SCAT

Hearing Ed Asner’s narration is a bit like hearing a great tall tale told by a favorite grandfather. His gruff tone and quirky interpretations of Hiaasen's usual over-the-top oddballs make for a ruckus. Sticking with the author’s recurring theme of the environmental exploitation of Florida's remaining wilderness, the story starts off with the disappearance of a much-feared and despised biology teacher who is on a field trip to Black Vine Swamp. Together, three students become unlikely sleuths trying to unravel a mystery that has at its heart one of Florida's most endangered species. Hiaasen knows better than any writer since Edward Abbey how to mix serious content with laugh-out-loud humor, and Asner delivers it all with rib-tickling hilarity. D.G. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]