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Customer Reviews of Basket Case

Rock-n-Roll Detective Story
Jack Tagger writes death notices for a South Florida daily newspaper. He's 46 and already death-obsessed; nature of the business. Jimmy Stoma, front man for a gone-but-not-forgotten rock group, turns up dead from a diving accident in the Bahamas. Jack writes the death notice based on some bad information given to him by the rocker's pop-singer widow, Cleo Rio. Jack suspects foul-play and is hell-bent on finding out the truth behind Jimmy Stoma's death. With the help Emma, the young and ambitious editor, Juan, close friend and sports writer, and Janet Thrush, Jimmy Stoma's sister, Jack Tagger may actually become the reporter he once was.

This is my first book by author Carl Hiaasen. I'm also from South Florida and enjoyed the familiarity in his writing. Hiaasen has been a journalist for the Miami Herald for the past 25 years. His character Jack Tagger must have developed easily from his own experiences with the newspaper. Hiaasen's writing style was very unique to me. He's got a realistic-sarcasm I enjoyed. "The club is lit with fruity-colored strobes that dice up the cigarette haze like a psychedelic SaladShooter. A Nordic-looking DJ in unlikely rasta garb is in command of the synthesized dance music, thumping as tediously as a cardiac monitor." Just an example of the writings of Carl Hiaasen.

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"Basket Case" was a most rockin' enjoyable read!
I picked up "Basket Case" after reading about it on Amazon.com and I wasn't disappointed! I finished it over the weekend and look forward to reading more of Carl Hiaasen's works.

"Basket Case" combines the gritty world of rock and roll and the recording industry with a pinch of romance, whodunit and death...lots o' death. Our leading man Jack Tagger writes obituaries and is obsessed with death, going as far as memorizing what celebrities died at what age, then seeing if he will outlive them.

At times "Basket Case" requires suspension of reality, but there are many enjoyable moments (the dead lizard in the freezer being one of them) as Jack searches for the truth about the death of Jimmy Stoma, lead singer of Jimmy and the Slut Puppies. Hiaasen obviously has a handle on modern pop culture as he drops current band names and trends every few pages and doesn't miss a beat. Carl introduces us to the newsroom, ravers, Ecstasy, photo shop girls who make secret duplicates of naughty amateur photos, industry scumbags with L'Oreal hair and thug bodyguards, a Courtney Lovesque widow bent on building her career at the expense of her deceased husband.

The plot moves along at a steady pace, and Hiaasen includes enough twists and turns to make things interesting every few chapters. Being a musician, I enjoyed the musical descriptions and aspects of the book. Lots of memorable characters and moments.

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The one, the only
I've only read one other writer/book that took me by storm the way Hiassen did: McCrae with his "Bark of the Dogwood." But even he can't compare to Hiassen. "Basket Case" is not as boisterous as many of Haissen's previous books, but it has its hilarious moments. Many of the previous books expose over-development of the Florida landscape. Basket Case has serious points to make too - about the current state of the newspaper wing of the 4th Estate. Haissen, a longtime newspaperman himself, knows wherefrom he speaks. There is only one Carl Hiaasen. Sure there are a few pretenders out there but he is the master of the Florida landscape and it's peculiar brand of weirdoes, corrupt officials and sunseekers. Also recommed: Sick puppy and Lucky you.