BAD MONKEY - Carl Hiaasen

Having been to both Orlando and Miami more than once, I can state categorically that humor writer/novelist Carl Hiaasen has the uncanny ability of depicting southern Florida with excruciating accuracy.  It is that nuts there, and no more so than in Bad Monkey, which opens with suspended county cop Andrew Yancy trying to figure out what to do with the business end of a human arm - it's middle finger still extended in one final jab at life - that's still tucked away in his freezer.  Not feeling the boat accident tag the cops have put onto it, no one wants to pursue what Yancy feels certain is a murder for fear of stirring some rough political waters, leaving newly-appointed Health Inspector Yancy to deal with everything from thwarting the sale of a monstrosity of a house next door to dealing with his ex, a sexy coroner, a voodoo queen down in the Bahamas, an insurance fraud scheme ... and, of course, the naughty monkey of the title, who manages somehow to be smart, stupid, disgusting and funny all at the same time.  Typical Hiaasen, only to me not one of his best; normally with him I can go along for the ride, breezing through laughing with the occasional "OMG" thrown in for flavor.  Here, about two-thirds in the story slowed way down for me, and though it picked up again in the end I had almost lost interest by then; still feel like things could have resolved themselves a bit more quickly.  Not horrible, but not his best work either.  **1/2