Hurricane Punch: A Novel
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Product Description
That lovable, under-undermedicated dispenser of truth, justice, and trivia is back with a vengeance—just as his cherished home state is about to take a beating from a conga line of hurricanes bearing down on the peninsula. But as Serge and his burnout buddy Coleman go storm-chasing, bodies begin turning up at a disturbing rate, even by Florida standards. It looks like a serial killer is on the loose—another serial killer—which highly offends Serge's moral sensibilities. And he vows he'll stop at nothing to unmask his thrill-killing rival and make All Things Right—though Coleman's triathlete approach to the sport of polyabuse binging threatens to derail the mission more completely than the entire combined Sunshine State police community could ever hope to.
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
watch the reader
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Comment:
These books are an excellent example of how the reader can influence the story. When Serge goes on a manic rant, George Wilson's interpretation makes you want to sell your house buy a six pack and get in the car with him. When Oliver Wyman reads the same monologs you want to stop the car and throw the irritating little motor mouth out on the street and leave him there. Wilson's Serge comes off as a big eccentric genius who you want to listen to and learn from. Wayman's Serge is an irritating nut case Joe Pesci character who just won't shut up.
When he started my wife said "That's not Serge, that's a little New Jersey guy named Vinnie." Coincidently, a little guy from New Jersey named Vinnie shows up later in the story and when they start talking it gets very confusing because you can't tell which voice is which.
I loved these stories, but I will always look closely at the readers name and I won't by anything else read by Wayman.
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Summary:
Easy to Appreciate Dorsey
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Comment:
The feeding tube guy is very quiet. Coleman is perpetually stoned. A second killer is on the loose and making trouble for Serge. The manic pair travel through the eyes of hurricanes during hurricane season to execute justice of their own brand.
They "kidnap" a newspaper reporter to resuce him from the second killer, the self proclaimed "Eye of the Storm", also travelling through the eyes killing Floridians. Eye of the Storm writes the newspapers claiming that Serge is the copycat killer and is inadequete. Mahoney is convinced that Serge's personality has finally split and he is both killers. Serge is beside himself with rage and goes in search of the Eye of the Storm.
The story twists and turns all over the state of Florida during hurricane season in 2006, although it is a fictional season. Serge scores chicks. Coleman scores pot. The plot scores with a wonderful surprise ending.
Two things are slightly different in Hurricane Punch form the other Dorsey books I've read. First, the language is cleaned up a bit; nearly to the point of being PG-13. That's fine and good, but a slight change from his usual style. Second, the imaginative killing is missing. Usually Serge offs a menace to society in a most creative and outlandish way. There is a murder near the end that is typical Serge, but lacks the oomph that Dorsey gives him.
That being said, Hurricane Punch is five stars with a wonderfully woven plot, reduced cast of wacko's and a great ending you could never guess.
Rock on, Serge.
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Summary:
Hiassen Wannabe
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Comment:
Since I've read all of Carl Hiassen's books, Tim Dorsey was recommended to me. Both authors love Florida (especially Everglades City and the Keys) and offer bizarre characters, but Dorsey seems to be lacking Hiassen's finesse in writing. I find the character Serge A. Storms bizarrely amusing in his quest to punish "bad" people. Dorsey is imaginative in Storms' murder methods (particularly with the cooler and MREs heating fuel) yet his writing style leaves me to guess what Storms has done. While the murder method is later revealed, I'm more interested in what else in happening in the story. Given a choice, I'll take Hiassen over Dorsey, but Hurricane Punch is a better read than some of the other Dorsey novels--Hammerhead Ranch Motel, for example.
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Summary:
Dorsey may not be able to change the world, but he can make it funny.
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Comment:
Hurricane Punch by Tim Dorsey is another hilarious adventure with Serge the serial killer. Dorsey has the rare talent of being able to make you laugh at the absurdities of modern living, if it's annoying, offensive, revolting, ugly or just plain evil, Dorsey can make it funny.
In this story Serge gets into the relationship thing, (among other things) and the quest for love raises ridiculous to epic heights. Serge is busy trying to be all things to Molly, but there's another serial killer on the loose. Mahoney is trailing him, sure it's Serge, but Serge is playing house with Molly. Meanwhile a hurricane is coming and Serge is trying to protect his new friend from the serial killer and give him the low down on how to handle women and there's this parrot guy...
Serge's buddy Coleman is along for the ride, and the drugs and the partying and be prepared for a really surprising ending.
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Summary:
Bad Monkey!
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Comment:
Serge and Coleman are off on another whirlwind tour of Florida. More of a hurricane tour this time though. Serge's obsession with hurricanes leads him to drive around Florida in hurricane season within the confines of the eyes of hurricanes. On the trip, Serge tries to rediscover a religious path to follow while squeezing in appointments with his therapist. Meanstwhile, Jeff McSwirley becomes everyone's favorite sympathic tragedy reporter for a 'fair, unbalanced newspaper' of Gladstone Industries. All this and an apparent copycat killer of Serge. Meanst-meanstwhile, recently released Agent Mahoney becomes stuck in 1940s police-noir and thinks this purported second killer is really just a split-personality of Serge A Storms.
In this series by Tim Dorsey, there is a definite step back from the usually murderous ways of the unstable Serge and chemically oblivious sidekick Coleman. I've enjoyed this whole series, some books more than others and I think this is a step up from The Big Bamboo and Torpedo Juice : A Novel. There's less inventive deaths here but Serge striles an ominous one with an amplifier. It's not a socially redeeming series but it's sure fun to read.
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