The Big Bamboo
Serge Storms Mystery, No. 8
by Tim Dorsey
I’m
not sure how to describe Tim Dorsey’s books. Wacky? Satiric? Edgy?
LSD in book form? You could make a case that all of those apply, and
in Dorsey’s newest, The Big Bamboo, nothing has changed.
Serge Storms is back for his eighth go around, and
his habitually stoned pal, Coleman, is back for the ride as well.
I have yet to be able to accurately delineate the plot in any of
Dorsey’s books, so I won’t attempt to do so here. But here’s what
you’ll get: the kidnapping and murder of a Hollywood actress; the
Japanese mafia; two movie studio moguls who bear a striking resemblance
(in some ways) to Miramax’s Weinstein brothers; and an escapade
to the Playboy mansion. There are plenty of other characters who
join the fray and add to the frenzy, and Dorsey, as usual, has fun
mixing and matching all of them.
But while Dorsey’s attempt to make fun of Hollywood
works to a certain degree, it doesn’t seem to carry the same sharpness
and causticity in the same way that his novels that target South
Florida do. It’s nice to see Serge and Coleman get out and see a
little of the rest of the world, but I think their zaniness and
manic behavior play best in the heat, humidity, and diverse sub-cultures
in and around the Everglades. There’s a lot to like in The Big
Bamboo, but I’ll be anxious to see Serge and Coleman return
home for their next adventure.
As I’ve said before, Dorsey’s work is an acquired
taste. His humor works back and forth between bitingly intelligent
and something akin to The Gong Show. It takes a skilled writer to
convincingly mix both, and Dorsey does. Those unfamiliar with his
work would be better suited to starting with Cadillac Beach
or Stingray Shuffle to get a proper introduction to Serge
and the gang. But for longtime fans of Dorsey, Serge and Coleman,
The Big Bamboo makes a nice addition to their adventures.
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
|
The Book |
William
Morrow |
April
2006 |
Hardcover
- Paperback |
0060585625 |
Mystery/Humor |
Hardcover
- Paperback
at
Amazon.com |
The Reviewer |
Jeff Shelby |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE:Reviewer
Jeff Shelby is the author of Killer Swell. |
|