Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen

No one writes mystery novels quite like Carl Hiaasen. His campy characters and tongue-in-cheek prose make his ludicrous situations enjoyable--and almost believable. However, in his latest novel, Nature Girl (released in 2007), he may have ventured a little too far towards the absurd.

Honey Santana

As in all of Hiaasen's books, the action revolves around several inter-related stories. In Nature Girl, we meet Honey Santana, a likeable -- if somewhat loony -- single mother battling her boss' sexual advances and other injustices in the world. When she becomes slightly unhinged after having her family dinner interrupted by a rude telemarketer, it's a rare reader that cannot empathize at least a little bit.

Sammy Tigertail

Another sub-plot involves a half-white, half-Seminole young man named Sammy Tigertail, struggling to find his identity amidst his mixed ancestry. When a white tourist has a heart attack in his Everglades sightseeing boat, Sammy over-reacts, fearing as an Indian he will be blamed for the death.

Boyd Shreave

The gullible -- and rude -- telemarketer for a Texan firm aptly called Relentless, Boyd Shreave walks right into Honey's plans to exact her revenge and to try to teach him some manners. His less-than-enthusiastic girlfriend, Eugenie Fonda, comes along for the ride -- at least for a while.

Florida Farce

That all of these characters, and more, end up on the tiny Everglades Island, Dismal Key, is predictable Hiaasen farce. Nature Girl makes for an enjoyable, light, winter read, but the plot lacks the "almost believability" of Hiaasen's previous novels. Somehow, as amusing as the book's antics are, we just can't imagine -- even on a bad day -- anyone actually caring that much about a telemarketer.

About Carl Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen is a native Floridian and the author of ten previous novels, including Striptease (the basis for the 1996 Demi Moore movie) and the 2004 Skinny Dip, as well as two children's books. He also writes a weekly column for the Miami Herald.