Four of the best screwball thrillers

Sandra A. Block graduated from college at Harvard, then returned to her native land of Buffalo, New York for medical training and never left. She is a practicing neurologist and proud Sabres fan, and lives at home with her husband, two children, and impetuous yellow lab. Her work has been published in the Washington Post. Little Black Lies is her debut, a finalist in the International Thriller Awards, and The Girl Without a Name and The Secret Room are the other books in the Zoe Goldman series. What Happened That Night is her stand-a-lone novel, and Girl Overboard a Young Adult thriller. The Bachelorette Party is her newest novel.

At CrimeReads Block tagged four favorite screwball thrillers, including:

Carl Hiaasen, Bad Monkey

If you can even say the title Bad Monkey without laughing your ever-loving entire ass off, well then good for you. If Janet Evanovich is the screwball thriller queen, I would crown Carl Hiassen the king. I could spout off the plot for you, but it would make no sense. Okay, fine. A disgraced police officer-turned-restaurant-inspector gets called to do real police work again when a fisherman accidentally catches someone’s severed arm. But the screwball element really sets in with Driggs the monkey, a washed-up actor from the Pirates of the Caribbean flicks. Driggs has no couth, unlike most monkeys, and his penchant for getting drunk, throwing poop, biting others and um, well, masturbating, leads to some hijinks along the way. Bring tissues (no, not for the monkey…sorry…sorry!) but because you will crying with laughter while reading this one.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue