Creative Digital Media > eBook[PDF] > Squeeze Me A novel by Carl Hiaasen (All)

Squeeze Me A novel by Carl Hiaasen

Document Content and Description Below

Squeeze Me is a satirical thriller novel by Carl Hiaasen, published in 2020, that intertwines a murder mystery in Palm Beach with sharp social and political commentary centered around a thinly di ...

Squeeze Me is a satirical thriller novel by Carl Hiaasen, published in 2020, that intertwines a murder mystery in Palm Beach with sharp social and political commentary centered around a thinly disguised presidential couple and an invasion of Burmese pythons. The novel features a colourful cast of characters, including a wildlife wrangler and the return of a beloved Hiaasen anti-hero, Skink.

Plot Summary

The story begins during the height of the Palm Beach charity ball season, when a wealthy, elderly socialite and ardent presidential supporter named Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons disappears from a gala. Her body is later discovered in the stomach of a huge Burmese python, a result of a random act of nature that is mistakenly covered up by a panicked estate manager.

Chaos ensues as:

The President, who resides at a nearby "Winter White House" called Casa Bellicosa, immediately seizes on the disappearance to declare Kiki a victim of "rampaging immigrant hordes," blaming a hapless Honduran immigrant named Diego Beltrán.
Angie Armstrong, a resilient wildlife wrangler, is called in to deal with the influx of large, invasive pythons in the area. She quickly suspects the true cause of Kiki's death and works with local police and a Secret Service agent, Paul Ryskamp, to clear Diego's name.
Meanwhile, the President and First Lady (code-named "Mastodon" and "Mockingbird" by the Secret Service) are engaged in their own extramarital affairs, adding another layer of scandal and blackmail potential to the mix.
The situation escalates with the return of Hiaasen's recurring character, Clinton "Skink" Tyree, an eccentric former Florida governor turned eco-terrorist, who has been intentionally releasing pythons in Palm Beach as a wake-up call to the wealthy and powerful residents.

In the end, Angie uses her knowledge of the First Lady's affair to blackmail her into having the President publicly exonerate Diego and grant him political asylum, while Skink's python campaign achieves its disruptive goal.

Key Characters

Angie Armstrong: A gutsy wildlife-removal specialist and former state wildlife officer who becomes the novel's moral compass and primary investigator.
Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons: The missing, wealthy socialite and ardent fan of the President whose death by python triggers the chaotic events.
The President (code name "Mastodon"): A vain, blustering figure in a thinly disguised portrayal of Donald Trump.
The First Lady (code name "Mockingbird"): The President's bored wife, who has an affair with her Secret Service agent, Keith Josephson.
Clinton "Skink" Tyree: Hiaasen's popular recurring character, a wild, one-eyed former governor living in the Everglades who uses eco-terrorism to fight corruption.
Diego Beltrán: An innocent Honduran immigrant who is falsely accused of Kiki's murder by the President for political gain.

Expert and User Reviews

Reviewers praise the novel as "vintage Hiaasen" with "razor-sharp satirical fiction" and "wildly entertaining".
Many highlight its humorous and up-to-date political satire, describing it as an "antidote to 2020's gloom and doom".
The novel is noted for its "absurd, grotesque best" and for capturing the "absurdity of our times".
Some reviewers mention the plot is well-structured and fast-paced with great characters, especially the strong female protagonist Angie Armstrong.
A few critics note that the intense political skewering might not be for everyone, particularly fans of the real-life president it satirizes.

[Show More]

Last updated: 6 months ago

Preview 10 out of 345 pages

Buy Now

Instant download