Wild, wacky tale of a serial killer who only murders people who really deserve it. You learn something about Florida history, too. Really. ( )

Sometimes, there is an advantage to reading a book series out of order. That’s the case for me and Tim Dorsey’s “Serge A. Storm” series. Last year, I read Atomic Lobster, which I received from the publisher before it hit the book stores. I enjoyed this book a lot – it offered a great blend of humor, crime and Florida-ness to keep me enthralled.

My recent book was the first book of the Serge series - Florida Roadkill. If this book was my first look at Serge, I would have never read another Dorsey book. That doesn’t mean that Florida Roadkill was a bad story – in fact, it’s an entertaining, yet dark read. What encourages me about this series, though, is the knowledge that Serge’s character develops as the series progresses. I now am intrigued by this character and can’t wait to read about his next set of shenanigans.

Florida Roadkill introduced us to Serge, a genius plagued with mental illness. When he’s not on his medication, he’s manic about Florida history. When he’s medicated, he’s unstoppable. In this book, it appeared that Serge lacked any sort of moral compass – he’s reckless and willing to do whatever he can to get the $10 million stuffed in a suitcase. Befriended by drug addict Coleman, the two set out to find the suitcase, evading the police, drug dealers, guns for hire and a former employer of a life insurance company, to find the money.

Throughout this story, we are treated to many historical tidbits about Florida – from the Space Coast to the Keys. I liked that Serge was fascinated with history because he shared his knowledge with those around him (which meant the reader benefited too). In addition to the historical substories, Dorsey added doses of Florida idiosyncrasies – from Hemingway look-alikes hanging out in the Keys to how women can successfully accumulate beads during the Gasparilla Parade. Both elements were a treat for a Floridian like me.

In fact, I would argue that you must be a Floridian to truly appreciate Dorsey’s novels. I think the humor and tidbits would fly over a non-Floridian’s head. You also have to stomach some heinous crimes throughout Florida Roadkill. I would recommend this story to the strong-at-heart, fun-lovin’ Floridian who likes a good yarn (and poke) about the Sunshine State we all know and love. ( )

Take two old high school buddies on a fishing vacation away from their jobs and families. Add a fun-loving serial killer with a drugged-up sidekick and a black widow tag-along, a right-wing talk show host turned detective, a crooked insurance company CEO, four vengeful drug smugglers, a real estate scam artist, a three-man unsuccessful biker gang, a development owner that swindles the elderly, and a sexual deviant into Barbie dolls and drowning. Now, throw a suitcase filled with ten million dollars in the middle, and watch the real fun begin.

Florida Roadkill is the first in a long series of novels featuring everyone's favorite obsessive/manic/psychopathic madman, Serge, and his lovable substance abusing sidekick, Coleman. It is also Tim Dorsey's first novel.

As debut novels go, Dorsey nails his audience right out of the gate. While his later books do become slightly more polished and streamlined, there is little in Florida Roadkill that would seem alien to anyone who started with his later works first. Dorsey's voice is consistent and unfaltering.

The key word is Madness. Dorsey's Florida is a land overflowing with criminals, lunatics, swindlers, scumbags, and cold-blooded killers. But he manages to make the this dangerous god-forsaken tourist trap a colorful and humorous at every turn. If you never thought you would find serial killers, drug dealers, real estate scam artists, and violent biker gangs funny, then Florida Roadkill will definitely surprise you. The Riders of Eternal Doom, for example, are the most memorable and laughable biker gang since the Black Widows first attempted to terrorize Clint Eastwood in Every Which Way but Loose.

Dorsey embraces the narrative format of jumping back and forth between seemingly unconnected people and events, all of which eventually tie in together, and in a very non-linear format. But he manages to weave these snippets into a chaotic tapestry that never confuses or discourages. He knows how to keep the readers interested, and exactly how far he can string them along before revealing the connections. In short, he's a storyteller, and a damn good one at that.

Humorous Floridian criminals are not an untapped resource, and Dorsey is well aware of this. He not only knows that he has others authors of such novels to contend with, he acknowledges it by including guest appearances by Carl Hiaasen and Dave Barry. A humbling and tongue-in-cheek tip of the hat, it shows that Dorsey isn't afraid of the competition. He shouldn't be, either, as his writing never borders on imitation. He's carved out his own stomping ground in Florida, and rightfully declared it his own.

The newest book in the Serge series, Nuclear Jellyfish, has just been released. If you start now, you can make it through the series before the next installment hits the stands. I highly recommend you give it a shot. ( )

There was a lot to like about Florida Roadkill... unfortunately there was a lot to dislike as well. Like Carl Hiaasen and several others, Dorsey writes in that little "bunch of crazy people who live in South Florida murder mystery" sub genre. Hiaasen I like. Dorsey is similar in some ways, but harsher, more mean spirited, and with few characters to like at all. This book is filled with horrible people. Most of them meet grusome ironic ends, carefully tailored to their particular wickedness - like the devil worshiping assassin who is accidentally run down by a busload of Promise Keepers. I enjoy black humor to a point, but Dorsey is just sometimes a bit too black for me. I found it difficult to keep up with the vast array of minor and major characters, but that probably would not have been the case if I could have read the book in two or three sittings. My life doesn't allow that even for a relatively short book like this. Will I read another Dorsey book? Probably. But I'll probably read much more Hiaasen first. ( )

TIm Dorsey's books are not for the faint-of-heart. If you can handle it, the books are wonderful. He will have you laughing out loud, especially if you are familiar with Florida. ( )