Sanibel Flats

Doc Ford #1

By: Randy White

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Its cool gulf breezes lured him from a life of danger. Its dark undercurrents threatened to destroy him. After 10 years of living life on the edge, it was hard for Doc Ford to get that addiction to danger out of his system. But spending each day watching the sun melt into Dinkins Bay and the moon rise over the mangrove trees, cooking dinner for his beautiful neighbor, and dispensing advice to the locals over a cold beer lulled him into letting his guard down.

Then Rafe Hollins appeared. How could he refuse his old friend's request---even if it would put him back on the firing line? Even if it would change forever the life he'd built here on Sanibel Island?

The doctor is in: listen to more of our Doc Ford thrillers.

©1990 Randy Wayne White (P)2010 Tantor

Author seems to have a sexual double standard.

I liked the mystery part. I liked that the main character was a marine biologist. I liked the Tomlinson character. My main beef was with his double standard.
***SPOILER ALERT***
Several men in the book, including the main character, get a pass for some pretty objectionable behavior like lying, stealing, trafficking in stolen pre-Columbian art, arms dealing and even murder. And the main character has sex with a married woman and that's okay because she didn't like her husband. And he has sex with one woman that he has a friendly relationship with and within the hour is getting it on with a good-looking stranger, but that's apparently okay too. And hey, I'm not opposed to casual sex. But if the hero gets to have casual sex, then the women should be equally entitled to it. But then one of the women he has slept with is revealed to be having sex with men other than the main character...NOT because she's horny or into casual sex like the main character is, but because SHE IS BEING BLACKMAILED into it. Does our hero give her sympathy and help her out? He was willing to help his friend who was breaking lots of laws. But no. This woman gets a cold shoulder and presumably he cuts her off from his friendship.

It left a bad taste in my mouth. Because I liked other elements of the book, I'm planning to get the second one in the series, but if the male-female relations are as screwed up in the second book, I probably won't read a third one.

Bad Read, Bad Reader

Enough of the hero that women just fall into bed with at the drop of a hat. Even worse is a reader who uses funny voices that turn every character into a caricature. If you can't do Aussie, read it straight, instead of making the character sound like a Brooklyn simpleton.

A+++ South Florida Adventure

I really enjoyed this book, it was pretty much a dream line-up of plot elements: a secret agent (even if retired), south florida, central america, mayan history, revolutionaries, marine biology, and even a little painting.

I found it to be well written, and the twist at the end surprised me, which these days doesn't happen often. Doc Ford is a likeable character, super smart, funny, interesting, and the descriptions of Sanibel and sea life are wonderful. A++!

*On a side note, which has nothing to do with the author or the story, which I found to be top quality--I listened to the audio version, and I utterly loathed the narrator's performance. Look, I know it's not easy to embody several different characters with one voice, but geeze he butchered it. His voice didn't fit with the character of Doc, his interpretation of Tomlinson was very annoying, and any of the female voices were pure characacture. I intend to read this again sometime, and will continue with this series, but I will definitely go the old school paper route.

Great Thriller Not the Cheesy One I Expected

Don't know why I thought this series would be a bit cheesy, but often many ones based in Florida are. However Doc Ford is fun, has some hard action, has great characters, and gives you a lot to think about. This is my first Doc Ford but it won't be my last.

Very enjoyable

I love the chatacter Tomlenson in this book. The end was great. This is my first read of any of Randy White's stuff. I am looking forward to reading more Doc. Ford books.

wish the hero were more of a hero

main character is wishy-washy with the women in the book, i.e. thinking about getting serious, vs. a one night stand in the same evening. Not bad for a casual weekend read.

Wow

This book was great. I was looking for a new series, this is it. I plan to get the rest of the series!!

Heavy listener

Just getting into doc Ford. I love this one and look forward for the rest of the series to listen to

Probably a good book

The rating of this book is a guess on my part. Dick Hill's narration made it impossible to give an informed opinion. I don't generally care for Mr. Hill's narration and his effort here was one of his worst.

This is for an adventure seeking listener.

This performance is very good. But this is just not the type of book I like.