What are your favorite books set in Florida?

[queasy27]

I've been reading a couple of series set in Florida that are quite enjoyable. Electronic versions of both are free with Kindle Unlimited.

The Pineapple Port Mysteries by Amy Vansant. Eleven books so far. The protagonist is a young woman who was raised by her grandmother in a retirement community, and all her friends are seniors. It has a lighthearted and humorous tone -- the most recent book is set during a hurricane and someone is (perhaps) killing grocery store panic buyers and hoarders. And maybe even those danged snowbirds!

The other is The Forgotten Coast Florida Suspense Series by Dawn Lee McKenna. Ten books so far. The series is very atmospheric and immersive of the Gulf Coast and Florida in general. No sex or graphic violence. Features a female police lieutenant in a small town and is more of a character study than a twisty whodunnit. A recurring theme throughout the books is her cat and mouse interactions with a local crime boss.

McKenna has two other series in the early stages: The Still Waters Suspense Series, and The Dismal, Florida Suspense Series, which are both just as good.

[JerryLBell]

Pretty much any book by Carl Hiaasen is set all or mostly in Florida and also happens to be a great read. On a non-fiction side, Dave Barry's Florida: Best. State. Ever. is all set in Florida and one chapter in The Villages. Both authors, along with several other Florida authors, collaborated on Naked Came The Manatee, where each author wrote a single chapter. Wickedly fun reading.

[Doctor Who]

Try Devil In The Grove by Gilbert King. The story takes place in Lake County. Old FL 70 years ago. You will not be able to put the book down.

[manaboutown]

I have enjoyed Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford books. Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford books in order (https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/randy-wayne-white/doc-ford/)

A few years back I enjoyed "Early Bird". Robot Check (https://www.amazon.com/Early-Bird-Memoir-Premature-Retirement/dp/0743270584)

[queasy27]

Try Devil In The Grove by Gilbert King. The story takes place in Lake County. Old FL 70 years ago. You will not be able to put the book down.

Pulitzer winner for nonfiction, nice! I just got the Audible version from the library (it also won an Audie for the narration). Thanks for the recommendation.

[pqrstar]

A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith
and Alas Babylon by Pat Frank

[Dahabs]

Try Devil In The Grove by Gilbert King. The story takes place in Lake County. Old FL 70 years ago. You will not be able to put the book down.

Excellent and illuminating. Anybody who wants to understand what blacks had to live through pre-civil rights legislation should read this.

[George Page]

“Carl Hiaasen is Wickedly fun reading”

You’ve got that right!

[Beepart]

The Doc Ford books by Randy Wayne White

[Donaz1]

A Land Remembered which can be downloaded from the Sumter Library is a wonderful historical fiction describing a generation of a family settling in central Florida.

[Madelaine Amee]

A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith
and Alas Babylon by Pat Frank

If you read only one book about Florida make it A Land Remembered.


In this best-selling novel, Patrick Smith tells the story of three generations of the MacIveys, a Florida family who battle the hardships of the frontier to rise from a dirt-poor Cracker life to the wealth and standing of real estate tycoons.

I found this book impossible to put down. Great read and a good history of Florida.

[Girlcopper]

Pretty much any book by Carl Hiaasen is set all or mostly in Florida and also happens to be a great read. On a non-fiction side, Dave Barry's Florida: Best. State. Ever. is all set in Florida and one chapter in The Villages. Both authors, along with several other Florida authors, collaborated on Naked Came The Manatee, where each author wrote a single chapter. Wickedly fun reading.
Hiaasen’s books are all fantastic especially if youre familiar with the area of Fl hes writing about.

[bruce213]

Great post, thanks.

[MandoMan]

Try Tim Dorsey. He has 24 books in his series featuring Serge Storms—a psychotic Florida murderer with a bizarre sense of humor whose goal is to view and photograph and revere every historical landmark sign in the state—and his pal Coleman—one of the stupidest people alive. Carl Hiassen is the best (if you like bass fishing, you MUST read “Double Whammy”), but Dorsey is the best at combining shockingly violent retribution on idiots who disfigure the state of Florida with outrageous humor.

