THE POPE OF PALM BEACH

By Tim Dorsey

You gotta love an author who knows how to deliver humor and wit along with a riveting mystery that keeps you from putting the book down until the very end. That is just what Tim Dorsey and his enigmatic lead character, Serge A. Storms, do best.

Back in Florida, the state that Serge A. Storms is quite literally in love with, he and his pal Coleman are hitting the road. They are headed back to their past; Riviera Beach is the small, seaside town where these particular boys “grew into men.”

The reason for their return comes from tales told in the past. The “Legend of Riviera Beach” is one that has been engaging the minds of the residents for years, including Serge. The tale surrounds a welder by the name of Darby who loved to surf and became a well-known name because of it. He was a good person and everyone from politicians to other surfers called him a friend. But that is not the only legend that was told amongst the townies. There was another tale that focused on a supposed crazy man who lived like a recluse in a “jungle compound” that was situated on the Loxahatchee River. An area that was too creepy for anyone to actually explore.

Serge and Coleman have lived their lives elsewhere, but now, while on this “literary” adventure, they explore these legends just a little bit more, bringing them closer to a group of bad guys that they don’t even know about.

This is a true odyssey for Serge, yet a laugh-out-loud, action-packed, sometimes violent trek for readers. The author goes back and forth between the past and present and brings extra storylines in that only he can create and Serge can pull off.

Much like the film world claims Tim Burton, the literary world claims and loves the twisted imagination of Tim Dorsey. An author who has still never let the book lover down.