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Serge Storms #5
The Stingray Shuffle
When serial-killing local historian Serge Storms is off his meds, no one is safe – not Russian hoods, Jamaican mobsters, spoiled frat boys, women's book clubs, down-and-out drug dealers, bad Vegas-rejected local lounge acts . . .
Even less so when five million dollars in cash in a bugged suitcase is still racing up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
Welcome to Tim Dorsey's slice of America – where nobody gets out unscathed and untanned!
“ Over-the-top, off-the-wall, too-much-is-never-enough , Florida insanity was never described so authentically and with such enthusiasm.”
“ Humor really doesn't get better than this . Dorsey has a style all to his own that is simply not replicated anywhere.”
“Serge and Coleman are a match made in heaven and I am still laughing … truly a great read and I can't wait to delve into more of Dorsey's work.”
“This is Pulp Fiction on steroids with an acid tab chaser . There is insanity on every page and every page is a good time. Twists and turns, and some of the most creative homicidal mayhem I have ever read .”
“… for pure pleasure and entertainment you just can't beat the maniacal style of the Serge Storm series .”
“Hilarious. ... Serge Storms is, hands down, one of the most original and just-plain-captivating characters in modern crime fiction.” Booklist
“Entertaining … funny … irreverent and loving at the same time … [Dorsey] leaves the reader gasping for breath .” Washington Post Book World
“The characters in Tim Dorsey’s raucous novel would be shot on sight in any other state.” The New York Times Book Review
“Excellent … I almost exploded with laughter as I read Dorsey’s novel. It’s manic, hysterical, and puts Dorsey well up there with the cream of comic writers who seem to have made Florida the centre for satirizing America in the 21st century.” Independent
“ Twisted hilarity … a compelling page-turner … Tim Dorsey is one sick bunny.” Belfast News Letter
Even less so when five million dollars in cash in a bugged suitcase is still racing up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
Welcome to Tim Dorsey's slice of America – where nobody gets out unscathed and untanned!
“ Over-the-top, off-the-wall, too-much-is-never-enough , Florida insanity was never described so authentically and with such enthusiasm.”
“ Humor really doesn't get better than this . Dorsey has a style all to his own that is simply not replicated anywhere.”
“Serge and Coleman are a match made in heaven and I am still laughing … truly a great read and I can't wait to delve into more of Dorsey's work.”
“This is Pulp Fiction on steroids with an acid tab chaser . There is insanity on every page and every page is a good time. Twists and turns, and some of the most creative homicidal mayhem I have ever read .”
“… for pure pleasure and entertainment you just can't beat the maniacal style of the Serge Storm series .”
“Hilarious. ... Serge Storms is, hands down, one of the most original and just-plain-captivating characters in modern crime fiction.” Booklist
“Entertaining … funny … irreverent and loving at the same time … [Dorsey] leaves the reader gasping for breath .” Washington Post Book World
“The characters in Tim Dorsey’s raucous novel would be shot on sight in any other state.” The New York Times Book Review
“Excellent … I almost exploded with laughter as I read Dorsey’s novel. It’s manic, hysterical, and puts Dorsey well up there with the cream of comic writers who seem to have made Florida the centre for satirizing America in the 21st century.” Independent
“ Twisted hilarity … a compelling page-turner … Tim Dorsey is one sick bunny.” Belfast News Letter
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2003
232 people are currently reading
1509 people want to read
About the author
Tim Dorsey
36 books1,651 followersTim Dorsey was born in Indiana, moved to Florida at the age of 1, and grew up in a small town about an hour north of Miami called Riviera Beach. He graduated from Auburn University in 1983. While at Auburn, he was editor of the student newspaper, The Plainsman.
From 1983 to 1987, he was a police and courts reporter for The Alabama Journal, the now-defunct evening newspaper in Montgomery. He joined The Tampa Tribune in 1987 as a general assignment reporter. He also worked as a political reporter in the Tribune’s Tallahassee bureau and a copy desk editor. From 1994 to 1999, he was the Tribune’s night metro editor. He left the paper in August 1999 to write full time.
From 1983 to 1987, he was a police and courts reporter for The Alabama Journal, the now-defunct evening newspaper in Montgomery. He joined The Tampa Tribune in 1987 as a general assignment reporter. He also worked as a political reporter in the Tribune’s Tallahassee bureau and a copy desk editor. From 1994 to 1999, he was the Tribune’s night metro editor. He left the paper in August 1999 to write full time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
May 10, 2017
4.5 STARS
This was the fourth Tim Dorsey novel I’ve read and the first review I write about him. With the first two books, I had to ask myself if I was resorting back to my juvenile sense of humor. Slapstick comedy is something I’ve outgrown – for the most part – and I couldn’t understand why I was enjoying the books so much and laughing so hard.
