A Book A Week

Carl Hiaasen has built a career out of sharp, satirical novels set in his native Florida—books that blend tightly woven plots, eccentric characters, and a dry, biting wit. I hadn’t read one of his novels in several years, but when his publisher offered me a copy of his latest, Fever Beach, I jumped at the chance to dive back in. I’m glad I did.

Fever Beach begins with Dale Figgo, a man so astoundingly dim he was kicked out of the Proud Boys—not for his hate, but for his stupidity. During the January 6th insurrection, Figgo proudly smeared feces on what he believed was a statue of Ulysses S. Grant. In reality, it was Confederate General James Zachariah George. For the Proud Boys, this was a bridge too far. Not the act itself, of course—just the misdirected target.

Banished and undeterred, Figgo doubles down, founding his own fringe extremist group, the Strokers of Liberty. Yes, you read that right. A band of conspiracy-loving MAGA castoffs who are united by their far-right paranoia and, incredibly, a shared passion for masturbation. This is Carl Hiaasen at his most unhinged—and, somehow, his most on-point.

Enter Viva Morales, a broke, newly divorced woman desperate for housing, who ends up renting a room in Figgo’s crumbling apartment. She works for the Mink Foundation, a supposedly philanthropic organization led by grotesquely over-surgeried billionaires Claude and Eletra Mink, who, behind closed doors, are quietly bankrolling the far-right agenda. Viva eventually joins forces with Twilly Spree, a wealthy environmentalist with a volatile temper and a tendency to cause public scenes. Together, they're pulled into a tangle of dark money, political corruption, and motivations murkier than a Florida swamp.

Hiaasen presents a rogue’s gallery of misfits and monsters in a sprawling satire of political chaos, personal vice, and pure Floridian madness. Fever Beach delivers everything readers have come to expect from him: tangled plots, outrageous hijinks, environmental subtext, and a parade of morally suspect characters. But in our current post-truth era—shaped by the shadow of a Donald Trump presidency—Hiaasen’s political satire feels more pointed than ever. And he doesn't hold back. Fever Beach is a blistering commentary on disinformation, corruption, and the cult of personality, with Hiaasen’s trademark humor cutting through the absurdity like a machete in the mangroves.

Is it subtle? Not at all. But it’s wildly entertaining. Equal parts screwball crime caper and scathing political farce, Fever Beach reminded me why Hiaasen has remained a distinctive voice in American fiction for decades. This one’s political, folks, and it’s all the better for it. Buckle up. It’s a wild ride.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 39)

Over the long holiday weekend, I decided to get as much of my last-minute summer reading in as I possibly could. By the time I sat down to write this review, the promise of an early fall cool front quickly diminished. It seems like the brutal Texas heat is going to be sticking around for a while. I browsed my bookshelf for that perfect book to satisfy my need for one more summer read, and quickly landed on Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen. I really got a kick out of his book Bad Monkey, so I felt his Florida-based mix of humor and mystery would more than meet my expectations.

Honey Santana is on a mission. While sitting down for dinner with her son, the house phone rang. Her son urged her to ignore it, but Honey is completely over these calls interrupting their family meals. She is not going to take this annoyance lying down. Honey picks up the phone and gives the caller a piece of her mind. What she didn't expect was the man on the other end to verbally fight back. He calls her words no professional telemarketer should use, let alone any other respectful person. Honey quickly reaches out to the man's manager and relays her disgust at the hateful language that he used. For most people, that would be the end of the situation, but Honey is not most people. Honey wants revenge.

Boyd Shreave is pretty much a failure at everything. The miserable man couldn't even hold down his job as a telemarketer. He let his pride get the better of him and committed the fatal sin of mouthing off to a potential customer. At least he still has Eugenia, his former co-worker, and current mistress. Boyd is ready to leave his wife and start a new life, but Eugenia does not feel the same. With the convenience of the couple working together gone, she sees little reason to continue their relationship. When Boyd comes to her with a once in a lifetime opportunity to vacation in Florida and canoe through the wetlands, Eugenia decides to extend their romance, at least for the weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

Nature Girl has all the makings of a perfect summer read. Hiaasen mixes satire, crime, and compelling characters into a story that you won't want to stop reading. Shifting perspectives between each character allows for variety and adds a tinge of suspense that balances the more humorous premise. It also clues in the reader to every motivation of the characters, so we know what is happening before some of the other cast does. All of the threads in this book converge in a satisfying conclusion that teeters precariously close to the edge of absurdity. It is all in good fun though, and that's really all I want from my summer reading. Nature Girl was a perfect way to spend the last bits of the summer holiday.

