The Pope of Palm Beach
A Novel
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4.4 • 172 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From Florida’s king of mayhem—"compulsively irreverent and shockingly funny" (Boston Globe) New York Times bestselling author Tim Dorsey—comes a diabolically madcap adventure featuring the indomitable Serge A. Storms.
No one worships the Sunshine State as much as Serge A. Storms. Perpetually hunting Floridian arcana and lore, he and his permanently baked sidekick, Coleman, are on the road again. This time they’re on a frenzied literary pilgrimage that leads them back to Riviera Beach, the cozy seaside town where the boys spent their formative years.
Growing up, Serge was enthralled by the Legend of Riviera Beach, aka Darby, a welder at the port who surfed the local waves long before the hot spots were hot. A god on the water, the big-hearted surfer was a friend to everyone—the younger surfers, cops, politicians, wealthy businessmen and ordinary Joes—a generosity of spirit that earned him the admiration of all. Meanwhile, there was a much murkier legend that made the rounds of the schoolyards from Serge’s youth—that of the crazy hermit living in a makeshift jungle compound farther up the mysterious Loxahatchee River than anyone dared to venture.
Then Serge moved away. But never forgot.
Now he’s back, with those legends looming larger than ever in the rearview mirror of his memory. As his literary odyssey moves north from Key West, closer and closer to his old stomping grounds, Serge digs into the past as only Serge can. Along the way, he unintentionally disturbs some long-forgotten ground, attracting the attention of a cast of villains that only Florida can produce.
As the body count grows, so does the list of questions:
Why are the guys in the hard hats worried about the monkeys? When do you hack a motel air-conditioner? How does Coleman get high with cat toys? Who is expecting the dildo? And will book tours ever be the same after Serge decides to check one out?
Told in alternating flashbacks between Serge and Coleman’s childhoods and the present day, The Pope of Palm Beach is a witty and deliciously violent delight from the twisted imagination of Tim Dorsey.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A killer opening sentence sets the tone for bestseller Dorsey's 21st comic novel featuring eccentric murderer Serge Storms (after 2017's Clownfish Blues): "The sun was going down behind the Big Burger when the alligator came flying in the drive-through window." Starting in the Florida Keys, Serge and his childhood friend, Coleman, embark on a literary tour of the state. Along the way, they make detours so Serge can mete out his own brand of justice to various bad guys, beginning with Sterling Hanover, a pharmaceutical company's callous president. Hanover acquired the patent to a drug that originally cost $12 a pill and raised the price to $700 after learning it was the only treatment for a protozoa infection that's fatal to infants. Serge devises a diabolic punishment to fit the crime. He later seeks revenge on a gangster he holds responsible for the death of the legendary surfer known as the Pope. Flashbacks to Serge's youth aren't that interesting, and the storytelling is less amusing than usual, but fans of wacky crime fiction will have plenty of fun. Eight-city author tour.)
Customer Reviews
Another fantastic Dorsey read!
Tim’s ability to weave a story and tell a tale is unparalleled. He and I both grew up over here in SE Florida, and all of his specific details have me on the floor laughing when he talks about these anomalies, that are the places that we have been, and grew up, and have been a part of our lives forever. Mr. Dorsey rocks it down with every word he puts to paper.
Another of Serge’s adventures interesting and exciting
Fun interesting book with different storylines and characters. The book was interesting to read and I couldn’t put it down.
Terrific!
Tim Dorsey paints the pages with the vivid colors of the Sunshine State. The rich descriptions of the exotic Florida waterways and islands made me long to explore these wonders for myself. Then onto hitting the road in the lime green Chevy Nova, along for the ride, with Serge and Colman! Nobody does Florida better!