The Bookworm Sez: Enjoy the mayhem in 'Shark Skin Suite'

The Bookworm Sez: Enjoy the mayhem in ‘Shark Skin Suite’

Always be kind to others.

Consider the feelings of your fellow humans. Treat them as you would be treated. That’s the Golden Rule, something you learned early-on.

Being kind makes life smoother, quid pro quo, tit for tat — and besides, as in the new novel “Shark Skin Suite” by Tim Dorsey (c.2015, William Morrow, $26.99, 323 pages), you never know who you might meet up with, and whether or not they’ll have a gun.

When the mortgage crisis hit America, homeowners in Florida were among the most affected. Foreclosures, therefore, were altogether too common and lots of people lost their homes.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

For Serge Storms, abandoned houses were four walls of opportunity. He and his sidekick, Coleman, could move into an empty house, sleep in a dry room, steal electricity from the neighbors, and not worry about paying. Empty homes were great places to think, and to plan for Serge’s new job as a legal “fixer.”

Being a fixer was only half his future, though. Once he also figured out how to practice law without actually going to law school, Serge could easily, more efficiently deal with criminals — although using them for experiments was way more interesting.

In the meantime, Serge was wanted for several murders around Florida .

Following a bold move and a big win in a pro-bono case, attorney Brook Campanella was surprised to receive a job offer from Florida’s most prestigious law firm. Working for Shapiro, Heathcote-Mendacious and Blatt would be a privilege with a hotter paycheck, but legal-aid work was far from corporate law and the latter wasn’t good for Brook’s nerves: on her first day, she was assigned as a lead prosecutor in one of Florida’s biggest corporate cases, a suit against a major bank. An equally inexperienced colleague would be co-counsel.

It was obvious from the beginning that the case was doomed.

The only pleasant thing was that proceedings were moved to Key West, and Brook knew that area well. Back when she was a paralegal, she fell in love with a guy who showed her around, took her to bars, had a few laughs.

Man, she hadn’t thought of Serge Storms in ages …

Sometimes, I’d like to see inside author Tim Dorsey’s head.

What kind of mind creates such wild mayhem, such Rube-Goldberg-like chaos, and wraps it in a Fortean ending that works? Who else writes serious, almost angry rants and sticks them inside uproarious pandemonium?

Yep, that’s what you get when you read “Shark Skin Suite.” You get to spend time with Dorsey’s Serge Storms, a moral Robin-Hood-like genius with a creatively murderous streak. You get to see Coleman, as usual, fall under the hilarious influence of multiple substances. And this time, you get to meet four new (and equally disorderly) miscreants and one big bombshell.

If you’re new to Dorsey’s novels, beware that the first two-thirds of this book are pure free-for-all. If you’re new, breathe deep and just try to enjoy the ride — but if you’re a fan, head to the bookstore. You already know that “Shark Skin Suite” is your kinda book.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Email her at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.

More in Life

Boats gather offshore the Homer Spit in honor of the 2025 Blessing of the Fleet on Tuesday, May 20 at the Seafarer’s Memorial on the Homer Spit. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
‘Blessing of the Fleet’ remembers, honors sacrifices of local mariners

Community members quietly gathered in somber reflection of lives lost to the sea over the past year.

tease
‘Share our gifts with the world’

Local artist creates vibrant body of work and renews her artistic journey.

Author Ruth Ozeki gives her keynote presentation at the 23rd annual Kachemak Bay Writers Conference on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Literary citizenship and communities of one

Author Ruth Ozeki was the keynote presenter for the 23rd annual Kachemak Bay Writer’s Conference last weekend.

File
Minster’s Message: The high value of faithfulness

The quality of faithfulness in your life to God and Christian teachings has a quiet, steady reward that sooner or later.

This decadent pie is made with rich coconut milk and a pile of sweetened whipped cream. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A send-off rich with love and coconut

Decadent coconut cream pie is made with rich coconut milk, a pile of sweetened whipped cream, and a whole lot of love.

U.S. Army Captain Edwin F. Glenn led an 1898 military exploration of Cook Inlet. Glenn and his crew, who were departing the inlet at about the same time that the Kings County Mining Company was arriving, left behind a journal of the expedition. That journal, archived in the Alaska Digital Archives, included daily notations about the weather.
Mary Penney and her 1898 Alaska adventure — Part 6

They cruised around a bit and then returned to Homer on Oct. 10 after “a most tranquil and pleasant passage.”

Virginia Walters (Courtesy photo)
Life in the Pedestrian Lane: Time flies

In years past, we would be hearing from friends Outside that they are on their way to Alaska.

These high-protein egg bites are filled with tomatoes, parsley and feta, but any omelet-appropriate toppings will do. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A little care for the caretakers

These high-protein egg bites are perfect for getting a busy teacher through the witching hour in late afternoon.

Dr. Thomas F. Sweeney was a dentist seeking adventure and riches. He also had some mistaken ideas about the difficulties that life in remote Alaska entailed. (Public photo from ancestry.com)
Mary Penney and her 1898 Alaska Adventure — Part 5

The three-masted ship called the Agate was a reliable 30-year ocean veteran when it entered Cook Inlet in mid-October 1898.

Most Read