内容简介
BestsellingauthorandcolumnistCarlHiaasenreturnswithanotherhystericalmysteryforkidssetinFlorida'sEverglades.BunnyStarch,themostfearedbiologyteacherever,ismissing.ShedisappearedafteraschoolfieldtriptoBlackVineSwamp.And,tobehonest,thekidsinherclassarerelieved.ButwhentheprincipaltriestotellthestudentsthatMrs.Starchhasbeencalledawayona"familyemergency,"NickandMartajustdon'tbuyit.No,theyfiguretheclassdelinquent,Smoke,hassomethingtodowithherdisappearance.Andhedoes!Butnotinthewaytheythink.There'salotmoregoingoninBlackVineSwampthananyoneplayerinthistwistedtalecansee.AndNickandMartawillhavetoreckonwithaneccentriceco-avenger,astuffedratnamedChelsea,awannabeTexasoilman,asingingsubstituteteacher,andaticked-offFloridapantherbeforetheyreallybegintoseethebigpicture.That'slifeintheswamp,kids.
作者简介
Whenonethinksoftheclassicsofpulpfiction,certainthings--gruff,amoralantiheroes,unflinchingnihilism,andacertainmelodramaticself-seriousness--inevitablycometomind.However,thenovelsofCarlHiaasencompletelychallengethesepulpyconventions.Whilethepulpofyesteryearseemsforeverchiseledinanalmostquaintblackandwhiteworld,Hiaasen'sbooksvibratewithvividcolor.Theyareveritableplaygroundsforwildcharactersthatfloutclichés:aroadkill-eatingex-governor,abouncer/assassinwhotakescareofbusinesswithaWeedWacker,afailedalligatorwrestlernamedSammyTigertail.Furthermore,Hiaaseninfuseshisabsurdiststorieswithapowerfuldoseofsocialandpoliticalawareness,focusingonhishometurfofSouthFloridawithanunflinchingkeenness.HiaasenwasbornandraisedinSouthFlorida.Duringthe1970s,hegothisstartasawriterworkingforCocoaTodayasapublicinterestcolumnist.However,itwashisgigasaninvestigativereporterforTheMiamiHeraldthatprovidedhimwiththefundamentalsnecessaryforacareerinfiction."I'dalwayswantedtowritebookseversinceIwasakid,"HiaasentoldBarnes&Noble.com."Tome,thenewspaperbusinesswasawaytolearnaboutlifeandhowthingsworkedintherealworldandhowpeoplespoke.Youlearnalltheskills--youlearntolisten,youlearntotakenotes--everythingyouuselaterasanovelistwasvaluabletraininginthenewspaperworld.ButIalwayswantedtowritenovels."Hiaasenmadethetransitionfromjournalismtofictionin1981withthehelpoffellowreporterBillMontalbano.HiaasenandMontalbanodrewuponalltheyhadlearnedwhilecoveringtheMiamibeatintheirdebutnovelPowderBurn,asharpthrilleraboutthelegendaryMiamicocainetrade,whichtheNewYorkTimesdeclaredan"expertlyplottednovel."TheteamfolloweduptheirdebutwithtwomorecollaborativeworksbeforeHiaasenventuredoutonhisownwithTouristSeason,anoffbeatmurdermysterythatshowcasedtheauthor'sidiosyncraticsenseofhumor.Fromthenon,Hiaasen'ssensibilityhasgrownonlymorecomicallyabsurdandmoresociallypointed,withaparticularemphasisontheenvironmentalexploitationofhisbelovedhomestate.Inadditiontohisirreverentandhowlinglyfunnythrillers(DoubleWhammy,SickPuppy,NatureGirl,etc),hehasreleasedcollectionsofhisnewspapercolumns(KickAss,ParadiseScrewed)andpennedchildren'sbooks(Hoot,Flush).Withhisuniqueblendofcomedyandrighteousness("Ican'tbefunnywithoutbeingangry."),thewritercontinuestoviewhallowedFloridainstitutions--fromtourismtorealestatedevelopment--withadecidedlyjaundicedeye.AsKirkusReviewshaswrylyobserved,Hiassendepicts"...theSunshineStateastheweirdestplacethissideofOz."
