The Alligator's Farewell [Mass Market Paperback]

Hialeah Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

Some deadly things in the Everglades crawl. . . Some slither. . . And some walk on two legs. . .

People who haven't been hurt by life don't become private eyes.  Before Annabelle Hardy took over her father's Miami detective agency, she was beautiful, married, and teaching at Yale.  She's still beautiful--but now she's deaf, widowed, and learning the lessons of the streets from her hot-tempered and oddly named partner, Dave the Monkeyman.  They're not your usual P.I.'s.  And their new case is not your usual murder.

A scientist at an Everglades atomic plant has been found dead.  His corpse was so dangerously radioactive that no one would agree to bury it.  And so important that someone was willing to break into the reactor to steal it.  Investigating the murder, Annabelle and Dave are finding all manner of things dark and dangerous: a nuclear scam; a nudie bar called the Alligator Hole; and a man so seductive Annabelle wants to suspect him of terrible crimes .  .  .  so she can avoid the risks of falling in love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jackson, a pen name for Polly Whitney (Until It Hurts), skillfully captures the peculiarities of South Florida?from flashy Miami to the carefree Keys?and creates a perfect setting for adventure and an offbeat cast of characters. When officials of a nuclear facility label the mysterious death of one of their scientists a "suicide," a private security company is brought in to investigate. The firm is run by the beautiful, hearing-impaired Annabelle Hardy-Maratos and her sidekick, a flamboyant Cuban nicknamed Dave the Monkeyman. Suspecting foul play, the pair's investigation leads them to a world of high-tech jewel theft, gambling and gun running. Out of their element, they resolve to find the truth despite being sabotaged at every turn by lying employees at the plant, inept security guards, bombs, two-headed cottonmouths, a greedy widow and a boxful of flying cockroaches. Jackson displays a knack for the unconventional, and her dialogue and characterizations (particularly of Dave the Monkeyman) are superb.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Jackson...skilfully captures the peculiarities of South Florida--from flashy Miami to the carefree Keys--and creates a perfect setting for adventure and an offbeat cast of characters."
--Publishers Weekly

"A lush tropical adventure, unprecedented high-tech murder, and gorgeous writing. . . Jackson is dangerously talented."
--Janet Evanovich

"A real winner.  Don't miss it!"
--Tony Hillerman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Dell (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440226600
• ISBN-13: 978-0440226604
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,370,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars humorous South Florida mystery, October 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Alligator's Farewell (Mass Market Paperback)

Annabelle Hardy-Manatos is the chief of Hardy Security and Electronics, a highly regarded private security firm located in Miami and six other cities. Her second in command is Cuban immigrant Dave "The Monekeyman" Enamorado, who is emotionally attached to his hearing impaired boss, a fact that he hides from her.

Dave goes out of his way to smooth the way for his troubled employer. This is not easy to accomplish as Annabelle rejects any protection from anyone. However, that attitude is put to the test when a scientist at the University of the Keys dies after falling into the radioactive coolant of a nuclear reactor. Law enforcement and university authorities want to close the case as a suicide, but the security experts think a homicide occurred. They risk their lives to prove their premise is correct.

Hialeah Jackson (suitable name for an author whose stories occur in Florida) has written an unusual, but intriguing and subtly humorous who-done-it that will leave a smile on the reader's face long after the adrenaline rush slows down. THE ALLIGATOR'S FAREWELL provides a unique look at the Everglades, an adorable antihero, and enigmatic lead protagonist who embodies modern day feminism. This may be the opening gamut of another South Florida mystery series, but this is one that will have readers winning a big payoff.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars sometimes funny,sometimes weird, February 12, 2000

By 

loraine magee - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alligator's Farewell (Mass Market Paperback)

I was dissappointed in this story.Dave the monkey man seemed to be part Archie McNally and some of Carl Hiassen's characters.The heroine,Anabelle Hardy-Maratos,could have been much more interesting. She is a little stiff and apparently confused.Is she a business executive or a femme fatale. She wears a backless dress to a business meeting?Dave wears womens shoes, which everyone knows are more uncomfortable then mens shoes.The opening line was great,But the story became confusing and boring.The person who kills the scientist is not much of a mystery, and the psychopath remains at large.I would hope that the characters become more realistic,fun, and caring as the series continues.A good beginning,average middle, and strange ending with many loose ends.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book is a delight and the "farewell" painful., December 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Alligator's Farewell (Mass Market Paperback)

Hialeah Jackson (aka Polly Whitney)is a marvelous writer who takes the reader into the complicated world of southern Florida and feel sorry when it is time to leave. This is a thrilling tale with fully realized characters including the beautiful and deaf Annabell Hardy who has taken over her father's detective agency and Dave the Monkeyman her second-in-command and interpreter. The plot concerns a nuclear reactor, academia and topaz...but it is so much more. Most highly recommended with one small caveat. Since I've finished the book, I'm having a hard time getting into another. "The Alligator's Farewell" keeps resonating and makes other mysteries pale in comparison.