Inspiring Older Readers
Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen
Former journalist turned prolific novelist, Carl Hiaasen was something of an eco-warrior before it was fashionable to be so. Back in the late 1990s I couldn’t get enough of his mordent, satirical, black comedy thrillers which showcased the idiocy that underpinned so much of the politics and dubious economics that was driving the destruction of the Florida ecosystem.
I rather lost impetus with his work because of the tendency towards the formulaic that I felt had crept into his work by 2004 when he released Skinny Dip but there’s no denying that his earlier work contained some of the most acidly funny satire which so effectively skewered the outer fringes of the American nightmare. His capacity to create genuine, jaw-dropping villainous monsters puts him somewhere alongside the likes of Elmore Leonard.
But it’s been a long time now since I last read any of his books and so I thought a return to his earlier work would be worthwhile because I continue to hold these in high regard. Double Whammy is his second effort, published in 1987, and following on the heels of the hugely successful first effort, Tourist Season, it pretty much mapped out what would be future Hiaasen territory.
I’m delighted to say that Double Whammy remains every bit as good as I remember it from the first reading. The plot of this book revolves around the odd world of Florida professional bass-fishing tournaments which are also gormless fodder for the local television channels, where there is plenty of big money to be made. Honest but messed-up private detective, R. J. Decker is hired to prove that TV host Dickie Lockhart cheats to win the competitions that are the staple of a Christian TV station and, by taking the job on, Decker finds himself drawn into a spider's web of deceit in which he becomes the centre of a set-up that seeks to pin the blame for a murder on him.
Decker’s only friends amongst the parade of grotesque villains he encounters are his ex-wife, two honest cops who are on extended leave from the force and a strange hermit who calls himself Skink. Skink, who turns up again in later novels, is a former Floridian elected politician who has gone feral following his failed attempt to introduce honesty and decency into Florida’s politics. He’s a bear of a man who lives off-the-grid, dresses eccentrically, eats road-kill and runs a one-man vendetta against anyone who despoils the environment.
The plot, as always with Hiaasen, is pretty labyrinthine and I’m not going to try and take you around all the bends and swerves because it would take me far too long and would probably spoil the book for you. Suffice it to say that Hiaasen lands some substantial blows on the reputations of the evangelical preachers, property developers, pornographers, prostitutes, organised fishing cheats, redneck racists and the plain knuckleheaded.
The plots of these early novels teeter delightfully on the very verge of the surreal without actually tipping over the edge. When the book was published and reviewed in Publisher’s Weekly, they noted that Hiaasen’s work wouldn’t please everyone – especially those responsible for the condition Florida’s environment found itself in:
“ The cast of bizarre characters and the suspenseful events confirm Hiaasen's reputation for creating singular villains and heroes. While he's probably unpopular among some fellow citizens in his home state, he will certainly please readers who appreciate the Swiftian wit in his cautionary tales.”
Parallels with Swift might be overstating things a touch but the spirit of the great man would certainly be looking on approvingly.
You'll find both paperback and hardback editions easy and inexpensive to come by. Enjoy.
Terry Potter
April 2020