Discover our guide to the best authors like Carl Hiaasen. If you like to read sarcasm mixed into a good mystery novel, you won’t want to miss our list.
A native of Florida, Carl Hiaasen is known for his funny books that always feature a crime. After graduating from the University of Florida, he was hired as a writer for The Miami Herald at 23. He wrote an opinion column from 1985 to 2021 full of sarcastic humor. Hiaasen collaborated with William D. Montalbano to write three novels in the 1980s, then wrote Tourist Season, his first solo novel, in 1986. It received great acclaim from critics, and he published Double Whammy not long after. These two books solidified him as a hilarious author of satirical crime novels.
To date, he has published his books in 34 languages, and 11 are national bestsellers, including Lucky You, Sick Puppy, Basket Case, Strip Tease, and Nature Girl. Hiaasen also won the Newbery Honor for his children’s book, Hoot, which became a feature film.
For more recommendations, you might also enjoy exploring authors like Harlan Coben, authors like Gillian Flynn, best detective novel series.
What Makes Hiaasen Special in 2025
In an era of increasingly dark crime fiction, Hiaasen’s blend of environmental activism, political satire, and laugh-out-loud humor feels more relevant than ever. His Florida-based stories tackle corruption, environmental destruction, and corporate greed with a wit that makes serious issues digestible. Modern readers gravitate toward his work because it offers both entertainment and social commentary without being preachy.
The authors on this list share Hiaasen’s gift for finding humor in human folly while telling compelling crime stories. Whether they’re set in swamps, small towns, or international locations, these writers understand that laughter can be the best way to examine society’s flaws.
10 Book Authors Similar to Carl Hiaasen
1. Tim Dorsey, 1961 -
Tim Dorsey grew up in Florida, near Miami, and the beach setting heavily influences his books. Dorsey studied transportation at Auburn University, then worked as a reporter after graduation. In 1999, he retired from reporting to write full-time.
Dorsey’s crime fiction books center around Serge A. Storms, his main character who has several mental illnesses. Storms is an anti-hero, using his intelligence and internal struggles to fight crime in his own twisted way. Dorsey’s first book, Florida Roadkill, hit bookshelves in 1999, and he continues to publish a book yearly. He also has several collections of short stories and essays.
Why Hiaasen fans love Dorsey: Both authors share a deep love for Florida’s quirky culture and use it as a backdrop for absurd criminal enterprises. Their protagonists operate on the fringes of society, and both writers excel at finding humor in dysfunction.
“The men sat on a street bench next to a pair of fashionably depressed students from New College, who gave the bikers the creeps.” — Tim Dorsey, Florida Roadkill
2. Dave Barry, 1947 -
Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist and bestselling author who wrote a nationally-syndicated column for The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005. Born in New York to a Presbyterian minister, Barry attended Haverford College, where he earned a degree in English. He began working as a journalist in 1971, eventually joining The Miami Herald.
Big Trouble, his first novel, was published in 1999 and eventually became a motion picture. Many of his fiction works, including Tricky Business in 2003 and Swamp Story in 2023, fall into the humorous crime novel genre.
The Hiaasen Connection: Both writers worked at The Miami Herald and share a gift for finding absurdity in everyday Florida life. They understand how to balance genuine suspense with laugh-out-loud moments, never letting humor undermine the story’s stakes.
“We don’t shoot somebody soon, I’m gonna forget how.” — Dave Barry, Big Trouble
3. Elmore Leonard, 1925 - 2013
Elmore Leonard was born in New Orleans, and during his childhood, he frequently moved before settling in Detroit. After graduating high school, Leonard joined the Navy and served in the South Pacific before attending the University of Detroit to study English and philosophy.
His early writing career involved publishing Westerns before he started writing novels in 1953 with The Bounty Hunters. The Big Bounce, published in 1969, was his first crime story. His 1985 novel Glitz was on the New York Times bestseller list for 16 weeks.
Leonard’s Lasting Influence: Known for his “rules of writing” and razor-sharp dialogue, Leonard influenced an entire generation of crime writers, including Hiaasen. Both authors understand that great crime fiction comes from character-driven stories and authentic dialogue rather than elaborate plots.
“Muggers were repeaters in their strung-out state, then dumb, always desperate. They came on with adrenaline pumping, hoping to hit and get out.” — Elmore Leonard, Glitz
4. James W. Hall, 1947 -
James W. Hall is an author from Florida who teaches creative writing at Florida International University. Hall is best known for his series of crime novels starring a character named Thorn. These books center on life in South Florida and examine the poverty that coexists with extreme wealth in this region.
Under Cover of Daylight, his first book, was published in 1987, and he continues to write more Thorn books. The most recent, Bad Axe, was published in 2020. Hall won both an Edgar Award and a Shamus Award for his books.
Florida Crime Kinship: Like Hiaasen, Hall uses Florida’s unique ecosystem and social contrasts as more than just setting—they become characters in the story. Both writers understand how the state’s beauty and corruption can coexist, creating perfect backdrops for darkly comic crime fiction.
“All you need is love. It sounded true but wasn’t. You needed a hell of a lot more than that. You needed tolerance and self-control, and you needed empathy and strength and discipline and flexibility.” — James W. Hall, Bad Axe
5. Randy Wayne White, 1950 -
Randy Wayne White is a New York Times bestselling author who writes crime fiction novels. This writer is well known for his main character Doc Ford, a retired NSA agent who lives on the Gulf Coast and solves crimes.
The first Doc Ford book, Sanibel Flats, hit bookshelves in 1990. In addition to his novels for adults, the author also has three children’s books featuring Doc Ford and another series featuring a female protagonist, Hannah Smith. White also owns a Sanibel Island restaurant with the Doc Ford name.
Authentic Florida Voice: White’s deep knowledge of Florida’s waters, wildlife, and culture rivals Hiaasen’s. Both authors bring insider knowledge to their fiction, creating stories that feel authentic to anyone who knows the real Florida beyond the tourist attractions.
“Didn’t understand the nation’s habit of clubbing itself each morning with a list of tragedy and doom before trying to go cheerfully into the day. Like arsenic, it had to have a cumulative effect.” — Randy Wayne White, Sanibel Flats
6. Christopher Moore
Christopher Moore writes laugh-out-loud funny books that are fantasy or mystery fiction. Because of his humorous approach, Moore fits this list of recommendations for Carl Hiaasen fans, even though his books are not specifically crime novels. Moore was born in Ohio and grew up as an only child, so he had to use his imagination to entertain himself, which turned into a lifelong career as a writer.
All of his books take place in the same fictional world, and though they can be stand-alone reads, many characters reappear in other novels. Noir in 2018 and Razzmatazz in 2022, his two most recent novels, fit the humorous crime novel genre perfectly. Noir was an instant New York Times bestseller.
Genre-Bending Humor: Moore proves that satirical crime fiction can work in any setting, even supernatural ones. Like Hiaasen, he uses humor to examine human nature and social issues, showing that comedy can be just as effective as drama for social commentary.
“It was the kind of kiss that he wanted to wake up to and keep refreshing periodically until he got one long last one, salty with tears, in his casket.” — Christopher Moore, Noir
7. Jimmy Buffett, 1946 - 2023
Jimmy Buffett was best known as a singer-songwriter but also wrote several books. Buffett had three number-one bestsellers, including Tales from Margaritaville, published in 1989, and Where Is Joe Merchant in 1992. The second of these is a mystery book with enough humor to land him a spot on this list.
Buffett grew up in Mobile, Alabama, eventually making his way to Key West, which in the 1970s was full of free-spirited individuals that gave Buffett a taste of adventure. The author remained a musician throughout his life, and many of his newer books had singles attached to them.