The third novel was even better than the first two and I had to look deeper to discover why. It all became clear with this fourth one.
Tim Dorsey is a damn good writer.
His novels feels polished to me, the way everything comes together and makes sense in the end. Serge Storms is an anti-hero, but with such heroic values and convictions, you have to excuse his behavior and root for him.
How can anyone write stories with a main character who is insane, with friends who are crooked, drug-addicted misfits, who ignores the law and stays one step ahead because of his unpredictability? Who is intelligent and charming when he needs to be, loyal yet viciously psychopathic?
Well, in my opinion, nobody but Dorsey can. He writes like no other author I’ve read, with the ability to keep you entertained and laughing from page one.
It will not fall into everybody’s taste, that much is clear, but I’m a fan and will recommend it to anyone with a good sense of humor. On average, I haven’t read anything from him that deserves less than four stars.
This was the fourth Tim Dorsey novel I’ve read and the first review I write about him. With the first two books, I had to ask myself if I was resorting back to my juvenile sense of humor. Slapstick comedy is something I’ve outgrown – for the most part – and I couldn’t understand why I was enjoying the books so much and laughing so hard.
The third novel was even better than the first two and I had to look deeper to discover why. It all became clear with this fourth one.
Tim Dorsey is a damn good writer.
His novels feels polished to me, the way everything comes together and makes sense in the end. Serge Storms is an anti-hero, but with such heroic values and convictions, you have to excuse his behavior and root for him.
How can anyone write stories with a main character who is insane, with friends who are crooked, drug-addicted misfits, who ignores the law and stays one step ahead because of his unpredictability? Who is intelligent and charming when he needs to be, loyal yet viciously psychopathic?
Well, in my opinion, nobody but Dorsey can. He writes like no other author I’ve read, with the ability to keep you entertained and laughing from page one.
It will not fall into everybody’s taste, that much is clear, but I’m a fan and will recommend it to anyone with a good sense of humor. On average, I haven’t read anything from him that deserves less than four stars.
March 6, 2009
read this one for the second time and it didn't seem to lose it's luster.
i love the line where serge says grace at dinner "lord please protect me from your followers. amen"
still very funny the second time around.
i love the line where serge says grace at dinner "lord please protect me from your followers. amen"
still very funny the second time around.
July 26, 2012
There are fifteen books in Tim Dorsey's Serge Storms series - The Stingray Shuffle is the fifth book published, but the end of this book seems to precede the third book in the series, Orange Crush. This really doesn't lessen the entertainment factor, but a Virgo (like me) will finish the series, then go back to read them again in Serge's chronology. Clever ploy Mr. Dorsey!
The book itself is hilarious (yes, I'm running out of descriptives), well written and with some truly interesting twists: a publicity tour by an author who wrote a book about a missing briefcase containing $5 million, and some other synchronicities with the Serge Storms series. I'm not explaining it well, but I really, really hope that anyone reading this who enjoys off-beat humor will just get the books and read them - in whatever order you are able to lay your hands on them. Enjoy!
The book itself is hilarious (yes, I'm running out of descriptives), well written and with some truly interesting twists: a publicity tour by an author who wrote a book about a missing briefcase containing $5 million, and some other synchronicities with the Serge Storms series. I'm not explaining it well, but I really, really hope that anyone reading this who enjoys off-beat humor will just get the books and read them - in whatever order you are able to lay your hands on them. Enjoy!
January 31, 2016
Absolute Madcap fun... again!
Every book is more of the same, inventive, absurd, sharp-witted, madcap adventure that leaves me laughing, shaking my head, and laughing and shaking my head. Loved this book and all the previous ones. Good news is, there is a lot more where this came from and I can't wait to get book six! And seven, and eight...
Every book is more of the same, inventive, absurd, sharp-witted, madcap adventure that leaves me laughing, shaking my head, and laughing and shaking my head. Loved this book and all the previous ones. Good news is, there is a lot more where this came from and I can't wait to get book six! And seven, and eight...
February 26, 2011
I like this guy's writing. It's campy, quirky. Mystery writing that is basically surrealistic humor. Sort of a whodunit Hitchhiker's Guide.