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2020, 40)

Florida based author Carl Hiaasen is known for his clever and intricate novels. Prior to reading his latest novel, Bad Monkey, my only encounter with Hiaasen's writing was with his young adult novel Hoot. True to form, Bad Monkey sees Hiaasen set his story is his home state and cast it full of quirky characters.

Andrew Yancey has fallen on hard times. An unfortunate incident involving a vacuum cleaner and his girlfriend's husband saw him demoted from his plush detective job in the Florida Keys. Relegated to "roach patrol", Yancey spends his day's enforcing health and sanitation standards at local restaurants. But remnants of his past career threaten to come back to haunt him. Namely, the human arm that currently resides in his freezer!

Beyond Yancey's narrative, Hiaasen casts his novel with several other questionable characters. There's a Bahama native who is looking to curse another man. He turns to the island's local voodoo expert to cast a curse on the man. He also happens to be the owner of titular mammal who is said to have been cast in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Then there's Yancey's neighbor who is building an oversized mansion in a "get rich quick" scheme. The only problem is that no one wants to buy the out of place home. Yancey, who hates that the structure blocks his view of the Florida landscape, is doing everything in his power to sabotage potential buyers.

In Bad Monkey, Carl Hiaasen delivers on all fronts. He expertly balances on the edge of absurdity, never allowing his wild story or characters to wander too far astray. Hiaasen's various narrative threads manage to entertain and maintain suspense. When they finally come together, you'll be as surprised as you are satisfied. While Bad Monkey never takes itself too seriously, it is a seriously fantastic read!

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2016, 11)

The small town of Longboat Key, Florida is a pretty quiet place. While many tourists visit in the summer, winter sees only a few residents and retirees who are looking to trade the bitter cold of their home towns for the Key's tropical climate. Matt Royal is one of the town's permanent residents. He's a middle-aged,  "semi-retired" lawyer who gave up his prominent career in a large Florida city to settle down in the quiet Longboat Key. He stays busy doing small law jobs for the locals and assisting his friend, Chief of Police Bill Lester, in investigating crimes.

Matt and J.D. Duncan, a Longboat P.D. detective who Matt proudly claims as his "sweetie", are enjoying a quiet morning at Matt's bungalow when J.D. receives a disturbing text message. The message contains an image of J.D.'s college friend Katie Fredrickson. In the image, Katie looks pretty normal and is clutching a copy of the newspaper from that day. Written on the paper are the words "Good Morning Jed", referring to the nickname Katie used for her friend J.D. There's only one problem . . . Katie has been dead for almost a year!

The couple witnesses the start of another case during J.D.'s lunch break. The two watch as police chase a car off the side of a drawbridge, killing the driver. Soon, J.D's phone is ringing, calling her to the scene of a crime. It turns out that the driver involved in that fatal high-speed police chase was fleeing a condo parking lot, where he had just shot an elderly man at close range. The man, a WWII vet, was showing his neighbor some pictures from the 1940's. As J.D. interviews the neighbor and another friend of the victim, she learns that he was on his way to meet with a lawyer. That lawyer was none other that Matt Royal.

The Matt Royal Series by author H. Terrell Griffin has been a consistently enjoyable read over the course of its seven novels. Griffin always injects his love of Florida and the people who live there through witty observations about the city and equally amusing characters. Over the course of the series, readers have grown attached to Matt Royal and his crime fighting band of friends. This, combined with short chapters and unique mysteries, have made the previous installments quick and engaging reads.

