Captains Outrageous by Joe R. Lansdale
Hap Collins/Leonard Pine series
Mysterious Press - September 2001
ISBN: 0892967285 - Hardcover
Mystery, Violence, Profanity, Sex

Reviewed by Barbara Buhrer, MyShelf.Com
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Hap Collins is bored with his job as a guard at the local poultry plant. He rescues a young girl who is being brutally beaten and raped. She is the daughter of the owner of the poultry plant who gives Hap $100,000 as a reward for saving his daughter.

Since Hap's relationship with his girlfriend Brett isn't going very well, he decides to take his friend, Leonard Pine on a cruise. The cruise is a mistake from the beginning.
The seas are high, seasickness is rampant, the food is terrible, and there are disagreements with the dining room captain. A disagreement leads to Hap and Leonard being given the wrong time for the ship's departure from Playa del Carmen, which results in them missing the ship's departure and leaves Hap and Leonard stranded with little money.

At Play del Carmen, they are mugged; Leonard is stabbed, and they are rescued by a 70-year-old fisherman and his daughter. This is the beginning of more adventures which include loan sharks, Mexican mafia, mobsters and private eyes.

The novel is full of adventure; full of profanity; raunchy language; and violence. The repartee between Hap and Leonard is funny, entertaining and ribald. The plot is well constructed. The story moved rapidly with much action. The characters are well drawn and each has personality traits to be appreciated.