Lucky You : A Novel

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Summary: The luck of the draw!
Review: Tells a story about a single young woman, JoLayne Lucks, and her unusual luck. Some might call it her unlucky lottery winnings that pit her against two psychopaths, a white supremacist, Bodean Gazzer, and his sidekick, Chub. They decide to double their lotto winnings by heisting JoLayne's lotto ticket, by any means necessary. Bode and his partner plan to use the money to arm their new founded militia the, White Rebel Brotherhood. No one would suspect that JoLayne would turn on her assailants to recover the stolen ticket. Especially after the brutal beaten she endured during the robbery. JoLayne enlists the help of Tom Krome, a big city investigative journalist, from a central Florida newspaper. Tom wants to complete a feature article about JoLayne's lucky lotto winnings and meets her just before the robbery. JoLayne refuses to tell about her new founded fortune, and prefers to remain unfazed by her remarkably lucky experience. Tom has his own set of psychopaths to deal with, in the murderous attention of a jealous judge; an actress wife who turns fugitive to avoid divorce court; an editor who speaks in tongues; and Tom's own growing interest in the future millionairess with whom he is risking is life. This bizarre pursuit takes them from the ridiculous streets of Grange to the deep Florida Bay. They finally catch up with her elusive assailants Chub, Bode Gazzer, a newly recruited store clerk, and a Hooters waitress, whom they kept as a hostage. The story line goes from dramatic suspense to comedic satire in an ending that leaves you wondering how lucky can some folks get.

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Summary: I don't care what the reviewers say, this is Hiassen's best.
Review: Great characters. This could only happen in America.

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Summary: Classic Hiassen.
Review: Hiassen's done it again! A completely entertaining and satisfying mystery novel set against his familiar Florida back drop. Classic Hiassen with the "Win one for the environment" protagonists versus the woefully inept and oddly pitiable bad guys. Hilarious situations only Hiassen can pull off with any degree of credibility.

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Summary: Better Luck next time?
Review: I'm surprised at the knocks given LUCKY YOU by Amazon reviewers. Maybe I'M LUCKY since this is the only Hiaasen book I've ever read, and I found it an entertaining and fun read. I can appreciate that too much of any one author can lead to disappointment whether its Leonard, Westlake, Le Carre, Hemingway or Shakespeare. But LUCKY YOU taken as a stand alone story, does its job----makes a few statements, plays with vernacular, needles some prejudices, but basically has fun. My favorite scene in the movie OUT OF AFRICA is when Isak Dineson spins a story to her hosts while sitting in front of the fireplace, sipping brandy. I'd love to be in a similar setting and have Carl Hiaasen tell about JoLayne Lucks winning the lotto. I bet he would get a 10 rating with any audience lucky enough to be there.

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Summary: Luck had nothing to do with it...
Review: This was my first Hiaasen novel after my wife had recommended them for some time. The wacky characters are bearable, but the several looping plot strings are sometimes tedious. The main characters are fairly appealing, but the secondary characters are unbelievable to the point of losing my interest. It wasn't bad enough to make me swear off Hiaasen, but it won't make me rush out to buy more, either.

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Summary: Not his best, but still well paced, black and witty
Review: I've read better ones of Hiaasen's(Native Tongue and Stormy Weather) but still enjoyed this latest offering available here iin Australia. His peripheral characters(esp.Shiner-the small town Grab'n'Go clerk and Amber the feisty Hooters waitress) were of more interest to me in this story. There are enough laughs and plot twists and observations by the writer that leave you wondering about just what sort of people live in Florida to keep you amused and entertained. On the down side it seems a bit formulaic in its development. Keep on writing Carl!!!!

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Summary: Formulaic and dissappointing
Review: Though I am a huge Hiaasen fan, this one left me cold. Several glaring typos and overt publisher mistakes evidenced a rush job. Has Carl fallen victim to shameless Floridian opportunism? Did Demi Moore wreck a good thing? Mediocre characters, a boring religious subplot, a thoroughly predictable ending, and no Skink. Native Tongue and Double Whammy are far better.

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Summary: Funny is not enough
Review: A few years ago when I first read a novel by Carl Hiaasen I laughed so hard that I immediately went out and bought another and another and another until I read everything Hiassen had published. I then took a break from the humorous and started reading the more serious "mysteries". When "Lucky You" came out I thought I was ready for a few laughs again. I was wrong. Although Hiaasen does have a great sense of humor and the things he pokes fun at are contemporary and relevant, I just didn't feel like humor was enough to carry the plot. If it's strictly "laughs" you're after then this book will not disappoint you. If you want something more substantial in the areas of plot and character development, then I'm afraid it's not here. I absolutely could not identify with any of the characters and therefore couldn't care less about what happened to them. Something has changed in either my taste for the Hiaasen style or in this book in particular. Whatever the case may be, this just wasn't a "must read" for me.

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Summary: Hiaasen remains one of my favorites
Review: I half want to move to South Florida just to meet some of these people, and half never want to visit South Florida because of these people! Carl Hiaasen remains one of my favorites after devouring this book...he and Dave Barry are the two reasons I access the Miami Herald online edition. Hopefully, the wait between Lucky You and his next book won't be so long!

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Summary: Hiaason not at his best is still Hiaasen
Review: I thought Stormy Weather was laugh out loud funny. I thought Striptease was great until it was made into a movie which was tacky instead of funny. This book is enjoyable with the requisite environmental lesson about the developers polluting the Everglades and putting Florida Bay at risk but it does move along. Do I detect a softening and a bit of sentimentality? This is a love story- who wouldn't fall in love with the leading female protagonist?