Tampa Burn (A Doc Ford Novel)

Doc Ford books never disappoint and this one is no exception. The characters are well defined, the book is action packed, and the cliffhanger at the end will leave you thirsting for more.

Doc Ford (the protagonist) is fun to read. Period. White does his homework and fills the pages with in-depth information about marine biology, politics, and the environment. While I may sometimes disagree with his interpretations, they are always intelligent and well-thought out. That makes reading his fiction more realistic...in spite of the absolutely insane characters. The ending of this novel is truly open...I went out and bought the next one immediately to see what happened. It's interesting to watch the characters in this series develop over a period of time. I do agree with an earlier reviewer...read some of the earlier books first. In fact, I'd read them all. The knowledge of the characters makes it much better of a read. White still has work to do developing these folks. However, it took a "few years" for Travis McGee to flesh out. We can wait a while for Doc.

Doc Ford is the ultimate good guy-bad guy. A former assassin and spy, Doc's retired to the Florida coast, where he is a self-employed marine biologist living a lazy life. When his former lover, Pilar, shows up with the news that their son, Laken, has been kidnapped, Doc's world turns upside down. He must deal with the loss of his new love, Dewey, while frantically searching for his son, kidnapped by a madman whose favorite pastime is burning his victims. It seems most of the characters in this book are not particularly likeable, which makes the read all the more interesting. Prax, the fire-burning madman, is wonderfully evil -a guy you love to hate. A suspenseful, interesting read.

My favorite read of recent months, Tampa Burn, was assembled by New York Times Bestseller Randy Wayne White - with additional input from his sons. I've read that March 2005 paperback release twice now. The novel, told in thirty-eight meandering chapters, concerns a ruthless kidnapping with the potential to turn deadly. This isn't `routine' seizure for payment we're talking. This excessively personal abduction, performed by a hideously disfigured assassin, targets the sole biological offspring of series-protagonist Doc Ford, and our pulse-taking author deftly wrings all the action from this plot that he can muster. An Ohio native transplanted to Fort Myers, Florida, Mr. White is primarily recognized for his first novel, Sanibel Flats. However, the publication of Tampa Burn sees Randy Wayne's talent ratcheted up a notch, and this fever-pitch plot of his just happens to be on par with any mystery by Dean Koontz. White's scribed twelve of these yarns so far, centered around environmentalist hero Marion `Doc' Ford - an ex-government agent - with corrosively strange friends and a haunted past. He's also penned two non-fiction works, and he writes columns that appear in Men's Health and Outside magazine. For more about Randy Wayne White, see the Jay McDonald article - posted on Bankrate.com on April 26, 2005 - or visit the author's own website. Alternately - Bob Minzesheimer contributed an insightful article about White that appeared in USA Today on March 16, 2005, and that one's worth bookmarking. Shortly after Laken Fuentes is snatched from his home in Masagua, Central America, Doc Ford finds himself in a life-changing situation... where he must intercede to save the boy's life. Failure on his part is not an option. Doc Ford's old lover Pilar Fuentes turns up in Florida at the outset of the book, which necessitates that he sort out all these leftover feelings for his old flame while they're both attempting to navigate the pressure cooker of rescuing their son. Praxcedes Lourdes is the villain here... he's a crazed maniac who's earned a notorious reputation throughout Masagua and surrounding republics for his profound love of setting people on fire. A more notorious villain could not be dreamt of. After Ford's impromptu reconnect with ex-girlfriend Pilar, many doubts about his present course are brought to mind. These observations threaten to throw a monkey wrench into Doc Ford's once predictable love life. When main squeeze Dewey Nye catches Doc and Pilar in a steamy lip lock, this drives a wedge into their relationship and threatens to tear them apart. This rift must be resolved by the end of the book - unless Ford wants to chart a new course for the series. Anyone familiar with Randy Wayne's work (such as Oline Cogdill) knows the author has a propensity for mucking things up in the last half of his books. This is something White might stand to improve on. Giving this major thought - my first suggestion is that, in the future, White should wo

RWW keeps the bar set high. Doc is getting more sensitive with age but he appears to be growing in a good direction. RWW has written about these character so much that they are truly coming to life. I think that the direction the characters are taking seem natural and not forced. I feel the series is coming to a close becuase I think that Doc is about ready to settle down:( However I think this is another exapmle of RWW timeless literature. I think that this is a book that my children will read years from now and still feel the great sense of adventure that RWW incorporates in all of his work.

Tampa Burn heralds the eleventh appearance of Doc Ford, whose cover as a marine biologist from Dinkins Bay on the Southwest coast of Florida masks his role as an agent engaged in deadly assignments well outside the limits of international law. Doc has previously wrestled with coming to terms with his essentially predatory nature, but when his son Lake is kidnapped by a homicidal pyromaniac, all introspection comes to an abrupt halt as Doc goes after the villain with every primal urge to hunt and kill on red hot alert. The ensuing action is full of the pulse pounding scenarios for which White is justifiably famous. The author's love and intimate knowledge of the land and water, flora and fauna of coastal Florida come vividly to life as White paints a lush and vibrant backdrop for Doc and his hippie pal Tomlinson as they race against the clock to rescue Lake from the clutches of a truly gut wrenching predator. Many authors have series based on continuing characters, but White's collection is set apart by the brilliant character development that continues with each new adventure. The reader comes to know and care about Doc and his friends on a very personal level. Doc's desperate search for his son is set against his own discovery of the depth of bonds of family and friendship, forged by blood and choice. Tampa Burn is thoroughly entertaining on it's own merit, but the real treat is beginning with the first book, Sanibel Flats, and following Doc as each adventure tantalizingly reveals a bit more about the complicated psyche that powers this engaging yet imperfect man. No wonder that die-hard fans' number one complaint is waiting a year for each new book to be published! Buy and enjoy Tampa Burn, and if you are extremely fortunate, snare a signed copy, as this author is headed for the stratosphere of literary success.