Customer Reviews

Torpedo Juice

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

You'd have to be crazy to live someplace that could have four back-to-back hurricanes. But then it's probably not the hurricanes that draw people to South Florida. There's something about what a perpetually sunny if occasionally murderously windy climate does to people that provides the fodder for writers like Carl Hiaasen, Dave Barry (wearing his fiction hat), and Tim Dorsey.

TORPEDO JUICE, Dorsey's sixth novel, provides yet another welcome and wonderful excursion into the land famous for oranges, gators, an animated rodent, hanging chads, and the aforementioned meteorological phenomenon that causes shopping malls to swap roofs.

Before you're forty pages into Dorsey's latest effort you've encountered a menagerie of loopy characters. Chief among them is Serge A. Storms, a rather charming, intelligent, and likable homicidal maniac who rescues a couple of vacationing retirees from a lowlife who has barged into their hotel room to clean out their cash. Shortly thereafter Serge turns an MRI machine into an instrument of street justice. The result is the definition of "fiendishly clever," and leaves homicide detectives trying to figure out why the body they've found has exit wounds only. From there things take a turn for the strange, as Serge hooks up with a perpetually stoned pothead named Coleman and embarks on a quest to find a marriageable girl.

Dorsey is an undeniably funny writer, with a remarkable knack for wringing laughter out of situations that might otherwise make readers squirm. He revels in the bizarre, and his characters always seem to be at the center of swirls and eddies of weirdness, like that cloud of dust that accompanied Pigpen in Charles Schultz's "Peanuts" comics. But Dorsey pulls this off without descending into silliness. This is funny stuff, made even funnier by virtue of its underlying darkness.

TORPEDO JUICE is my first exposure to Tim Dorsey, which is too bad because now I have no choice but to go out and buy his six previous books. But no sacrifice is too great when it comes to overloading my already straining bookshelves with stuff that is well worth reading. Besides, the added weight will keep the shelves in place here on the North Coast if Lake Erie ever produces a hurricane.

--- Reviewed by Bob Rhubart

If you're looking for highbrow, Pulitzer Prize-type material in a book, don't look here. But if you're looking for a book that will entertain you with some good laughs, which is my kind of book, then Tim Dorsey's your man. It's not every writer that could make a serial killer into a character than you can identify with and root for, but Dorsey does it. He is easily one of my favorite writers.

As for Torpedo Juice, this book marks the return of that lovable loser Coleman. The circumstances by which Dorsey brings him back are somewhat iffy, but who cares, we're reading this book for fun not for realism. Serge also gets married in this book, and learns some of the hard lessons that all men who have gone before him have to face sooner or later (i.e. that logic has no meaning where wives are concerned). The rest of the plot for Torpedo Juice was a little weak though, I thought. Usually Dorsey has about 4-5 plotlines all running simultaneously that come crashing together at the end, but TJ didn't really have that whiz-bang feeling to it.

In my opinion Dorsey has fallen into a pattern where his even-numbered books (Hammerhead, Triggerfish, Cadillac) are terrific, and the odd-numbered books (Roadkill, Orange, Stingray, Torpedo) less so, though still quite good. Triggerfish Twist is quite possibly THE funniest book I've ever read; I can't recommend it highly enough. Torpedo Juice isn't Dorsey's best effort, but I still enjoyed every minute of it and can't wait for the next adventure of Serge A. Storms. Plus maybe we'll get Coleman and Lenny together in the same book; that should be interesting.

For anyone who is not sure about Tim Dorsey and his series of books, I can only say one thing: You do not know what you are missing! These are quite possibly some of the funniest, intelligent books I have ever read. It started with Triggerfish Twist (THE FUNNIEST BOOK OF ALL TIME) and has culminated with Torpedo Juice. His latest book is not quite up to the hilarious rollercoasters of his past books, but is still a Laugh out Loud, wonderful story about marriage, florida, murder, drugs, and everything else I have come to love in Tim Dorsey's novels. I never thought I would cheer for a serial murderer, or his drug-crazed friends, but I cannot help myself! I finished this latest book onboard a Southwest airplane during a trip to Orlando. I just could not put it down! And I walked off that plane wearing my Serge Storms Ball cap (with the little gun-toting fish and signed by Tim Dorsey) and my Serge World Tour T-shirt, grinning from ear-to-ear, and still chuckling about AA meetings. Go out and buy this book. Read them all! You will not be sorry.

My recreational reading while at a software conference last week was the newest Tim Dorsey novel titled Torpedo Juice. Like all that come before them, the book is hard to explain, but so much fun to read...

Serge Storms, the main character in many of Dorsey's other works, is now convinced he needs to settle down and get married. He just needs a wife, and what better way to find one than to start doing reconnaissance at local venues (complete with binoculars and tails). He passes up an obvious choice for a librarian who seems to be completely and totally closed off socially. But one thing leads to another, and they *do* get married, and Serge now learns that communication between husband and wife is a difficult thing. Meanwhile, the other plotlines of the book are swirling around at tornado pace. Anna is trying to escape a band of killers who murdered almost everyone she knows, and she's next. The bartender at the No Name isn't quite what he seems to be. The mystery drug kingpin who lives on No Name Key may not be either. Will Coleman get laid, and will the lucky lady ever be the same? Who's trying to kill Serge? And what are all the Key West deer doing roaming around the book?

