If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if the dumbest man alive stumbled into a conspiracy run by the worst people in America, Fever Beach has your answer. Carl Hiaasen once again proves that Florida is both a setting and a state of mind, delivering a hurricane-force satire packed with morons, grifters, and eco-terrorists with way too much free time.
Hiaasen’s trademark humor is razor-sharp, skewering bigots, billionaires, and bumbling politicians alike. If you enjoy your crime novels with a side of absurdity and a generous pour of Florida chaos, Fever Beach is your next must-read. Just be warned: you may laugh so hard you spill your drink—or reconsider your next vacation.

Hold onto your hats, because Carl Hiaasen’s "Fever Beach" is a laugh-out-loud romp through the wild and wacky underbelly of Florida politics—and trust me, it’s a ride you won’t want to miss! From the very first page, where we meet the delightfully clueless Derek Figgo, it’s clear we’re in for an adventure that’s as outrageous as it is entertaining.

Figgo, the only buffoon to ever be expelled from the Proud Boys for sheer incompetence, accidentally leads us straight into a sun-drenched mess of white supremacy zealotry, money-hungry so-called philanthropists, and enough political absurdity to make your head spin. Enter our heroes: Viva Morales, a newly minted Floridian who’s dusting herself off from a messy divorce, and Twilly Spree, an heir with a flair for eco-friendly wrath and a history of party barge sabotage.

Viva and Twilly embark on a rollicking mission to unveil the dirty dealings behind the Mink Foundation's facade of benevolence—plot twists abound as corrupt politicos and histrionic billionaires come out of the woodwork. The Minks, plastic-surgery-loving power players with a penchant for secretly bankrolling extremist agendas, have some explaining to do. And who better to help unravel the chaos than a woman who’s been wronged one too many times and a man with anger management issues and way too much money?

Hiaasen’s knack for painting the absurdity of our current cultural climate is on full display here. Expect dog collars, drag queen catfights, Nazi-named pooches, and the delightful promise that idiocy has never been funnier—or more politically charged. Whether it's a brawl between a "dunderhead militia" and a squad of fabulous drag queens, or an election-day showdown at a retirement home that might just tweak the course of history, every chapter serves up a fresh, comedic surprise.

This isn’t just fiction; it’s a hilarious reflection of the madness surrounding us. As you giggle at every turn of the page, you'll wonder how much of this wild satirical ride is so absurdly real that it makes you laugh and cry at the same time. "Fever Beach" is a must-read for anyone looking to escape into a world where everyone (rightly) gets what’s coming to them, and doing so has never felt so cathartically rewarding! Dive in, and let the chaos wash over you—it’s a trip you’ll be grateful you took! 🌴📚

Carl Hiassen is one of my favorite authors and Sick Puppy is my favorite Hiassen novel so I was excited to see Twilly Spree return in Fever Beach. This time, he goes undercover in a militant organization- The Strokerz for Liberty, a group he founded after getting kicked out of the Proud Boys, leading to a classic Hiaasen clash with corrupt politicians and shady land developers.

The book is full of everything I love about Hiaasen—outrageous characters, absurdly hilarious situations (a hitch hiker who looks like Danny Devito, martial arts practicing drag queens to name a few) and of course satire. With references to the January 6 insurrection, the Proud Boys, and the Trump election, the story sometimes feels a little too real at some times though.

Fever Beach is a great read. Hiaasen remains one of my favorite authors, and his books never fail to deliver a mix of comedy and social commentary. I just love all of the characters he creates and no other author does it as well.

4.5 stars from me. I just can't rate it higher than my favorites - Sick Puppy and Skinny Dip. But it does come close!

Carl Hiassen takes aim again at “Florida Man” (much like Dave Barry does, both authors are allowed since they are certified FL residents). “Fever Beach” is a funny book about stereotypes that I chose since I’m so dismayed with current national affairs — so why not dive head first into a nest of alligators in order to say “well, it’s not THAT bad.”

The main character is Dale Figgo, founder of Strokerz for Liberty, rejected by the Proud Boys, an “empty pointed hood,” incredibly stupid, works in an adult toy warehouse. He has a buddy Jonas Onus, just as repellent and ignorant. Both are white extremists and Florida men.
Other characters include:
Viva Morales, Figgo’s divorcee tenant, with more common sense than the rest of the characters
Twilly Spree, a mixed up environmentalist, in need of anger management classes
The Minks, the corrupt billionaire philanthropists who Viva works for and who are funding Figgo’s Strokerz
A Congressman with a goofy name, Clure Boyette, definitely a mish-mash caricature of the current governor

The book is funny in a perverse way and very much connected to current events — it might not age well, but it could be a time capsule for the past couple of years (although he’s missed the “Gulf of America” renaming). The plot bounces around and the author does tie all the weird characters together. Justice is mostly served, also in perverse ways. I think you have to be in a mood for political satire to really enjoy this. 3.5 stars

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is exactly what I needed now! With the state of the country, this book is a perfect way of showing the buffoonish actions & thinking of many in our country! Hiaasen does a great job of blending humor with the idiocy of the Strokerz and their supporters!!! Maybe if we could get enough of the right wing to read this.....they might realize just how their thoughts and actions look to others. I will need about 5 or 10 more books by Hiaasen like this to make it through the next four years!

