A blind date with a book

Discovering a new author is like a going on a first date. There’s an awkward period where you’re trying to figure out if you really are compatible and if you enjoy the company. Fortunately, with a book, you have no fear of rejection and all the power in asking for a second “date” with the author.

One of my friends recently suggested that I try out the style of Carl Hiassen, and proceeded to hand me Basket Case, a book that is immersed in mystery and the world of obituary reporting. Even though I graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism degree, I haven’t spent much time in a professional newsroom (if you don’t count the university newspaper). I did spend two weeks working at the Ottawa Sun, where I was lucky enough to write stories based on press releases (including one article about groundhogs in love. Unfortunately, I’m not joking). All this to say, that I’m not too familiar with the inner workings of a newsroom, but I have a feeling it might be run a lot like the one in Basket Case.

The book bills itself as a comedy/mystery, yet I find that it is much better classified as a noir novel. The comedy wasn’t slapstick or laugh-out-loud funny, but contained more the sarcastic, ironic humour that suits a hard-boiled reporter; the mystery itself wasn’t a great head scratcher, as both the reporter and reader knew who the villain was relatively quickly. What really drew me in was the snappy dialogue, the vivid descriptions, the neuroses of the characters and the fact that they act like real human beings. Too often in these types of novels, the main character goes it alone and is the sole hero in the book. This time around, the character knows enough to bring in his friends and anyone else who can help him solve the case and get the story. It is refreshing to read a book where, like any of us would, a character relies on the kindness of the people he knows and loves to get everything straightened out.

This book is entertainment, pure and simple, and I have discovered that Carl Hiassen is an author that I will definitely have a second date with. (Wait, that doesn’t sound right…)