Tim Dorsey’s ATOMIC LOBSTER is another tale in the series featuring psycho killer (but lovable in a way) Serge A. Storms and his perpetually stoned best friend, Coleman. Serge is definitely a hardened killer, but he only kills people who he feels richly deserve the fate. He is a completely uninhibited sword of vengeance, out to protect the little guy, and at the same time, skim a little bit off the top for expenses.
In this one, he runs across old buddy Tim Davenport, eternally put upon by the stronger people in his life. Serge comes to his defense, and of course, is quickly involved in a hugely complicated and dangerous plot involving drug running, antiquities smuggling, a blood feud, gaming, the cruise-ship industry and the always-present patented Storms patter about obscure Florida history.
This is a farce, in the vein of other Florida-based mystery writers, and at times, the action and dialogue between Storms and Coleman can be funny. But it’s also tremendously violent, and there seems to be an odd streak of misogyny in here as well. As the corpse count mounts, one gets a little queasy when Storms’ rationalizations don’t always hit the mark, or when he turns a meeting of Non-Confrontationalists Anonymous into a videotaped Clowns vs. Mimes fistfight.
The audacity of the jokes can sometimes be funny, sometimes a bit too much. If you like Carl Hiaasen and his ilk, and if you like a truly wild ride in your mystery, then Dorsey might be up your alley. But if you’re offended by gruesome descriptions of hideous deaths, well … —Mark Rose
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• HURRICANE PUNCH by Tim Dorsey
