1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dark and twisty Triggerfish, 25 Aug 2008
Fulfilling every reader's wish
Is Dorsey's funny Triggerfish
Perhaps the best one of the lot
(At least of all the ones I've got)
The fourth novel in the series is set in Tampa in 1997. Jim Davenport is the unlikely star of this one, proving that even a milquetoast can cause a lot of trouble given the right circumstances.
It all begins when a clerical error lists Tampa as the third best city to raise a family, and good old Jim accepts a transfer from his company, settling in with his family in Triggerfish Lane. He soon learns that sometimes opportunity knocks just for the heck of it, and finds himself in the middle of a character jungle that only Dorsey could create.
As usual, the characters and highly improbable situations make the book, and things really get crazy when Serge, the world's favorite psychopath, moves into Triggerfish Lane with his cronies Sharon and Coleman. Serge is a fountain of information and a philosopher, but when faced with injustice he springs into action, devising his trademark Machiavellian and Goldberg-ian solutions to the problem.
You'll find yourself laughing out loud at things that aren't normally considered funny, such as real estate scams, corporate down-sizing, used car dealership tricks, fake millionaires, substance abuse (almost any substance), deranged killers on the rampage, pit bulls and little old ladies in cold water, but when Dorsey puts them all together, it'll hit your funny bone hard.
Recommended for people who like it dark, twisty and funny
Amanda Richards
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paradise, Florida Style, 7 Jan 2008
An insanely twisted tale of how Midwestern milquetoast Jim Davenport moved his family to Triggerfish Lane, anticipating the good life of Florida. However paradise rapidly fades to a distant memory when the reality of the neighborhood sets in. For example his neighbor Jack Terrier commands his dog to defecate on Jim's lawn. Stolen cars abound, because the neighborhood is a natural getaway route for carjackers. Serge, (Dorsey's reoccurring character) Jim's new friend from across the street is a psychopathic serial killer who isn't taking his medication, but of course Jim doesn't know this. Then there's Coleman the idiot, Sharon the cocaine-snorting stripper, an overly aggressive baseball coach, the evil car salesman, the crazy homeless people, the dope smoking college students, the oversexed pensioners, the substitute teacher with a grudge and the Fourth of July party that erupts into violence, death and a city wide disaster.
And if all that doesn't make you want to go out and get this laugh-a-minute book, I don't know what will.
Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Too Twisty for its Own Good, 27 Aug 2008
This review is from: Triggerfish Twist (Paperback)
Jim Davenport is just an ordinary family man; in fact he is ordinary to a fault never wanting to upset anyone or anything. When he moves with his family to Florida he thinks he is close to the American dream, a better paid job in a crime free environment. This is far from the truth though as Jim soon finds out when he has to kill a man who threatens his baby daughter with a gun. Things get worse when social sociopath Serge Storms moves in next door and brings his own brand of psychotic rage to the neighbourhood. Florida is a messed up state and Tim Dorsey revel in the chaos of it all in `Triggerfish Twist'.
There is no denying that Dorsey is an author with a great imagination and an enthusiasm for writing. `Triggerfish' is packed with entertaining segments that look at the absurdities of modern America. The problem is that the book is too kinetic and loses focus time after time. You could be reading about one character only for it to flip to another without seemingly telling your. Dorsey has written more of a collection of short pieces loosely held together with a plot. I enjoyed the book, but only understood it in parts. If Dorsey could constrain his urgency a little then the next book in the Serge books could be brilliant as that character rocks!
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