Customer Reviews

Shark River (Doc Ford)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

At one time, the classic Florida mystery novel came from John MacDonald and the Travis McGee series. Since MacDonald's passing around fifteen years ago, various authors have tried to fill the void left by McGee's absence. Randy Wayne White and Doc Ford is the one of the best at filling this niche.

Ford has some similarities to McGee, but he is also distinctly individual. An ex-government agent who is not trying to live a quiet life as a marine biologist, Ford occasionally is drawn into perilous situations as a result of either his own past, or as in this story, accident. In this case, Ford happens upon and averts a kidnaping attempt, which entangles him in the lives of both the victim and the kidnapers. In addition, Ford has to deal with a woman who claims to be his sister, who involves him in a legacy left by his shady uncle.

This is not the best Doc Ford novel. In particular, the story tends to meander at times, and there is no truly nasty villain (unlike previous books) to oppose Ford. Some incidents in the story, in particular an incident where Ford tries to reconcile two lovers, contribute nothing to the story and offer only minimal insight into Ford's character.

While there are flaws, this is still a good book and if you like mysteries, especially those set around Florida, this one will be worth your time.

The growing legion of Doc Ford fans eagerly awaiting the eighth book in this popular adventure series are richly rewarded with the release of Shark River. Fast-paced action, vividly drawn characters and a plot laced with intrigue and suspense leave no doubt that Randy Wayne White is at the top of his game.

Doc Ford's marine studies on the idyllic island of Guava Key are abruptly interrupted when he inadvertently finds himself in the middle of a deadly kidnapping plot involving Colombian drug traffickers and the daughter of a powerful international diplomat. Heavy fire power, bone-cracking combat, and careening high powered test boats leave the reader breathless...and this is just in the opening chapters. The ensuing action threatens to reveal details of Doc's shadowy paramilitary past that he has taken great care to bury. Add the complications of a beautiful Bahamian woman claiming to be Doc's sister, a nasty pair of Rastafarian thugs, a trail of hidden treasure and a menacing atmosphere of life-threatening danger, and you have the ingredients for a gripping story that the reader will be hard pressed to put down. Once again the author creates a vivid sense of place in his descriptions of southwestern Florida, and his trademark of brilliantly researched detail and a surprise twist ending place Shark River at the top of the must read pile.

All the Doc Ford novels are superb: literary, funny but also full of action. They might be a tad sophisticated for some, but I await each new release with anticipation, then try to savor them slowly. With Shark River? Impossible. Once I started I couldn't top. I'd give this book nine stars if I could. (I give it ten, but I could have used a little more of sidekick Tomlimson's philosophizing, and a tad less action>) The action IS warp-speed, the characters vividly drawn and the plot is laced with intrigue and suspense leave no doubt that Randy Wayne White is one of the finest writers in America today. Doc Ford's marine studies on the island of Guava Key are interrupted when he finds himself in the middle of a deadly kidnapping plot involving Colombian drug traffickers and the daughter of a powerful US diplomat. Added to the mix is a beautiful Bahamian woman claiming to be Doc's sister ( A wonderful woman character!), a pair of Rastafarian thugs, and a real live sunken treasure. Once again, Mr. White creates a vivid sense of place with his descriptions of southwestern Florida, and includes what has become his trademark O'Henry encking. Also recommended: The entire Doc Ford series, begining with Sanibel Flats, which, I was pleased to discover, was selected by the Independent Myster Booksellers Association (edited by Jim Huang) as one of the 100 best mysteries of the 20th century...

Randy Wade White knows his stuff....about the ecology of Florida, the workings of the CIA...the swamp that Columbia has become and the life of those who live on or near the water in "God's Little Waiting Room." We learn a lot more about Doc's background in the CIA in this book as a well connected Washington insider, whose daughter he has saved from a hostage taking, uses Doc as bait to rid them both of a ruthless Columbian drug dealer whose brother has been turned into a paraplegic by Doc. We learn more about Tomlinson also, the self absorbed mystic who spends most of the book trying to put lead in his pencil in several humorous situations. I used to think that Carl Hiaasen was the king of this type of Florida novel. I now suspect we may have a new claimant to the throne. This book has action, intrigue, sex, information about the ecology of Florida and numerous other entertaining aspects that will make you glad you picked up this book. If this is your first experience with RWW and Doc Ford, I predict it will not be your last.

If ever there was a fitting successor to John D. MacDonald and the Travis McGee series, it's Randy Wayne White writing about Doc. Ford. The same complex characters with just the right mix of thought provoking philosophy and crisp action sequences. White knows Florida, especially the waters off the west coast, and uses that to his extreme advantage in weaving this tale. He does his research, which means Doc. Ford comes across as a knowledgable Marine Biologist.

For anyone who's read previous White novels on Ford and wanted to learm more about his mysterious background, this book unveils more of the story. And you'll find it very consistent and satisfying.

As an aside, White wrote an outstanding editorial (which I believe was picked up in syndication) after the attack on America on Sep. 11. If you had any doubt about his ability as a wordsmith, read that editorial first, then get Shark River.

My ONLY complaint is that the book seemed too short!! When you're enjoying a read as much as this you'd wish it would just keep going.

I gave this book three stars because it's not great "literature." It is a fun read. Whacky sexy characters, lots of action, great descriptions of the Florida Western shore line. Kind of a low rent Evanovich guy version. If you want a light, fun, get away from it all read this could be your book. I listened to the tape version. The tape is entertaining and well worth the listen while flying or creeping as the case may be down the highway.

This book started out wonderfully. Doc Ford travels to the luxurious Guava Key with his good friend Tomlinson. While there, Doc finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when the attempted kidnapping of the daughter of a Washington bigwig takes place during one of his jogs. His service training comes back and, acting instinctively, Doc reacts heroically and saves the girl and her female bodyguard while being shot at and chased himself. Not wanting anyone to dig into his secret past, Doc claims that, being frightened by the events, he simply fell into the women, knocking them all into the water and out of danger. But no one will let this go - not the FBI, local Police, the girl, her powerful father, the kidnappers, or even his friend, Tomlinson.
HERE is where I have a problem with the book. So far, we have a great basis for an exciting story, but White takes this opportunity to digress into a completely different story about his uncle who has passed away and the cousin he never knew about who has found him to seek his uncle's hidden treasure. I kept waiting and waiting for the two stories to somehow fit together but they never do.
I DID give this a four star rating because I did like it. I like White's style and he does give you well developed and likeable characters with interesting tidbits into their pasts. I just wish the story had flowed better and that he had stuck to one storyline.
This was my first book by White and I will read Ten Thousand Islands which seemed to fair a little better with the critics.

In a nutshell, Shark River is a faster, easier read than some of RWW's other books, in large part because the humor factor has never been higher. Doc Ford's buddy, Tomlinson, is much easier to take when he's worrying about his manhood than when he's stirring up revolution in Cuba ("North of Havana"). And "Shark River" is MUCH better than the dark, depressing "Mangrove Coast."

I would've given the book 5 stars, but it seemed as though the ending was slow to arrive and then wrapped up a little too quickly and cleanly. Nice little twist at the end in RWW's traditional "Guess Which Woman" epilogue.

Highly recommended.

Because I live it Florida, I enjoy most of the Florida writers, but Randy Wayne White is my favorite by far. Just finished Shark River, and it is one of my favorite Doc Ford novels. Liked it even better than Captiva, which is saying something. Highly recommended, but you may want to start with the first in the series, Sanibel Flats, and read them all.

Rich atmosphere, populated with engaging characters, the latest Doc Ford novel is well-written, complex and an entertaining thriller. Shark River introduces an attractive mulatto woman who claims to be Ford's sister, in search of a legacy left to her by her (their?) ne'er-do-well father.