From Publishers WeeklyStarred . At the start of bestseller White's outstanding 17th Doc Ford thriller (after Dead Silence), two low-life ex-cons, King and Perry, are on the lam after killing a family of five in a burglary. They end up in Doc's neck of the woods, or rather his neck of the swamp, in central Florida. Doc; his boat-bum hipster pal, Tomlinson; troubled Indian teen Will Chaser, who played a key role in Dead Silence; and Arlis Futch, a crusty old fisherman, have arrived at a small lake, which they intend to search for Batista's treasure plane, which disappeared in 1958 while flying the ex-dictator's looted booty out of Cuba during the Castro takeover. King and Perry, who are as bad as they come, quickly take control of the others, forcing Doc and friends to continue diving in the lake, after which the pair plan to kill them all. Throw in a giant, mysterious swamp creature with an appetite for cattle, horses, and divers, and you've got a nail-biter that's virtually impossible to put down. Author tour. (Mar.) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From Booklist*Starred * Floridas mystery heroes have been having a hard time this year. First, James W. Halls Thorn spent most of an entire novel trapped in a dry well (Silencer, 2010), and now, in Randy Wayne Whites latest Doc Ford thriller, the intrepid marine biologist goes underwater for a couple hundred pages. It starts innocently enough, with Ford, his hippie pal Tomlinson, teenager Will Chaser (from Dead Silence, 2009), and cranky old-timer Arlis Futch embarking on a treasure-hunting trip to an isolated lake, on the bottom of which is purported to be a mother lode of gold from Batistas Cuba. Three problems quickly develop: a sort-of underwater avalanche that leaves all but Ford trapped under tons of limestone (a cave keeps the victims alive as their air supply dwindles); the arrival (on land) of two psycho killers right out of In Cold Blood (one is even named Perry); and, scariest of all, the lurking presence of, yes, a sea monster. Ford eventually surmounts all the obstacles before him, of course, but along the way, we are treated to a wonderful mix of hair-raising horror, grace under pressure, and fascinating natural history. There turns out to be a biologically sound explanation for the presence of the sea monster, but that doesnt make it any less terrifying for anyone who remembers Creature from the Black Lagoon (as Ford notes, The universe beneath is aliverelentlessly alive). Its no surprise that Whites long-running, always-popular series has broken through to mainstream best-sellerdom; his novels appeal on so many levels: as portraits of a steadily evolving, tough-yet-introspective hero; as eco-friendly investigations of natural Florida; and as muscular, head-banging adventure thrillers. And, now, there are sea monsters, too! --Bill OttAbout the AuthorRandy Wayne White is the author of seventeen previous Doc Ford novels and four collections of nonfiction. He lives in an old house built on an Indian mound in Pineland, Florida. should you read two books at once Deep Shadow (A Doc Ford Novel)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Florida can be Dangerous!By Elaine BidstrupI've been a Doc Ford fan since I first read The Heat Islands several years ago. I've also been to Sanibel and Captiva, so I know the setting and while I read of many sites and places I've seen there, you would not need to be familiar with these places to enjoy any Doc Ford books.Enough of a commercial for Randy Wayne White . . .This is be far the tightest written and most suspenseful of the series! You really care not only about Doc Ford and his ever-present buddy Tomilson, but also Captain Futch and William Joseph Chaser. You really want these characters to . . . OOPS! almost gave too much away.Let's just say I got so caught up in the book that I stayed up until after 3 am to finish it!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Best Doc Ford YetBy JSPtIf you have been reading Doc Ford novels for awhile, this book is EXCELLENT. White has many exciting elements to this plot. Plus, he tells the story from the viewpoint of various characters which I don't remember him doing before, at least not recently. Ford, Tomlinson and friends are diving an inland Florida lake searching for lost gold when they are unexpectedly joined by many evil entities, human, animal and spiritual. If you have never read a Doc Ford book, jump right in for a great read. Then you can go back to the beginning and catch up on his non-heroic deeds that are so heroic. If you live in Florida or have enjoyed a visit to the Sunshine state, this book (and the entire series) is for you. White's research is excellent and the reader learns a lot reading his novels. Loved this book; couldn't put it down. Hope you do too!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. GeologyBy JWFascinating description of the geology underlying Florida, with a side story of Fulgencio Batista at the end of his reign. Seemed like an easy scuba dive of a lake in Florida. But not with Ford, Tomlinson and an Indian boy from Oklahoma, plus a couple killer convicts on the run. Some mix for an interesting story.