February 26, 2009
This was another turbo-charged funhouse of a novel by Tim Dorsey. He started out being incredibly derivative of Carl Hiaasen's work, but he's found a voice of his own, and it's at times laugh-out-loud hysterical. Once again, he uses Serge Storms, Florida's favorite serial killer and historian, as his principal protagonist. This time, Dorsey expands his reach a bit from Florida and has a go at NYC. "The Stingray Shuffle" is a book within this book, which had been written a decade prior but inexplicably starts selling a lot of units at the bookstores, which we later learn is used by the Mierda Cartel to sell cocaine by cutting out the inside of the book and putting in the cocaine. Stingray also refers to "The Silver Stingray", an Amtrak train from NYC to Miami, used to put on a murder-mystery dinner theatre. Dorsey drags out several characters from his previous books, and weaves yet again a loony tale that is far-fetched and hilarious. If you've never read anything by this guy, give "The Stingray Shuffle" a try. It's bound to elicit a chuckle (or twenty) from even the most stone-faced reader.
November 17, 2012
I don't keep a lot of books anymore. I read them and pass them along. But this one is staying in the collection for a re-read in future because it was hysterical! I can't even count how many times I laughed out loud at the descriptions of south Florida! It was also a wealth of intriguing historical detail about Florida's train system; I actually learned things. Really a cool and unusual protagonist, too...if you can call Serge that...he does have a certain sense of poetic justice, even if he is a sociopath! Anyway, I highly recommend this book and am going to be looking for others by Tim Dorsey!
Saving this one to share with Linda!
Saving this one to share with Linda!
May 9, 2015
This reads like a very early version of Serge Storms. While there are some good Serge parts, overall not as engaging as later versions. Also Coleman is a big MIA, with substitute Lenny filling in not as admirably. 6 of 10 stars
February 22, 2012
The self-referencing is what makes this book so hilarious! Couldn't get enough of the stupid mobsters and the urinal guy! Love it! More Serge please!
April 25, 2017
Tim Dorsey's books would make great cult movies. Of the three I've read thus far, this one I think is the funniest -- think "Rocky Horror Show" on steroids. Serge Storms the psychotic serial killer with a treasure trove knowledge of Florida trivia (informative, too) devises ingenious ways to kill his often deserving victims. Pure mindless fun.
March 14, 2017
Absolutely outrageous. Few things make me laugh out loud - Serge does it. This has a book within a book which is clever. It is a mystery. And, it almost seems autobiographical. I wonder if Dorsey might be psychotic.
September 25, 2015
Another tremendous in the Serve Storms series! This book is enjoyable and entertaining from start to finish! If you like Carl Hiaasen and Paul Levine,you will Tim Dorsey!
September 25, 2020
Tim Dorsey has been able to take "Florida Man" headlines and create absurd, madcap farces featuring an everything Florida champion and serial killer Serge Storms..."The Stingray Shuffle," in fact, all of the series seem to be an homage to those authors like Carl Hiaasen, Paul Levine, or even Dave Barry...There is even a paean to the "Godfather" of South Florida fiction John D. MacDonald...When you mix $5 million in a clamshell brief case, single moms in a book club, a rediscovered Florida author, inept drug cartels and Russian mobsters, a urinal scam and Serge's own obsession with railroads in Florida and you have this wonderful, quirky and campy laugh fest!...Love me some Serge!!!
April 1, 2024
Newly obsessed train buff and maniacal killer Serge A. Storms and his druggie pal, Lenny, chase a briefcase containing five million dollars (a plot strand leftover from the first book, Florida Roadkill). Others trailing it include Russian hoodlums posing as Latinos, in the employ of the incompetent head of the world's only bankrupt drug cartel, and Jethro and Paul, a Hemingway look-alike and a passive-aggressive private eye, respectively. Serge, a book club of jilted ladies, and the mobsters all end up on the NY-Miami supertrain, the Stingray Shuffle. Along the way we also see old favorites like Johnny Vegas, and meet new nuts like Mr. Granda, leader of the down-and-out drug cartel, who is looking to buy a submarine, and Ralph Krunkleton, a tongue-in-cheek parody of Dorsey himself – his books feature all of Dorsey’s plot points and characters.
It’s another brilliantly constructed romp that is part thriller, part farce, and entirely, gloriously, deliriously wacky. And of course, it’s the setting and historical vignettes that really set this apart, giving it a flavor and a madness all its own. The hysterical standalone first chapter about the quest to create the first efficient mechanical orange harvester is worth the price of admission alone.
It’s another brilliantly constructed romp that is part thriller, part farce, and entirely, gloriously, deliriously wacky. And of course, it’s the setting and historical vignettes that really set this apart, giving it a flavor and a madness all its own. The hysterical standalone first chapter about the quest to create the first efficient mechanical orange harvester is worth the price of admission alone.