Note: Buffett passed away in September 2023, but his literary works continue to find new readers who appreciate his laid-back approach to crime fiction.
Tropical Crime Paradise: Buffett understood, like Hiaasen, that tropical paradises make perfect settings for crime stories because the contrast between beauty and corruption creates natural irony. Both writers captured the spirit of the Florida Keys’ outlaw culture.
“My name is Frank Bama, and I fly boats. I can read the heavens and smell the weather, roll with the punches and flow with the tide.” — Jimmy Buffett, Where Is Joe Merchant?
8. Janet Evanovich, 1943 -
Though author Janet Evanovich got her start writing romance novels, her mysteries featuring protagonist Stephanie Plum launched her into literary stardom. The stories involving a bounty hunter regularly make it to the bestseller lists, and to date, Evanovich has over 200 million books in print in over 40 languages.
This success landed her a spot on the 2021 Forbes 50 over 50 list. Hero at Large was her first novel, which she published in 1980. Hot Six, her 2000 novel, was the first to make it to the top of the New York Times bestseller list.
Comedy Crime Queens: Evanovich and Hiaasen both understand that crime fiction doesn’t have to be grim to be effective. Their protagonists often find themselves in absurd situations, but the danger is always real, creating perfect tension between comedy and suspense.
“If she wasn’t your grandmother I’d shoot her.” — Janet Evanovich, Hot Six
9. Andrea Camilleri, 1925 - 2019
Originally from Sicily, Camilleri published his books in his native tongue, but they were so popular they eventually were translated into English and several other languages. His work earned him a place in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2003, and in 2012 the Crime Writers’ Association gave him the International Dagger Award.
In addition to writing, Camilleri worked on multiple TV productions, many featuring crime stories. Around 10 million copies of his works have been sold. The Shape of Water was the first Montalbano book, and it opened the door to making Camilleri a household name.
International Satirical Appeal: Camilleri proves that Hiaasen’s style translates across cultures. Both writers use local knowledge and cultural specificity to create universal stories about human nature, corruption, and the absurdities of bureaucracy.
“As they ate, they spoke of eating, as always happens in Italy.” — Andrea Camilleri, The Shape of Water
10. Laurence Shames, 1951 -
With books set in Key West, Florida, Laurence Shames writes similarly to Carl Hiaasen. Shames’s books are comic mysteries that capitalize on the beach setting. Florida Straits was his first title, which he published in 1992. Shames was born in New Jersey in 1951 and attended NYU. After graduating in 1972, he took a series of odd jobs until finding a love for writing.
Initially, Shames worked as a journalist, publishing works in many well-known magazines and writing non-fiction books. In 1991, he published a national bestseller, Boss of Bosses, a non-fiction book about two FBI agents that got him thinking about the mafia. This gave him the idea for his first novel, and since then, he has written 17 Key West capers that continue drawing interest from readers who appreciate his sarcastic sense of humor.
Key West Kinship: Shames and Hiaasen both understand that the Florida Keys exist as their own universe, with unique rules and characters. Both writers excel at capturing the laid-back atmosphere that can quickly turn dangerous.
“His father was not a man to make a habit of offering his upturned throat.” — Laurence Shames, Florida Straits
Finding Your Next Satirical Crime Read
These authors share Hiaasen’s understanding that humor and crime make perfect partners. Whether you prefer Florida settings like Dorsey and White, international flavors like Camilleri, or genre-bending approaches like Moore, each offers the satirical edge that makes Hiaasen’s work so addictive.
Start with the author whose setting appeals to you most—if you love Hiaasen’s Florida, try Dorsey or Hall. If you’re curious about how this style works elsewhere, Camilleri’s Sicily or Moore’s supernatural settings offer fresh perspectives on familiar themes.
The best satirical crime fiction doesn’t just entertain—it makes you think while you laugh. These authors prove that crime doesn’t always have to be serious to be taken seriously.
