cover image Hurricane Punch

Hurricane Punch

Tim Dorsey, . . Morrow, $24.95 (384pp) ISBN 978-0-06-082967-4

Scathing humor strips the pretense off its targets like a hurricane in \t\t bestseller Dorsey's rapid-fire ninth thriller. Last seen in \t\t The Big Bamboo (2006), serial killer Serge \t\t A. Storms, who seems like all of the Marx brothers rolled into one, rumbles \t\t across Florida in a stolen Hummer with his usually drunk or stoned friend, \t\t Coleman. Serge follows one hurricane after another, driving in the relatively \t\t safe eye of the storm, pointing out fascinating bits of Florida history and \t\t only killing those who truly deserve it. That would include the guy in the car \t\t next to you blasting his music as well as the person price-gouging hurricane \t\t victims. The murders are accomplished in appropriately bizarre, if not graphic, \t\t fashion. As Serge evades law enforcement and perennial nemesis Agent Mahoney, \t\t his latest road trip allows him to skewer everything from President Bush to \t\t fast food establishments, with particular emphasis given to the foibles of the \t\t media (newspapers) for which Dorsey once worked. 13-city author tour. (Feb.)