Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: February 2003
ISBN: 0060534915
Awards:
Format Reviewed: Advance Reader Copy (Hardcover)
Buy it at Amazon
Genre: Mystery / Adventure
Reviewer: Dennis Collins
Reviewer Notes: Dennis Collins is the author of The Unreal McCoy

 

The Stingray Shuffle
Serge Storms Mystery, No 5
By Tim Dorsey

     From prologue to epilogue this is a truly unique book. I must say that it reminded me of the classic movie "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World," moving from one outrageously zany situation to the next.

     Author Tim Dorsey introduces the reader to a lot of different characters and each one of them has a memorable personality. There's Serge, a wandering philosopher who impresses me as a combination of Gene Hackman and Groucho Marx and then there's Ralph Krunkleton, the author turned crab fisherman whose book has suddenly become a best-seller after being dormant for many years. Johnny Vegas is a handsome young golf pro who is still chasing his first sexual experience and running into one disappointment after another.

     Five mature women enter the picture as a group and add considerable spice to the tale. They bring varied backgrounds and adventurous spirits as they join the fray. And no fable would be complete without a cast of theatrical performers. The troupe is complete with singers, impressionists, and even a hypnotist. The book even has one character who calls himself "The Urinal Guy."

     Although it is primarily a character driven novel, the glue that holds the story together is an aluminum briefcase containing five million dollars. The money passes through many pairs of hands as it journeys from Florida to New York and back. Who will wind up with all that loot? The answer will definitely surprise you.

     This is a well-written, fun book that will simply entertain the reader with no burdensome social messages or agendas. The Stingray Shuffle was just the change of pace that I needed. It made me laugh out loud and that is highly unusual.

Reviews of other titles in this series

Stingray Shuffle, No 5
Cadillac Beach, No 6
Torpedo Juice, No 7
The Big Bamboo, No. 8
Hurricane Punch, No 9
Atomic Lobster, No 10
Gator A-Go-Go, No 12
Pineapple Grenade, 15

Reviewed 2003

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