THE POPE OF PALM BEACH

by Tim Dorsey; William Morrow 352 pages, $26.99

Who knew that Serge A. Storms, the so-called hero, actually more an anti-hero, of Tim Dorsey’s comic mysteries was such a bibliophile? But that makes sense because how else did Serge become such a lover—and defender— of Florida history.

Serge, now making his 21st appearance in Dorsey’s series, is a serial killer who only preys on jerks, criminals and those who disrespect Florida and its history.

In “The Pope of Palm Beach,” Serge and his childhood friend Coleman (we finally have a first name for him—Seymour!)

begin a literary tour of the Sunshine State, starting in the Florida Keys. He’s not so interested in Hemingway, but Thomas McGuane, about whose “92 in the Shade,” Serge says, “He knew all about this place you have here long before it was a thing.” And from there, Serge visits the spots that loomed large in novels by Charles Willeford, Elmore Leonard and a few others. There’s also a stop at bookstore in Delray Beach that specializes in mysteries.

But Serge doesn’t just have his nose stuck in a book. Along the way, he metes his brand of justice on a pharmaceutical company’s arrogant president who jacks up the price of a pill that could save babies. And woe to those jerks who like to torment sea turtles and destroy the nests. The Pope of the title was a legendary surfer in the 1960s whose skills were tragically cut short, and who will be avenged by Serge. The Pope also gives Serge a chance to delve into the history of Riviera Beach.

Dorsey’s series is so Florida-centric, yet his books sell nationally, and his book tours—even in Arizona—are packed. And “The Pope of Palm Beach” has one of his best openings “”The sun was going down behind the Big Burger when the alligator came flying in the drive-through window.”

While “The Pope of Palm Beach” has many laugh-out loud moments, the comedy also stalls in several chapters. It’s almost a minor miracle that Dorsey has sustained the humor through 21 novels, although Three Stooges, whose humor Dorsey emulates, kept up their shtick for decades.