The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove is the second book in the Pine Cove series by American author Christopher Moore. When Theophilus Crowe, the pot-smoking, pot-growing Constable of Pine Cove, CA, is called to a suspected suicide, he is told by the Sheriff to treat it as just that. But before he can act any further, there is a fuel tanker explosion, a missing child and the people of the town begin to act strangely. The occasionally psychotic Molly Michon, ex-scream queen of the B movie silver screen seems intent on reprising her role as Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland; friend and biologist Gabe Fenton is measuring the serotonin levels of his tagged rats; Valerie Riordan, the town psychiatrist, decides to swap all her patients from anti-depressants to placebos; black bluesman, Catfish Jefferson, playing in Molly Sandss Head of the Slug Saloon, attracts the widowed Estelle Joyet, but also, apparently, a shape-changing sea monster later christened Steve; more people go missing and the population of Pine Cove has turned decidedly lustful. Another hilarious offering from Christopher Moore that has murder, a crank lab, placebos, a pharmacist attracted to cetaceans, a computer nerd who can be bribed with pot and confection, a dragon that can change peoples behaviour, a siege, an unusual use for a weed-whacker, a double-wide trailer and a National guitar. Reminiscent of Terry Pratchett in places, Douglas Adams in others (high praise indeed, from me!), it is occasionally, as Jenny Masterson says as surreal as a Dali jigsaw puzzle. Great fun!