There's no good way to describe a Dorsey novel. I tend to think of him as Carl Hiaasen on speed. Storms is a wacky killer who longs for the Florida that's rapidly disappearing, and he's doing everything he can to preserve it. You'll see every stereotype of Florida natives during the story, and if you're from there you might even see yourself. If you're looking for a measured, well-paced story with logical progressions, keep moving... there's nothing to see here. But if you want slapstick comedy with twists coming out of *deep* left field, this book will be perfect.

Kudos To Tim Dorsey for another rip-roaring, laugh out loud story. He provides excellent entertainment well worth the price. The way he puts a story together with its little subplots is impressive. He is, without a doubt, one of the funniest writers out there.

Tim Dorsey will always be on my 'must read' list.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes to laugh.

Serge Storms, Florida history buff and eccentric sower of mayhem and violence, takes on the Florida Keys with a decidedly different search for a wife. His tactics generate pepper spray more often that first dates, but he perseveres until he gets an "I do."

But Serge finds a lot of things about marriage mystifying, especially guest towels. Between organizing a cult, rushing his junkie friend Coleman to the emergency room, foiling the plans of a slimy CEO, and dodging the attentions of a serial killer, Serge doesn't have much time to work out the details of marital bliss.

This book was a slow-starter for me - it took a while to build up interest in the multitude of plot lines. However, once Serge starts driving the action, the pace picks up to Dorsey's usual zany blur. Serge's thoughts on marriage are funny enough to smooth over some of the rough patches.

The disparate plots come together in the end, but not quite as convincingly as they have in past books. But Dorsey's beloved Florida shines through, and he is still adept at finding humor in the most amazingly dark spaces of the human psyche.

In Florida, serial killer Serge Storms decides he needs to settle down with a wife. However, Serge has a few things to take care of before tying the knot. For instance, where will they live? However before he can get married and they can select their home, Serge he must find the right woman. Thus the quest for the ultimate female for Mr. Storms begins.

In the No Name Keys, a place where losers, lowlifes, and similar ilk are considered high society, Serge meets the woman of his dreams, mousy librarian Molly. However, as he writes in his Serge log, marriage is not quite what he expected as Mighty Mouse is driving Serge crazy with her needs. Still, murders aside, Serge somehow becomes a cult's Messiah though he denies it, which leads to High Noon with an oily CEO trying to overturn the anti-social order of the No Name Keys. Finally there are the drug lord looking to invade the Keys and Anna Sebring seeking to murder the serial killer who executed her brother with her revenge radar targeting Serge.

TORPEDO JUICE is the typical wacky wild Tim Dorsey irreverent Florida thriller. The key to this tale is Serge's efforts to turn domestic when the world spirals through him in zany insane circles. This series of circular subplots lead to an amusing offbeat madcap tale, but also is difficult to follow as the keys never fully interact even with Serge as the foci. Still Mr. Dorsey provides his typical insane yet brilliant, extremely funny yet satirical wild South Florida tour.

Harriet Klausner

First, read the series in the sequence recommended by the author on his web site. Come to love occassional (not serial) killer Serge Storms. Don't worry about plot, multitude of characters. They all come together eventually but it just does not matter. As Serge recommends, if you need to, just read the ending and then go back where you were and enjoy the characters and descriptions and observations on all things life/Florida/history/insanity.

Serge gets married? His observations on the minutiae as seen by a male are priceless and an accurate caricature.

Well, book number seven from the literary genius of Florida crime, Tim Dorsey, is yet another winner. "Torpedo Juice" is just as insane, random, and laugh-out-loud funny as the rest of his series. What's more? Serge's original sidekick, Coleman, comes back from the dead. Sure, it seems lame and cheap to write a dead character back into the fold, but Dorsey does it in such a way that it blatantly makes fun of similar lame devices used on soap operas. But the original mischief makers are back, and all is right in Florida.

This story takes place in the Florida Keys, and I was personally able to appreciate that, having vacationed down in that area after the hurricane season. I won't give too much else away, except to say that Serge A. Storms has a personal life breakthrough you sure won't want to miss.

I highly recommend this latest installment. Now, for the next book, bring back Lenny Lippowitz, and have the three of them wreak havoc.

I can't believe no one has reviewed the audio book of Torpedo Juice. The more I listen to audio books, the more I realize their potential superiority to reading a book with one's eyes. Whereas, as a reader, I approach a book cold (especially since this is the first and only one in the Serge series I have read), a great reader has read the book, knows where it is going, understands the motivations, and brings an entire other performance layer to the work. George Wilson, who reads this book, is such a reader.

First, you have love anyone named after Dennis the Menace's long-time suffering neighbor. Second, you have to love someone who had a lead in "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes." But none of that matters after you have heard George's performance of Torpedo Juice. He has these characters, and their voice, positively, absolutely NAILED.

Other reviewers who commented that the book dragged in places are right. It is a little uneven, though at a mere 9 CDs, hardly too long. But there are absolute gems, such as Serge's tirade against lawyers, advertisers and everyone else; his observations on marriage; and the honeymoon night that wouldn't end.

I kept wondering, as I listened to George Wilson's performance, would I have enjoyed it as much if I were reading it? The answer is no. No way could I have gotten the pacing and the rhythm of the book perfect the first time. That requires study, and Wilson has made a study of this work and delivers a reader tour de force.

Sure, a book on the beach is nice -- CD players don't like sand. But as long as Recorded Books keeps serving up readers like George Wilson and matching them with material like this, the heck with reading. It's so last millennia. Serge, I am sure, would agree.