January 10, 2016
“The Stingray Shuffle” by Tim Dorsey, published by William Morrow.
Category – Crime/Comedy Publication Date – 2003
This is Dorsey’s fifth book in the Serge A. Storms series. As I have said before they do not have to be read in sequence but it would be a good idea for continuity. This is especially true for “The Stingray Shuffle” as it ties together the characters and plot of the first four books. Readers will find out what happened and who winds up with the missing 5 million dollars.
Serge, a serial killer, who kills only those who deserve to die, and is a running encyclopedia of Florida history, is off his meds. Serge and his whacked out buddy, Lenny, get involved with the Jamaican Mob, a bungling cocaine cartel, and a woman’s book club, the three B’s (Books, Booze, and Broads).
Serge leaves the State of Florida and winds up in New York so he can ride the mystery train back to Florida. The question is can New York survive Serge, who also knows a little history of the Big Apple. Johnny Vegas, the Accidental Virgin, is also trying to improve his sex life but again with disastrous results, you really got to hurt for this guy.
Once again, Tim Dorsey, shows he is a master of combining murder and comedy.
Category – Crime/Comedy Publication Date – 2003
This is Dorsey’s fifth book in the Serge A. Storms series. As I have said before they do not have to be read in sequence but it would be a good idea for continuity. This is especially true for “The Stingray Shuffle” as it ties together the characters and plot of the first four books. Readers will find out what happened and who winds up with the missing 5 million dollars.
Serge, a serial killer, who kills only those who deserve to die, and is a running encyclopedia of Florida history, is off his meds. Serge and his whacked out buddy, Lenny, get involved with the Jamaican Mob, a bungling cocaine cartel, and a woman’s book club, the three B’s (Books, Booze, and Broads).
Serge leaves the State of Florida and winds up in New York so he can ride the mystery train back to Florida. The question is can New York survive Serge, who also knows a little history of the Big Apple. Johnny Vegas, the Accidental Virgin, is also trying to improve his sex life but again with disastrous results, you really got to hurt for this guy.
Once again, Tim Dorsey, shows he is a master of combining murder and comedy.
December 31, 2012
"I hate it when I wake up driving." Yes, it's THAT KIND of book.
Serge stars again as a serial killer in another Tim Dorsey title.
In one scene he slowly murders his victims in a lengthy, prolonged torture.
After last week's real-life shooting spree of young children at a Connecticut school, I found myself wincing & hesitating to laugh at Serge this time. When does insanity start and stop being funny?
A well-plotted book, THE STINGRAY SHUFFLE provides characters whose blunders and missteps are actually believable. It IS a funny and enjoyable ride around South & Central Florida.
There have been too many books and movies written and made about zanies chasing a briefcase full of money around the landscape, but I was willing to overlook that, & will continue to read Dorsey books.
Serge stars again as a serial killer in another Tim Dorsey title.
In one scene he slowly murders his victims in a lengthy, prolonged torture.
After last week's real-life shooting spree of young children at a Connecticut school, I found myself wincing & hesitating to laugh at Serge this time. When does insanity start and stop being funny?
A well-plotted book, THE STINGRAY SHUFFLE provides characters whose blunders and missteps are actually believable. It IS a funny and enjoyable ride around South & Central Florida.
There have been too many books and movies written and made about zanies chasing a briefcase full of money around the landscape, but I was willing to overlook that, & will continue to read Dorsey books.
August 24, 2017
I haven't read a bad Serge Storms book yet and that includes The Stingray Shuffle. Tim Dorsey is masterful at giving depth to a cast of shallow characters. This time he gives it a little meta-mystery twist.
There are no surprises here. If you're familiar with Dorsey and the Serge Storms series, you know what your in for. As usual, my favorite aspect of any of the books in the series is that you need not read them in order (And I haven't).
Perfect for reading while your in Florida or in the summertime or just when you need to read something with a snile.
There are no surprises here. If you're familiar with Dorsey and the Serge Storms series, you know what your in for. As usual, my favorite aspect of any of the books in the series is that you need not read them in order (And I haven't).
Perfect for reading while your in Florida or in the summertime or just when you need to read something with a snile.
March 19, 2016
This book is the best in the series so far. It was also the best mystery train that I wasn't ever on. It totally makes fun of novelists, book critics, mysteries, two Agatha Christie books, mystery dinners, hypnotists, dive bars and, of course, Floridians. I miss Coleman but the laughs in this book almost make it okay. On to Cadillac Beach, the next in the series!