The consistent excellence of the series thus far has left me with a decidedly mixed reaction to this latest installment. The eighth entry in the series contains many of the above mentioned elements that readers have come to expect. Unfortunately, the plot becomes so full, that it is difficult to keep each element of the story clear. The Matt Royal books have always required some suspension of disbelief, but Found pushes that idea to the limit. As the characters investigate murder, a missing person, secrets from a WWII submarine, police corruption, and a local mafia drug ring, the plot becomes convoluted and difficult to follow. A third of the way through, flashbacks to WWII are injected amidst the present day narrative, further diluting the focus of the novel. To be fair, the information that is given during these flashbacks is vital to understanding the conclusion, and Griffin does an excellent job making a satisfying end to all of the seemingly disparate plot points. Still, the journey to this resolution requires a good bit of patience.

Plot issues aside, Griffin's deeply drawn characters help to keep the weary reader invested in the story. Matt Royal is a likable everyman who readers are sure to get behind. Griffin explores the relationship between Matt and his equally strong willed girlfriend J.D. as the two come to terms with the complexities of their commitment. Matt operates on a thin line between what is legally acceptable and morally just. This creates tension between him and his law obligated better half. Griffin writes of these issues with a skillful delicacy that brings a much needed reality to the outlandish world he has created. While this is not the strongest installment in the usually stellar series, Found gets enough right to successfully warrant any future Matt Royal novels.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2015, 24)

Last year, I stumbled upon the Matt Royal series by author H. Terrell Griffin. The novels follow Matt Royal, a middle-aged lawyer who, fed up with the state of the legal system, retired to the small island of Longboat Key, Florida. But small town life didn't stop Royal from finding excitement. Over the course of six novels, Matt found himself directly involved in conspiracies that rocked his hometown. Through his friendship with Bill Lester, Longboat Key's chief of police, and with the help of his drinking buddy Logan, and his friend Jock, who conveniently works for a top secret, high ranking government agency, Matt became a kind of extension of the local law enforcement.

Things seemed to change when J.D. Duncan, a female detective from Miami, joined the Longboat Key force. Her addition, and insistent moral code, caused Matt to not only re-evaluate his actions, but to discover emotions he thought he would never feel again.

In Fatal Decree, the latest novel to feature Royal, we find the characters facing the biggest mystery they have ever faced. When the body of a local woman is discovered floating in the bay, Matt is immediately called by J.D.  It turns out, the body has a whale tail earring in her ear, and the initials KKK carved into the back of her neck. Even more terrifying, this is the signature of of a serial killer from Miami who J.D. investigated, and who hasn't been active for years. Now Matt must help solve the case before more islanders or killed. He hates to imagine the worst, but he is scared that the killer may target J.D. next.

I was completely invested in this series the moment I began reading. Unlike other series authors, Griffin has managed to maintain his standards of both quality and content. Seven books in, he still manages to explore unique cases and take his characters into different emotional territory. It was really nice to see Matt and J.D.'s budding relationship come to a head, especially because it didn't play out in the predictable way I feared it was going to. Griffin love of Florida and the people who inhabit it is made obvious by his detailed descriptions of settings and the inclusion of small town characters that give the sometimes outlandish story a much needed dose of reality. With Fatal Decree, Griffin proves that he is very much at the top of his game. Any fan of fast paced and original mysteries is sure to enjoy this novel.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2013:week 4, book 4)

Matt Royal attracts trouble. No matter what he is doing, the retired lawyer always seems to find himself in intriguing and life-threatening situations. In Collateral Damage, the latest installment in author H. Terrell Griffins series, Matt Royal, once again, finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation and a conspiracy that could date all the way back the Vietnam War.

Longboat Key, Florida is a quiet coastal town that sees little excitement outside of the tourist season. When a young groom is shot while running along the beach, the town is shaken. That same evening, while fishing with his good friend Logan, Matt witnesses strange events on a dinner cruise boat, sailing by them, that leads to two other deaths. When he receives an unexpected contact from an old war buddy, whose son happened to be the young murdered groom, Matt promises to help investigates the murder, and searches for a connection between the shooting and the mysterious murders aboard the cruise.

As in the previous novel, the supporting characters help to keep the plot moving. Matt's best friend, Jock Algren, works for a secretive government agency that gives him practically unlimited resources to assist in the investigation. This James Bond like character, while highly unbelievable, works well within the world of the novel, and allows for an easy way for Matt to have some credibility as an investigator. The love interest, Longboat P.D. Detective J.D. Duncan, is written with a subtle touch, allowing the budding relationship to simmer throughout the novel, without falling into the stereotypes of most thriller love elements.

