by Tim Dorsey
Part of Serge Storms, book 16
First published 2013
Patrick and Barbara McDougal sit by the pool at their Florida motel, clutching fruity drinks and trying to salvage their vacation. The recently unemployed Wisconsin couple had scraped together money for a modest getaway, but the sunny paradise from the website turned out to be a dump. When they ask for their money back, the motel refuses. Then thieves steal everything, including their identification and plane tickets home. The police offer no help and seem more dangerous than the criminals who robbed them. Broke and stranded thousands of miles from Wisconsin, the McDougals face a nightmare that keeps getting worse. Enter Serge Storms, Florida's most enthusiastic and unhinged tour guide. This brilliant psychopath with an encyclopedic knowledge of his home state decides to help the nice Midwestern couple. Serge will show them the real Florida and make sure the people who prey on tourists pay the price. The McDougals wanted a peaceful vacation, but they're about to get the ride of their lives.
Genres: adventure, crime, action, comedy
Vibes: darkly-humorous, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unlikely-allies
Setting: Florida, Wisconsin
Period: 21st-century
294 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow