Everglades (A Doc Ford Novel)

After reading both "Everglades" and "Ten Thousand Islands" by Randy Wayne White, I am now a big fan. I will read all the Doc Ford series now. It's especially fun to read them while in Florida, because that's where most of them take place. Mystery with intelligence.

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."

Dr. Marion Ford lives in a stilt house on Dinkin's Bay on Sanibel Island off the west coast of Florida, which is also home base for his business, supplying marine specimens to schools and research facilities. On the surface, he looks like a nerdy scientist but for years he was a deep cover spy. The guilt and shame he feels for those years is spiraling him into a deep depression, just when a good friend apples to him for help.Newly windowed Sally Minster comes to Doc Ford for help because someone broke into her apartment and has stalked her since her husband died. Doc finds out that the man who followed her is a private investigator who wants to make sure that Sally's husband is really dead. Before he died he became deeply involved with the International Church of Ashram Meditation Inc., run by a con man named Shia who will do anything necessary to get what he wants. When Sally is kidnapped and the man guarding her is found murdered, Doc Ford must go into the heart of the guru's empires for answers that will lead him to Sally.Randy Wayne White is a creative genius who writes stories that are seductively compelling and hauntingly refreshing. The protagonist finally comes to terms with the violence that is a part of him and in doing so is able to help those he cares about as well as appoint himself the avenger to those who need to be taught a lesson. After reading EVERGLADES, one will come to appreciate just how fragile that ecosystem is and find pleasure in the complex and intricate plot.Harriet Klausner

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!!!