Description
Another instant classic from Carl Hiaasen—laugh-out-loud funny, tackling the current chaotic and polarized American culture (following in the path of Squeeze Me), with two wonderful Hiaasen heroes

“The afternoon of September first, dishwater-gray and rainy, a man named Dale Figgo picked up a hitchhiker on Gus Grissom Boulevard in Tangelo Shores, Florida. The hitchhiker, who reminded Figgo of Danny DeVito, asked for a lift to the interstate. Figgo said he’d take him there after finishing an errand.”

Thus begins Fever Beach, with an errand that leads—in pure Hiaasen-style—into the depths of Florida at its most Floridian: a sun-soaked bastion of right-wing extremism, white power, greed, and corruption. Figgo, it turns out, is the only hate-monger ever to be kicked out of the Proud Boys for being too dumb and incompetent. On January 6, 2021 he thought he was defacing a statue of Ulysses S. Grant, but he wound up spreading feces all over a statue of James Zacharia George, a Civil War Confederate war leader.

Figgo's already messy life is about to get more complicated, thanks to two formidable adversaries. Viva Morales is a newly transplanted Floridian, a clever woman recently taken to the cleaners by her ex-husband, now working at the Mink Foundation, a supposedly philanthropic organization, and renting a room in Figgo’s apartment because there’s no place else she can afford. Twilly Spree has an anger management problem, especially when it comes to those who deface the environment, and way too many inherited millions of dollars. He's living alone a year after his dog died, two years after he sank a city councilman’s party barge, and three years after his divorce.

Viva and Twilly are plunged into a mystery—involving dark money and darker motives—they are determined to solve, and become entangled in a world populated by some of Hiaasen’s most outrageous characters: Claude and Electra Mink—billionaire philanthropists with way too much plastic surgery and a secret right-wing agenda—and Congressman Clure Boyette—who dreams of being Florida’s (and maybe America’s) most important politician. The only things standing in his way are his love for hookers and young girls, and his total lack of intelligence. We meet Noel Kristianson—a Scandinavian agnostic injured when Figgo thinks he’s a Jewish threat to humanity and runs him over with his car; Jonas Onus—Figgo’s partner in white power idiocy; and many, many more. Hiaasen ties them all together and delivers them to their appropriate fates, in his wildest and most entertaining novel to date.

Carl Hiaasen does it again a zany comedy set in Florida.Great characters hysterically funny really had a good time reading it.#netgalley #feverbeach

If you are a Carl Hiaasen fan, you know what to expect, and this certainly delivers. I did laugh-out-loud several times, but, my interest waned pretty quickly. Florida man white supremacists? Yawn. Easy, cheap target. I resorted to skimming the last half of the book.

As usual, his books have a pretty good, visually appealing cover.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

In the insanity that passes for news nowadays, “Fever Beach” does not seem that exaggerated, which is saying a lot, because Carl Hiaasen has written a very funny, over-the-top novel featuring white supremacists, corrupt politicians, bribable council members, moral hitmen, shady escorts, and everything in between.

In the center of this web we have Viva Morales, a divorced woman who has moved to Florida to start a new life. She meets an interesting man on the plane, Twilly Spree, who seems laid back and casual and a bit of a flirt. He ends up tracking her down and they begin an interesting relationship. Viva rents a room from Dale Figgo, a white power advocate who had to start his own far-right group, the Strokers for Liberty, after he got kicked out of the Proud Boys for defacing a confederate statue by accident during the January 6th overthrow attempt. Dale is really not very intelligent, and all of his plots backfire (hilariously) with far-reaching consequences. Viva works for Claude and Electra Mink, an extremely rich couple, helping to distribute their wealth to various charities (as long as their names get prominently displayed). When Viva finds out that some of this wealth is being funneled to congressman Clure Boyette, a far-right extremist who is claiming to start a charity for little kids to build houses (“wee hammers”), Viva with Twilly’s help, decides to find out what’s really going on.

And this is just the start. Dogs named after Nazis. Drag queen fights. Scrotum skin grafts. Adult novelties that show up repeatedly. Underage (not really) escorts. Dog collar fetishes. A mother who boxes. Environmentalist sabotage. Expensive convertibles that get trashed and replaced. Jewish hitmen. And a surprising climax on election day at a retirement home that may just change the course of US history.

