Triggerfish Twist

By: Tim Dorsey

Narrated by: George K. Wilson

Ensconced in a lovely tropical villa on idyllic Triggerfish Lane, Jim Davenport anticipates the good life to come. But this isn't living -- it's Florida, and the neighborhood is not quite what it seems. It's got overly aggressive Little League parents, drug-free Rastafarians, homicidal hookers, unnatural sex and casual violence. Oh, yes, and there's a psychopathic serial killer-cum-Sunshine-State folklorist named Serge A. Storms living directly across the street. So it's only a matter of time before Jim up and actually kills somebody...

©2002 Tim Dorsey (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Excellent Serge--captures Tampa perfectly!

As a former resident of Tampa, and aware of all the crime, reputation, boundary "wars", and perverse reputation for strip clubs and citizen-funded stadiums, this book had me hooting! At best, Tampa is weird with a history of corrupt politics and bizarre planning. At worst, it was a haven for car-jackings, real estate scams, and home invasions. All this was coupled with the pseudo society perched on Bayshore Blvd., which did, indeed flood at the slightest rain. The car dealers are accurately portrayed, as would be the impossible plight of a transplanted mid-westerner. Perfect!

But fortunately there is the well-versed Serge, with his own strict and twisted code of honor. It is impossible not to learn a lot of Florida's checkered history when reading one of these books--a truly fascinating aspect to the read.

Dorsey is a Tampa resident who has an incredibly deft and humorous way of depicting the city's foibles, and those of its often misguided residents. This is one of the more hilarious of the Serge books, as it seems a bit closer to reality--bizarre as it seems. (The editor does need to make sure the narrator (not my favorite) knows the pronunciations of landmarks. The Don Caesar Hotel is a historical tradition, and not pronounced like "Caesar" in "Julius Caesar", but always pronounced "say-zar", with the emphasis on the "zar".)

Hilarious book for anyone!

So entertaining!!

I am a Tampa native and an avid reader….this was great! Very funny and a great twist on Tampa in the 90s!!! Bravo!

Perhaps the best and most twisted of the series!

A hysterically funny little tale fortified with twisted craziness that exemplifies the trailer park spectacle that is Florida!

Love crazy Florida!

If you've ever lived in the Sunshine State, you'll believe this is possible ! If you like Carl Hiassen, you'll like Dorsey. Fun, relaxing, and laugh out loud great stories. On to my next....

Where it starts to be a series, imho

I say this, even though the events in this book obviously take place during the time frame of Florida Roadkill--sometime between when Serge and Coleman meet Sharon, and when they go to the World Series. Actually, the chronology is a bit dodgy in all the books and, at least once, Serge mentions that sort of thing as one of his pet peeves, so you know it's intentional. (My researches tell me that the author intends the books to be read in the order published.)

Serge is in all of the books, including the first three, although some people apparently had trouble recognizing him in Orange Crush. (They must not have been paying attention. Admittedly, that one is different, though.) One of the later audiobooks includes an interview with Tim Dorsey and he says that when he wrote Florida Roadkill, he didn't have it in mind to make a Serge series, but then things just sort of headed in that direction. Now that I've read all 16 books and am starting through them again, I feel like this is the one where the "Serge Storms Series" really hits its stride. (But I recommend reading them all.)

Just FYI: My mental image of Serge is a sort of morphing of Mike Myers/Jimmy Fallon/Johnny Depp, but I definitely think Depp should play him in the movies.

We find out more about his past, and his "professional" rivalry with a police officer named Mahoney. His obsessive passion for Florida history is well established. After this, you can just go ahead and start laughing whenever someone says something along the lines of, "Nothing can possibly go wrong now." Most importantly, from here on, we begin to know which events will likely cause Serge to get out the duct tape and head for Home Depot. (That thumping you hear from the trunk of his car will be one of his new "friends.")