The Big Bamboo

It's always a treat to find yet another book in a series you enjoy, but have somehow managed to miss.  That's the case with author Tim Dorsey's The Big Bamboo (#326), an older book in his popular Serge A. Storms series.  (See also my posts of 2/12/13, 4/25/12, 12/12/11, 10/21/11, 6/9/11, 5/26/11, & 3/22/11.)

Serge usually careens all around Florida with his stoned out sidekick Coleman seeking out all those hidden historical and cultural sites.  (And incidentally meting out rough yet weirdly inventive and satisfying ways of offing those whose actions may be strictly legal, but are so, so morally and ethically wrong.)  Serge is on the hunt in The Big Bamboo for locations where movies have been shot in Florida.  He's even brought along his own portable DVD so he can play the appropriate movies in their proper locations. 

But in this caper, Serge and Coleman venture a little further afield to Hollywood, California at the behest of his grandfather.  Something funny is going on at Vistamax studios whose films may not be critically acclaimed, but reliably churn out the money for the Japanese owners under the guidance of identical twin brothers, the Glicks, them of unsavory reputation.  Of course Serge and Coleman get tangled up in things!

I must admit, I do like it better when Serge and Coleman stick to Florida, but this was still an amusing outing.  I think my favorite part was when Serge makes fun of the spokespersons who pronounce the car name "Jag-you-are" in those snootier-than-thou ads.  Regrettably, Serge does not have an opportunity to kill that spokesperson here in an inventive and original way.  (Though, to be fair, Serge should probably include the ad copy writers for that obnoxious campaign if that little tryst should ever come about!)  Ah, well, there's always hope for a future book; Lord knows there are plenty of Jaguars driven in Florida!