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Cover of Hammerhead Ranch Motel

Hammerhead Ranch Motel

a novel

384 pages

A sun-drenched, hurricane-force collision of incompetent criminals, undercover cops, and one highly unhinged, history-obsessed serial killer.

What it feels like

Reading this book feels like being strapped to the hood of a speeding muscle car barreling down the Florida coast during a Category 5 hurricane. It is a masterclass in manic, sun-baked absurdity, plunging you into a chaotic ecosystem of spectacularly incompetent criminals, corrupt officials, and bizarre coincidences. The narrative energy is relentlessly propulsive, driven by a darkly comedic tone that treats murder and mayhem with gleeful irreverence. The prose crackles with hyperactive dialogue and obsessive local trivia, mirroring the unhinged mindset of its antihero. It is a wildly entertaining, laugh-out-loud ride designed for readers who like their crime fiction fast, violent, and unapologetically weird, offering a twisted but exhilarating vacation to the darkest, funniest corners of the Sunshine State.

Mood
  • sun-baked
  • frenetic
  • chaotic
  • absurd
Tone
  • manic
  • irreverent
  • satirical
  • darkly comedic
Pace
propulsive
Themes
Florida absurdity · criminal incompetence · twisted justice · chaotic coincidence
The writing
Hyperactive and punchy, the writing crackles with bizarre local trivia, rapid-fire dialogue, and a relentless, manic energy.
The arc
The reader is strapped into a wildly accelerating rollercoaster of dark comedy that culminates in a storm of gleeful, chaotic destruction.
Who it's for
Readers who love their crime fiction soaked in sunshine, spiked with dark humor, and populated by spectacularly incompetent lowlifes.
Content notes
  • graphic violence
  • drug use
  • dark humor
  • mental illness depiction

About the book

There's a different schemer or slimeball behind every door: cocaine duckpins who have survived only by the dumbest fortune, hard-luck gigolos desperate to score, undercover cops busting undercover cops who are running sting operations on undercover cops. And just down the row, local historian and spree killer Serge A. Storms -- who has stopped keeping up with his meds -- is still looking for a briefcase stuffed with five million dollars...and is now capable of wreaking more havoc than hurricane Rolando-berto, the big wind gathering force offshore, just waiting for the opportunity to blow everything straight to hell.Pack up your bags and head south to sunny Florida. Leave your rational mind at home and come well armed. There's a room with your number on it at the Hammerhead Ranch Motel.

Description from Open Library.

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