How do you describe one of Tim Dorsey’s books such that someone reading the review won’t vow to never read anything you recommend … ever. Here is what you will find in Atomic Lobster:

Family of psychopathic killers seeking revenge; Cruise ship; Fisty Old people; Non-Confrontationalists Anonymous; Possible antiquities smuggling; Possible drug smuggling; terrorists; secret agent; amazing drug and alcohol abuse; sex; a librarian; many deaths; much destruction.

It will help to have a macabre sense of humor and a genuine, not passing, liking for bizarre plots and equally bizarre characters. There are always multiple plots lines that somehow manage to converge at the end.

Atomic Lobster is Dorsey’s tenth novel, all featuring Serge A. Storms, a hyperactive serial killer. The people Serge dispatches deserve some sort of punishment though the justice Serge serves out is on the extreme side. He is partial to intricate and imaginative methods of execution. In a previous book, a shuttle launch was involved.  He has a low tolerance for what he perceives a violation of the social order and attacks on him or his friends. Should Serge take a liking to you, your life will never be the same.

Serge is also has an encyclopedic knowledge of, and love for, Florida. He carries with him every National Geographic since 1905 that has a feature on Florida. Large parts of the books describe Serge racing around Florida collecting memorabilia, taking pictures, and discoursing on the significance of places in Florida history. I think Serge would get along with Carl Hiaasen’s character, Skink, the former governor of Florida who walked away from office, went feral, and wrecks havoc on developers.

Characters and events from previous stories show up in Atomic Lobster and it would help your understanding to be familiar to what has come before.