Richard is worried when his cousin and best friend, Malley, fails to meet him for their regular nightly exploration of Loggerhead Beach, scouting for turtle nests.

Since the police have had no success in tracing Malley's whereabouts, Richard agrees, tricking his parents into believing he is going camping with a friend.

During her next phone call, Malley claims to have seen an Ivory-billed woodpecker, causing Richard to realize that she is telling him the specific region in Florida where she is.

To everyone's surprise, Skink appears on the boat and delivers a brief lecture on Tommy's "loathsome act[s]" - stealing the identity of a dead soldier, abducting Malley, and taking a potshot at an endangered heron that was bothering him.

Hiking back to the car, the kids unearth a stash of money that Skink brought with him, which they use to purchase essentials and rent a small skiff.

The duo return to find the houseboat sunk and Skink standing on the roof, having been non-fatally shot by Tommy with a second gun before he got away.

Richard does not hear from Skink again, but Jim sends him a news article about an anonymous benefactor who has endowed a scholarship at the local college in Chock's name.

In a starred review, Booklist's Cindy Dobrez noted that "Skink and Richard make quite a dangerous and entertaining duo in a story that careens perfectly from one crazy situation to the next".

[2] Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Hiaasen’s fierce love for the wilds of Florida, his fundamental commitment to decency and his penchant for the bizarre are all on full display in this, a read as agreeable as his hero is".

[3] Similarly, Publishers Weekly indicated that "there is much to enjoy" about Skink - No Surrender and noted that "Hiaasen’s concern for the environment and its most vulnerable denizens is again on full display".