I taught popular classes in “Comic Crime Capers” at a university for a number of years, and after the first semester, I just taught Florida writers, as there were so many. Dorsey was usually the favorite.

[Scouty]

A Land Remembered, by Patrick Smith

[raynan]

A Land Remembered. Devil In The Grove will make you wonder why McCall's Tavern is named after a man like Sheriff McCall.

[bkgma]

John D. McDonald short novels featuring Travis McGee, a salvage specialist that lives on a houseboat in Fort Lauderdale and recovers wrongly appropriated “treasure” for the fee of 50% while attempting to provide justice for the wronged.

[Villages Kahuna]

Thriller series’ by Steven Becker, Wayne Stinnett, Tom Turner and Randy Wayne White. Of course there are the much better known and award-winning authors, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Carl Hiaasen. There are literally hundreds of books set in Florida.

[chuckpedrey]

How about the classic 1960 book “Where The Boys Are”? Author Glendon Swarthout was a family friend of my parents in East Lansing, Michigan. I remember my mother taking me to a theater in Lansing to see it. Great memories.

[jrieker68]

Cross Creek by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings—author of The Yearling. Was made into a movie with Rip Torn and Mary Steenburgen. It's only an hour north of Fenney and for FL newbies you and tour the house and grounds where it was made. It's also near the town of Micanopy which is full of antique shops, quaint little place.

[racedaygal]

Love the Doc Ford books as well as Wayne Stinnett and Dawn Lee McKenna. No Florida list is complete without John D. McDonald and Travis McGee. Those books are getting harder and harder to find. I have read them all so many times. When I see one, I grab it and read it again.

[Peggie]

Thank you. They sound great.

[Darlene Lansing]

TOTALLY!!!
Couldn’t put this one down ‼️
‘A LAND REMEMBERED’

[Jahunt1966]

A fun series is Mango Bob nine in total by Bill H Myers . Also Logan Dodge series by Matthew Rief.

[greenflash245]

randy Wayne white. South Florida excitement

[seetshaw]

A Land Remembered. I just finished the audio from CHIRP, a wonderful app for audiobooks under $5.

[Pennyt]

I've been reading a couple of series set in Florida that are quite enjoyable. Electronic versions of both are free with Kindle Unlimited.

The Pineapple Port Mysteries by Amy Vansant. Eleven books so far. The protagonist is a young woman who was raised by her grandmother in a retirement community, and all her friends are seniors. It has a lighthearted and humorous tone -- the most recent book is set during a hurricane and someone is (perhaps) killing grocery store panic buyers and hoarders. And maybe even those danged snowbirds!

The other is The Forgotten Coast Florida Suspense Series by Dawn Lee McKenna. Ten books so far. The series is very atmospheric and immersive of the Gulf Coast and Florida in general. No sex or graphic violence. Features a female police lieutenant in a small town and is more of a character study than a twisty whodunnit. A recurring theme throughout the books is her cat and mouse interactions with a local crime boss.

McKenna has two other series in the early stages: The Still Waters Suspense Series, and The Dismal, Florida Suspense Series, which are both just as good.

"A Land Remembered" by Pateick Smith is always a highly recommended book about Florida. And, if course, "The Yearling" by Marjorie Rawlings....go visit her farm in Cross Creek after you read her book or her book "Cross Creek"

[GaryKoca]

I go along with anything by Carl Hiassen as well as Best State Ever by Dave Barry. Hysterical! If you want something serious and shameful, try Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, a very depressing book about Central Florida in the late 1940s.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Roos McDonald’ had a series of books with a character called Travis McGee they come before some of the other fl books , h like bed on a boat called the busted flush great fl books lot of local color

[harold63G]

Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean
His grand plan to build a railroad to the FL Keys. Timelly given Gulf storms ongoing now...his effort, a.k.a. "Flagler's Folly" was before weather forecasting accuracy we have today.

