Tricky Business

Tricky Business (2002) by Dave Barry. Humorist Barry brings his rapier wit to bear on the story of some crooks and the big heist they plan. No kidding, this book made me laugh out loud in spots, something few books manage to do. There's a large cast of characters involved, and the whole drama takes place in south Florida and out at sea off the Florida coast. Barry gives us background stories on almost everyone involved, including a cocktail waitress; the captain of the gambling ship where the action is centered; the band that plays on the ship; the owner of the ship, who finds himself muscled out of the action by organized crime; and the band of crooks, who are disparate and often work at cross-purposes to one another. Oh, and let's not forget Arnie and Phil, residents of the "Old Farts Senile Dying Center," who sneak out of the nursing home on that fateful night to go on the gambling cruise. And Barry has a lot of fun with the Channel 9 news team, who go collectively insane when a tropical storm threatens Miami, and end up losing nine of their reporters and cameramen, killed in the coverage of the impending storm. This book was just a lot of fun to read. It's not heavyweight philosophy, but it entertains raucously. Grade: A