"Skin Tight" Carl Hiaasen

"Timmy Gavigan had looked like death for most of his adult life. Now he had an excuse. His coppery hair had fallen out in thickets, revealing patches of pale freckled scalp. His face, once round and florid, looked like someone had let the air out."

This quotation reveals that the character, Timmy Gavigan, has had a history of making poor decisions throughout the course of his life, and is sitting in a hospital bed because he allowed a juice company to experiment on him with their latest product. Among other things, this proves that Timmy isn't a very intelligent character and doesn't seem to have any intention of taking care of his body.

"Stranahan had purchased his house dirt-cheap at a government auction. The previous owner was a Venezuelan cocaine courier who had been shot 13 times in a serious business dispute, then indicted posthumously."

Mick Stranahan, the main character of the novel who has a killer after him, is clearly not a very rich man. Purchasing a cheap house that had been previously owned by a deceased cocaine courier definetly proves this, and that Stranahan may not always understand what he is getting himself into. Mick spends most of his time running away from a killer, and he is clearly not helping his own cause.

"Stranahan watched the pudgy little man wheeze back and forth behind the baseline and marveled at the atrociousness of his hairpeice. It was one of those synthetic jobs, the kind you're supposed to be able to wear in the shower. In Dr. George Gingers case, the thing on his head looked like fresh roadkill."

Dr. George Ginger is a potential threat to Mick Stranahan, and is a surgeon. Stranahan is meeting him to ask a few questions, and the physical description is fitting for what the doctor is like. Dr. Ginger is clearly making a fool of himself, most likely without even knowing it, and doesn't receive much respect from any of his friends or patients.

"As best he could, Reynaldo Flemm made mental notes of Whispering Palms during the tour. He was posing as a male exotic dancer who needed a blemish removed from his right buttock. For the purpose of disguise, Flemm had dyed his hair and greased it right back; that was all he could do to bear to alter his appearance. Secretly, he loved it when people stared because they recognized him from television."

Reynaldo Flemm is a bad actor who is under disguise visiting a hospital. Flemm hopes to be seen by people who watched his show, although the show is not very popular and he isn't recognized by anyone. Flemm believes he is more important than he actually is, although is very good at working undercover.

"'Chloe Simpkins Stranahan was up and pacing now, arms folded across her chest, heels clicking on the Spanish title. :So you see," she said, "this is why I hate my ex-husband so much.'
'Chemo said, "So you want to get even?'
'Boy are you swifty. Yes, I want to get even'"

This is a conversation between Chemo, a hitman, and Chloe Stranahan, Micks ex-wife. She is angry because of a situation that occurred between Mick and another man, and she is trying to get him killed. Obviously, she is an angry woman, and probably a bit crazy for hiring someone to kill her husband for something so minor.