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Hiaasen was born and raised in South Florida. During the 1970s, he got his start as a writer working for Cocoa Today as a public interest columnist. However, it was his gig as an investigative reporter for The Miami Herald that provided him with the fundamentals necessary for a career in fiction. "I'd always wanted to write books ever since I was a kid," Hiaasen told Barnes & Noble.com. "To me, the newspaper business was a way to learn about life and how things worked in the real world and how people spoke. You learn all the skills -- you learn to listen, you learn to take notes -- everything you use later as a novelist was valuable training in the newspaper world. But I always wanted to write novels."
Hiaasen made the transition from journalism to fiction in 1981 with the help of fellow reporter Bill Montalbano. Hiaasen and Montalbano drew upon all they had learned while covering the Miami beat in their debut novel Powder Burn, a sharp thriller about the legendary Miami cocaine trade, which the New York Times declared an "expertly plotted novel." The team followed up their debut with two more collaborative works before Hiaasen ventured out on his own with Tourist Season, an offbeat murder mystery that showcased the author's idiosyncratic sense of humor.
From then on, Hiaasen's sensibility has grown only more comically absurd and more socially pointed, with a particular emphasis on the environmental exploitation of his beloved home state. In addition to his irreverent and howlingly funny thrillers (Double Whammy, Sick Puppy, Nature Girl, etc), he has released collections of his newspaper columns (Kick Ass, Paradise Screwed) and penned children's books (Hoot, Flush). With his unique blend of comedy and righteousness ("I can't be funny without being angry."), the writer continues to view hallowed Florida institutions -- from tourism to real estate development -- with a decidedly jaundiced eye. As Kirkus Reviews has wryly observed, Hiassen depicts "...the Sunshine State as the weirdest place this side of Oz."
Hiaasen is also a songwriter: He's co-written two songs, "Seminole Bingo" and "Rottweiler Blues", with Warren Zevon for the album Mutineer. In turn, Zevon recorded a song based on the lyrics Hiaasen had written for a dead rock star character in Basket Case.
In Hiaasen's novel Nature Girl, he gets the opportunity to deal with a long-held fantasy. "I'd always fantasized about tracking down one of these telemarketing creeps and turning the tables -- phoning his house every night at dinner, the way they hassle everybody else," he explains on his web site. "In the novel, my heroine takes it a whole step farther. She actually tricks the guy into signing up for a bogus ‘ecotour' in Florida, and then proceeds to teach him some manners. Or tries."
She was a big one, too. Even at high tide, the top two decks were above the water line. It was like a big ugly apartment building had fallen out of the sky and landed in the basin.
Abbey hopped off my handlebars and walked to the water's edge. She planted her hands on her hips and stared at the crime scene.
"Whoa," she said. "He really did it this time."
"It's bad," I agreed.
The Coral Queen was one of those gambling boats where passengers line up to play blackjack and electronic poker, and to stuff their faces at the all-you-can-eat buffet. It didn't sound like a ton of fun to me, but the Coral Queen was packed to the rafters every night.
There was one major difference between Dusty Muleman's operation and the gambling cruises up in Miami: The Coral Queen didn't actually go anywhere. That's one reason it was so popular
By Florida law, gambling boats are supposed to travel at least three miles offshore-beyond the state boundaries-before anyone is allowed to start betting. Rough weather is real bad for business, because lots of customers get seasick. As soon as they start throwing up, they quit spending money.
According to my father, Dusty Muleman's dream was to open a gambling boat that never left the calm and safety of its harbor. That way, the passengers would never get too queasy to party.
Only Indian tribes are allowed to run casino operations in Florida, so Dusty somehow persuaded a couple of rich Miccosukees from Miami to buy the marina and make it part of their reservation. Dad said the government raised a stink but later backed off, because the Indians had better lawyers.
Anyway, Dusty got his gambling boat-and he got rich.
My dad had waited until three in the morning, when the last of the crew was gone, to sneak aboard. He'd untied the ropes and started one of the engines and idled out to the mouth of the basin, where he'd opened the seacocks and cut the hoses and disconnected the bilge pumps and then dived overboard.
The Coral Queen had gone down crosswise in the channel, which meant that no other vessels could get in or out of the basin. In other words, Dusty Muleman wasn't the only captain in town who wanted to strangle my dad on Father's Day.
I locked my bike to a buttonwood tree and walked down to the charter docks, Abbey trailing behind. Two small skiffs and a Coast Guard inflatable were nosing around the Coral Queen. We could hear the men in the skiffs talking about what had to be done to float the boat. It was a major project.
"He's lost his marbles," Abbey muttered.
"Who-Dad? No way," I said.
"Then why did he do it?"
"Because Dusty Muleman has been dumping his holding tank into the water," I said.
Abbey grimaced. "Yuck. From the toilets?"
"Yep. In the middle of the night, when there's nobody around."
"That is so gross."
"And totally illegal," I said. "He only does it to save money."