[CarrieOn]

All of Randy Wayne wrights..amazing especially if u know sanibel

[Doro22]

A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith
and Alas Babylon by Pat Frank

Being born in Miami Beach & growing up in S. Fl I’ve read most of the books mentioned in all the posts. Grew up reading the Miami Herald & the several excellent authors that wrote for that newspaper: Dave Barry, Carl Hiasson, & more. But nobody mentioned Edna Buchanan. She was a crime writer for The Herald for many years, and also authored many crime novels mostly set in Miami. The one I recall most is “Miami It’s Murder”. Some of her titles may be difficult to find. I can just picture these talented Miami Herald writers to be close buddies, hanging out together at all the old out of the way Miami bars etc.

[chrisinva]

Thanks to you ALL. :bigbow:

I have added a number of books & authors to my Books to Read spreadsheet. :read:

[Smalley]

“Carl Hiaasen is Wickedly fun reading”

You’ve got that right!

I agree 100%. He has done much to inform the public of the damage done by the developers and the corruption in Florida government. Lots of fun to read.

[KarenD]

If you want to know a really interesting part of Florida history then read
"Mullet On The Beach" by Patricia C. Griffin.
Another one is called "The Minorcans of Florida" by Philip D. Rasico.

They are both the stories of how my ancestors came to Florida in the 1700's :-)

[PanamaKim]

I love this thread! One more title for you book lovers to add: Beneath a Ruthless Sun, A true Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found, by Gilbert King - same author as Devil in the Grove. Beneath is a very good read, from a newspaper owner/report’s perspective, it covers nearby areas of Ocala, Lake County, Mt Dora, and more. Corrupt sheriff in Lake Co in the late 1950’s and how he had his own version of justice and took advantage of the vulnerable in society and people of color. A hard book to put down, but I had to take breaks from it because it is heartbreaking to read of these injustices. Well worth your time to read about a bit of history right here in our backyard.

[Kcmkm123]

ORANGES, John McPhee

[Parnell]

I recommend A Land Remembered. Now when I drive by the vast open lands to the west of the Villages, I can see and feel the challenges that faced these brave pioneers who then built the shining cities like Miami and those other meccas of fortune further south. Read it.

[Boomer]

Pretty much any book by Carl Hiaasen is set all or mostly in Florida and also happens to be a great read. On a non-fiction side, Dave Barry's Florida: Best. State. Ever. is all set in Florida and one chapter in The Villages. Both authors, along with several other Florida authors, collaborated on Naked Came The Manatee, where each author wrote a single chapter. Wickedly fun reading.

“Carl Hiaasen is Wickedly fun reading”

You’ve got that right!

Hiaasen’s books are all fantastic especially if youre familiar with the area of Fl hes writing about.

Thriller series’ by Steven Becker, Wayne Stinnett, Tom Turner and Randy Wayne White. Of course there are the much better known and award-winning authors, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Carl Hiaasen. There are literally hundreds of books set in Florida.

I go along with anything by Carl Hiassen as well as Best State Ever by Dave Barry. Hysterical! If you want something serious and shameful, try Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, a very depressing book about Central Florida in the late 1940s.

I agree 100%. He has done much to inform the public of the damage done by the developers and the corruption in Florida government. Lots of fun to read.


Greetings to all you Carl Hiaasen fans — and have I got news for you! (drumroll, please)

Carl Hiaasen’s new book Squeeze Me is coming out on Tuesday, 8/25.

I met Carl at a book signing a few years ago. I asked him when he is going to write a book about The Villages. (I know there is one chapter in the book he wrote about golf but there sure is a lot more material in TV.)

Thank you to queasy for starting this thread. I am going to add A Land Remembered to my Audible listening, but I ordered Squeeze Me in hardback so I can share it with others after I read it.

Boomer

[philoret]

Travis McGee mysteries by major old time author, John D. McDonald. Movies made of a couple, not so good.

[Mleeja]

Laurence Shames novels are usually fun reads. His books are generally based in Key West, that is still Florida isn’t, with a New York influence.

[davem4616]

Vindication by H. Terrell Griffin. An easy read...what makes it interesting is that the setting is none other than The Villages.

A murder has occurred and the body is left in Brownwood Square...finding the suspect takes the reader all over TV.

Another that I enjoyed was The Road to Key West

[Doro22]

Vindication by H. Terrell Griffin. An easy read...what makes it interesting is that the setting is none other than The Villages.

