Tricky Business (U)

Dave Barry follows his acclaimed debut novel, Big Trouble, with a book that leads readers into a crazy complexity of money laundering, drug dealing, murder, sex, violence, hijacking, and undercover work-not to mention barbs aimed at overbearing mothers, corrupt officials, inept authorities and, of course, the American crime novel itself.Book MagazineWhat happens when a cast of colorful South Florida losers gets in the path of rival criminals fighting over a pile of drugs on a casino boat? Dave Barry gets another movie deal, that's what. Like Big Trouble , the humorist's first work of fiction, it won't take much to bring this book to the screen. Between the wacky characters and clever plot twists, most elements of the book are so cinematic you can even picture what the trailer will look like. Save one: the verbal wit of a veteran humorist. A Nissan Sentra is afflicted with "some kind of car leprosy," while the gambling boat reeks of "stale smoke and beer-breath curses." And certain lines are classic Barry: "The first bullet made a small hole in his back and exited, much less neatly." More than mere movie fodder, Barry's crime capers are a socially acceptable way to enjoy a funny man without risking the embarrassment of getting caught reading something like Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys . Author Steve Wilson