Customer Reviews

Everglades

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Here's the skinny on Randy Wayne White's "Everglades" (at least my version <G>).

First, I'm a huge fan of the Doc Ford series, and Everglades (the latest) is the tenth in the series and I've read all of 'em.

I rated this book only four stars. As far as I'm concerned, all of the Doc Ford books by author Randy Wayne White are great, but some are 5 stars (darn near perfectly entertaining stories) and some not "quite as perfect", if that makes sense.

Why is this one only worth four stars? The plot of crazed cultists, a MOSSAD trained security agent, manmade earthquakes to fulfill prophecy, all equate to a tale less riveting than other scripts in the series. I found the victim, an old childhood friend of Doc Ford who also appeared in "The Man Who Invented Florida" hard to warm up to this time round.

If you're a fan of author Randy Wayne White, by all means buy this book! But if you've never read ANY of the Doc Ford series, I'd highly recommend you read these in the series first. My favorites in the Doc Ford series, are, (drum roll, please):

(5 stars)
Captiva
Twelve Mile Limit
Shark River
The Heat Islands
Ten Thousand Islands
Sanibal Flats (the first in the series)

The following are the 4 stars in the series--great stories, but I wouldn't recommend them as a first read of the author:

Everglades
The Man Who Invented Florida (a bit different from the rest of the series--Doc Ford isn't as prominent in the tale as his uncle, Tucker Gatrell, but this also is the funniest in the Doc Ford series)
North of Havana
The Mangrove Coast

Trouble is afoot again for Doc Ford in this tenth adventure for the marine biologist from Dinkin's Bay on Florida's Gulf Coast. Doc's childhood pal and one-time lover Sally Carmel arrives at his stilt house with a tale of a missing husband, presumed dead after a nighttime fall off of a boat while on a fishing trip. But is he really dead, and who is the menacing guy shadowing Sally's every move? The trail leads to the husband's business partner, a crooked religious cult leader who is cooking up some devilish plans to replenish his personal coffers. Bhagwan Shiva has no intention of waiting for the afterlife to reap a heavenly reward, and if murder and mayhem-not to mention major environmental damage to the unique and fragile Everglades-is necessary, so be it. Doc is facing some personal demons of his own, as depressed and out of shape, he confronts the price he is paying for continually camouflaging his own essentially predatory nature. The Everglades, eloquently rendered by White's vivid descriptions, offer a parallel reflection of the negative consequences of trying to impose civilization upon the natural order. Through a maelstrom of impressively complex physical combat, a nighttime encounter with a deadly bull shark, death-defying air boat hijinks, earthquake tremors, high explosives and a volcano, White delivers an increasingly complex portrait of Doc Ford and his hippie pal Tomlinson. But long time fans have come to expect more than just great storytelling, and Everglades does not disappoint, as White peppers his narrative with impressively researched information about Florida's Indian history, the ecology of the Everglades, primitive human brain physiology and wrestling, among many other topics. Read this book and you will know some terrific bars and restaurants to visit on Florida's Gulf Coast; how to make a great rum drink and the special brand of Nicaraguan rum to use; which boat engine manufacturer is finding favor with fishing guides these days; the legend of the Swamp Ape; and what exactly the witch's soldiers are chanting in The Wizard of Oz. A brilliant and amazing ride right to the last page, Everglades will leave you eagerly awaiting your next encounter with Doc Ford.

For those of us lucky enough to live in the Boca Grande to Sanibel area, Randy's descriptions and characters always bring a smile or a fond memory. For those who aren't so familiar with the area, the author weaves a wonderful plot with colorful characters and his own brand of common sense philosophy that rings true with "islanders" near and far. Once you get to know Doc Ford and Tomlinson, you will want to read the other books in this unique series. True entertainment coupled with skilled prose...take it to the beach or the lake or Central Park!!!

This new installment in the Doc Ford series is a good one, and
it is well worth reading. Some characteristics of a few of the
leading characters are a bit over the top, and that can be a bit
much, but in general, the mystery is well developed and moves
along nicely.
Here, Doc returns to his home-on-stilts to find an old girl friend waiting on him, and she uses his shoulder to cry on, telling about the disappearance of her husband. And, lo-and-behold, right that minute, she tells him she is being followed by someone who is right then hiding in the mangrove, watching them. Doc pulls a trick to get out of sight and sneak up on the
watcher, and they have a tough run-in that results in a strange
friendship, as they both want to help the lady in distress.
While trying to locate the missing husband, they run into a strange, power-hungry religious guru, who seems to be putting together a genuine cult, and they begin to suspect the man's disappearance has some connection with his interest in the new
religion.
Of course, this leads to another strange, unexpected meeting, this time with a small group of Seminole indians who turn out to
have a bizarre connection with Doc.
There is a lot of action here, with many characters--and we do
mean "characters" in this one--and there are plenty of death and
natural phenonomon to interest most readers.
As a slight criticism, many readers will find almost too much
history of Florida and their native Indian tribes here, and
while a part of the story, these elements almost take off on
their own, diverting our interest from the mystery.
But the author knows his subject, and he seemingly can't quite
get his mind fully on the mystery he is writing because of his
on-going strong interest in the history of his home region.
But this is plenty of action for anyone, with romance along for the ride, and this is a genuine interesting addition to the Doc
Ford series.

