I am a huge fan of Dave Barry and have read all his books. He is always entertaining and funny. Swamp Story is his best novel so far. It is funny, clever and wildly entertaining, but it is also a legit suspense story with wonderful characters and a fast -paced plot that kept me entranced for the 48 hours it took me to read it. 

The intertwined plot threads quickly merge as the three sets of characters converge on the discovery of a cache of civil war era gold buried in a remote spot in the Everglades. When Jessie finds the treasure while hiding from two redneck would-be rapists who were actually looking for the gold themselves, I thought the story had gelled too early and that Dave would run out of plot complications too soon. Oh, was I wrong to doubt him.

The morons trying to film a reality show about Glades Guy (No! Glades Man), meet up with the losers who inadvertently became tik-tok stars after a failed birthday party gig. Together, they want to create a viral internet sensation, and they miraculously succeed for a time. This mucks up all the plans about the gold treasure, and hilarity ensues, including a pompous politician, a wild Glades pig, and, of course, a gator (it’s Florida). 

I could not put it down, and found the characters and the story to be more emotionally engaging than any of Dave’s earlier books. This one is a slam dunk winner that Dave’s fans and new readers will love. 

All I can say is, “more like this, please.”