As we enter the spring, thoughts turn to beaches, sun, sand, warm sun and cannibalism. Ok, perhaps most of us do not think of that last one. But for one member of the Shark People, thoughts have definitely turned to the consumption of human flesh. And his prime roasting candidate is one Tucker Case, a disgraced former private jet pilot with a severely injured penis. Add to the mix a cargo cult, a talking bat, and a transvestite navigator and you have the irreverent, wacky, and combustible mix that is Christopher Moore’s Island of the Sequined Love Nun.

The book follows Case, a private jet pilot for a cosmetics mogul who is felled by his two weaknesses: women and drink in a hilarious, though painful, scene. Cut off by his strict boss, he is rescued by a mysterious job offer flying for a missionary couple who live on a tiny island in the South Pacific. With no other options, he is forced to accept. His journey to the island and what he finds there defy description in this review. Suffice it to say it is not what he was expecting.  It’s an island paradise, inhabited by a eccentric doctor, Japanese henchmen, and betel-chewing natives.

Many adjectives are applied to humorous novels: comic or darkly comic, comedic, and so on. I don’t know which of those applies to this book. But it is funny. It is hard not to wonder at the mind that created this insanity. Regardless of Moore’s mental state, I am thankful that he provided me with a few hours of levity. I certainly recommend this as a light read that won’t make you think, but will make you chuckle.