Customer Rating:  
Summary: Do the Twist!
Comment: This book is pretty funny anyway, but since I grew up in Florida (and hated the place) it gets extra marks for so sarcastically skewering the Sunshine State.
The book follows several interconnected subplots that all tie together quite nicely at the end. Along the way, we get peeks at the shady world of used car salesmen, corporate consultants, and real estate agents -- all of which get the skewering they deserve.
This book has lots of drugs and sex, so the "right" mindset is required to enjoy this, ideally one with a sarcastic sense of humor. This is very much a dark comedy, so you have to like this sort of thing.
This was my first excursion into Dorsey's warped world, and I'll certainly return for more.
Customer Rating:
Summary: This is a Prequel, How?
Comment: I've yet to understand how this truly qualifies as a prequel to the first published "Florida Roadkill." Can someone shed some light on this? I need to see some type of timeline here. Maybe I'm on Dorsey overload, having breezed through the first three novels in as many weeks, but this one didn't do it for me. It does definitely have it's moments. Serge addressing a college campus on graduation day after building a following both in numbers and prestige is hysterical. The climactic chase scene is well written echoing that of the wackiness of simlar scenes in movies like "What's Up Doc?." If I had to list these in order of favorites thus far it would fall like this.
1. Orange Crush
2. Hammerhead Ranch Motel
3. Florida Roadkill
4. Triggerfish Twist
If I were to read this somewhere further down the line (after a much needed break) I might give it a third star. It's still a fun read, and I love Serge's obsession with Florida history.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Dark and twisty Triggerfish
Comment: 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, August 19, 2008
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hilarious
Comment: Triggerfish Twist by Tim Dorsey is about what happens when our hero, Serge the serial killer, an addicted Florida historian who doesn't do drugs or alcohol but spends most of his time with those who do, attempts to live the good life in a residential neighborhood. Serge has a hero of his own in this book and he strives valiantly to live up to his personal vision of the great American by trying to emulate the little guy across the street. To Serge keeping up with the Joneses (or in this case the Davenports) isn't about material accumulations, it's about leading a moral life. Serge plans to finance his foray into residential living with the ransom from a kidnapping. Meanwhile friend Sharon is being her nasty self and killing people along the way, while Coleman is stealing the affections of the neighbor's pit bull and Mohoney is hot on Serge's trail when not watching Rockford files reruns. Like all Serge stories it's an epic adventure into hilarity.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A fun read!!
Comment: This book was a welcome break from ho-hum everyday stories I have been reading of late. I have always loved reading Hiassen and after reading a review that Dorsey was "like Hiassen on drugs," I couldn't resist. I was not disappointed in the least.
Triggerfish Twist was a blast!! It is such a fun story that comes together in a magical way that I have not seen before. The well developed characters may be the highlight of this book.
Anyone looking for a good time and an escape from everyday life...this is your book. Can't wait to read more Tim Dorsey.
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