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Doc Ford #15
Black Widow
Revenge becomes very personal for Doc Ford, in the stunning new novel by the New York Times-bestselling author.
It was a simple exchange. Clean. So why did things go so terribly wrong? It went against all of Ford's instincts. When his goddaughter, Shanay, called one day, he assumed it was with details of her imminent wedding, but the news was anything but cheerful. She and her bridesmaids had thrown a pretty wild bachelorette party, it seemed, on St. Arcs, in the Windward Islands—and someone had secretly videotaped it. Now that person was threatening to blow up her future unless she came across with enough money. "But don't worry, Doc," she said. "I negotiated it down. All I need you to do is make the exchange. Please?" Ford knew it was a mistake-a mistake to trust the extortionist, a mistake for her not to tell her fiancé—but he agreed. And now one of the bridesmaids is near death. The blackmailer took the money and released the tape on the Internet anyway, and the panicked bridesmaid took an overdose of pills washed down with alcohol. Fueled by guilt and an overpowering rage, Ford and his friend Tomlinson swear to destroy the person responsible, but she-and it is a woman-has other ideas. An agent of corruption like no one they have ever met, the black widow is just getting started….
"Readers should buckle their seat belts before they crack the covers," the Detroit Free Press said of Hunter's Moon . "This one is a dark and supercharged ride." And so it is again. But nothing will prepare the reader for the twists, the adrenaline, and the sheer intensity of Black Widow.
It was a simple exchange. Clean. So why did things go so terribly wrong? It went against all of Ford's instincts. When his goddaughter, Shanay, called one day, he assumed it was with details of her imminent wedding, but the news was anything but cheerful. She and her bridesmaids had thrown a pretty wild bachelorette party, it seemed, on St. Arcs, in the Windward Islands—and someone had secretly videotaped it. Now that person was threatening to blow up her future unless she came across with enough money. "But don't worry, Doc," she said. "I negotiated it down. All I need you to do is make the exchange. Please?" Ford knew it was a mistake-a mistake to trust the extortionist, a mistake for her not to tell her fiancé—but he agreed. And now one of the bridesmaids is near death. The blackmailer took the money and released the tape on the Internet anyway, and the panicked bridesmaid took an overdose of pills washed down with alcohol. Fueled by guilt and an overpowering rage, Ford and his friend Tomlinson swear to destroy the person responsible, but she-and it is a woman-has other ideas. An agent of corruption like no one they have ever met, the black widow is just getting started….
"Readers should buckle their seat belts before they crack the covers," the Detroit Free Press said of Hunter's Moon . "This one is a dark and supercharged ride." And so it is again. But nothing will prepare the reader for the twists, the adrenaline, and the sheer intensity of Black Widow.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 18, 2008
361 people are currently reading
918 people want to read
About the author
Randy Wayne White
77 books1,584 followersaka Carl Ramm, Randy Striker
Randy Wayne White (born 1950) is an American writer of crime fiction and non-fiction adventure tales. He has written best-selling novels and has received awards for his fiction and a television documentary. He is best known for his series of crime novels featuring the retired NSA agent Doc Ford, a marine biologist living on the Gulf Coast of southern Florida. White has contributed material on a variety of topics to numerous magazines and has lectured across the United States. A resident of Southwest Florida since 1972, he currently lives on Pine Island, Florida, where he is active in South Florida civic affairs and with the restaurant Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grill on nearby Sanibel Island.
Series:
* Doc Ford Mystery
Randy Wayne White (born 1950) is an American writer of crime fiction and non-fiction adventure tales. He has written best-selling novels and has received awards for his fiction and a television documentary. He is best known for his series of crime novels featuring the retired NSA agent Doc Ford, a marine biologist living on the Gulf Coast of southern Florida. White has contributed material on a variety of topics to numerous magazines and has lectured across the United States. A resident of Southwest Florida since 1972, he currently lives on Pine Island, Florida, where he is active in South Florida civic affairs and with the restaurant Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grill on nearby Sanibel Island.
Series:
* Doc Ford Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 202 reviews
August 25, 2025
The Caribbean: a literal hotbed of animalistic pleasure and naked lust. That's what the travel brochures say, at least, and Randy Wayne White's novel "Black Widow" graphically illustrates it.
Okay, so I've been to the Caribbean once, but my experience was pretty much confined to a cruise ship with occasional trips on-shore for typical touristy traps like horseback rides along the beach, visits to beautiful waterfalls, walking through crowded markets to buy touristy junk, and getting wasted on margaritas. I did not get laid once. Perhaps part of the reason was that I was with my parents and sister at the time, and I was a teenager, so to go off looking for casual sexual experiences would have seemed at the very least awkward. Needless to say, my experience was not nearly as exciting or erotic as the experiences described in White's novel.
