Triggerfish Twist

Nominally a prequel to Book 1, but essentially a re-write. Which turns out to be a good thing.

Coleman and Sharon are still alive, and a bit more fleshed out and believable as people that Serge would want to be around. All of the characters have a bit more depth to them, which serves to motivate the random zaniness a bit more, and allows some breathing room for character-driven plot development. The good news is that the humour and antics are undiminished, Serge is significantly more likeable, and overall people get what's coming to them.

+1 star for the hilarious ferret/stripper confrontation and Serge's brilliant commencement address.

I thought that the first chapter was absolutely hysterical and brilliant; top-notch writing and story-telling. Even though the story drops off in places I am bound to keep the 5-star rating in place. Dorsey is laugh out loud funny, and many, many times I had to stop and get up to walk around because I could no longer breathe I was laughing so hard.

The Serge A. Storms books are not for everyone, but if you like them then you will likely love them. I never manage to read books in order, and I don't know if that helps or not, but it took a while for me to like a few of the characters like Agent Mahoney. But even Mahoney has grown on me and is now an integral part of the narrative that I can appreciate.

Talk about a fun read! This is one clever hoot -- unpredictable, wacky, with more characters than you can possibly shake a stick at, but all memorable for their quirky traits and unique insights into life. From the outrageous Serge to the naive but genuine Jim Davenport, Mr. Dorsey shoves his characters into an amusement park roller coaster ride through the streets of Tampa and then manages to derail the individual cars in such a calamitous way, you cannot possibly take any of this seriously. The comedy lines are fast and furious, and even though there are drugs, sex, and murderers galore, and even characters you know deserve a good slap in the chops, it's not about judging the truly bad behavior. This story is all about having a good show more laugh at someone else's expense and it definitely fails to get a grip on reality. The stuffy, the stubborn, and the idiotic get theirs in very unpredictable ways. It's like a MAD Magazine spoof rolled into the 1963 "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". Funny place to visit, but I sure wouldn't want to live there! show less

Although 4th in the series, this book takes place before all the others. It gives at the background to one of the main relationships in the series between the main character, Serge Storms, Florida's loveable serial killer and Jim Davenport, the world's nicest guy who never seems to get a break.
There are a lot of characters to keep up with in the book, but somehow, without a character map Dorsey manages to keep it entertaining. It's always a fun novel and laugh out loud funny. Because of all the mental illness in the book you can never imagine what is going to happen next, how the plot is going to turn or even what the plot is. However, it always circles back in the end with the characters interacting, a mystery thrown in and the bad show more guys getting it. I love this series and always look forward to my next read. show less

A funny book that reminded me a lot of the Dortmunder novels by Donald Westlake. Set in Tampa in a grid street neighborhood where an unscrupulous landlord has the most obnoxious renters possible in his houses in order to try to buy up all the property int he neighborhood. Ends with a great 4th of July party.

I've read five or six of Dorsey's books now, and I recommend them based on pure fun. Laugh out loud page turners, with lively characters, brisk pacing and more twists than a rhythmic gymnastics gold medalist on speed.

This was a weird book. Very funny and entertaining. I'll probably have to read it a second time.
Jim Davenport reads an erroneous article that said Tampa, Florida was the 3rd best place to live in America. He moves his family there, thinking it's going to be a great place to live, but crazy stuff happens on Triggerfish Lane.