JoLayne Lucks, a black woman, wins the lottery. But there are two winning tickets, and the other is held by a couple of redneck white supremacists who think it would be a good idea if they could have both winning tickets. JoLayne's story attracts the attention of a local newspaper, who send a reporter to write a feelgood story. But then the rednecks find JoLayne and the story starts getting complicated.

An easy read, but not as good as some of his others (I think Strip Tease is the one I liked best, although that was the first one I read so perhaps that made a difference). Similar themes and as the other books - the Florida ecology is allowed to be ruined because of unscrupulous businessmen and naive politicians, and similar plot line - inept criminals eventually getting their (in some cases rather gruesome) come-uppance at the hand of plucky normal Joes. And Janes.

This wasn't a particularly long book but I thought there were perhaps a few too many threads in the story that were not necessary. Specifically, JoLayne's home-town was the focus of a number of pseudo-religious manifestations, and derived a fair amount of income from pilgrims who visited in order to see stains on the road in the shape of Jesus etc.. I suppose this is Hiaasen having a dig at this sort of thing but it just wasn't that interesting and seemed to get in the way.

The book was a bit like a sort of farcical version of Travis McGee - Hiaasen has acknowledged a debt to John D. McDonald - but it felt a little bit weak - the satire wasn't quite strong enough. Enjoyable read but not ground-breaking.

Completed : 05-Mar-2011