Swamp Story (Unabridged)
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Pulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling author—and actual Florida Man—Dave Barry returns with a “hilariously funny” (Steve Martin) caper full of oddballs and more twists and turns than a snake slithering away from a gator.
Jesse Braddock is trapped in a tiny cabin deep in the Everglades with her infant daughter and her ex-boyfriend, a wannabe reality TV star who turned out to be a lot prettier on the outside than on the inside. Broke and desperate for a way out, Jesse stumbles across a long-lost treasure, which could solve all her problems—if she can figure out how to keep it. The problem is some very bad men are also looking for the treasure, and they know Jesse has it.
Meanwhile, Ken Bortle of Bortle Brothers Bait and Beer has hatched a scheme to lure tourists to his failing store by making viral videos of the “Everglades Melon Monster.” The Monster is, in fact, an unemployed alcoholic newspaperman named Phil wearing a Dora the Explorer costume head. Incredibly, this plan actually works, inspiring a horde of TikTokers to swarm into the swamp in search of the Monster at the same time villains are on the hunt for Jesse’s treasure. Amid this mayhem, a presidential hopeful arrives in the Everglades to start his campaign. Needless to say, it does not go as planned. In fact, nothing in this story goes as planned. This is, after all, Florida.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Humorist Dave Barry loves two things: stupid people doing stupid things and his adopted home state of Florida. This straight-up-bonkers novel combines the two for one whirlwind of hilariously absurd crime fiction. When new mother Jessie finds Confederate gold in the swamp where she’s stuck with her gorgeous idiot of a reality-TV-wannabe boyfriend, she accidentally sets off a chaotic chase that ends up involving kidnappers, a pair of dim-bulb brothers trying to save their failing bait shop, an alcoholic ex-newspaperman in a Dora the Explorer mask, hordes of online influencers…and a presidential candidate. Barry sets the plot speed to “high” and then breaks off the knob, filling every corner with another starry-eyed fool seeking fortune and fame. How he keeps from cracking up during his narration—which comes complete with some extremely silly character voices—is beyond us. Swamp Story would make a great road-trip listen.
Customer Reviews
Good, but…
There’s a reason authors shouldn’t read their books. Professional voice actors make the characters individuals and upgrade the story. The book itself is a fun, Florida-man kind of experience.