Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious
Review: 'The Stingray Shuffle' by Tim Dorsey is really more of a series of comedy skits than a novel. The so-called plot involves a madcap chase of briefcase containing $5 million in cash. While there are a few gratuitous murders this is hardly be called a crime story. Yet like Carl Hiaasen novels 'The Stingray Shuffle' contains plenty of Florida-isms; locals like me will love the historical references to Henry Flagler, the pioneering railroads of a century ago, etc. Too bad Tim Dorsey doesn't seem to have the satiric wit of Hiaasen. His humour is very childish in comparison.Bottom line: a very silly yet often funny book. Passable.
Rating: 
Summary: The Three Stooges meets Carl Hiaasen
Review: 'The Stingray Shuffle' by Tim Dorsey is really more of a series of comedy skits than a novel. The so-called plot involves a madcap chase of briefcase containing $5 million in cash. While there are a few gratuitous murders this is hardly be called a crime story. Yet like Carl Hiaasen novels 'The Stingray Shuffle' contains plenty of Florida-isms; locals like me will love the historical references to Henry Flagler, the pioneering railroads of a century ago, etc. Too bad Tim Dorsey doesn't seem to have the satiric wit of Hiaasen. His humour is very childish in comparison. Bottom line: a very silly yet often funny book. Passable.
Rating:
Summary: Stingray Shuffle
Review: As always, Tim has woven many sub-plots together, creating another winner! I read faster than he writes, so waiting a year between books is a bummer. Everybody should not only read this book, they should read ALL of his books. Go to his web site: TIMDORSEY.com and find out when he's comming to your town for a book signing. He took the time out to talk to each person and passed out a page from his next book! Money well spent on a Dorsey book.
Rating:
Summary: not quite carl hiaasen...
Review: Having just finished Shuffle (after reading Triggerfish Twist),
and now rereading Florida Roadkill, I can say that Dorsey is
better than Hiaasen's weaker novels, but still is a ways from
Hiaasen's best work (Tourist Season, Skin Tight). With Hiaasen's
best work, the characters and events from each novel stick in
mind for years. With Hiaasen's second-tier work, the characters
and events tend to blur together, so at this point I remember
very little about what went on in, say, Sick Puppy. Tim Dorsey's
work comes closer to this latter situation: I can remember some
good bits and pieces, but there's a lot of blurring, even with
Stingray Shuffle, which I just finished last night. That doesn't
bode well. Like Hiaasen's work, Tim Dorsey's novels are entertaining. filled
with a dark humor and scathing views of some of the less pleasant
aspects of Florida. Dorsey is primarily the Tampa area, in
contrast to Hiaasen's Miami. Both writers have very sharp
and witty episodes with politicians, tourists, businesses that
cater to tourists, the drug-trade side of the state, etc.
Hiaasen's hero-types tend to be reluctant about killing:
Dorsey's Serge Storms (featured in all the novels so far) is an
enthusiast, usually killing in bizarre ways--entertaining in
small quantities, but not quite as appetizing when done several
times in each book. Dorsey is also fond (to the point of
getting a bit tiresome at times) of having Serge Storms digress
at length on historical and cultural details and minutae.
In Stingray Shuffle, he also has some other detail freaks
expounding in the same fashion as Storms--which doesn't help the
novel. Still and all, it's an entertaining novel, worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Dorsey is an Addiction!
Review: He out does Carl, and even hate to say it, at times, even Elmore...
One cannot do anything but hate to love that Serge A. Storms!
Dorsey hits all the rusty Florida nails on the head and exposes
the skeletons in the backwaters of "The Sunshine State" - he's the
Tourism Commissions worst nightmare and a readers delight. Amazingly intelligent as well as entertaining! A definate "must read" for all 5 in the series (so far) - read them in order and then back again. A wild ride and quite possible
"ripped from the headlines" tales.
Rating:
Summary: Coping with your everyday psycopathic savant
Review: He's back! He's brought a whole new cadre of evils with him. And just when you folks in the center of the sand spit known affectionately as FLORIDA thought it was safe to go to the beach, or the motel, or the bar, or even out on the street. No, it's not Tim Dorsey I'm referring to. It's Serge A. Storms himself. A man with terminal detritus of the mind. An evil psycopath whose mind must have been the bedrock source for Trivial Pursuit, particularly as it pertains to Tampa and its environs. A really fun guy, whether he's taking his lithium or not, or, hey, just being "normal." The book title refers to the standard Floridian way of wading into the ocean or gulf so as not to step on a stingray. Unlike Dorsey's characters, the stingray is meek and mild until stepped on.
In most reviews, Dorsey's style and subject matter is usually compared with that of Carl Hiaasen, the "godfather"of the Forida thriller. Interestingly enough, both come from newspaper backgrounds. They both are adept at translating the thrills and agonies of real life that they've experienced vicariously into book form for their readers.
But, so far, they differ in one major way. Dorsey is a serial writer, with Storms as his main man. In serial books, there is little character development needed after the first book. The main character simply moves from situation to situation. Think of Sherlock Holmes. Think plot as primary - character development as secondary. And since he doesn't need to tell the reader why his character is doing what he is doing, Dorsey's plots become incredibly complex. The problem with this is that pretty soon, the reader longs for a fresh new main man. On the other hand, Hiaasen choses a new set of characters for each book. Character building is therefore required, and in essence this dominates the plot. So madcap mayhem in the plot needs to slow down on occasion to explain the idiosyncratic behavior of his characters. And here, the reader often wishes the author'd tell another story about the main man in the last book. Regardless of your particular bent, however, Florida thrill writers like Dorsey make reading really fun again!
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious
Review: Hilarious, You never know what is coming next. Even the obvious plot trends get twisted.
Rating:
Summary: Tim Dorsey Ain't Right!
Review: I am not a book reviewer, nor do I play one on TV But if you want to read books that will make you laugh so hard it will bring tears to your eyes, read anything by Tim Dorsey! Caution: The Surgeon General advises not reading a Tim Dorsey book with a mouthfull of any carbonated beverage
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book!
Review: I don't plan to write a long, drawn out review about this book. It's too psycho for a plot description. But this book is an extremely entertaining, random and hilarious story of a group of people in search of a briefcase filled with 5 million dollars. This book is so far over the top that it can't see the bottom. Some of the storyline is rediculous, and some of the jokes make you look around to see who you've offended just by reading the words. In some ways, this book is like reading South Park or Something about Mary. A good story.... Not so much. But it is a wildly entertaining and easy read that it worth checking out.
Rating: 
Summary: Very entertaining
Review: I don't plan to write a long, drawn out review about this book. It's too psycho for a plot description. But this book is an extremely entertaining, random and hilarious story of a group of people in search of a briefcase filled with 5 million dollars. This book is so far over the top that it can't see the bottom. Some of the storyline is rediculous, and some of the jokes make you look around to see who you've offended just by reading the words. In some ways, this book is like reading South Park or Something about Mary. A good story.... Not so much. But it is a wildly entertaining and easy read that it worth checking out.
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