Books like Basket case by Carl Hiaasen

On a luxury Nile cruise, the glamorous Linnet Ridgeway is found murdered, and intrepid detective Hercule Poirot must uncover the truth amid intrigue, secrets, and false leads.

Jim Qwilleran, a seasoned reporter, teams with his Siamese cat Koko to solve murders in Michigan’s art scene.

Detective Andrew Yancy investigates a mysterious frozen arm in Florida, racing against time and eccentric suspects from Key West to the Bahamas in a crime‑packed, humorous thriller.

Crime‑beat reporter Jack McEvoy races against time to catch a cleverly word‑crafting serial killer who preys on police detectives in Colorado’s streets.

In Carl Hiaasen’s playful mystery, Honey Santana retorts to an obnoxious telemarketer by weaving a Florida real‑estate scheme that pulls in the agent’s mistress, Honey’s ex‑husband, and her 12‑year‑old son.

When a middle‑aged spinster abandons her city life for a summer home in the Adirondacks, she becomes tangled in a murder investigation carried out by town detectives.

Jim Qwilleran, award‑winning reporter, and his Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum investigate a murder in Kirkland County. When Koko vanishes, the unlikely sleuth duo must navigate clues and a remote crime scene to solve the case.

A radical group targets Florida’s tourism industry in a violent attempt to cleanse the state of greed and corruption, drawing a gritty detective narrative into the heart of Miami’s resort culture.

A Southern Florida thriller in which a woman survives a staged murder, vows revenge, and navigates a world of crime, hazardous waste, and eccentric allies.

When a star of the reality show "Expedition Survival" vanishes in the Florida Everglades, Wahoo Crane and his classmate Tuna Gordon embark on a daring quest to find him, all while evading Tuna’s gun‑toting father.

A murder at a Michigan orchard turns village life into a stage‑play when Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cat investigate the death of theater director Hilary van Brook.

Newspaper reporter Jim Qwilleran and his cats investigate a mysterious explosion on a cabin cruiser in Breakfast Island’s marina, uncovering hidden intrigues in this cozy detective tale.

A detective must untangle a baffling murder case in which an amnesiac doctor discovers his pivotal alibi, while the convicted killer’s wrongful trial leaves the truth hidden and the danger still looming.

When October brings wildfires to Moose County, a town fearing arson and the death of a fire‑watcher turns to Jim Qwilleran and his feline companion Koko to uncover the truth.

A slick Perry Mason mystery where a brash heiress seeks counsel over a will that threatens her inheritance if she marries early—only to find her own groom on trial after an uncle’s murder.

Former Florida state investigator Mick Stranahan finds himself hunted by a hit‑man, a shady lawyer and a sensational TV host, turning his life into a political corruption thriller.

Ex‑muckraking reporter turned PR man at the Amazing Kingdom theme park must recover stolen blue‑tongued mango voles before a darker mystery unfolds.

A satirical thriller set after Hurricane Andrew, where Florida is raided by insurance swindlers and a former governor rallies against them.

A war‑healed reporter in Washington, D.C., uncovers a tangled web of murder, corruption, and racial tension when the teenage daughter of a powerful judge is found dead in a slum.

First‑year LAPD rookie Cynthia Decker faces a terrifying stalker while juggling a car‑jacking investigation, all while keeping her growing danger hidden from her father Peter and stepmother Rina.

A trio of comedic crime stories set in South Florida, featuring a daring hero, a comic heroine, and a colorful roster of characters that keep readers laughing and on the edge of their seats.

Blissful country life in Michigan is upended when Koko, Yum Yum, and the tenacious journalist Jim Qwilleran tackle a mystery that draws a colorful mix of gold prospectors, wildlife photographers, and pirates to the Nutcracker Inn.

I'm just Inspector Schmidt's Boswell, really. I sort of follow Schmitty around on his cases and gum up the proverbial works. But in Madrid I outdid myself. It was the day Schmitty was to arrive for a vacation. I had interfered in a scene between a wistfully blue-eyed American girl and her British boy friend and generally made a fool of myself. My mood wasn't of the best when I saw the little Spanish bootblack struggling in the hands of a raging American. The big fool didn't know what the Guardia Civil did to those kids. So IGeorge Bagbyimpersonated a policeman before one of those grim and ugly and fastshooting black-hatted cops got to the scene. I got knocked out for my pains. I'd decided not to mention my escapades to Schmitty, and everything might have been okay. But when I got back from meeting the inspector, there was a great big oversized basket waiting for me, obviously a mistake. I didn't know how big a mistake! There was a body in that basket, a real dead body, and it was dressed in the uniform of the *Guardia Civil.*

Originally drawn to the game by his father, Carl Hiaasen wisely quit golfing in 1973. But some ambitions refuse to die, and as the years--and memories of shanked 7-irons faded, it dawned on Carl that there might be one thing in life he could do better in middle age than he could as a youth. So gradually he ventured back to the dreaded driving range, this time as the father of a five-year-old son--and also as a grandfather. "What possesses a man to return in midlife to a game at which he'd never excelled in his prime, and which in fact had dealt him mostly failure, angst and exasperation? Here's why I did it: I'm one sick bastard." And thus we have Carl's foray into a world of baffling titanium technology, high-priced golf gurus, bizarre infomercial gimmicks and the mind-bending phenomenon of Tiger Woods; a maddening universe of hooks and slices where Carl ultimately--and foolishly--agrees to compete in a country-club tournament against players who can actually hit the ball. "That's the secret of the sport's infernal seduction," he writes. "It surrenders just enough good shots to let you talk yourself out of quitting."Hiaasen's chronicle of his shaky return to this bedeviling pastime and the ensuing demolition of his self-esteem--culminating with the savage 45-hole tournament--will have you rolling with laughter. Yet the bittersweet memories of playing with his own father and the glow he feels when watching his own young son belt the ball down the fairway will also touch your heart. Forget Tiger, Phil and Ernie. If you want to understand the true lure of golf, turn to Carl Hiaasen, who offers an extraordinary audiobook for the ordinary hacker.From the Trade Paperback edition.