December 22, 2014
I actually laughed out loud reading this book more times than I can remember. The fast paced silliness of this mystery seemed to be all over the place but was so much fun you did not care. Then, at the very end, he brought everything together and wrapped it all up. What a fun read.
January 2, 2009
A very funny book. You can kind of see that Dorsey was writing this almost as a movie, you can see where it would have made a very funny flick! A quick read, and hilarious!
February 26, 2018
Love this whole series. Dark humor with such great characters. Total diversion!
July 16, 2020
When it’s funny (most of the time) it’s gut-busting, hit yourself in the face with a frying pan funny. When it’s not funny (here and there) it meanders and feels like sitting through an endless elementary school Christmas concert while missing the only time A Charlie Brown Christmas is on TV because you were too cheap to pay for any one of a dozen streaming services or even own a fucking computer.
September 23, 2023
3.5
The note on the type in the back of the book was my favorite part 🤣
The note on the type in the back of the book was my favorite part 🤣
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2016
More mayhem and insanity from Dorsey. Like the previous books, with laugh-out-loud funny scenes and an absurd cast of characters on a collision course to the climax, in this case a 'murder mystery train' where not everyone is play-acting. This is unknown to the passengers of course, in typical Dorsey fashion. Dorsey seems to approach this series with as much brazen abandon as some the characters. It seems that story really picks up after book #2, where Serge is still in pursuit of the briefcase full of $5M, accompanied by Lenny, who is a genius compared to Serge's other cohort Coleman. Book #3 or #4 (I can't remember which) jumps back in time because Dorsey had already killed off a few of those characters. The series is not chronological so far, but I wouldn't start here. Goodreads suggests 4-1-2-5-3 for the first 5 books. Either way, this series is just a lot of fun, with a stinging, sarcastic portrayal of all that is wrong with Florida, and through Serge, a nostalgic longing for how it used to be. I love Serge, the Florida history enthusiast and lover of life, who is also slightly imbalanced and capable of killing two frat boys by turning them into 'human beef jerky.' I'll say no more, except that along with all the insanity, I actually learned some things, and I have no doubt that Dorsey does his homework on Florida history. Good stuff.
February 26, 2009
This was another turbo-charged funhouse of a novel by Tim Dorsey. He started out being incredibly derivative of Carl Hiaasen's work, but he's found a voice of his own, and it's at times laugh-out-loud hysterical. Once again, he uses Serge Storms, Florida's favorite serial killer and historian, as his principal protagonist. This time, Dorsey expands his reach a bit from Florida and has a go at NYC. "The Stingray Shuffle" is a book within this book, which had been written a decade prior but inexplicably starts selling a lot of units at the bookstores, which we later learn is used by the Mierda Cartel to sell cocaine by cutting out the inside of the book and putting in the cocaine. Stingray also refers to "The Silver Stingray", an Amtrak train from NYC to Miami, used to put on a murder-mystery dinner theatre. Dorsey drags out several characters from his previous books, and weaves yet again a loony tale that is far-fetched and hilarious. If you've never read anything by this guy, give "The Stingray Shuffle" a try. It's bound to elicit a chuckle (or twenty) from even the most stone-faced reader.
January 21, 2014
This series is consistently screwball and unpredictable. Summary: When serial-killing local Florida historian Serge A. Storms is off his meds, no one is safe -- not Russian hoods, Jamaican mobsters, spoiled frat boys, women's book clubs, drug dealers, bad Vegas-rejected local lounge acts -- especially when $5 million in cash in a bugged suitcase is still racing up and down the Eastern Seaboard. But in the oddball circus known as the Sunshine State, little things like astronomical body counts tend to get lost in the shuffle.
July 24, 2015
This story was funny beyond belief! There were many sub-stories going on, but they all came together in the end for a very good result. The $5 million returns, but you have to read or listen to learn if it finally finds a home or if we will be on the lookout for the elusive insurance settlement in the next Serge A. Storms installment. Funny lines, interesting characters, and, of course, Serge all wrap up in a 7 out of 10 rating for me on this one!
November 10, 2008
Is it weird to root for a serial killer? Tim Dorsey's character Serge A. Storms makes me a fan of serial killers. Serge is a serial killer with a conscience, so to speak. Almost like Dexter from the television show of the same name on Showtime, Serge only kills people that seem to deserve it.
This is the fifth Tim Dorsey book that I've read and it may be my favorite. Excellent read.
This is the fifth Tim Dorsey book that I've read and it may be my favorite. Excellent read.
December 8, 2013
It was a cute comedy of errors.
October 7, 2015
Laugh out loud!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews