Bad Monkey’s morally ambiguous protagonist, 42-year-old Andrew Yancy, embodies Hiaasen’s signature flawed hero grappling with a blend of both personal and systemic corruption. Yancy’s career as a detective has been marked by impulsive decisions and a tendency toward violence, traits that ultimately cost him his job twice. Previously a detective in Miami, Yancy’s quest for justice backfired after he reported another officer for exploiting the Crime Stoppers program for personal gain. Rather than being commended, Yancy faced backlash and was forced to resign under threat of prosecution.

After relocating to the Keys, Yancy again finds himself in hot water after assaulting his neighbor, Dr. Clifford Witt, in a fit of anger over Witt’s verbal abuse toward his wife, Bonnie, also Yancy’s girlfriend. This incident leads to his demotion from detective to restaurant inspector, a role he finds deeply frustrating and demeaning. Though Yancy views himself as morally superior to the corrupt individuals he investigates, his approach to justice is often problematic. He skirts legal boundaries, relying on morally dubious methods to achieve his goals, and lacks the self-discipline that a more effective or principled investigator might possess.

Despite his flaws, Yancy is driven by a strong, if unconventional, desire to protect the public and the environment.