Atomic Lobster (Serge Storms Series #10) » (Reprint)

Tim Dorsey was a reporter and editor for the Tampa Tribune from 1987 to 1999 and is the author of ten previous novels: Florida Roadkill, Hammerhead Ranch Motel, Orange Crush, Triggerfish Twist, The Stingray Shuffle, Cadillac Beach, Torpedo Juice, The Big Bamboo, Hurricane Punch, and Atomic Lobster. He lives in Tampa, Florida.

Why is everyone rushing to flee Tampa on a cruise ship to hell?

Serge is back with a bullet, torn between homicide and souvenirs. So is Coleman, torn between getting hammered and getting more hammered. Then there's good ol' Jim Davenport, the E-Team, the Diaz Brothers, and Johnny Vegas, the Accidental Virgin, cranking up the fevered action as the pot boils over on a street called Lobster Lane.

It's reunion time in the Sunshine State, and we're not just talking the family jamboree of that blood-soaked criminal clan, the McGraws, whose nastiest, meanest member is finally released from prison and heads south bent on revenge. On top of it all, the government is covering up a growing list of mysterious victims across Florida who may or may not be connected to a nefarious plot being hatched against national security.

But wait! There's more on the horizon! Who is the oddly familiar femme fatale named Rachael? Is Serge wrong that guns, drugs, and strippers don't mix? What sets the Non-Confrontationalists off on a rampage? What finally brings Coleman and Lenny together? Will they succeed in building the biggest bong ever? And can Serge surf a rogue wave to victory?

So batten the hatches, don the life jackets, and take cover as all these questions and more are answered in the latest adventure from the acclaimed author of Hurricane Punch.

Publishers Weekly

Mixing crime and humor is hard: a delicate balance must be maintained between the clever and the cute, between the cheap cackle and the meaningful guffaw. Dorsey is a master of this high-wire act, and reader Oliver Wyman makes a perfect partner. Dorsey's 10th caper about serial killer Serge A. Storms gives Wyman the chance to show off his amazing vocal range. He starts with a snidely funny old woman ("We call Viagra 'granny abuse,' " she says) recounting for a TV crew what happened when Serge and his mob of Florida misfits took over a cruise ship she was on. A flashback to the planning stage finds Serge (a smart, edgy and somewhat whiny voice) and his dumber colleague Coleman setting up the deal. There's a gorgeous stripper named Rachel, assorted villains and a passel of DEA agents and other cops. Wyman balances them all with ease, giving listeners who like their comedy bloody and bawdy lots of fun. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 3). (Mar.)

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