According to my father, Dusty Muleman was such a pathetic cheapskate that he wouldn't pay to have the Coral Queen's sewage hauled away. Instead his crew had standing orders to flush the waste into the basin, which was already murky. The tide later carried most of the filth out to open water.
"But why didn't Dad just call the Coast Guard?" my sister asked. "Wouldn't that have been the grown-up thing to do?"
"He told me he tried. He said he called everybody he could think of, but they could never catch Dusty in the act," I said. "Dad thinks somebody's tipping him off."
"Oh, please," Abbey groaned.
Now she was starting to annoy me.
"When wind and the current are right, the poop from the gambling boat floats out of the basin and down the shoreline," I said, "straight to Thunder Beach."
Abbey made a pukey face. "Ugh. So that's why they close the park sometimes."
"You know how many kids go swimming there? What Dusty's doing can make you real sick at both ends. Hospital-sick, Dad says. So it's not only disgusting, it's dangerous."
"Yeah, but-"
"I didn't say it was right, Abbey, what Dad did. I'm only telling you why."
My father hadn't even tried to get away. After swimming back to the dock, he'd sat down in a folding chair, opened a can of root beer and watched the Coral Queen go down. He was still there at dawn, sleeping, when the police arrived.
"So, what now?" Abbey asked.
A dark bluish slick surrounded the boat, and the men in the Coast Guard inflatable were laying out yellow floating bumpers, to keep the oil and grease from spreading. By sinking the Coral Queen, my father himself had managed to make quite a mess.
I said, "Dad asked me to help him."
Abbey made a face. "Help him what-break out of jail?"
"Get serious."
"Then what, Noah? Tell me."
I knew she wasn't going to like it. "He wants me to help him nail Dusty Muleman," I said.
A long silence followed, so I figured Abbey was thinking up something snarky to say. But it turned out that she wasn't.
"I didn't give Dad an answer yet," I said.
"I already know your answer," said my sister.
"His heart's in the right place, Abbey. It really is."
"It's not his heart I'm worried about, it's his brain," she said. "You'd better be careful, Noah."
"Are you going to tell Mom?"
"I haven't decided." She gave me a sideways look that told me she probably wouldn't.
Like I said, my sister's all right.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Flush by Carl Hiaasen Copyright © 2005 by Carl Hiaasen.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Anonymous
Posted March 26, 2009
Have you ever sneaked out of your house and spied on a Casino Boat that throws away poop in the ocean? Well Noah and his little sister Abbey sure has. The book Flush by Carl Hiassen is a book of adventure that includes a lot of action. Flush, is a vey good book that people of all ages would enjoy.
Flush takes place in Florida, Keys in Thunder Beach. In Thunder Beach, there is this one Casino boat that that throws away poop in the ocean illegally. Dusty Muleman is the casino boat owner. He earns millions of money in one night, yet he stills try so save a little bit of money by throwing away human waste into the beach. Noah's dad is a man of nature. One day, he saw that Dusty Muleman trashing human waste in the ocean so he sunk the boat one day. Once Noah and his little sister figured out, they went on a adventure to proof that their dad is right. They start sneaking out of their house and make friends with strangers that used to work on the boat. They create a plan to destroy Dusty Muleman for sure.
The book Flush is a excellent book to read with your family since this book is about a family solving a crisis. I also would recommend this book for people who likes mystery or adventure but I think that anyone would enjoy this book. If you start reading the book Flush you would keep wanting to read the book until the last page. Flush is an excellent book.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 4, 2011
Flush is a really good book for ages 10 and up it is a challenge but a good book it is about a boy named Noah. Noah's dad has a little problem with anger control. He tried to stop the Coral Queen casino boat's illegal dumping by sinking the boat witch got his dad in trouble and the boat was up and running in 3 days it is a good book read it
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 1, 2010
As a HUGE fan of Carl Hiaasen, I was sorely dissapointed by his latest book. This book was written from the point of view of a teenage boy and lacked the adult excitement that I am used to. I also thought the plot was a little simple and didn't hold my attention like he usually does. I was hoping for a fun end of summer read but just got a boring, immature mediocure story.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 9, 2009
I loved the book and anyone who says different I laugh at. I admit, the beginning was not all that great, but I really liked the ending. I think HOOT was better. SCAT and FLUSH are of similar quality
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 26, 2009
A review of "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
Do you like reading non-action every-day live novels? Well the novel "Flush" is a perfect novel for you! In this book, you can experience what its like if you were actually that character. You can learn more about how judges judge people and what they do to the person.
Noah, the main character is very brave, helpful, and caring. It all starts on present -day Florida, Miami. It seems that a casino boat has been dumping trash and waste into the ocean. So, a nature loving man wouldn't just stand and watch all the waste getting dumped into the ocean. And that's what a man did. Because of what he did, he was sent to jail. And that person is Noah's dad, Paine. Paine was also a caring man. But sometimes he went to far. Then, Paine escapes from jail and come home. Noah was satisfied. After all, the sheriff was actually glad that he escaped. But now, he's under house arrest.