"Black Widow" is a weird book, I'm not going to lie. I love White's novels, which feature his hero, Doc Ford, a former CIA assassin/spy turned marine biologist living and working in the Florida Keys. Every White novel manages to be extremely different from the last, mainly because I think White doesn't like to pigeonhole himself in any one genre. He's pitted Ford against redneck gator poachers, ecological terrorists, and even Fidel Castro himself. He's also saved Disney World from carnivorous insects, a young South American girl who may have been the reincarnation of Christ, and the world from nuclear holocaust. The amazing thing is, when I read a White novel, I immediately think, yes, I totally buy it. Mainly because White is a great writer, but also because Doc Ford is probably the closest thing we have to a truly American James Bond. All that said, "Black Widow" is still weird.
The plot: Ford's god-daughter, Shay, is about to be married to a ridiculously wealthy young Senator-to-be, but she and her bachelorette friends are being blackmailed. Someone has sent them a copy of a video of them doing very naughty things during their bachelorette party, held on the Caribbean resort island of Saint Arc. Shay paid off the blackmailers, but now they want more money. Ford decides to head down to Saint Arc to investigate. What he finds is a tropical resort, owned and operated by a mysterious woman (who may or not be a witch) that everyone calls the "Black Widow", because that's not creepy or anything. Basically the whole resort, as Ford founds out, is actually designed to be a blackmail factory. Guests are secretly given drugs that make them extremely horny, put in indecent and compromising positions, which are secretly filmed and then used as blackmail. It's actually a pretty horrifying and brilliant plot device.
The whole weirdness stems from Ford's total acceptance of everything he discovers when he arrives at Saint Arc, including a former British secret agent turned archaeologist who helps him in his attempt to take down the Black Widow and her bevy of racially-diverse Euro-trash hired guns straight out of a Die Hard film.
If all of this sounds utterly ridiculous, it's because it is, but it's also pretty entertaining. It is, unfortunately, not one of White's better Doc Ford novels, which is okay because he keeps writing more of them.
Okay, so I've been to the Caribbean once, but my experience was pretty much confined to a cruise ship with occasional trips on-shore for typical touristy traps like horseback rides along the beach, visits to beautiful waterfalls, walking through crowded markets to buy touristy junk, and getting wasted on margaritas. I did not get laid once. Perhaps part of the reason was that I was with my parents and sister at the time, and I was a teenager, so to go off looking for casual sexual experiences would have seemed at the very least awkward. Needless to say, my experience was not nearly as exciting or erotic as the experiences described in White's novel.
"Black Widow" is a weird book, I'm not going to lie. I love White's novels, which feature his hero, Doc Ford, a former CIA assassin/spy turned marine biologist living and working in the Florida Keys. Every White novel manages to be extremely different from the last, mainly because I think White doesn't like to pigeonhole himself in any one genre. He's pitted Ford against redneck gator poachers, ecological terrorists, and even Fidel Castro himself. He's also saved Disney World from carnivorous insects, a young South American girl who may have been the reincarnation of Christ, and the world from nuclear holocaust. The amazing thing is, when I read a White novel, I immediately think, yes, I totally buy it. Mainly because White is a great writer, but also because Doc Ford is probably the closest thing we have to a truly American James Bond. All that said, "Black Widow" is still weird.
The plot: Ford's god-daughter, Shay, is about to be married to a ridiculously wealthy young Senator-to-be, but she and her bachelorette friends are being blackmailed. Someone has sent them a copy of a video of them doing very naughty things during their bachelorette party, held on the Caribbean resort island of Saint Arc. Shay paid off the blackmailers, but now they want more money. Ford decides to head down to Saint Arc to investigate. What he finds is a tropical resort, owned and operated by a mysterious woman (who may or not be a witch) that everyone calls the "Black Widow", because that's not creepy or anything. Basically the whole resort, as Ford founds out, is actually designed to be a blackmail factory. Guests are secretly given drugs that make them extremely horny, put in indecent and compromising positions, which are secretly filmed and then used as blackmail. It's actually a pretty horrifying and brilliant plot device.
The whole weirdness stems from Ford's total acceptance of everything he discovers when he arrives at Saint Arc, including a former British secret agent turned archaeologist who helps him in his attempt to take down the Black Widow and her bevy of racially-diverse Euro-trash hired guns straight out of a Die Hard film.
If all of this sounds utterly ridiculous, it's because it is, but it's also pretty entertaining. It is, unfortunately, not one of White's better Doc Ford novels, which is okay because he keeps writing more of them.
March 16, 2021
White always manages to insert a little Floridian natural history into his tales. This 15th offering in his Doc Ford series has Caribbean Orcas confronting Hammerhead sharks. Fascinating.
As for the plot, Doc Ford flies to the island of Saint Arc to confront a extortion scheme that Shay Money has been subjected to. She had taken her bridesmaids to the island to ‘party hearty’ before getting married. Drugs are slipped into the girls’ drinks and the resulting sexual trysts are carefully photographed. Ford uncovers a highly organized blackmail scheme. Fortunately, he has the help of Sir James Montbard to help him (definitely an intriguing character).
However, White needs Doc Ford to return to Sanibel Island as this offering falls a little flat.