Randy Wayne White's latest Doc Ford novel is equal parts psychological thriller, south Florida tarvelogue, and action novella. The perfect summer read. In Everglades, Doc Ford wrestles with his personal failures while finding an old friend in trouble with a New Age spiritualist. The story soon involves Ford's deep-thinking (and heavily spaced out) friend Tomlinson, who has had encounters of his own with the villian.

White is really maturing as a writer, as this book demonstrates. His characters have a greater degree of depth, and his narrative flows between sequences flawlessly. Of course, as one would expect from a RWW novel, he has much to say about his beloved south Florida and life in general as he does about the story line. A strength of this book is that these points only ehance the plot rather than detract from it. The only sticky point about the book is that the nature of the sub-plot requires readers to have read at least the previous book, Twelve Mile Limit in order to clearly understand whats going on. Nonetheless, a recommended read.

I have been a fan of Randy Wayne White since I first read his columns in Outside magazine. I loved the early books in the Doc Ford series, but felt that they took a dark and offensively misogynist turn somewhere around North of Havana. I stopped reading them after The Mangrove Coast. I joked to a friend that the author must be going through a nasty divorce or something, because he seemed to have a compelling need to torture, maim, and/or kill every female character in his books. However, a friend who shared my love of the early books and has continued to read the subsequent books, gave me a copy of Everglades, saying that she thought I would like this one. She was right. I did like it. And I especially appreciated that the main female character didn't die, or lose a limb, or become permanently disfigured. I liked it enough that I'm going to give the author's latest book, Tampa Burns, a try.

Doc Ford, marine biologist, finds an old friend waiting for him on his boat in Dinkin's Bay. His friend,Sally Minster, has recently lost her husband in a boating accident when he disappeared at sea. It is felt that he is dead but there is some evidence that this might not be the case. Before his assumed death, her husband was involved in a cult group run by a man called Bhagwan Shiva. Shiva is planning an event to increase his net worth with some unsavory characters. Ford investigates and what he finds out could be quite explosive.
I have read the Doc Ford books since Ford made his first appearance running out of a tunnel naked in SANIBEL FLATS. Talk about symbolism! However, after one decidedly bad book and a couple of mediocre books, I felt the series was becoming a bit flat. In fact, I had stopped reading the series after book number six, THE MANGROVE COAST. I decided to give the series one more try. After reading it my feelings are mixed. The book reminds me of two things. The first is how good a storyteller Randy Wayne White is and how solid a creation Doc Ford is. The book gets off to a rollicking start with some wacky characters that seem to run rampant in so many of today's Florida mysteries. Then a third of the way into the book I was reminded as to why I stopped reading the series. The author, in addition to telling the story, feels the overwhelming need to lecture the reader on a whole host of issues. For example, we are treated to a history of the Everglades, as well as a history of earthquakes in Florida, the Seminole Indian tribe, and general Florida history. We also learn about Florida geography and geology among many other topics. It is obvious Randy Wayne White loves the state- especially environmentally and he never hesitates to let the reader know it. Of course, this serves to slow down the pacing of the increasingly unrealistic plot. I still feel the series is getting stale and, perhaps, Mr. White would do well to follow the lead of Harlan Coben, Bob Crais and Dennis Lehane among many others and go to a few standalones. He has the talent and ability to meet with the same success those authors achieved with the standalones. Until then, I wish Mr. White and Doc Ford well but won't be coming by to visit for a while.

Randy Wayne White's "Everglades" is an intriguing ride from start to finish.

Sanibel marine biologist Doc Ford (whose clandestine past involved covert government spook ops) is recovering from recent tribulations. He is both depressed and out of shape---and attempting to come to terms with his violent former life.

Nevertheless he remains the avenger to those who hurt his friends.

Former flame, Sally Carmel, shows up asking Doc's help. She does not buy the report of her husband's boating death.

Her husband was the moneyed partner with Bhagwan Shiva, the head of a crooked religious cult whose cash flow is in jeopardy.

The cult is an eco-terrorist front for developing casinos and condos in the Everglades. To get the support of the Seminoles, Shiva must convince them he possesses mystical powers.

With his venomous henchman Izzy, Shiva orchestrates an earthquake in the Everglades to demonstrate his powers.

While Doc, his best friend Tomlinson and an ex-cop turned PI team up to expose Shiva's conspiracy before the Seminoles are duped, Izzy kidnaps Sally, adding a ticking clock subplot.

Colorful characters, richly atmospheric (you will find yourself swatting the imaginary mosquito), great story telling and the possibility of permanent romance for Doc Ford make this an excellent addition to the Doc Ford saga.

"Everglades. This is the real Magic Kingdom."

I sailed into RWW a little over a year ago and have since been hooked. Eventhough this is a fin over the top, I found myself drowning with delight in Tomlinson. Tommy-san has become essential to this series, like lime in that Cuba Libre.
"Pain is an inescapable part of human experience. misery is an option". Where do I get a copy of ONE FATHOM ABOVE SEA LEVEL?

The writing is good but as you read the charachters are more and more contrived. The situation is contrived, the situations are contrived. It seems more a book about Florida, indians, and environmental issues than a real story. I think the author knows how to put words together but doesn't have a solid charachter development to go with them.

So many author's spend a lot of time making a book length story out of a short story. A book is intended to tease out the charachters and make you feel something about them.