Next morning, they find Abbey, missing too! So Paine, Noah and Noah's mother go on a search for her; after he sneaks off the house arrest bracelet, and goes on the search. But, on the way, they meet Dusty Muleman; the owner of the Casino boat; the Coral Queen. After going around the town they couldn't find her, so off they went home. But unsurprisingly, they find Abbey on the main road, packed and ready. She shows the video camera; with something taped inside. In the car, Noah's mother grounds her but something even more important awaits; in the video camera. As soon as she gets home, she shows the tape; of the Coral Queen dumping. But, her family was not glad. But, sometime later they find an idea; something that would change their lives for now.
I personally think that Flush is a bad book because it has no action, but for people who are very non-action and daily life people would love to read this book. Carl Hiaasen wrote the excellent book Flush with a very good idea for political problems, but I think because the action parts rarely come out so I don't really think this book is a good book.
Josh Hwang #48
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 19, 2012
The book starts in Florida with a character named Noah going to see his dad in jail on father’s day. Noah’s dad is in jail for sinking a gambling boat named the Coral Queen that he suspected the owner Dusty Muleman was dumping raw sewage into the harbor in fear of it washing up on a popular beach in Florida and the animals will die and the swimmers will get sick. Noah’s dad tried to tell the coast guard and law enforcement what was happening but he couldn’t prove it .Noah’s dad decides to take the problem in his own hands and sinks the Coral Queen. Then Noah sees that the Coral Queen is back up and in business in a couple of days while Noah’s dad is stuck in jail. Now Noah is determined to prove that Dusty Muleman is dumping sewage illegally in the harbor for his dad to get out of jail. Noah will get help from his sister Abbey, Lice Peeking a man with terrible hygiene, Shelly a bartender, and a pirate. Their trying to defeat Dusty Muleman clue by clue, Meanwhile Noah’s mother is really upset at his dad, but Noah is trying to tell her that it’s not his fault and thru the book he is also trying to prove it to his mom. I really liked the book a lot even though sometimes it lost my interest at times. The cover of the book really looked interesting it made me want to see what this book was about. The protagonist of the story worked really hard in the story to help his father. The book reminded me of a detective movie when their trying to get clues to prove the person is guilty. The exposition of the story was kind of boring and a lot of information to take in.The type of conflict in flush was man vs. man. The climax was really amusing to me, it was nothing like I suspected. The falling action was shocking I didn’t think that would happen and it surprised me. My favorite part in the book was the arguments between Shelly and Lice Peeking. I would recommend this book to people who like suspension in a story. If I were in this situation I don’t think I’ll be able to do it because it seems really difficult to try to prove someone really close to you innocent and you don’t want to fail them. Overall I give this book a 10 out of 10
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 9, 2012
A great kids book! My daughter is in love with it. Five stars
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 7, 2012
It had some disgusting parts but the rest was really good. I think this book would be great for those in 4-6 th grade.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 23, 2011
I lovw this book some bad words in it
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 4, 2012
I loved mullet fingers and his good natured rebelion! I also liked the heart felt message. But i also love the characters who all had such strong traits!!! Loved this book! Go carl haissen:)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 30, 2012
Flush is a really good book. I am 11 and I loved it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2012
This bookis a awsome mysteries. If you love mysteries then you will love this book. This book caute my attion.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 11, 2012
Wearth it
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 13, 2009
I started reading this in the fifth grade, and by page four, I was falling asleep from being so bored. Honestly, it is just really not a good book. I love to read, and I usually always try to finish a book, and give it a chance. This book was so bad, literally I was sleeping through the first chapter. My advice for those of you who right now are thinking about reading this book: Never read it. Just get out of this page and look for another book. Honestly.
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 3, 2012
I love this book. It took me a week to finish!!
Anonymous
Posted January 28, 2012
I have jus lent this book to my cousin andvhe doesbnot know where his nook is and i want to read this book so bad!!!¿¿
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Posted January 26, 2012
WowLike it
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 20, 2012
Addicting read, read it in one day
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Posted January 20, 2012
I have read this book before and its ok but it isnt that interesting
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Posted January 19, 2012
Nothing ever gets better than this:):):):):):):):):):):):)::):)::):):)::)::):):):)::):):):):)):)::)::):))::):)::):):):)):):):):):):):):)::)&&:):):)):)::):()
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Overview
Bestselling novelist Carl Hiaasen is back with another hysterical mystery adventure for young readers, set in the Florida Keys.Noah's dad has a little problem with anger control. He tried to stop the Coral Queen casino boat's illegal dumping . . . by sinking the boat. But his bold protest fizzles: within days the casino is back in business, and Noah's dad is behind bars and out of action.
Now Noah is determined to succeed where his father failed. But even though pumping raw sewage into the waters of ...