Griffin's love for the place and people of Florida permeates the novel, providing the fictional world with some much-needed reality. While the plot becomes a bit hard to follow at times, the story resolved nicely. This novel is a fun, escapist type read, that is sure to provide fans of mystery thriller novels with a great time.

For more information check out the author's website 
http://www.hterrellgriffin.com/
the publisher's website http://oceanviewpub.com/,
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11863350-collateral-damage, and Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1GPAVATCSGR1Y/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1608090264&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=

(week 23, book 25)

There is really only one rule that all criminals must follow: Don't Get Caught!. In the latest Dexter novel by author Jeff Lindsay, Dexter finds himself in this exact situation.

For those who are not familiar with the novels or the hit television show based off of the characters, Dexter Morgan seems like a normal guy. He has a solid job working as a blood splatter analyst at the Miami Police Department. He has a wife, Rita, a new born baby girl, two step kids, and a sister, Deborah, who is his only living blood relative and who happens to be a detective at the Miami P.D. While Dexter seems like the perfect example of a suburban father, he harbors a dark secret. Dexter is a serial killer. He feeds this habit by only killing those who "deserve their punishment."

The novel opens as Dexter is "punishing" a pedophile in a vacant home. Everything seems to be going as planned until he hears someone enter the home. He rushes to make sure he isn't seen, but he is too late. He sees the person leaving, shadowed by the night, and is left to worry that he has been seen. On top of this, someone is killing cops in Miami. Dexter is summoned by his sister to assist in the gruesome murder investigation, which adds to his stress of family life and trying to discover the person who witnessed his crime. When that person beats him to the punch, contacting Dexter through a blog and threatening to expose his secrets, Dexter becomes engulfed in a race to put a stop to this unknown witness before his entire facade of a life comes crashing down.

The Dexter series has certainly gotten better with age. Jeff Lindsay writes with an assured voice that has grown into a unique style that can only be related to this series. The introspective narratives by the main character perfectly capture the twisted, sometimes sarcastic qualities of Dexter. I particularly appreciate the way Lindsay keeps the novels in their own world. This allows the universe of the novels and the television show to coexist without one seemingly copying the other. While this is by no means a "great" work of fiction, it is certainly an entertaining way to spend an afternoon. Six novels into the series and six seasons into the show, I am definitely hooked!

H. Terrell Griffin begins the fourth installment in his Matt Royal Mystery Series with a bang. Literally. Laurence Wyatt is enjoying the cool Florida breeze from his balcony when a bullet travels through his skull. Just like that, Wyatt is dead.

Retired lawyer and soldier Matt Royal is completely shocked at the news of the sudden death of his dear friend Wyatt. Along with his friends Logan and Jock, Matt served with Wyatt during the war in Vietnam, forging a lifelong bond that has stayed with the men. All are present at Wyatt's funeral, but the murder seems to weigh especially heavy on the mind of Royal. Never one to shy away from a mystery, Matt vows revenge on whoever is responsible for the death of Wyatt.

Acting on a tip from a local waitress, Royal tracks down the man who shot Wyatt and discovers that the shooter was merely a pawn in a much larger game. Enlisting the help of Jock, who conveniently works for a secret government agency that is alway willing to lend resources, and Dr. Jessica Connors, an expert on WWII, Matt embarks on a transcontinental quest to serve justice to the people responsible for his friends death.

Griffin definitely knows how to draw a reader in and keep them guessing until the end. I really appreciate the way he adds bits of historical truth to serve his fiction. As in the other novels in this series, it is the fascinating protagonist, Matt Royal, who drives the drama of this story. In this novel, Royal is forced to grapple with seeking revenge and the consequences of his search for justice. Thrust into a situation of violence, Matt evaluates his own use of violence, both during the war and in his investigation.

A Florida native, Griffin gives a vivid portrayal of the Florida setting, and the people who live there. I always look forward to the little details he provides that make the people seem like those you would actually encounter on a visit to the Florida coast. The only downside to these fantastic descriptions is that the other settings and their inhabitants pale in comparison. It's not that there was anything wrong with the other locations, but I could definitely tell that, like other Florida author's(Carl Hiaasen, Jeff Lindsay, etc.), the spirit of the region is in his writing.

