Cadillac Beach
Serge Storms Mystery, No 6
By Tim Dorsey

      Tim Dorsey is different, and that's a good thing.

      Cadillac Beach is Dorsey's newest book, and it takes readers on a whirlwind, sometimes surreal, but always hilarious ride, through the carnival-like atmosphere of South Florida.

      Serge Storms, Dorsey's mental hospital escapee and pop culture philosopher protagonist, is determined to solve the mysterious death of his grandfather in 1964. His death is tied to the theft of the world's largest sapphire from a New York City museum, and Serge is determined to put the pieces together from the previous forty years to solve the puzzle.

       Dorsey alternates the narrative from the present day to 1964 to tell the story, and the tactic is effective, as he transports the readers back to the sixties with exacting detail and observation.

       Dorsey's books are always filled with bizarre and laugh out loud characters and Cadillac Beach is no different. From the bumbling salesmen who mistakenly kidnap a Mafioso in the prologue to Lenny, Serge's always doped-up sidekick, Dorsey gives us a cast that teeters on the edge between reality and incredulity. They are all just strange enough to make the reader raise an eyebrow but also just real enough for the reader to believe that they might exist.

       Dorsey brings the book to a rollicking conclusion in a more than satisfying manner with Serge leading the way. Both Serge and Dorsey are an acquired taste, however, and the irreverence, disrespect for most everything, and slapstick comedy may not be for everyone. But for those uninitiated with Dorsey's work, this is a good first time exposure.

      Serge ends the story by asking "What next?"

      Readers will be asking the same thing of Dorsey.

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 2004