Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Basket Case
    Unavailable
    Basket Case
    Unavailable
    Basket Case
    Audiobook10 hours

    Basket Case

    Written by Carl Hiaasen

    Narrated by George Newbern

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Once a hotshot investigative reporter, Jack Tagger now bangs out obituaries for a South Florida daily, "plotting to resurrect my newspaper career by yoking my byline to some famous stiff." Jimmy Stoma, the infamous front man of Jimmy and the Slut Puppies, dead in a fishy-smelling scuba "accident," might be the stiff of Jack's dreams-if only he can figure out what happened.

    Standing in the way are (among others) his ambitious young editor, who hasn't yet fired anyone but plans to "break her cherry" on Jack; the rock star's pop-singer widow, who's using the occasion of her husband's death to re-launch her own career; and the soulless, profit-hungry owner of the newspaper, whom Jack once publicly humiliated at a stockholders' meeting.

    With clues from the dead rock singer's music, Jack ultimately unravels Jimmy Stoma's strange fate-in a hilariously hard-won triumph for muckraking journalism, and for the death-obsessed obituary writer himself.

    "Always be halfway prepared" is Jack Tagger's motto-and it's more than enough to guarantee a wickedly funny, brilliantly entertaining novel from Carl Hiaasen.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 30, 2013
    ISBN9780804149051
    Unavailable
    Basket Case
    Author

    Carl Hiaasen

    Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida, where he started writing after being given a typewriter at the age of six. He writes a column for the Miami Herald and is the author of many bestselling novels, including Razor Girl and Bad Monkey. His books for younger readers include the Newbery Honor winner Hoot, as well as Flush, Scat, Chomp, and Skink – No Surrender.

    More audiobooks from Carl Hiaasen

    Related to Basket Case

    Related audiobooks

    Suspense For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Ed Mitchell

      Dec 9, 2022

      Ed Mitchell
      2 min read

    • Article

      Treat Your Shelf

      Mar 25, 2024

      by Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion When Hannah lands a job in a psychiatric ward, she is challenged every day. Figuring out her new role is tough, but finding herself in the process is an even bigger task. OUTWED. by Louise Milligan Journalist Kat

      1 min read

    • Article

      Alas, Poor Mad Magazine, Pulled Under By Its Own Humor Wave

      Jul 5, 2019

      What? Mad magazine will disappear from newsstands after August? Well, as Dorothy Parker is said to have said after hearing of President Calvin Coolidge's death, "How can they tell?" After 67 years of publishing elegantly illustrated goofiness, Mad's

      2 min read

    • Article

      Guitar CONTRIBUTORS

      May 7, 2021

      As a freelance journalist, Huw has written for The Guardian, Vice and Clash Magazine. As a musician, he has written a handful of three-chord punk songs on a glitter-red mid-1990s Telecaster that wears the scars of shows, house moves and a tumble down

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Players

      Sep 20, 2019

      The Players
      2 min read

    • Article

      High Times Tales

      May 10, 2023

      High Times Tales
      2 min read

    • Article

      From the Top

      Aug 10, 2023

      From the Top
      4 min read

    • Article

      Review: Journalists with attitude star in 'Creem: America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine'

      Aug 7, 2020

      To anyone starting out in music journalism around 2000, "Almost Famous" - director Cameron Crowe's warm-and-fuzzy remembrance of his adventures as a teenage Rolling Stone writer - felt about as old-timey as that year's other big music-historical fant

      2 min read

    • Article

      Top 10 Reads

      May 1, 2020

      Top 10 Reads
      1 min read

    • Article

      Tony Clarkin

      Feb 2, 2024

      Tony Clarkin
      8 min read

    • Article

      Must See, Must Read

      Aug 31, 2021

      Must See, Must Read
      11 min read

    • Article

      High Times Greats: Five Times High Times Landed Notable Interviews

      May 4, 2021

      In a smoke-filled moment in September 1976, High Times caught up with Bob Marley—a few months after he released Rastaman Vibration and before he left Jamaica in self-exile to record Kaya and Exodus. “It’s time to let de people get good herbs an’ smok

      2 min read

    • Article

      Cowboysindians.com

      Jan 18, 2022

      Cowboysindians.com
      1 min read

    • Article

      Money Talks

      Mar 1, 2024

      “I am a marvellous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house.” The late Hungarian-American socialite and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (pictured), quoted in San Diego Jewish World “I wish! If it was, I’d have made a tonne of money. But no, tha

