Twelve Mile Limit (A Doc Ford Novel)

This latest Doc Ford novel is exceptional. It combines a lost at sea survival story with a action packed adventure in Columbia. The book is a lot like the earlier novels like Captiva, Sannibel Flats and North of Havana where Ford is relives his past occupation with the nsa. For those readers who where skeptical about the changes in Ford's character plus a new character named Ransom in the book Shark River, you will see in this latest novel the strength of White's writing ability. For example, Ford's image in Shark River changed from a tall baseball type player to a burly wrestler. In Twelve Mile Limit Ford throws some wrestling moves on a smart mouthed movie star and this was definately entertaining. Ransom also fits in well with the marina comunity so for all you Doc Ford readers out there I recommend this book.

White has hit a home run again. This one is a well researched page turner that keeps the reader interested throughout. This is the one series that I really look forward to. Doc Ford's adventures are always fresh and White manages to mix things up so the series never gets stale and repetitive like so many other mystery series. I hope it stays fresh for White so he'll continue to give us more Doc Ford in the future.

Dr. Marion Ford lives and works on Sanibel Island near Dinkin's Bay. His business Sanibel Biological Supply provides fresh or preserved specimens to schools and labs nationwide. His assistant and close friend Janet Mueller is reported lost at sea when their diving boat capsizes so it only natural that Doc and the people who live on or near the bay launch a full scale search that is coordinated with the Coast Guard.The Coast Guard picked up only one of the four people who got separated from the group the night of the dive. After she recovers, she comes to Dinkin's Bay to tell her version of the events that happened that night. She informs Doc that she saw a boat that stopped as if it was picking up survivors. Tapping his resources in the intelligence community, Doc finds proof positive that a ship operating on the dark side of the law picked up Janet and a companion. Now the hunt is on and Doc won't rest until he finds them and brings them home.Randy Wayne White has written a fantastic work of suspense. The hero has previously, been portrayed as an enigma but in TWELVE MILE LIMIT the audience learns a bit more about Doc's deep and murky past. Readers will come to understand why the foot soldiers in the intelligence community have a different view of humanity than the rest of the world and act accordingly. With the humanization of his hero, Mr. White delivers a superior book, one that those who have followed this absorbing series will thoroughly enjoy.Harriet Klausner

Apparently Randy Wayne White is incapable of writing a bad book, richly demonstrated by the arrival of Twelve Mile Limit. White is a licensed boat captain with thirteen years experience as a fishing guide, and it shows; only someone with an intimate knowledge and love of the water could have penned this compelling story. Based on a true event, Twelve Mile Limit opens with the dramatic rescue by helicopter of Amelia Gardener, the only known survivor of a disastrous diving expedition. Her three companions from the ill-fated excursion to explore an offshore diving wreck disappear without a trace when their boat sinks, despite the fact that all of them were wearing inflated life vests over wet suits. Among the missing is Janet Mueller, Doc Ford's friend who assists him with his marine specimens business. The close-knit Dinkin's Bay Marina family joins the Coast Guard in an exhaustive, ultimately futile search. When dark rumors begin to circulate, Doc agrees to assist Amelia in her efforts to clear her missing friends' names. Using resources from his shadowy, clandestine past as a secret government operative, Ford uncovers a chilling trail which leads him into a harrowing rescue attempt in the dangerous jungles of Colombia. White's trademark use of brilliant descriptions of the waters off south Florida, and the vivid picture he creates of Colombia reflect his personal passion for these places. This book stands alone as a powerful adventure, as the reader experiences the chilling isolation of being lost and adrift in a windswept sea on a black, moonless night, and a terror-ridden descent into the hellish Colombian jungles infested with unimaginable dangers. But readers who have followed Doc Ford's adventures (this is the ninth in this popular series) are rewarded with a deepening knowledge of the searing past which haunts Doc. A wonderful summer read-or any time of the year-this book should come attached with a warning notice of the powerfully addictive effects of White's writing. Read one, and you will begin frantically searching out all of his other titles. It's worth it.

I've just finished TWELVE MILE LIMIT and it is, without a doubt one of the best thrillers I've read this decade, probably in my life. I loved the characters, the action's nonstop, and Randy Wayne White describes the sea and South American rain forest as well or better than anyone ever has. He has pushed the envelope of genre fiction, elevating it, at times, to literature. (I could have used a little less info about weaponry, and a few less digressions, but I'm quibbling.) The book is based on a true story. Mr. White has done his research, and it shows. On a moonless might in November, 1994, a 26-foot boat sank to the bottom of theGulf of Mexico, setting four SCUBA divers adrift, all wearing wetsuits and inflated vests. Only one survived; the fate of the other three remains a mystery. White fictionalizes this story, yet the drama still holds, in the best Doc Ford novel yet. One of the missing is Doc's buddy, Janet Mueller, and his marina community mobilizes to search for the missing divers with the help of the lone survivor, Amelia Gardner. Doc discoversthat Amelia's companions might have lived through their nightmare at sea, and he and Amelia follow the trail to Colombia. The conclusion left me delighted, satisfied, teary-eyed and exhausted. It is the longest of the Ford novels, but I finished it in all-day stretch, and didn't get to bed until 4 a.m. Even then I couldn't sleep. Whew. What a read! More Ford, please. Terese H. South Florida