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Publisher:
William Morrow |
Release
Date: February 2003 |
ISBN:
0060534915 |
Awards:
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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 |
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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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