Mermaid Confidential hardly has a discernable plot, but it is clear that Serge A. Storms is a serial killer and his friend Coleman is always stoned. In addition, the author spews information about Florida landscapes, retirees, condo living, crime families, and drug trafficking, among other Florida pastimes. I don’t typically enjoy books like this, but I read it for a book club since Tim Dorsey is one of those authors that Floridians talk about since he includes so many tidbits of the Florida lifestyle.
We meet Julie Cootehill, who is caring for her aging father, and she ends up in a relationship with Mercado, who is part of a crime family. Additionally, Serge and Coleman meet Maggie and Bert, stereotypic condo dwellers in Pelican Bay Condominium in the Keys. The book includes stereotypes of women, killers, druggies, and condo inhabitants. Following are some of the tidbits from the story that I found most interesting about Serge’s encounter with condo life:
