by Carl Hiaasen
First published 2013
Andrew Yancy keeps a human arm in his freezer. The former Miami cop turned Key West police officer doesn't buy the official story about a boating accident and shark attack. He smells murder, and solving it might get him off his current assignment inspecting restaurants for health violations. Yancy's investigation takes him from the Florida Keys to Miami and finally to a remote Bahamian island. Along the way he encounters the dead man's nervous widow, a greedy and stupid real estate developer, and a voodoo practitioner whose romantic partners meet unfortunate ends. He also finds romance with an unconventional medical examiner. The case grows more complicated as Yancy navigates Florida's corrupt landscape of environmental destruction and personal greed. At the center of it all is the Bad Monkey, a character who brings chaos and dark comedy to every scene. Yancy must untangle the web of lies and corruption while dodging danger from multiple directions.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Bahamas, Florida, Key West, Miami
Period: 21st-century
337 pages · Hardcover · Knopf