Carl Hiaasen, a long-time columnist for the Miami Herald, prolific author of Florida-based crime fiction and UF alumnus, released his thirteenth novel “Bad Monkey” (Knopf, $26.95) on June 11. In customary Hiaasen fashion, the novel presents a never-ending parade of colorful characters and a string of improbable events set against a backdrop of pristine Key West sunsets and Bahamian beaches.
In a 2005 interview with the New York Times, Carl Hiaasen said, “The Florida in my novels is not as seedy as the real Florida. It’s hard to stay ahead of the curve. Every time I write a scene that I think is the sickest thing I have ever dreamed up, it is surpassed by something that happens in real life.”
Disgraced Miami cop Andrew Yancy is demoted to Monroe County health inspector after assaulting his lover’s husband with a vacuum-cleaner hose in front of dozens of camera-wielding tourists in a crowded public square. When a Key West fishing charter hooks a severed human arm – presumably the victim of a shark attack — Yancy takes interest. The story of the death of the owner of the arm – a scam artist specializing in fraudulent Medicare claims whose body remains undiscovered – is full of holes. If Yancy can prove the man’s death is no accident, he believes he can earn back his title and dignity.
The plot is, at times, unwieldy. In the course of his investigation, the Yancy character interacts with a Bahamian voo doo queen and her ill-behaved monkey – supposedly the monkey from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise; his ex-lover, whom he discovers is a fugitive from Kansas; the dead man’s wife and her murderous, orange-poncho-wearing boyfriend; and an attractive coroner with whom he comes romantically involved. But, however nonsensical and dubious the characters and ensuing events, “Bad Monkey” is a witty, smart novel that will entertain longtime Hiaasen readers and thrill new fans.
