Growing up in South Florida, you realize that there are certain unwritten rules for living here. Some are obvious ("Thou shalt own at least one Jimmy Buffett album.") Others are learned from experience ("Thou shalt add thirty minutes of drive time to any location during Snow Bird season.") One of my favorites, though, I only learned about five years ago:

"Carl Hiaasen understands our screwed up state, and thou shalt read his novels for insight."

I was introduced to Carl's works via word of mouth when his named popped up due to a local book signing in my town. The word(s) out of someone's mouth was "you're kidding!" when I noted I had never read one of his novels. Thus I bought a copy of "Skinny Dip" and, thoroughly satisfied, decided to read the entire Carl Hiaasen collection.

"Tourist Season" is easily my favorite.

Part of the charm in this work is the snapshot it creates of Florida during the recent past. Talk to anyone from Chicago, Illinois after watching The Blues Brothers and they'll tell you how different the whole place was then... and how magically unique. "Tourist Season" is South Florida in the eighties, and mentions of things that were the norm of the time (cassette players in Cadillacs, etc.) help to paint a vivid neon lit image of the Sunshine State from the "before time."

The story sets the tone for all future Carl Hiaasen novels: twisted (to the point of humorous) deaths peppered with mystery and wit with a conscious reminder of the less than flattering things Florida residents have done in local history. The book reads like a great film... but based on Striptease's translation to celluloid, I kind of hope they leave this one alone.

This is a great introduction to Carl Hiaasen's view of Florida, and a solid book for reading at the beach.