Rating: 
Summary: WAY over the top
Review: I LOVED this author's first two books. I've also spent years in Tallahassee dealing with the Legislature. As one of your reviews said, it's hard to go too far about that sometimes sleazy, often crazy, and astonishingly self-interested bunch --but this book may do that. It passes borders that Hiassen and Barry never approached, probably with good reason. This book is more of a cartoon than a novel. It's got some laughs and insight, but sandwiched between a lot of ridiculous ravings. I'm truly disappointed because I was looking forward to this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Dorsey Getting Better and Better
Review: I rarely find a new author that rockets to the top my must read list, at the speed Tim Dorsey has. Dorsey another master of the Florida Crazy fiction was knocked at first for trying to hard to be like Carl Hiaasen. However now that he is in his third book he coming into his own and has a style all to his own. Dorsey crams alot a characters and little quick storylines and sometimes it can get a little confusing to the reader, but by the end Dorsey brings everything together usually with some very funny results."Orange Crush" revovles around the govenor's race for the great state of Florida. The incumbent Marlon Conrad is a a shoe in. Then Marlon has a political awakening and starts to be politician for the people instead of the politcian for big money. He buys a orange mobile home and starts visiting the lesser known parts of Florida looking for what the real people of Florida want. Along for the ride are his press secratary who is afraid of minorities and a speechwriter with amnesia. Gomer Tatum his opponent is being led by want-to-be first lady Jackie Monroeville. It the middle of this there is a killer loose. The story ends on election day and the result are pure classic Dorsey. Tim Dorsey has now put himself on my top five author list. He is a must read for any fan of this genre. Readers who have read Dorsey may wonder at first where Serge is?? Don't worry he is there and is up to his usual tricks. For the first time reader you can start with "Orange Crush" but I suggest reading "Florida Roadkill" and "Hammerhead Ranch Motel" in order first. One word of warning Chapter 39 is so funny you might split a gut.
Rating:
Summary: I think Serge is better when he knows who he is
Review: I really enjoyed this book, but probably not as much as the other two. I will definitely read the next one. I think the plot in this one was a bit thin, and some of the characters were not very well developed, but overall, it was a good book, interesting to read, and very funny. I am a little curious about where the $5 Million Dollars is, though, as that was not mentioned in this book. Also, what happened to Serge to cause his amnesia? I would have liked a little more information on that. Maybe some of that will come in the next books. Either way, this book was funny and worth reading, but I think Serge comes across much better when he knows who he is. In this book, he almost seems like a different character.
Rating:
Summary: I think Serge is better when he knows who he is
Review: I really enjoyed this book, but probably not as much as the other two. I will definitely read the next one. I think the plot in this one was a bit thin, and some of the characters were not very well developed, but overall, it was a good book, interesting to read, and very funny. I am a little curious about where the $5 Million Dollars is, though, as that was not mentioned in this book. Also, what happened to Serge to cause his amnesia? I would have liked a little more information on that. Maybe some of that will come in the next books. Either way, this book was funny and worth reading, but I think Serge comes across much better when he knows who he is. In this book, he almost seems like a different character.
Rating:
Summary: Orange Crush
Review: In his latest book, Tim Dorsey takes his cast of assorted Florida lowlifes and psychotics on a political road trip. The gubernatorial campaign is the backdrop for murder, mayhem and assorted amusing mishaps. A mean spirited and shallow candidate experiences a major paradigm shift after his reserve unit is activated causing him to end up in the middle of a bloody mess in the Balkans. Upon his return he takes to the back roads in an orange RV with a mysterious amnesiac/savant speechwriter and a minority-phobic press secretary in an attempt to find out what the regular people really want. While the press obsesses on the most average person in Florida, a serial killer is writing tourism slogans on his victims and a sociopathic developer is bringing NFL football to new lows. Fast and funny with well crafted characters this dark yet lighthearted comedy is a rapid and rewarding read. Although this is somewhat new territory, fans of Dorsey's earlier work will not be disappointed to find that a familiar character lurks in the foreground. This book is a thoroughly enjoyable view of the underbelly of Florida and the cesspool of politics.
Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Dorsey's Great Leap Forward
Review: It is amazing, and exhuasting, to watch Tim Dorsey leapfrog ahead of the competition. And the competition is the rest of the Florida mystery writers, or the Miami Mafia, such as Carl Hiaasen and Laurence Shames. To borrow from his book title, Tim is crushing the competition. Orange Crush is an amazing book, and takes Dorsey's already formidable talent and raises it to a whole new level. Dorsey's previous entry, Hammerhead Ranch Motel, was as close to a perfect novel as any "Florida mystery" to date. By adding an unexpected amount of drama to his third novel, Dorsey has actually improved the formula of his first two entries, and raised the bar considerably for other authors. Without giving anything else away, suffice it to say that Orange Crush involves a typically dysfunctional Florida election, a couple of competing serial killers, and a considerable bit of Florida trivia. Any mystery lover (with a sense of humor) would do well to pick up Orange Crush, as well as Dorsey's previous titles, and watch an already good writer becoming a great writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Dorsey's Newest is Crush-worthy
Review: Noone ever said that Tim Dorsey can't write an entertaining book, and "Orange Crush" is no exception. I liked that this novel broke away from Dorsey's last two by abandoning the "five-million-dollar Curse" theme; but like his other novels, the context, scenery, and diologues of Orange Crush had me laughing out loud. While I love the way Dorsey writes (as if Carl Hiaasen spent an extended vacation in Tampa with Hunter S. Thompson), I found the subject matter of Orange Crush to be vaguely familiar. If anyone who reads Hiaasen reads this book, then the main character will sound familiar: the Governor of Florida becomes an honest, sympathetic, open-minded, and doomed politician after returning from combat a hero. Now, don't get me wrong; Marlon (the Governor in Dorsey's book) is vastly different than Skink (the Governor in Hiaasen's books); however, the similarity irked me throughout the novel. However, this is the only reason that I didn't give Dorsey's newest fiction five stars; Dorsey manages to come up with more crazy scenarios than anyone out there, and the best part about them is that, as I or any native Floridian can tell you, are only a little less wierd that what goes on in real life in the Sunshine State. Orange Crush is fun, fast-paced, and I wound up reading until four o'clock in the morning because I couldn't put this delicious book down. The only thing I have to add is this: Mr. Dorsey, when are you publishing your next book? Because I already want to hear more from my favorite Floridaphile: Serge A. Storms!
Rating:
Summary: More laughs per page than anything I have ever read!
Review: Once on late night TV I came across a church service where the attendees went into laughing fits that ranged from a continuous giggle to spontaneous bursts of howling and screeching. The people at a certain laundromat in Jacksonville probably think I am either a memeber of that church or someone who escaped a group home because this book had more zingers, one liners, twisted undercurrents and inside jokes between the characters, the writer and the reader than anything I have ever read! It left me talking to myself and laughing hysterically in public places. Being someone who lives in Florida and often roadtrips while follwing my favorite musicians across the state (whether they want me to or not) I can say that I have run into some permutation of all the characters in Dorsey's 3 novels, but I am still amazed that he can create more and more of these people and weave them in and out of plots and subplots that are both disjoint and cohesive at the same time! I also have to say that if there was ever a fictional character I could have a crush on it's Serge A Storms.Ok, so he kills people who get on his nerves. I've hung out with people who have irritating personal habits before. If your real life leaves you in need of a laugh, your sense of humor needs a twisted restoration, or the only way you can experience ADHD is vicariously, Tim Dorsey's novels are the perfect fix. Forget linear plotting, chronological disfunction is part of the game. Come along for the roadtrip. It's one of the best you'll ever have.
Rating:
Summary: Orange Crush
Review: Orange Crush is a hoot. A rollercoaster ride through Florida with the incumbent gubernatorial canidate is more satire than novel. The continual flashback's and seemingly spasmodic introduction of the various characters for the first 100 or so pages is disconcerting; but experience in reading Dorsey's books told me he would bring the story and characters together eventually. I have to admit, some of those character names are way over the top, ie Escrow and Pimento...... Serge A. Storms is the most likeable murderous psycotic ever. How long do I have to wait for another book? I am totally addicted!!
Rating:
Summary: 5 star comedy
Review: Outstanding! Tim Dorsey I salute you. Your talent at writing comedy is tops. The race for the Florida Governorship is the central theme in this laugh out loud mixed bag of nuts. Marlon Conrad is the protagonist. As the current governor, Conrad is running against house speaker Gomer Tatum, a Democrat who doesn't seem to have much of a chance at winning. When Conrad is called to duty and sent to the Balkans on a peacekeeping mission, what he witnesses changes his life. On his return he surprises many of his colleagues by renting a Winnebago-The Orange Crush-and starts touring the state of Florida by visiting the families of his slain friends which he served with in the Balkans. During his tour his polls are climbing and falling, back and forth. You never know what he's going to do next. With him on this tour is Gottfried Escrow, who is his chief of staff and would do anything to discredit Gomer. Pimento is also along for the ride as Conrad's press secretary. Pimento has amnesia and he's not sure who he is. This story is filled with many unique characters. Bab's, fiancé to Marlon, has a neat little trick she likes to use when making love; I'll just say it has to do with ventriloquism and Howdy Doody. Helmut Von Zeppelin's experience with his football team was quite hilarious also. From serial killers to tennis stars, this book is an all around fun time to read. I haven't laughed so many times at one book for a long time. Great, great fun. Highly recommended.
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