked politicians, among others.
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in the parking lot and beats him into submission with a racket. Furious that Jesús has foiled the group's element of surprise, Skip devises a new plan. Jesús, aching for reinstatement with the anti-
731:, the fictional "Amazing Kingdom" theme park carries heavy influence with South Florida politicians, largely because they blame Disney World for siphoning tourists' custom from South Florida to
463:. Energetic and ambitious, Bloodworth yearns for success in journalism, but lacks all the other qualities necessary for a good reporter, including sensitivity, tact, and basic writing skills.
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location. To Brian's surprise, he refuses to go along with them. As they speed away from the island, Keyes, Kara Lynn and Jenna look back and see Skip is climbing a tree, trying to scare a
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into a multi-million dollar business for his tribe, and is also deeply aggrieved by the white men's actions against his ancestors, and their destruction of
Florida's natural beauty.
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to be executed. Al is wounded in the shoulder by Jesús' shotgun, but Brian manages to track them down and kills Jesús. To Brian's surprise, the parade proceeds without any sign of
756:. He is a prominent and influential elder of the Seminole tribe and has recanted his more radical sentiments. He also tells his nephew Sammy about Wiley, whom Tommy believes was
406:; for example, deep background is given to characters who appear briefly only to die off, which keeps the reader guessing as to who will make it to the end of the book.
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as a bald eagle. In an ironic scene, just such an eagle perches briefly over the nature-hating antagonist of that novel Boyd
Shreave, and defecates on his head.
633:, look tame by comparison; likewise, when Jenna claims that Skip is a better man than Brian because he "makes things happen," Brian retorts, "so did
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editor Cab
Mulcahy to locate the missing Skip. After an encounter with his ex-girlfriend Jenna (who is now dating Skip), Brian tracks Skip to the
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and with his legs amputated. Next, the group starts kidnapping and killing random tourists and
Florida residents, many of whom are fed to a giant
373:. He plans to leave her there, with the island's other remaining wildlife, so that her death will send a message to Florida's greedy developers.
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345:. The following evening, during the Orange Bowl, he belatedly realizes that Kara Lynn is supposed to make a brief appearance during the game's
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Sparky Harper inaugurated the Orange Bowl Friendship Cruise in 1980, but attendance was low during the first year as a result of the
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reporter Ricky Bloodworth uncovers the letters and writes an article but misspells the name of the group as "Las
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796:. The audiobook, read by George Wilson, is unabridged and runs 13 hours 48 minutes over 12 CDs.
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genre, but a satire as well, of many subjects from tourism to sports to
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While escorting Kara Lynn home from a tennis game, Brian catches Jesús
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614:. The song also incorporates Hiaasen's character of former Governor
19:"Al Garcia" redirects here. For the American actor and director, see
325:. The next evening, Skip uses a helicopter to bombard the deck of a
544:, he thinks of himself as the most experienced and well-trained of
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B.D. "Sparky" Harper, president of the Miami Chamber of Commerce
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relations to the newsroom. It also contains examples of the
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led by rogue newspaper columnist Skip Wiley, calling himself
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533:(Cuban, late 20s): formerly a member of an anti-
296:Queen. Since civic leaders refuse to cancel the
763:Tommy dwells several times on the topic of the
672:, and the actions of early land barons such as
312:terrorist group he was expelled from, abandons
746:Tommy Tigertail, the only surviving member of
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814:"Carl Hiaasen's Official Web Site - F.A.Q.'s"
8:
750:, reappears peripherally in Hiaasen's novel
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597:: Skip's girlfriend, Brian's ex-girlfriend.
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775:is the first novel to return to the topic.
409:Hiaasen is a newspaper columnist from the
226:. Skip believes that the only way to save
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1086:Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World
743:explaining that "I'm just a radiologist!"
557:, and has never been to Cuba in his life.
504:(White, 37): A popular columnist for the
518:(African-American, 36): formerly a star
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491:Dr. Remond Courtney, shill psychiatrist
459:: wet-behind-the-ears reporter for the
390:The book is not only an example of the
218:, "The Nights of December") is a small
301:eventually developing a relationship.
696:Continuity with Hiaasen's other works
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717:During the civic meeting to discuss
485:Renee LeVoux, tourist from Montreal
257:and former reporter for the Miami
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655:assassination of John F. Kennedy
439:(32): a former reporter for the
668:, Miami's initial founding as
618:, a later creation of Hiaasen.
