The Pope of Palm Beach

by Tim Dorsey

Part of Serge Storms, book 21

First published 2018

Serge A. Storms worships Florida like no one else. He and his perpetually stoned companion Coleman embark on a literary pilgrimage that brings them back to Riviera Beach, where they spent their youth. Serge obsesses over two legends from his childhood. The first tells of Darby, a port welder who surfed local waves before they became famous. This big hearted waterman befriended everyone from young surfers to wealthy businessmen, earning universal admiration. The second legend whispered through schoolyards spoke of a crazy hermit living deep in a jungle compound along the Loxahatchee River. Now Serge digs into these mysteries as only he can. His investigation unearths long buried secrets and attracts a rogues gallery of Florida villains. Bodies pile up as Serge pursues the truth about his hometown heroes. The story alternates between flashbacks of Serge and Coleman's childhoods and their present day mayhem filled adventure.

Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, contemporary

Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator

Setting: Loxahatchee River, Palm Beach, Riviera Beach

Period: Childhood, Present Day

357 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow

Content warnings: violence

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