Atomic
Lobster
A
Serge A. Storms Mystery
Tim
Dorsey
William
Morrow (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-082969-9 (0060829699)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-082969-8 (9780060829698)
Publication Date: January 2008
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): 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 this latest adventure.
Review:
Tim Dorsey's 10th novel to feature the audacious, ever so reasoned if
not always reasonable, adventures of Serge Storms, Atomic Lobster,
has the Florida psychopath protecting his old pal Jim Davenport from
the McGraw brothers, one of which Jim helped send to prison.
To fans of the series, an overview of the plot is probably not
necessary since it's likely they read the books to see in which
outrageous mission Serge is currently participating or in what
ingenious way Serge kills his next victim. And Serge does not
disappoint. For new readers, the plot is definitely secondary to the
action and vaguely involves Serge acting as a mentor/protector to Jim
Davenport when he's targeted by a newly released prisoner, and old
ladies on a cruise ship that may be the transport vehicle for drugs (or
something more sinister) from Mexico to the US. It's not quite a
mystery in the whodunit sense, but there are several other elements
present that would firmly place this book in that category.
The brilliance of Atomic Lobster
(and yes, it is frequently brilliant) is how Dorsey carefully
choreographs the activities of the large number of characters in his
story and how their lives intersect in myriad ways that seem natural
... almost expected. Serge may be a cold-blooded killer, but he's a
compassionate one. Those that are condemned to die deserve it (in his
universal role as prosecutor, defense attorney, judge, and jury), but
he usually gives them an opportunity to live albeit at some, often
considerable, cost. It's all quite fascinating to read and oddly
compelling.
Of the two parallel storylines, one involving Serge and Jim Davenport
and the other involving the cruise ship that is largely independent of
Serge, the former is more interesting, arguably more entertaining, and
appears to be better thought through. The latter seems almost contrived
as if it exists only so that the unexpected twist at the end (which
isn't all that unexpected) can occur. The G-unit, however, make it
somewhat worthwhile.
The final quarter of the book isn't nearly as strong as what comes
before possibly because the various plots and subplots need to rapidly
converge. The narrative is more perfunctory and loses much of its
earlier edginess. And the epilogue seems particularly silly. Still,
there are many funny scenes and clever passages in Atomic Lobster
and, though it is definitely not a book for everyone, it is a terrific
book for those who can appreciate its often satirical humor.
Special thanks to HarperCollins for providing a copy of Atomic Lobster for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Atomic Lobster? How would you rate it?
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Atomic Lobster
William Morrow (Hardcover), January 2008
ISBN-10: 0-06-082969-9 (0060829699)
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Nuclear
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Omnimystery
keywords for Atomic Lobster
...
Location(s) referenced: Tampa,
Florida.