113:Print (hardback and paperback)
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567:, mid-20s): A member of the
453:, Keyes's friend and mentor.
1191:Environmental fiction books
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443:, now a private detective.
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16:1986 novel by Carl Hiaasen
1196:G. P. Putnam's Sons books
479:Theodore Bellamy, shriner
449:: managing editor of the
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792:was released in 1998 by
612:The Ballad of Skip Wiley
508:, leader and founder of
1124:Film and TV adaptations
516:Daniel "Viceroy" Wilson
496:Las Noches de Diciembre
284:communiques as a hoax.
212:Las Noches de Diciembre
1176:Novels by Carl Hiaasen
1113:Naked Came the Manatee
488:Ida Kimmelman, retiree
1181:Novels set in Florida
621:Garcia comments that
616:Clinton "Skink" Tyree
349:and figures out that
1171:1986 American novels
1061:Skink - No Surrender
571:, and the source of
255:private investigator
171:PS3558.I217 T68 1986
1186:Novels set in Miami
765:Second Seminole War
666:Second Seminole War
602:Cultural references
269:and is captured by
236:Chamber of Commerce
195:is a 1986 novel by
86:G. P. Putnam's Sons
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1021:Young adult novels
685:Liberty City riots
625:crimes are making
589:American crocodile
298:Orange Bowl Parade
201:William Montalbano
1201:1986 debut novels
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820:on 3 October 2007
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555:Dartmouth College
553:, graduated from
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824:26 September
822:. Retrieved
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1078:Non-fiction
986:Star Island
978:Nature Girl
962:Basket Case
930:Strip Tease
788:version of
780:Other media
773:Nature Girl
753:Nature Girl
678:Carl Fisher
670:Fort Dallas
635:Juan Corona
447:Cab Mulcahy
437:Brian Keyes
404:red herring
371:condominium
331:Coast Guard
327:cruise ship
294:Orange Bowl
246:nicknamed "
76:Crime novel
1165:Categories
1148:Bad Monkey
1132:Striptease
1010:Squeeze Me
1002:Razor Girl
994:Bad Monkey
970:Skinny Dip
954:Sick Puppy
914:Skin Tight
800:References
748:Las Noches
719:Las Noches
623:Las Noches
587:: a giant
573:Las Noches
551:New Jersey
546:Las Noches
510:Las Noches
502:Skip Wiley
426:Characters
379:bald eagle
351:Las Noches
343:Las Noches
323:Las Noches
314:Las Noches
282:Las Noches
271:Las Noches
267:Everglades
159:813/.54 19
946:Lucky You
786:audiobook
740:radiology
467:Al García
339:Key Largo
318:mail bomb
306:loitering
244:crocodile
240:sunscreen
82:Publisher
1094:Kick Ass
687:and the
647:Alpha 66
565:Seminole
541:machismo
527:Florida.
522:for the
520:fullback
400:literary
367:dynamite
224:El Fuego
146:12663997
64:Language
1068:Wrecker
733:Orlando
701:Though
643:Omega 7
474:Victims
355:airboat
228:Florida
216:Spanish
67:English
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1056:(2012)
1048:(2009)
1040:(2005)
1032:(2002)
1013:(2020)
1005:(2016)
997:(2013)
989:(2010)
981:(2006)
973:(2004)
965:(2002)
957:(2000)
949:(1997)
941:(1995)
933:(1993)
925:(1991)
917:(1989)
909:(1987)
901:(1985)
890:Novels
771:. His
584:Pavlov
535:Castro
417:Herald
386:Themes
310:Castro
290:Nachos
248:Pavlov
183:
46:Author
1105:Other
1053:Chomp
1037:Flush
595:Jenna
577:bingo
275:Cuban
232:Miami
118:Pages
72:Genre
1140:Hoot
1045:Scat
1029:Hoot
826:2007
676:and
645:and
629:, a
396:race
207:Plot
140:OCLC
127:ISBN
97:1986
784:An
767:in
657:by
506:Sun
461:Sun
451:Sun
441:Sun
286:Sun
263:Sun
259:Sun
250:".
234:'s
121:272
1167::
203:.
875:e
868:t
861:v
844:.
828:.
735:.
691:.
680:.
661:.
649:.
591:.
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