Whiskey Gulf [Hardcover]

Dr. Clyde W. Ford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2009

A sailboat fails to arrive at its next port of call after crossing into a “live-fire” naval exercise area just north of the border known as “Whiskey Gulf.” Charlie Noble is asked to investigate why the sailboat went missing, and what happened to the couple aboard. But Noble runs into a wall of secrecy erected by the American and Canadian governments, and into troubling questions about the real identity of the couple involved.

Ultimately, he and his partner, Raven, set sail on the Noble Lady in a case that leads them up the Inside Passage to the remote coast of British Columbia. There, they discover a hidden cove, which harbors answers about what really happened in Whiskey Gulf. But first they must survive a vicious attack in order to return with the truth. Set in the stunning wilderness of coastal British Columbia, Whiskey Gulf is a story about unearthing secrets from the past that others would rather remain concealed forever.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ford's third Charlie Noble suspense novel shares the same shortcomings as its predecessors, Red Herring and Precious Cargo. Noble, a former Coast Guardsman who now works as a maritime PI in Washington State, looks into the disappearance of Bill and Becky Kinsley, who sailed their 40-foot ketch into a live-fire naval exercise area called Whiskey Gulf. After some initial investigating, Noble gets a tip from a friend in intelligence—that the Kinsleys' boat was destroyed as a cover to shield them from a terrorist, Ali Sharik, whose brother happens to be the bad guy Noble shot after the brother tried to blow up a U.S. ship near Bahrain. Action fans may roll their eyes at the relationship discussions between Noble and his Coast Guard girlfriend, Lt. Kate Sullivan. Ungainly prose may put off others (my coffee took on the color of Ali Sharik's angry eyes when I'd stood facing him with the news that I'd killed his brother). Author tour. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Clyde Ford is a critically acclaimed author of fiction and nonfiction, including Precious Cargo. He’s been a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show, NPR, and radio and television programs around the country. Clyde is also a trained psychotherapist, sought after public speaker, and mythologist. He lives in Bellingham, Washington, and writes aboard his 30-foot Willard trawler, where he cruises the waters of the Inside Passage.

www.clydeford.com

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Vanguard Press (July 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593155220
• ISBN-13: 978-1593155223
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,485,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Clyde W. Ford was born in New York City. He graduated from Wesleyan University, Western States Chiropractic College, and the Psychosynthesis Institute of New York.

Clyde has taught Swahili at Columbia University, African American history at Western Washington University, and, somatic psychology at the Institut f'r Angewandte Kinesiologie in Freiburg, Germany. He was the editor of Leading Edge Bulletin, a monthly newsletter of personal and social transformation, published by Marilyn Ferguson, author of The Aquarian Conspiracy (Tarcher, 1980).

Jonathan Young, Joseph Campbell's archivist, described Clyde's work in mythology as "picking up where Joseph Campbell left off." His books have been translated into German and Portuguese.

Clyde is a much sought after public speaker with frequent appearances at bookstores, educational institutions, business and professional associations, and civic organizations around the country. Over the past twenty years he has performed hundreds of media interviews, and he has appeared on shows such as the Oprah Winfrey Show, and New Dimensions Radio to discuss his writing and work.

Clyde currently lives in Bellingham, Washington where he writes and enjoys cruising the waters of the Inside Passage aboard his single engine biodiesel trawler.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Truth is More Than Meets the Water, March 4, 2010

By 

Beverly Jackson "avid reader" (Huntersville, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Whiskey Gulf (Hardcover)

In Whiskey Gulf by Clyde Ford, Charlie Noble, a maritime private investigator, is asked by a local yacht club to investigate the disappearance of two of its members while on their sailboat, Rebecca Anne. The Rebecca Ann was last heard from while in Whiskey Gulf, a small waterway between the United States and Canada. While no official is able to provide an answer regarding the disappearance of the couple or the sailboat, rumors abound. Could it have been an engine malfunction, could it have been a sailing error, despite the couple being experienced sailors, or did they get caught in a "live-fire" naval exercise?

There are enough twists and turns in what started out as a routine investigation for the storyline to turn into a military thriller. The author's love and knowledge of sailing and the Northwest come through in his writing. But, at times the details of boats/sailing protocols were a little too much and distracted from the story. I very much enjoyed the scenes that involved Charlie's Native-American partner, Raven, an ex-Navy seal. Raven provided the necessary background on the Native-American culture and location names that are more in tune with the nature of the locations than the American names on the maps. As an added plus, if you go to the author's Web site, he has provided a link to iGeo where the reader can click on locations mentioned in the book and be treated to a satellite image of the area.

This is the third book in the series, and while the mystery thriller stands by itself, it would have been helpful to read the prior books in the series to better understand the characters.

I recommend this book to fans of sailing, military intrigue, lovers of the Pacific Northwest, and fans of the Charlie Noble series.

The book was provided by the publisher for review purposes

Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO BookClub

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Whiskey Gulf, September 4, 2009

By 

Christine J. Zegelis "booktumbling" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Whiskey Gulf (Hardcover)

This is the third installment in a series based on the character of Charlie Noble and perhaps I should have read the first two in the series as I believe I would have enjoyed the story quite a bit more than I did. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to find out whodunnit so kudos in keeping my interest. Yet, I felt like I was thrown into a the middle of a party where I was the only one who did not know anyone else in attendance. Oh, and it would be a party of boating and military enthusiasts to top it off. I know there is a starboard, a bow and an overboard when it comes to the sailing scene and there are numerous, detailed boat and military references throughout Whiskey Gulf so there were sections that were actually detracting. The story is fast-paced and there is a level of suspense that was wonderful. I did enjoy the banter between Charlie Noble and his sidekick Raven (actually Raven was my favorite part of the book) and I now want to visit British Columbia (some very nice descriptions).

It is obvious the author, Clyde Ford, knows his stuff. I have visited his website and he is by no means a newbie to the writing biz. I suppose the definitive subject matter is one of the reasons I am not familiar with his work. Overall, I did enjoy my time with Charlie Noble and his investigative adventures. I believe those that share Mr. Ford's passion would enjoy the experience tremendously.Whiskey Gulf

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review by Steve (hubby), September 13, 2009

By 

365andMe - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Whiskey Gulf (Hardcover)

"Whiskey Gulf," by Clyde Ford, is the third of his Charlie Noble suspense series. Ford's vivid and descriptions and attention to detail show his love of sailing and the Washington-British Columbia area known as the Strait of Georgia. Mixing elements of Native American mysticism with international politics and modern naval technology, Ford creates a believable story for Charlie Noble.

Charlie is a retired Commander from the US Coast Guard Intelligence. Now a private investigator, he is investigating the disappearance of a couple who boated in the Whiskey Gulf area, which is a firing and testing range for the US and Canadian navies. The couple is not what they seem and Charlie must track down an ex-friend from Bahrain who is an agent of the Islamic Jihad Front that is tracking this couple. He is helped by Raven, ex-navy Seal and now medicine man, to find the couple as a special mission for the U.S. C. G.

This is a well-paced and well-written book. Even though it is a series, this is a by itself compete with background. The descriptions of the boats and sailing bring you right in the action, while his words bring out the beauty of the land. It sounded so beautiful I had to Google the areas. Charlie is a likable guy who has had an interesting life. His few close friends all provide good character depth. Action mixed with introspection make this a very good read.