Double Whammy (Carl Hiaasen novel)

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Double Whammy is a 1987 murder mystery novel by Carl Hiassen.

[edit] Plot

Double Whammy is a murder mystery set in Florida, starting in the professional bass-fishing circuit region where its plot twists around, like the Everglades, into the murky shoals of suspect real estate deals, crooked politicians and second-rate TV shows.

[edit] Characters

In the best tradition of John D. MacDonald, Hiaasen animates bizarre yet such detailed characters as to be not only believable, but very, very funny: a police detective/amateur herpetologist whose pet snake gets out, and whose neighbor's obnoxious toy poodle contemporaneously disappears. A well-read swamp rat who relishes roadkill, and cultivates a deep and meaningful relationship with an enormous wild bass--as a pet in the wild. A televangelist who swears like a sailor off air, fakes faith-healing on-air, and has a real thing for cheerleaders in hip-waders at night.

Couple this with detailed descriptions of gas-guzzling trucks and boats (decades before criticizing gas-guzzlers became fashionable), what poorly planned development can do to the water, flora and fauna of a perfectly good swamp and hilarious tropes on the absurd granfaloon of televised competitive fishing and televised competitive praying-- and you've got one good read.