Funny; a good laugh to listen to

Where does Hammerhead Ranch Motel rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Above average in the humor/book category

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

There actually was a plot, it was a little bit complex, and there were an awful lot of characters, but it all came together. It would be best to listen to this book alone, without interspersing it with other audio books so you can keep track of all the different characters. There are a lot as I said.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No this is a good book you can listen to but their put down depending on your activity or drive. I actually listened to it in the house on earphones which is unusual for me. Parts of it were exciting and humorous enough to Keep me listening after I got out of the car.

Any additional comments?

This reader really made this book, together. I'm not sure it would have been as interesting without him

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1 person found this helpful

assom

Surges my fictional hero more people like him Its Passion for what he does for a fine tale

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Not my kind of book

Would you try another book from Tim Dorsey and/or George Wilson?

Probably not.

What was most disappointing about Tim Dorsey’s story?

I couldn't get interested in the story or the characters. Couldn't figure out what all the disjointed parts were all about or how they fit together. I didn't get much beyond the first couple of chapters.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator sounded like a sports commentator.

Could you see Hammerhead Ranch Motel being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I didn't get far enough into the book to have any thoughts about a movie or tv or stars.

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Tim dorsey rocks

I love these books in the narrator is very professional. I'm addicted to all of Tim Dorsey book.

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2 people found this helpful

Great book. Mediocre narrator.

It's another great book highlighting the adventures of Florida golden child, Serge. The Florida Native son of a Cuban Jai-Alai player and American mother. Unfortunately, the narrator makes Serge sound more like he's a Manhattan transplant, via Boca Raton.
It would also be beneficial if the narrator of a Florida-based novel knew how to pronounce common Florida cites.
All-in-all, I recommend it because it's helpful in establishing backstory and understanding Serge history in later stories.

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Not Enough Serge

Going back to the second entry in the Serge Storms series that recently hit entry number 26, we're still following the money that was at the center of Florida Roadkill, our introduction to Tim Dorsey's alter ego. The action centers around many of the unusual guests of the title establishment,..

... and a TV weatherdog that predicts the weather better than the doomed dogs of the Cape Verde islands, undercover cops who set up sting operations on undercover cops, a virgin whose every attempt to get laid ends in disaster, moon rocks, hurricanes, a Don Johnson impersonator, a Hemingway impersonator, an obese shock jock, a -- oh, it goes on and on.

And the upshot of all that is that there is not enough of Serge. He hardly appears at all in the first half of the book, then shares billing in the second half with all the other characters. And that costs us one star -- we want Serge! More Serge! Fortunately, as the series progresses, Serge does become much more the center of attention (along with Coleman, who is not here at all).

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Classic Serge Storms

If you're a lover of Tim Dorsey's manic Serge Storms series, it's probably enough to say that you won't be disappointed in this book. It's the second in the series, so you get to see the appearances of some characters that populate the later books, like the lovely ladies City and Country. Serge's sidekick Coleman has not yet been reincarnated (apparently killed in "Florida Roadkill" but there is a not-quite-so-stupid Coleman surrogate, Lenny Lipowicz. I believe this is the first appearance of the "Accidental Virgin" Johnny Vegas, a recurring character in the series.

If you've never read a Serge Storms book, then I have a recommendation for you: don't read this one first. Not because you'd be reading them out of order, that's not too important. I recommend you start with one narrated by Oliver Wyman. Come back to George Wilson once you're firmly hooked.

I've listened to a lot of George Wilson. I spent almost 24 hours with him in "Citizen Soldiers", and thought he was great in "With the Old Breed". What those two books, and many other Wilson narrations, have in common is they are factual narratives. Not too many ways to punch up the Battle of the Bulge.

Serge Storms is a maniacal character. George Wilson's portrayal of this zany character is like Richard Nixon impersonating the watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher. He just doesn't know how to be crazy. And don't get me started on Wilson's rendition of the various shrieks and yells that litter the text. Or how he "sings" the song lyrics that show up from time-to-time.

Oliver Wyman, on the other hand, is the perfect characterization for Serge, Coleman, Lenny, and all the rest. He must know someone with some serious problems to capture them so well. And he surely has been a witness when someone hit a bong.

So, start with a Wyman story, then maybe mix them up, Wyman, Wilson, Wyman, Wilson ... I believe they each did about the same number of Audible's productions, so it will even out in the end.

By the way, if you're a fellow Floridian you'll recognize many of the places Serge describes in this series of books. When I was a kid we traveled all over the northeast part of the state, as that's where our relatives lived. Along the way we'd stop at Weeki Wachee Springs, the Alligator Farm, Saint Augustine, some old pirate bar whose name I forgot, and many, many more. They're all real, and Serge knows every detail of their histories. Some fun!

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9 people found this helpful

Good book, not so good audio

Love the book, the narrator is very monotone and dry. I could get through it, but it wasn't easy

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Better than the first one; now I'm hooked on Serge

I gave a lackluster review to Florida Roadkill, but I went ahead and got Hammerhead Ranch. The story is better here; maybe its because I know Serge now or because the background set up in FR gave HRM a chance to grow. But, I'm hooked on Serge now and I know I'll keep downloading these books.

They're not great literature, and there's no real point to the tales. No underlying message or social comment. Some of the character names are cringe-worthy puns.

But they are fun to listen to and usually very funny. The "Serge voice" Wilson uses has really grown on me. On to "Orange Crush"...

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1 person found this helpful

Listen to the books narrated by OLIVER WYMAN

Tim Dorsey is an awesome writer. He is creative and his words are a picture very descriptive without losing the point of the story. The narrator is horrible. Everyone sounds the same. I like the narrator from the latter series. Great move because this Narrator is to monotone for me

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