Let me start by saying – wow, what a ride! 'Skinny Dip' is like a Floridian fever dream packed with sleazy villains, accidental heroism, and revenge served ice-cold (with a side of floating marijuana bales). As someone who devours dark comedies, this book had me cackling at 2 AM.

The MVP? Joey Perrone. Picture this: your husband shoves you off a cruise ship on your anniversary, only for you to survive because you were literally a college swim team champ. The sheer absurdity of her clinging to DRUGS as a flotation device? Peak Hiaasen. I could practically smell the saltwater and feel her rage.

Chaz Perrone might be the most hilariously pathetic villain since Montgomery Burns. A marine biologist who doesn’t know the Gulf Stream’s direction? A man so narcissistic he texts his mistress DURING HIS WIFE’S FUNERAL? Every time he panicked over Joey’s ghostly revenge pranks (those fake drowning calls!), my Kindle nearly slipped from my grip from laughing.

But here’s the rub: while Mick Stranahan (the rugged island-dwelling ex-cop) is *chef’s kiss*, I wanted MORE of his backstory. That scene where Joey compares him to her ‘robotic’ husband? Spicy. Yet their romance felt like an appetizer when I craved a full meal.

Hiaasen’s Florida is its own character – sweaty, corrupt, and crawling with snake-owning hitmen. The eco-crime subplot (toxic dumping! Crooked agribusiness!) adds grit beneath the slapstick. Though fair warning: if you dislike loose ends, Chaz’s fate might leave you twitchy. Personally? Imagining him eternally sweating in Boca Raton hell was satisfying enough.

Pro tip: Don’t read this in public unless you enjoy explaining sudden snort-laughs about exploding septic tanks or iguanas with grudges.