[.ca] Captiva (ISBN 0425158543)

Wow!:
I loved Sanibel Flats, but found Heat Islands and Man who Invented Florida, so-so. I had purchased Captiva with the other three or probably wouldn't have read it. What a come back for Doc Ford. I think this is the best of the first four books. Great characters, familiar places, wild action and inventive ending. Now I've ordered the next three in the series.

The Heart of Florida is in this Book:
The thing that Randy Wayne White does best is to convey all the sights, sounds, smells and feelings of Florida. His stories are all about Marion "Doc" Ford, an ex-NSA agent currently living on Florida's Gulf Coast and trying to live a quiet life as a marine biologist. Even though he's trying to live the quiet life, it's just not in the cards. Every book finds him in the middle of a new mystery that he solves with class and wit. However, anyone who thinks that these books are about Doc Ford and his adventures is wrong. Doc is a great central character, and his adventures are great reads. But Mr. White is ultimately not writing about Doc or his adventures. His central character is Florida itself, and the stories he writes provide vehicles for him to explore this magical place in greater and greater depth. As a fishing guide himself, Mr. White knows Florida and it's evident in the care he takes to put the reader inside the skin of his characters. There's just no way to read a Doc Ford novel without feeling the oppressive heat or swarms of mosquitos, or getting a sense that you could actually dip your fingers into the waters of Dinkins Bay if you wanted. And this is the thing I love most about Mr. White's novels. You get to pretend, just for a little while, that you're actually living in Florida, running a skiff over the flats or casting a fly rod under the mango trees. The plot of this particular story? It's about a brewing war between net fishermen and other groups who have voted to restrict net fishing in Florida. Acts of sabotage are happening up and down the coast, and the story opens with a bomb being set off at Dinkins Bay itself. Doc and his buddy Tomlinson do a bit of investigating and both become entangled with a lady who lives in a net fishing community and is one of the focal points of the conflict. In the course of this story, Doc falls deeply for this lady and we also see some very bad things happen to Tomlinson. Tomlinson's plight brings out the old NSA version of Doc, and we get a window into the life he used to lead when he worked for the government. This book has one of the most clever and satisfying 'revenge moments' I've read when Doc finally confronts the main villain and we see him get what's coming to him. I laughed out loud when I figured out how Doc had gotten even with this person. Probably the best Doc Ford moment I've read so far. This book rates 5 stars, both because I love Doc Ford and because I love Florida. As long as Randy Wayne White is writing, I don't much care what the plot is because I know it's going to take me where I want to be...the languid waters of Florida where the days are for fishing and the nights are for relaxing on the shore with a beer and a few good friends. I can hear the Jimmy Buffett music playing in the background right now....

Poor Follow-up to White's First Three Doc Ford Adventures:
I have to agree with another reviewer that Captiva is also my least favorite Doc Ford novel in the series so far. The plot is interesting and the mood is still compelling, but switching to the "first person voice" just ruins it for me. I suppose the reason for doing so might have been to soften Doc Ford's character, but this method comes off clumsy at times and makes Doc seem phony. Doc didn't need any fluffing up anyway. This is a complete and terrible switch from the masterful "third-person" storytelling in the previous book, "The Man Who Invented Florida". I hope Randy returns to his earlier writing style in the next Doc Ford novel.

I think John McDonald would approve:
Having been a John McDonald/Travis Magee fan for a long time I have always been sad at John's passing. His Travis Magee novels are always good reading. I was pleased to read a review of Mr White and his comparision to McDonald. Our hero lives in Captiva, is a retired government agent named Doc Ford who talents these days are turned to marine biology. His side kick is a "way out" cat from the 60's named Tomlinson. This story takes place in a marina in Florida where more than Doc's biology projects seem to be blowing up. In fact half the marina is now charcoal. It could turn into all out war between the netters and the sportfishermen over the netting ban, with Doc caught in the middle. Ford trys to keep a middle of the road lifestyle, but it turns personnel when somebody puts Tomlinson in the hospital near death. Doc is looking for payback - for a lot things. The book has a real good ending and leaves the reader trying to get inside of Doc's head to figure out how and why he does things. Story is a little slow in the beginning but picks up to an international ending. I look forward to reading more of Doc Ford from Randy Wayne White.

"What a Book":
I have read all but a couple of Randy Wayne Whites books and think that Captiva is a great book,The best so far. I just got done reading Sanibel Flats and The Heat Islands and thought they they were very exiciting also, but Captiva left you on on the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. I really enjoy reading about Florida/Key West mysteries. I find them very satisfying.