Wyatt's Revenge comes to a very satisfying conclusion and keeps the twists and suspense rolling until the very end. The expertly crafted characters and setting give this novel a heart that is rarely found in series mysteries. I recommend this novel for any fan of thrillers, history, and page-turning suspense.

For more information check out the author's website http://www.hterrellgriffin.com/
the publisher's website http://oceanviewpub.com/, my Amazon review http://www.amazon.com/review/R2TFUKRUHNQEZN/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm 
and http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6882947-wyatt-s-revenge.

(week 13, book 14)

After reading Bitter Legacy, the fifth novel in the Matt Royal series by author H. Terrell Griffin, I knew I wanted to read the earlier books in the series. Blood Island, the third installment in the series, hits the ground running as Matt Royal, a former soldier and lawyer who has retired to Longboat Key, Florida, finds a body in a vulture cage at a local wildlife refuge. We learn that trouble seems to follow Matt, but fortunately, his friendship with the local police chief helps to assure the authorities that he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Upon his return home, Matt is shocked to learn that his ex wife, Laura, has left a message to arrange a meeting with him. When they get together, Laura explains that her stepdaughter, Peggy, has been missing and was last seen on Longboat Key. Despite the divorce, Matt still loves Laura and agrees to help search for the missing girl. As he investigates the disappearance, he finds himself involved with murder, religious cults, prostitution, and terrorist attempts. All this, he learns, is linked to the mysterious Blood Island and the people who own it. When Laura also goes missing, Matt races to unravel the mystery before it is too late.

Griffin clearly has a great love for Florida. The setting and the people who inhabit this story all carry a type of reality that can only be portrayed by someone who has experienced them. In the hands of any other author, this kind of fast paced thriller could become shallow, but Griffin infuses enough emotion, historical fact, and suspense to keep the reader thoroughly invested in the story. In a genre that is often filled with plot based story telling, it is nice to have a book that keeps a sense of truth while still providing entertainment. This novel is a quick read and a really fun mystery.

For more information check out the author's website http://www.hterrellgriffin.com/
the publisher's website http://oceanviewpub.com/ and
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3421103-blood-island. 


(week 8, book 9)

Taking a hint from other authors, such as Carl Hiaasen and Jeff Lindsay, H. Terrell Griffin sets his story in a fascinating Florida, that sets the tone for this wildly entertaining mystery. Matt Royal, retired soldier, lawyer, and occasional fisherman and beer drinker, becomes entangled in a web of conspiracy when an attempt is made on his life, and the life of his best friend, Logan. Royal, assisted by the chief of police, Logan, and his buddy Jock, a high up member of a secretive government agency with considerable influence and resources, embarks on a cat and mouse chase to find the people who want him dead.

The small town Florida setting allows Griffin to juxtapose his protagonist and supporting characters, all of who seem to possess that rare quality found only in small town, working class America, with the cold corrupt tone of the rich greedy villains. On top of the attempts at his life, Matt Royal is also forced to learn to work with the new female detective, J.D. Duncan, who not only threatens to disrupt the "good ole boy" cooperation between Royal and the Longboat Key Police Department, but also stirs feelings somewhere deeper in Royal's heart. Duncan is a great fish out of water, by the book, contrast to Royal's more maverick ideals. Through J.D. Duncan, Griffin manages to produce a surprisingly believable, romantic subplot.

This is the fifth novel to feature Matt Royal, but as this was the first novel I read, I don't think it is important to read the other installments in the series before reading this one. From the moment I began reading this book, I could not put it down! The novel takes place over a weeklong period of time, and is divided into sections by the different days of the week(it seemed oddly fitting that I read this weeklong story as the first novel in my Book A Week challenge). With the fairly short chapters and quick pacing, this novel had me flying through the pages and kept me engaged to the very end. As a fan of great mysteries, interesting characters, and beautiful settings, I found Bitter Legacy to be a great read! I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information check out the author's website http://www.hterrellgriffin.com/
the publisher's website http://oceanviewpub.com/
and http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9078717-bitter-legacy

(week 1, book 1)