“Electric Barracuda” by Tim Dorsey (Morrow, 368 pgs., $24.99)

One really must give Tim Dorsey props — not mad props — but props all the same for taking what is basically a one-note joke that is the literary version of the Three Stooges and running with it.

For 13 novels.

Dorsey’s plots, such as they are, show off the madcap, the manic and the loony. His characters, such as they are, epitomize the demented, deranged and the frenzied.

Yet amid all the outlandishness, this Tampa author’s heartfelt affection for Florida and its history, kitsch and outlandishness are evident. While just about every Florida mystery writer showcases the state in a different way, Dorsey’s novels are like travelogues, taking the reader from the familiar sights to the nooks and crannies.

In “Electric Barracuda,” serial killer and Florida history buff Serge A. Storms is trying to put his affinity for the Sunshine State to work by setting up theme vacations.

“Florida is a theme. And the theme is weirdness,” he reasons. So why wouldn’t people be interested in a trip during which they pretend to be fugitives. Travels with Serge include a search for Capone’s lost treasure and a detour with a gang of seniors whose life savings have just been wiped out. Serge, who only attacks those who don’t respect Florida history, also becomes the weirdest blogger and a songwriter, penning a rap song about the Sunshine State with decent lyrics.

“Electric Barracuda,” like Dorsey’s other novels, lags in the middle and the author can’t resist taking a couple of cheap shots at real people. Still, Dorsey makes us care, for some odd reason, about Serge.

Dorsey’s peculiar, unconventional and often uncouth humor isn’t for everyone; neither was that of the Three Stooges. But sometimes a bit of tastelessness is just what we need.