GATOR A-GO-GO
Tim Dorsey
William Morrow
Fiction
ISBN: 9780061432712
GATOR A-GO-GO couldn’t come at a better time. It’s January, temperatures are barely breaking the single digits, the sun is but a memory, and the front yard is buried under snow --- even in Louisiana. That means it’s time for another Serge A. Storm tale from Tim Dorsey.
Serge A. Storm is fiction’s most likable and prolific serial killer. His stomping grounds are the square miles inside the boundaries of the State of Florida, the land he passionately loves. His targets consist of the rude, the obnoxious, and those who would otherwise despoil his beloved state. And his methods of execution --- well, I’m not even going to attempt to describe how he does it. Suffice to say that his devices never fail to be lethal and always give the victim a (slim) chance to escape alive, if not unscathed. Coleman, Serge’s sidekick, is a hoot as well, always in search of the ultimate high as a counterpoint to Serge’s strict sobriety.
GATOR A-GO-GO finds Serge attempting to film a documentary about everything. Yes, everything. Fortunately, he maintains focus just enough to concentrate on the American ritual known as Spring Break. Part of the attraction of these novels has always been Dorsey’s penchant for incorporating factoids about the Sunshine State into the storyline. He continues the practice full-tilt in GATOR A-GO-GO, including the how, where and why of how Spring Break began and the changes in locale it has experienced over the course of the decades, as well as a clear-headed (or not so much) look at the flora and fauna populating the beaches. But the party doesn’t really begin until Serge and Coleman show up. When they do, they cross paths with a group of college students from New Hampshire, one of whom is being hunted by a crime gang.
Andy McKenna was barely five years old when his family was taken into the witness protection program; now, with their cover suddenly and irretrievably blown by an act of kindness, the crime gang that should have been brought down by the elder McKenna’s testimony is out for revenge. At first, Andy is blissfully unaware that anyone is after him; when he learns he is being pursued, he doesn’t know who to trust. Never fear --- he is now under the protection of Serge A. Storm.
Darkly and wonderfully hilarious, GATOR A-GO-GO functions not only as an emotional respite following a session of snow shoveling but also as a triptych for things to see and places to go in Florida, both on and off the beaten path. And if you have sampled Dorsey’s work before and perhaps found it a bit too manic, you should check out this book. While it remains Dorsey’s wont to jump around a bit chaotically at the beginning of his tales, he has continued the practice, instituted a couple of novels ago, of (barely) reining himself in, so that the plots, once and always convoluted and over the top, are a bit easier to follow and much more enjoyable. And for added fun, GATOR A-GO-GO is --- believe it or not --- a flip book: you can watch an alligator at the bottom of the page slowly rise up and devour the title repeatedly as the book progresses.
Oh, and that Florida trivia. In addition to everything you wanted to know about Spring Break, GATOR A-GO-GO also contains the secret of what got which Florida rock music icon on the path to stardom, a wink and a nod to various movies filmed, and --- most significantly of all --- reveals the source that Serge utilizes for all his obscure Florida information. You’re going to have to read the book to find out what it is, but I’ll warn you in advance that its website is a real time bandit.
Anyone who has ever stepped foot in Florida, either on an interminable family vacation or in the drunken haze between college semesters, will love GATOR A-GO-GO. It’s the best of Dorsey’s lot thus far. Go for it.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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