      1 min read

    • Article

      Sounding Board

      Jan 23, 2024

      Sounding Board
      3 min read

    Reviews for Basket Case

    3.5/5

    648 ratings34 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      What can you say about a romantic hero that has a collection of skulls that he can juggle? He chases the bad guys and keeps his love interest safe as he goes along on her wild & dangerous adventures.....
    • 4/5
      This was my very first Hiaasen novel, so I have nothing else to compare it to. I found it ridiculously fun and irreverent. I loved the newsroom setting and the murder mystery that revolves around an aging rockstar. The romance felt a little forced to me (especially the age difference), but it didn't take anything away from my overall enjoyment.
    • 4/5
      Carl Hiaasen books never disappoint! Although Basket Case is not my favorite of his novels for adults, I very much enjoyed it. The dark humor that is a standard in Hiaasen's books had me giggling out loud on more than one occasion as I devoured this hard-to-put down summer read!
    • 4/5
      The usual amusing, irreverent fare by another favorite author. In this murder mystery, Jack Tagger has been demoted to the obit page of a Florida daily newspaper. He hates the new profit-hungry owner of the paper, has a love/hate thing with his lady boss, and desperately wants to get back on the front page. And then Jimmy Stoma, the front man for the Slut Puppies band dies in a "fishy" scuba accident. Stoma's young wife is not too heart-broken either. A very entertaining, hugely funny novel.
    • 3/5
      Generally satisfying read, but definitely not one of his best. Not nearly the edge he usually has (except his bad guy's demise was up to standard). The romance seemed a little lame for Hiaasen. Generally OK, though.
    • 3/5
      A well-written, funny, irreverant look at the life of a "journalist" who is stuck writing obituaries and his investigation into a former rock star's sudden death. Oddly satisfying ending. I'll read more of his work .
    • 3/5
      My first Hiaasen won't be my last! I've found an author I can turn to when I want a quick light read. Humorous, intelligent, quirky, with just enough of a mystery plotline to hold the laughs together. All this, and a happy ending too. What more could I ask?
    • 4/5
      A delight. The storytelling made me smile, it was so engaging and compelling, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. I wanted to read it quickly and to savor it. After reading some dry stuff, this was like a cool glass of water. Now I'm all set to try Hiaasen's other novels.
    • 4/5
      Not quite as hilarious as Bad Monkey or Lucky You, but still an engaging read.
    • 3/5
      My uncle kept telling me how funny this was so finally I read it. I didn't think I would like it, but I did really enjoy it. Great beach reading: light, funny, and very clever.
    • 5/5
      Very entertaining. Hiaasen has many plot twists and turns. Not one of those stories that leave you till the last two pages and drop all the answers on you. He wraps the secondary plot nicely as well. I enjoy his slightly twisted dry humor.
    • 4/5
      Great use of music to set tone, environment, and character. Weak, weak, weak climax. The reader knows someone will die and they do, but they do not die as an authentic result of the protagonist's actions. 3 1/2 stars.
    • 3/5
      good character and romance. stupid, good-humoured mystery.
    • 5/5
      Jack Tagger, former investigative journalist is reduced to writing obituaries, until he uncovers foul play surrounding a death.
    • 5/5
      A great introduction to the very funny, Florida-focused Carl Hiassen. sort of a murder mystery, but with an intrepid journalist as hero. Very funny and snarky, with some truly inspired (and exciting) scenes of mayhem, death and destruction. Self Defense via Frozen Giant Lizard...this scene will make you sorry you didn't pee before reading ;-)
    • 3/5
      I just read this book and one week later or so, i cannot remember anything about it. this tells me while CH forced me to read through it, and I probably enjoyed it, there wasn't any character or happening in it that i thought pertinent enough to remember. in other words, taint classical writings. Rechecking my library synopsis, it is aboiut a lifelong reporter with a rebellious streaK, AND IF I COULD NOT REMEMBER THAT, IT SURELY is pure entertainment.
    • 4/5
      This was my first visit into the world of Carl Hiaasen. The writing was good, but the story started slow for me. It was just sort of ho-huming along, trying its damnedest to put me to sleep. Jack Tagger is a veteran newspaper man shuffled to the obit pages by an owner that despises him because of a very public confrontation that happens at a stockholder meeting. But Jack hangs in there just to spite the guy. When a rock star from yesteryear dies, Jack is determined to write him a first-rate obituary. While interviewing the various players, he realizes there was something way more sinister in his death. The action and story pick up the last 150 pages or so and hooked me to the end. Although I had most of the little twists and turns figured out before they were revealed, I really enjoyed seeing the story unravel to its finish. I'm definitely going to put another Hiaasen in my TBR pile.
    • 4/5
      This book doesn't have some of the absurdity of Hiaasen's other novels, but it was quite good. The relationships are all very believable, and I ended up liking Jack quite a bit. The conclusion of the mystery is also quite satisfying.
    • 2/5
