Deep Blue (A Doc Ford Novel)

Finding these books is great! So happy~!!

"Deep Blue", Randy Wayne White's latest Doc Ford novel reflects a different writing approach by White that seems to polarize a lot of his readers. I have been quick to complain that recent Doc Ford novels have not been up to the standards set in his earlier works and lamented that the recent efforts have devolved into extended character studies of Doc and Tomlinson. But in many ways, "Deep Blue" is a return to what drew me to the Doc Ford novels in the first place--more action, more suspense, and more of the "darker" side of Doc.Ford is a marine biologist living on Sanibel Island in Florida who is a former black ops assassin who still does occasional "wet work" for the government. While in Mexico to eliminate an ISIS accomplice who beheads prisoners, thing go wrong and his mission is compromised. Worse, when Doc returns home to his tiny community in Dinkin's Bay, he discovers he has acquired a powerful new enemy who is brilliant, super wealthy, and able to utilize modern high tech devices to exert his will over people and communities. Not only is Doc's life at stake but also those of everyone who associates with him. Doc is forced to return to Mexico to complete his assignment while staying one step ahead of his unseen enemy who seems able to follow and predict every step Doc takes.White employs a different stylistic approach to "Deep Blue" including extensive use of different POV's and shorter more linear chapter sequences. My only quibbles concern several unaddressed loose threads such as all the attention paid to the genetics of Doc's dog (which goes nowhere) and the sudden and deeper interest in Mack, the owner of Dinkin's Bay Marina, that also goes nowhere--at least in this novel; perhaps these were teasers that will be in play in Doc's next adventure which was set up by the ending of "Deep Blue".

I’ve read the books in order…most have been excellent…this is one of the better ones. And hints of things to comeEnjoy!

I have read every Doc Ford written and since we vacation on Sanibel they are fun to read. The Doc Ford restaurant in Ft. Myers Beach is a favorite of ours and there is nothing better than their Yuchatan shrimp! I always enjoy the books and feel relieved when Doc eventually returns to the solace of Dinkins Bay. However, Thomlinson knows his secret now so it will be interesting to see how the next novel will evolve. I like the action in this novel and the detail the author uses about the ocean, flora and fauna of this particular area of Florida. I can't wait for the next one. The reason I didn't give this book a 5 is that Doc seems so aloof and he doesnt respond positively to his friends and especially Thomlinson who always seem to worry about his safety and well-being. He seemed so alone at the end of this novel and I thought he needed to thank his friend and be a little more happy that they lived through this adventure!!

I have read everything RWW has written with Doc Ford and this one does not disappoint either. A tad out there in places but then thats what Doc and crew create. The worst part about this book is that I finished it too quickly.I do have to say that I just completed reading a series of books by another author who locates his main character in Southwest Florida for a good portion of the book's progression and that series, while really intriguing in parts was so far out of anything close to reality that I could never get into them, even though I really tried.Looking forward to the next great read from RWW.

Referring back to my old "tinfoil-in-the-molars" sensations, which started piling up in White's more recent books, I will only cite a few here. In on part, White tells us that a freighter had run down his hippie friend's 40-foot sailboat. Well, being a lifelong sailor, I can tell you that is nigh on impossible for a freighter to do that. Even the DDs I was on couldn't maneuver quickly enough to run down a mobile sailboat. Another instance, showing White's sloppiness, is when our hero, Doc Ford, aboard a 60+ mph. military RIB, sees a body being savaged by sharks. Rather than pull up to the body, he leaves his boat, floating free, leaps overboard, swims many yards to the body and tows it back to his boat....sheerest idiocy! Ditto, the hippie, now in possession of the militarized RIB boat, is approached by a private submarine, belonging to the bad guy. Rather than race away, he boards it, and is held captive. Seems our author either has exceeded his own knowledge-base or feels we readers are air-gulping morons. He should retire, I fear. Most New Englanders I know are not avid baseball fans---Wite ought to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs--now THERE"s a sport that won't put you to sleep like Narcolepsy-ball. :-D Failing that, he should do some research. A LOT of research. At the very least, he should consult some people who know boats and have lived on the water all their lives. I know such a person most intimately.

So this book made me want to investigate drones. The most I could find was a 40 minute flight time. Can you buy a personal sub? Can you fly to Mexico? Blue holes? Fun I hope the friendships at the marina aren't over. Pete has 9 lives.....

Another fine romp with Doc Ford, Tomlinson and the usual — or more accurately described, unusual, suspects — that inhabit this realm of reality in Florida's backwaters. In addition to the adventures, ranging from deadly to comical, that thread the pages of "Deep Blue", I learn worthwhile tidbits about the region's ecosystems as well as the creatures one meets in this part of the world. I always look forward to each of Randy Wayne White's latest Doc Ford novel. Not quite Five Stars (which I reserve for my very favorite authors of this genre — Michael Connelly, Elmore Leonard, Dennis Lehane, George Peliconos, T. Jefferson Parker and a few others). But White is knocking on the door.

I just love reading the adventures of Doc Ford and I hope there are many more to come!

CARL RAMM WAS BETTER