One would think that Mr. Hiaasen has really exaggerated his characters and situations for comic effect, but unfortunately it reads all too true nowadays. So it’s refreshing to be able to sit back, have a laugh, and enjoy the craziness where everyone gets what’s coming to them and we have a (relatively) happy ending.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor via NetGalley. Thank you!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although it might not be for everyone. Hiassen pokes fun at recent political events, including many references to January 6 and the stereotyped person who participated. As always, it is set in Florida and is a diversion away from Hiassen's usually environmentally themed stories. I found myself laughing out loud and cheering for Viva and Twilly.

I loved Bad Monkey on Apple - this was my first adult Hiaasen and it did not disappoint. Don't read if you voted red in the last election.

The latest from Hiaasen. If you're a fan, this is very typical -- filled with crazy characters and irreverent, over the top humor. This time the main character is a Proud Boy wannabe who is planning an event that will get everyone's attention. What could possibly go wrong?

While I really enjoyed this book -- who couldn't love the crazy antics of Figgo and his crew -- but there's little substance here. Obviously intended as political commentary (nothing new for Hiaasen), but the whole thing reads like "Florida guy" from the internet -- just one dumb episode after another. I admit I got a little bored. I liked some of the characters and kept reading. I don't think this is Hiaasen's best, but it is very typical of the author. If you're a fan, don't miss this one. If not, I think you will be disappointed.

Carl Hiaasen writes a witty hilarious and a sobering portrayal of the immediate political climate told through the eyes of various characters that feel super real. It’s an excellent read that will grip your attention as a character driven narrative.

Once again Carl Hiaasen delivers a wild and funny ride in Florida. This is definitely a fun read. Some of the scary characters are made humorous to lighten up a very serious social problem. This author never disappoints.

Hiaasen is back at it again. Always the bumbling bad guys who get their comeuppance in a satisfying way. The epitome of “Florida Man” humor!

Carl Hiaasen continues his rein as the king of zany Florida based comedies. I always enjoy his books and this one had me laughing out loud on a beach in Saint Lucia. Fun and comical all the way through. Another winner!

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

In Fever Beach, Hiaasen brings back the character Twilly Spree, who was in "Sick Puppy." Twilly is a strange character that you will love even while asking yourself "Is he crazy???" (Yes, he is. But he is driven to insanity by the madness of the the greedy and power hungry people who are ruining life for the rest of us.
Hiaasen has written a hilarious political satire that is all too accurate for today. Twilly Spree teams up with Viva Morales to take down the corruption that wants to spoil the Florida landscape for money and power, You see, Viva just happens to work for a philanthropic couple (The Minks) who have their names on hospitals and other medical facilities - but they also use the guise of philanthropy to fund corruption in government and become richer. The Minks are also closely working with Congressman Clure Boyett to further a right wing agenda. But Boyett has used the money to back a group of ----well---idiots. The guys blame everyone but themselves for their own failures.

This book kept me so involved that I was amazed how quickly the time passed as I was reading it. While you may think that "no one could be that crazy" - trust me, they can.
If you don't laugh at the ludicrousness of the dunderhead militia being beaten up by drag queens, I think your sense of humor is broken.

Thanks Mr. Hiaasen for the laugns and the enjoyable time spent reading this book.

This is a really good book! It was a story that flowed well, it was funny, and emotional at the same time. I liked it overall, and it was definitely entertaining

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Carl Hiaasen introduces some new knuckleheaded, know-little characters in this book, as well as some do-gooders with their own quirks. This is a quick, fun read where all the 'bad guys' get what's rightfully coming to them and the good guys do what they need to do and move on. Clure and his long-suffering father, Claude Boyette try to do what they can to hold onto Clure's seat in the House of Representatives. In his misguided attempts to secure his seat, Clure only manages to embarrass his father, fund some groups who embarrass themselves, and lose the election. Boyette enlists Dale Figgo, a disgraced former member of the Proud Boys to use his new group of white supremacists to help force voters to re-elect Clure. Backed by millionaires, Mr. and Mrs. Mink, Figgo moves from one fiasco to the next, all the while being foiled by his tenant, Viva (who works for the Minks) and her rich environmentalist friend, Twilly.

As is usual in a Hiaasen book, at least one character has a bizarre deformity, there is at least one 'lady of the evening' who is a good woman at heart, and the Florida environmentalists know their fight to keep 'old Florida', with it's orange groves and wetlands is in vain, but they keep trying. All of Hiaasen's fans will enjoy the characters and the story in this laugh-out-loud addition to his work (but I kind of missed Skink, who's probably too old to have made an appearance in this one.)

Clever, fast paced, and quick talking characters is just what we expect from Carl Hiaasen. Timely plots, off-the-wall characters, and his classic dry humor, makes Fever Beach another Hiaasen hit!