There’s another serial killer coming to town! Fortunately, it’s just Serge.
Serge A. Storms is the monomaniacal, relentlessly cheerful, homicidally inclined “hero” of 11 books by author and former newspaperman Tim Dorsey. Along with his sidekick, the chemically-enhanced and clinically laid-back Coleman, Serge travels the length and width of the state appreciating the finer points of Florida while taking a moment to deal deadly and creative karma to to con men, tourist hustlers and the inexcusably rude (as defined, of course, by Serge).
This time Serge has a new sideline: blogging travel tips to needy travelers. And not the boring stuff like pool quality or finding the best drink specials. No, he delves into the important things every tourist needs to know, like how to recognize barracuda hookers, how to determine which cars at the motel belong to felons and the vital importance of Home Depot to the casual killer.
Serge, Coleman and their new friend Story — a not-stripper who’s a
seeming match for Serge in Florida trivia — cruise the East Coast from
Jacksonville down, following vital Lynyrd Skynyrd landmarks as far as
they go (with a nod toward Seabreeze Senior High’s Allman Brothers
connection). Along the way they must deal with a dangerous diamond
thief called “Eel” (to his face) and “Jellyfish” (quietly, behind his
back, thanks to a botched glow-in-the-dark tattoo), Serge’s old law
enforcement nemesis Mahoney, Steve the lame salesman, Johnny the
Accidental Virgin and a mysterious hitman who’s barely one step behind
Serge everywhere he goes.
Dorsey’s books are madcap, violent,
oddly satisfying fun that is definitely not kid-safe (although Serge
might disagree; see his plans for a children’s book). When you open
“Nuclear Jellyfish,” you’ll find the violent strangeness of Carl
Hiassen, the absurdity of Dave Barry and a demented attitude that’s
pure Dorsey.
And you’ll never look at a flat garden hose the same way again.
Check out TimDorsey.com for
book extras such as photos of the places Serge visited, his iTunes
playlist, and his ongoing travel blog with excerpts from the book. And
don’t miss his appearances at the Daytona Beach Barnes and Noble on
International
Speedway Drive this Thursday night at 7 p.m. and at the Muse bookstore
at 112 S. Woodland Blvd., Deland, on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 4 to 5:30
p.m.