Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen is one of my favorite mystery writers. He’s funny but never neglects the mystery or the characters. Double Whammy is one of his earlier works, but it still shines bright compared to the later books of his I have read.

Double Whammy is all about bass fishing. R.J. Decker used to be a professional photographer, but due to some bad luck he ends up working as a private eye and living in a trailer park guarded by pit bulls. Decker is hired by Dennis Gault to prove Gault’s big competition in the bass tournaments is somehow cheating. The problem is, the first guy he hired ended up dead. Decker ends up teaming up with Skink, a crazy hermit who loves to cook up road kill, to figure out who killed the first guy, who wants to kill him, and who wants to frame him for another murder. If that wasn’t enough, he’s still in love with his ex-wife, a TV evangelist wants his head and his fishing show to make the top of the list, and a crazed red neck with a dead pit bull attached to his arm wants a revenge kill. He has to figure out who killed whom, who benefits, and why before the FBI ends up arresting him. He ends up discovering that bass fishing is more than just a relaxation sport, in fact, the competition is fierce and violent.

Hiaasen creates the very memorable characters and places. Decker is a funny guy, but he’s not just surface. Hiaasen hints at some deeper characteristics that aren’t fleshed out as much as you might find in a different type of novel. Skink is over the top, but you also realize by the end there is more to the man that just the caricature he presents to the world. Coon Bog, Florida is just what you would expect a bass obsessed little Florida town to be like. It’s like the L.A. of James Ellroy with a bit of Margaritaville thrown in the mix.

I find Hiaasen’s work to be refreshing. It’s a good murder mystery without all of the dark, angry places you can get in crime drama these days. He’s a tree-hugger whose books always touch on some environmental aspect that Floridians face, but he never preaches. It’s part of the story; it’s matter of fact. I respect a man who has values, but decided to not beat you over the head with them. On top of all that, he makes me laugh. You can’t beat that package.

Rating: 4 Purrs