Double Whammy

Carl Hiaasen's "Double Whammy" is a satirical mystery novel perfect for high school readers and young adults who appreciate dark humor and environmental themes. The story follows R.J. Decker, a disgraced photographer turned private eye, hired to expose a celebrity bass fisherman as a cheat. Decker soon finds himself embroiled in multiple murders, a frame-up, and a conspiracy involving corrupt televangelists and toxic land development in the Florida Everglades. The book introduces fan-favorite character Skink, a half-mad hermit and former governor, who aids Decker in his quest for justice. Parents should be aware of the prominent themes of murder, violence, and corruption, as well as some mature language and implied romantic content, all delivered with Hiaasen's signature irreverent and humorous style.

R.J. Decker, star tenant of the local trailer park and neophyte private eye is fishing for a killer. Thanks to a sportsman's scam that's anything but sportsmanlike, there's a body floating in Coon Bog, Florida—and a lot that's rotten in the murky waters of big-stakes, large-mouth bass tournaments. Here Decker will team up with a half-blind, half-mad hermit with an appetite for road kill; dare to kiss his ex-wife while she's in bed with her new husband; and face deadly TV evangelists, dangerously seductive women, and a pistol-toting redneck with a pit bull on his arm. And here his own life becomes part of the stakes. For while the "double whammy" is the lure, first prize is for the most ingenious murder.