A short life of the author
Tim Dorsey (b. 1961) was born on 4 March 1961 in Indiana and grew up in Riviera Beach, Florida. He studied transportation at Auburn University and journalism at the University of Florida. He worked as a reporter and editor at the Tampa Tribune for twelve years.
Life and Career
Florida Roadkill (1999) — introducing Serge A. Storms, a hypomanic Florida history buff and serial killer who narrates impromptu walking tours of Florida landmarks while dispatching villains with elaborately themed murder methods — launched a series of over twenty novels. Serge is accompanied by his perpetually stoned sidekick, Coleman.
The series is built on a genuine love of Florida — its history, roadside attractions, swamps, Keys, space coast, and mangroves — combined with satirical fury at the developers, tourists, and criminals who are destroying it. Serge’s murders are cartoonishly elaborate (involving, variously, model rockets, coconuts, alligators, and slot machines) but the comedy never obscures the genuine knowledge of Florida that underpins every book.
Notable entries include Triggerfish Twist (2002), Torpedo Juice (2005), Nuclear Jellyfish (2009), The Pope of Palm Beach (2018), and Mermaid Confidential (2022).
Key Works
- Florida Roadkill (1999)
- Triggerfish Twist (2002)
- Nuclear Jellyfish (2009)
Collecting Dorsey
Florida Roadkill (1999, William Morrow) brings $20–$50.