Orange Crush is Tim Dorsey

Tim Dorsey

Tim Dorsey is an American novelist. His writing style is frequently compared to those of Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen . Dorsey's books are crime capers in the Florida style pioneered by John D. MacDonald.-Biography:Dorsey was born in Indiana but moved to Florida at an early age...

's third novel, and the first not to star Serge A. Storms

Serge A. Storms

Serge A. Storms is the main fictional character in most of Tim Dorsey's novels . His name is a pun on storm surge.In most of Dorsey's books, Storms is in his mid-forties in age...

 as the main character. It is a frequently dark spoof of the politics of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 and the United States' involvement in the Balkans

Balkans

The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...

.

Plot summary

Marlon Conrad, a spoiled "rich kid", enters the political arena in a career carefully managed by his wealthy father. He becomes the lieutenant governor

Lieutenant governor

A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...

 of Florida, a plush job he can exploit mercilessly. When the elected governor

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 dies in a plane crash, however, Marlon automatically assumes the office. Marlon is apathetic and corrupt, riding in the pockets of special interest groups. During his tenure, he is suddenly recruited into active duty during the Kosovo War

Kosovo War

The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...

 and a bureaucratic tangle prevents him from ducking his responsibility as expected. His experiences in the military change his outlook, his fundamental character, and even his political views. He returns to Florida, determined to make a difference in the state. But first, Marlon faces a reelection battle against dim-witted Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

candidate Gomer Tatum, the state House Speaker.

Serge Storms, Dorsey's main character, appears in Orange Crush, but in a relatively small part compared to the other novels in the series.