I've been listening to a lot of my books lately via Audible and this week I've been on a Carl Hiaasen kick, an author I discovered last year on a good friend's recomendation. For those of you not familiar with his work, Hiaasen is an ex-journalist from Florida who writes about his beloved Florida everglades and the corrupt politicians that are perennially trying to bull doze and landfill them over. He writes with a gallows humour I've come to adore and he's one of the few authors whose books I can listen to twice. Less a 'whodunit', more of a 'let's see where the chips land', if you're looking for a humorous author with a sarcastic, gallows streak, these may be a great stop for you.

(Other favourite Carl Hiaasen novels: Skinny Dip, Skin Tight, Sick Puppy)

This week I read: Star Island

22-year-old Cherry Pye, a pop star since she was 14, is attempting a comeback from her latest drug-and-alcohol disaster. That's where Ann DeLusia comes in, Cherry's well behaved and socially-appropriate double who fills in for Cherry whenever the singer is too wasted to appear in public (most of the time). Unfortunately for Ann things goes sideways when obsessed paparazzo Bang Abbott mistakenly kidnaps her from a Florida hotel. Cherry's nipped-tucked-botoxed publicists, enabling parents, and debautched producer all scramble not so much to rescue Ann but prevent her existence from becoming public knowledge.

Who's it for?: Like vacation novels? Gallows humour? Owl? Then these might be for you. Stephen Hoye does a great job on the narration, bringing the eclectic characters to life.

Pass?: The characters are often deplorable (which I find hilarious) and there are no monsters unless you count the deplorable humans who make up the cast. Also a past for people who need a direct plot - these start off with a disaster and the story is watching s&*t hit the fan as consequences unfold.

What am I Reading? Star Island by Carl Hiaasen