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A review by mrfrank
Hammerhead Ranch Motel by Tim Dorsey
4.0
HAMMERHEAD RANCH MOTEL, the second book of the Serge Storm universe, really sets the series on the rails it will eventually follow. Whereas the first book, FLORIDA ROADKILL really read far off from what the rest of the series is like, this book sets the course for the rest of the show. It's almost as if you can skip the first book and start right here.
There is of course, Serge Storms, the Florida loving maniac criminal with a heart of gold. City and Country make their debut appearance in this book as well. Coleman has yet to show up but what I suspect is an early attempt at a Coleman-like character in Lenny, the Don Johnson(not quite) Look Alike. Lenny is a more tame version of Coleman, going along with Serge for the action and adventure but without any agenda of his own. He's pretty cool.
The story itself is a great caper that weaves itself among the menagerie of characters that appear. There is a missing briefcase of money. There is a moon rock scam. And of course there is the run down, derelict riddled motel with taxidermied hammerhead sharks on its front lawn to provide just enough interest as to attract tourists to stop and take pictures out front before moving on.
And it's Florida, so there is a killer hurricane on its way.
I've been reading this series out of order from the start. I began somewhere around book ten and I've bounced around forward and backward since. And the best part is that you can start anywhere in this series and have no trouble following the action and the characters. Each book is it's own entity. HAMMERHEAD RANCH is no different but it does have the distinction of setting the course for the rest of the series so you should make it a point to read this one as soon as you can. It is a quintessential Tim Dorsey book.
There is of course, Serge Storms, the Florida loving maniac criminal with a heart of gold. City and Country make their debut appearance in this book as well. Coleman has yet to show up but what I suspect is an early attempt at a Coleman-like character in Lenny, the Don Johnson(not quite) Look Alike. Lenny is a more tame version of Coleman, going along with Serge for the action and adventure but without any agenda of his own. He's pretty cool.
The story itself is a great caper that weaves itself among the menagerie of characters that appear. There is a missing briefcase of money. There is a moon rock scam. And of course there is the run down, derelict riddled motel with taxidermied hammerhead sharks on its front lawn to provide just enough interest as to attract tourists to stop and take pictures out front before moving on.
And it's Florida, so there is a killer hurricane on its way.
I've been reading this series out of order from the start. I began somewhere around book ten and I've bounced around forward and backward since. And the best part is that you can start anywhere in this series and have no trouble following the action and the characters. Each book is it's own entity. HAMMERHEAD RANCH is no different but it does have the distinction of setting the course for the rest of the series so you should make it a point to read this one as soon as you can. It is a quintessential Tim Dorsey book.