A murder has occurred and the body is left in Brownwood Square...finding the suspect takes the reader all over TV.

Another that I enjoyed was The Road to Key West

Thanks for the info. A few more to add to my reading agenda, especially since we don’t go many places.

[Shell1234]

Both those authors are great. I’ve read all their books. Hilarious!!

[JerryLBell]

Greetings to all you Carl Hiaasen fans — and have I got news for you! (drumroll, please)

Carl Hiaasen’s new book Squeeze Me is coming out on Tuesday, 8/25.

Boomer

Well, that just made my day! I just looked it up and, joy of joys, it's another Skink novel! Here's the story summary:

It's the height of the Palm Beach charity ball season: for every good cause, there's a reason for the local luminaries to eat (minimally), drink (maximally), and be seen. But when prominent high-society dowager Kiki Pew suddenly vanishes during a swanky gala, and is later found dead, panic and chaos erupt.

Kiki was an ardent fan of the Winter White House resident just down the road, and a founding member of the POTUSSIES, a group of women dedicated to supporting their President - who immediately declares that Kiki was the victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, it turns out, is far from the truth.

The truth might just lie in the middle of the highway, where a bizarre discovery brings the First Lady's motorcade to a grinding halt. Enter Angie Armstrong, wildlife wrangler extraordinaire, who is summoned to the posh island to deal with a mysterious and impolite influx of huge, hungry pythons . . .

[Boomer]

Hey, JerryLBell, I am happy I made your day. You made my day right back when you said Skink is in Hiaasen’s new book. I love Skink and his unique brand of justice.

Now, I am going to try to make your day again:

If you go to carlhiaasen.com you can click on and listen to a 37 minute interview with Carl on the show Fresh Air.

He talks about the pythons in the book. Turns out Florida really does have a python issue because of people getting them as pets and then letting them go, and also because Hurricane Andrew hit some reptile farms.

He said that although no people have been swallowed — like the book’s unfortunate heiress Kiki Pew — there really have been some big pythons squeezing and swallowing some big entrees — one was a deer. The pythons are thriving and even heading north. (shudder)

Have fun visiting Carl’s website. I know I do.

Boomer

[Debbidoo]

John D MacDonald has a ton of books. My favorite is The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything. He has a Travis McGee series, sort of a detective/mystery theme. I used to have about 70 of his books, but sadly gave them to my son's step father-in-law when I moved to Florida. Had to downsize :(

[lpkshop]

Devil in the grove and The Land remembered great books
Thanks for the recommendation for the books

[paulat585]

Here's a new one by a Villages author, Jane Minard: Coach in Cottage C: A story inspired by events in the life of Victor C. Prinzi by Rosemary Ryan Imregi (Author), J.R. Minard (Author): Inspired by 1961 events in the life of Florida State University quarterback Victor C. Prinzi during his time at the Florida School for Boys (now known as the Dozier School for Boys), Imregi and Minard’s Coach in Cottage C dramatizes how institutional life burns inside the minds and souls of faculty and boys alike.

[newbie1758]

A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith
and Alas Babylon by Pat Frank

I have read this too & could barely put it down. Great read.:super:

[Boomer]

Today, I started listening to A Land Remembered.

I am hooked already and it has been only a half hour so far.

I use Audible when I walk or when I am doing some work around the house. Often I walk inside my house — round and round — boring, but the AC is nice and I find if I have a good book waiting on Audible, I do more walking. A Land Remembered will take me 14+ hours.

Anyway, thank you to all who recommended my current walkabout book.

Boomer

[Dahabs]

A Land Remembered. Devil In The Grove will make you wonder why McCall's Tavern is named after a man like Sheriff McCall.

Is this a fact?

[Carla B]

Vindication by H. Terrell Griffin. An easy read...what makes it interesting is that the setting is none other than The Villages.

A murder has occurred and the body is left in Brownwood Square...finding the suspect takes the reader all over TV.

Another that I enjoyed was The Road to Key West

Thanks, I was struggling trying to remember the name of this author. His books are light and fun to read.