Bad Monkey by Carl HiaasenMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hiaasen works are the satiric face of Florida. A friend gave me the little Hiaasen paperback for my short flight from Jacksonville to Tampa (on my way to Sarasota in a rental car) headed for my first Board meeting all those many years ago.
Lawton Chiles was Governor and had appointed me to a position that I would hold for ten years. One of the characters in that borrowed book was rumored to be based on the Governor's personality. Floridians called Chiles "walkin' Lawton" and other loving names. He even had nicknames for himself! A most colorful personality!
I've chuckled and churned my way through the Carl Hiaasen books ever since, as Board life introduced me to a Florida very much akin to the one that Hiaasen caricatures. I've followed his weekly offerings via the Miami Herald. In other words, I am a huge fan - not only of the zaniness/unlikeliness/down-and-dirty truthfulness of the books but also of the amazing and misunderstood Florida mystique that always makes national news - where it does not seem quite so humorous.
Bad Monkey - a book about Medicare fraud, hurricanes, monkeys, dirty restaurants, salt life and other Florida-type topics - cracked me up. You would have to know my history as a soldier in the war against Florida insurance fraud to get why I laughed so loud in the middle of the night that I woke the cat.
I had a co-worker once who took a Florida wild monkey for a pet. I've known dozens of professionals in south Florida who spoke with the island accent and others who had "no English" when the chips were down. I've seen first hand the unthinkable antics of those who will defraud the government, especially using durable medical equipment in their schemes. Not to mention the food inspectors who comprise a gang of their own!
You might have guessed that this is not a book review. Loved it! Can't wait for the next one!
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