My first book by Hiaasen and it won't be my last. I read this in a day and a half. It had me laughing out loud too and hard to put down. Even the poor hapless perp turned victam Chaz had a warped sense of humor. Everyone got their just desserts.

I don't know. Maybe this book wasn't written for people like me because after reading some of the reviews here, and even in speaking with some, everyone seems to speak highly of Carl Hiaasen. But me, I wish I could have the week's worth of evenings back that I spent reading this book.

Simply put, I didn't find the book funny. For someone who is supposed to be an author who writes with humour, I had a hard time laughing at anything in this book. And the characters? It is really heard to believe that anyone in the world is as simple-minded as the characters he writes about.

Now I know this is supposed to be fiction. And I know that because it is fiction, I should give the author a bit of leeway. But even so. I've read countless other fictional books and each one of those the author has managed to convey real characters. So why couldn't Hiaasen manage to do it here? And this really is too bad too, because the underlying plot (bad guy dumping chemicals into an environmentally sensitive area and trying to cheat the system) is a good one. I just wish Hiaasen had managed to do more with it.

Suffice to say this is my first and last Hiaasen book.

I was a little disappointed in this book. It feels like Hiaasen is starting to re-hash old grounds. I have seen these oh so cool characters in previous books and the plot line is becoming old and dated. I mean you can only read the same story so many times before you start wondering if the author is permanently stuck on one track. I think the success that Hiaasen has found at the same time has paralyzed him against taking risks and the story here becomes a parody not of other genre books (such as his earlier titles) but of his own earlier works.

It seems like authors who spend a few years in Southern Florida start writing in a similar vein. Back in the 70's Elmore Leonard perfected his slapstick capers while situating several of his stories in this area. I think that Hiaasen owes more to Leonard than anyone else, but he did not out and out copy the older master of this genre. Instead Hiaasen took an ecological slant and a more erudite writing stance that managed to flesh out his characters a little more than Leonard. Several of Hiaasen's earlier works are classics, such as 'Tourist Season,' and 'Stormy Weather.' Lately Lawrence Shames has taken the mantle of Florida's funniest crime writer; though I think he does not rate up there with Hiaasen or Leonard. All three are eerily similar and if you are looking to expand your reading horizon along the lines of Hiaasen, you might want to check out the other two writers.

This book was a lot of fun to read. It took off running and didn't quit. The plot was interesting and different, which is always refreshing. It kept me hanging on wanting to know where it was going without being predictable. A great book to read at one sitting or on a long plane trip.

"Skinny Dip" is an entertaining work of fiction, full of humor, sarcastic wit, irony and tall tales. Hiaasen's witty style, his humor and the way he makes his characters so very real, the dialog, character's actions and reactions has made me a fan. Never mind his fabulous setting of Florida!

Main character, Joey Perrone has terrible luck when it comes to men. Her father died when she was only four years old, leaving her with a chunk of money. Then her first husband was killed by a spinning sky diver. Only he left her with another chunk of money. Then she was dumped by several boyfriends. When the arrogant, self-centered, but totally good looking Chaz Perrone sweeps Joey off her feet, she should have realized trouble was ahead.

Married to Chaz for two years, Joey and Chaz take a cruise to celebrate their second wedding anniversary. Dr. Perrone (biologist) realizes that Joey may know something about that fraudulent (money-making) reports he's doing that is destroying the Everglades eco system. Chaz believes that money is more important than his wife. He decides to throw her overboard. Only Chaz forgot that Joey was on the college swim team. Chaz throws Joey off the high cruise ship, walks to his room, sets the alarm and falls easily to sleep. Can't you tell he's a creep? In the morning he starts his tale of sorrow about his missing wife. (He's a very good actor.) Coast guard comes, nothing is found of Joey. Chaz thinks he's in the clear, and starts to move on with his life.

Only, Joey survived the fall, and is rescued near an island by Mick Stranahan. After he nurses Joey back to health. Mick and Joey plan revenge on dear old Chaz. Meanwhile Chaz is running into one problem after another. He's developed E.D. in the bedroom, and cannot perform. He's got a detective that is very suspicious of Chaz's story. His mistress is hounding him. A detective suspects him of foul play.

Next comes a story of betrayal from any one and everyone against dimwit Chaz. His mistress, his boss, his bosses goon, the detective, and most importantly Joey. The author does a wonderful job of weaving several mini stories into this one wild yarn of a story. You get drugs, you get sex, you get rock and roll, you get betrayal, you get love, you get hate, and you get the picture. The author takes you into the swamps of the everglades, describing with detail the environment. The humor of the book is dead-on, the one liners will have you laughing out loud. You'll enjoy each slimy character, you'll want to reach in and slap Joey up side the head sometimes. The author pulls you into his story; you'll be sad when it's over. It's truly a FUN book, but try it for yourself! Pick up a copy! Another novel I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Hiaasen, but very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition," another funny, highly entertaining, FUN little novel I can't stop thinking about.