      This was different from other Hiaasen novels in that there really wasn't an environmental story to tell. It was another Florida novel, but it was about the music business and the newspaper business rather than evil developers trying to build somewhere that something is endangered and people being killed to cover it up or whatever. Hiaasen also writes (wrote?) a newspaper column, so I think it's an arena he's quite familiar with. That being said, I think it's a little on the icky side that the protagonist hooks up with his editor, who is 20+ years younger than him (he's something like 5 years younger than her father) as it strikes me as the way an older man who has fantasies about having sex with young women would write. Somehow I felt more of the author's presence in the story but not in a good way. It was still an enjoyable read. It would make a good airplane book.
    • 5/5
      When Jimmy Stoma, former lead singer of the now-defunct 1970s rock bandJimmy Stoma and the Slut Puppies, dies in a diving accident in theBahamas, no one raises an eyebrow except Jack Tagger, the obit writer atthe Union-Register, a small south Florida daily newspaper. Somethingjust doesn't smell right to Jack, who wasn't always just an obit writer.Once upon a time he had been a crackerjack reporter, putting hisbyline on the front page on a regular basis, until he'd had thatunfortunate run-in with his new boss and called him a slimy littlegut-crawling weasel right there in the middle of a stock holdersmeeting. Now he was doomed to forever write obituaries ofsemi-interesting people and to be obsessed with death.Jimmy's death and the utter lack of sadness on the part of his prettyyoung widow, Cleo Rio (the one hit wonder who's fading fast on thecharts and in the hearts of her fans) makes Jack wonder what's going on,but it's when the rest of the Slut Puppies start dying that he begins tocatch on to what's happening.Like the other Hiaasen books, this one is absolutely delightful,skillfully written with humor and finesse, introducing characters thatjump of the page and come to life. This can't really be classes as amystery because the culprit is revealed early on, but it's all about thebuild up to the finish with Hiaasen. You just can't wait to see the badguys (and gals) get theirs in the end. There's places where I laughedout loud (gosh, I love doing that when reading a good book! LOL) andthe finish of this one was satisfying enough.
    • 4/5
      I first discovered Carl Hiaasen as an adolescent lit author, but he is even better with a little sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll in the mix! Very fun book!
    • 5/5
      Basket Case is about an obituary writer from Florida, Jack Tagger. He is always trying to hit it big by writing an obituary of a famous person. He finally finds a sort-of famous person to write an obituary about, rock star Jimmy Stomarti. Jimmy died mysteriously in the Bahamas and Jack has been assigned to write his obituary. Jack soon gets into this Jimmy cover-up consiracy through his interviews. Jack then has to fight for his life from those responsible for murdering Jimmy.
    • 5/5
      As a former newspaper reporter, I can only saw that Hiaasen has everything down perfectly, from the grumbling obit writer to the ditzy young editor. This truly is a fine book, way better than anything in the murder genre, and a rare find.
    • 4/5
      One of the really unfortunate, awkward things about the writer's craft, especially if you're talkin' genre fiction, is that as you get older, more magisterial, learn to temper the excesses of youth with a perfect patina of worldly savour and killing details--as, in other words, you get better and better at what you do, you're also steadily losing touch with the popular-culture cushion on which your genre narrative floats. This book is almost perfect, but whenever it needs mentions music, movies, anything computer-related or anyone under 30, dude, it is grim. Like, there is no excuse for mentioning the Wallflowers in any novel ever.
    • 4/5
      This was my second Hiaasen novel after Stormy Weather. I enjoyed both enormously. He is a wonderfully entertaining and funny writer. I plan to read the rest of his works as soon as possible.
    • 4/5
      Funny, easy read. Not as good as Harlen Coben, but would read others by author.
    • 3/5
      Lately I have been reading a lot of books that compared their author To Hiaasen. Upon reading this I could see why. It is not as bloody as the pretenders itand moves along well. I gather though that it is not typical being written in the first person and lacking the nature despoiled theme of most of his other books.
    • 5/5
      When the lead singer of a band dies under questionable circumstances an ostracized obit. reporter picks up the story and runs... straight into trouble.I have a ton of Hiaasen books in the catalog (hey it was easy) and yes I've read them all, but start with this one. If it entertains you... read on. I'd suggest Sick Puppy and so forth. rsr
    • 4/5
      Hiaasen is a hoot. He's put environmental issues on the back burner for this book. Instead, he goes after media moguls who're destroying newspapers by selling out to advertisers and dumping reporters who cover "real" news. Jack Tagger is a reporter assigned to the obit page after ticking off the owner of the paper. When one of his rock star idols dies in a scuba diving accident, Jack's investigative instinct kicks in. As usual in a Hiaasen book, things work out for the best in the end, and you'll have lots of laughs along the way.
    • 4/5
      The protagonist is a middleaged newspaper journalist who has been demoted to writing obituaries because he criticized the management after a the paper was sold to a newspaper concern. His obituary of a former rockstar leads him to investigate his death, and amidst robberies, kidnappings, shootings and obituary writing he manages to fall in love with his editor, find and reveal the killer, get back on the frontpage and drive the new owner of the newspaper mad.