Book Review of Tim Dorsey's Electric Barracuda

A Living Legend....,

By 

JD the Big DOG

This review is from: Electric Barracuda: A Novel (Hardcover)

Having been a fan of Tim's work since Florida Roadkill, as well as living in the Southwest Florida area that is the setting for his novels, I was anticipating a fantastic read in EB...and I was not disappointed! Fantastic story line set in my backyard! The highlight of this book was discovering that one of the characters, Lucky Cole (introduced during the final escape to the Loop Road) is a real life living legend! After finishing the book, I did a little research on Lucky and found that the location of his compound in the Everglades on the historic Loop Road is not only real, but Lucky is one of the most interesting and engaging individuals, as well as a wealth of information regarding the Loop! After communicating with Lucky and his lovely wife and true redhead, Maureen, our riding group, the DOG's took a ride from Snook Haven (location where Serge and Coleman wound up after escaping down the Myakka River) to Lucky and Maureens compound on the Loop Road! After a stop for lunch at Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe (who Lucky called to make sure they were ready for a pack of DOG's), we rolled into the compound to be welcomed with open arms by Lucky and Maureen. The beer was cold, the chili delicious and the conversation engaging to say the least! Lucky is one of the premier "nature" photographers in the country, and welcomes visitors to the compound most weekends when he is not shooting pictures.

After our visit, we invited Lucky to come up to Venice FL and tour the locations that are in Electic Barracuda. Lucky and Maureen came up with their bike and we showed them Myakka State Park, Snook Haven, Casey Key Tiki Bar and the DOG Pound! We had a blast in their company, and will be visiting the Compound for an overnight camping run (the compound is equipped for such adventures).

All in all, this was my favorite of the series, mostly because we are now connected with a character in a novel who is truly a living legend! See ya soon, Lucky Cole, my brother!