THE MALTESE IGUANA
by Tim Dorsey
Quintessential Florida man Serge Storms rocks the post-Covid world.
Where better to ride out the tedium of the pandemic lockdown than a condominium in Islamorada, halfway down the Florida Keys? With assistance from both Alexa and Siri, who compete vigorously for the boys’ attention, Serge and his perennial wingman, Coleman, collect enough consumer goods to keep them amused for at least 24 hours of isolation. Once that’s over, they go back to what they do best: careening wildly through the streets in Serge’s Ford ’73 Galaxie, going after scalpers who charge insane amounts for toilet paper. Coleman uses his newly purchased bong, a handsome job embossed with a glass iguana, to teach his condo neighbors how to consume their newly acquired medical marijuana more efficiently, while Serge returns to hosting bus tours of little-known Florida roadside attractions. Meanwhile, a covert operation in Honduras goes disastrously wrong, leaving police officer Yandy Falcón and reporter Reevis Tome in the lurch. While the two make their separate ways north to Miami, Dorsey bides his time as readers wait eagerly for their inevitable meet-up with Serge. Their collision will be shocking but in no way surprising to seasoned fans of this zany franchise.
A global health crisis is just one more day in the life of Dorsey’s resilient hero.