As for the plot, Doc Ford flies to the island of Saint Arc to confront a extortion scheme that Shay Money has been subjected to. She had taken her bridesmaids to the island to ‘party hearty’ before getting married. Drugs are slipped into the girls’ drinks and the resulting sexual trysts are carefully photographed. Ford uncovers a highly organized blackmail scheme. Fortunately, he has the help of Sir James Montbard to help him (definitely an intriguing character).
However, White needs Doc Ford to return to Sanibel Island as this offering falls a little flat.
April 22, 2015
Doc Ford is to the West Coast of Florida as Travis McGhee is the East Coast.Always enjoyable and entertaining from start to finish! Randy Wayne White is one of my favorite authors and should be yours too.
May 4, 2021
One of his best, and engrossing all the way through.
May 20, 2018
Another good entry in the Doc Ford series, as Doc attempts to stop a blackmailing ring on a Caribbean island. Of course, complications arise and Doc has to take care of them. If you enjoy the series you will probably enjoy this.
March 13, 2021
In this one, Doc Ford travels to a small Caribbean resort island to close down a blackmailing racket that targeted his goddaughter. His hippy Zen master buddy Tomlinson is only involved for the first few chapters and again at the very end. But it's ok, Doc meets and teams up with a couple other interesting characters along the way.
September 20, 2018
2.5 out of 5 - Thin story line filled with characters that I don't care about mixed in with an occasional action scene. Ho-hum.
A mystery club book selection, I was looking forward to reading a book by Randy Wayne White since his books have come highly rated. What I found with Black Widow was a collection of thinly developed characters for which I had nearly zero empathy towards and a simplistic plot that was livened up with an occasional, well written, action scene. I will not speak about the many "forehead slapping" moments where I couldn't believe a character was doing what she or he was doing or the plot holes.
Doc Ford is a mysterious former government operator turned somewhat creepy marine biologist who comes to the rescue of his goddaughter, Shay, after she and her bridesmaids committed indiscretions during her bachelorette party at Saint Arc in the Caribbean and who are being blackmailed.
Ford is a cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond and is bound and determined to right the wrong done to Shay and her bridesmaids. The problem is that I just don't care. I was not invested in any of the characters, most were not likable, and I felt the premise and execution to be sophomoric. When George Guidall, an excellent narrator, voices Doc Ford, I can't help to picture Doc Ford as being older, a grandfatherly type in his sixties, not a youthful Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
Still, there are highlights. His sidekick, Tomlinson, is a hoot and his scenes with Ford are easily the best part of the book; even though these scenes have nothing to do with the central plot. The action scenes at the compound are intense and kept me turning the pages.
Although I was not impressed by this book, it was recommended that I sample another of Mr. White's work, which I will do in the future.
A mystery club book selection, I was looking forward to reading a book by Randy Wayne White since his books have come highly rated. What I found with Black Widow was a collection of thinly developed characters for which I had nearly zero empathy towards and a simplistic plot that was livened up with an occasional, well written, action scene. I will not speak about the many "forehead slapping" moments where I couldn't believe a character was doing what she or he was doing or the plot holes.
Doc Ford is a mysterious former government operator turned somewhat creepy marine biologist who comes to the rescue of his goddaughter, Shay, after she and her bridesmaids committed indiscretions during her bachelorette party at Saint Arc in the Caribbean and who are being blackmailed.
Ford is a cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond and is bound and determined to right the wrong done to Shay and her bridesmaids. The problem is that I just don't care. I was not invested in any of the characters, most were not likable, and I felt the premise and execution to be sophomoric. When George Guidall, an excellent narrator, voices Doc Ford, I can't help to picture Doc Ford as being older, a grandfatherly type in his sixties, not a youthful Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
Still, there are highlights. His sidekick, Tomlinson, is a hoot and his scenes with Ford are easily the best part of the book; even though these scenes have nothing to do with the central plot. The action scenes at the compound are intense and kept me turning the pages.
Although I was not impressed by this book, it was recommended that I sample another of Mr. White's work, which I will do in the future.
December 23, 2016
Doc Ford's goddaughter is being blackmailed with footage from her bachelorette party, and Ford is used as a go-between.
Of course, things get complicated, and Ford finds himself in a whole lot of trouble.
Pretty good stuff, although a bit different than Ford's usual adventures.
Of course, things get complicated, and Ford finds himself in a whole lot of trouble.
Pretty good stuff, although a bit different than Ford's usual adventures.
January 22, 2015
Couldn't put this book down! My first Doc Ford book-now I have to go find more of them!
November 20, 2018
Doc Ford is off on another adventure, this time, in a small island near St. Lucia. He starts out to help his godchild, and finds himself in the midst of a blackmail scheme like nothing he's ever seen before. Racing against time, the plot follows Doc as he strives to uncover the scheme in a plot filled with terror, murder, drugs and vicious dogs. Can he unmask the blackmailer? This is another exciting book in the Doc Ford series. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 21, 2020
This might have been my favorite Doc Ford book thus far. The story moved right along, with more continuous action than the previous books in the series. Again, the author brings in some new and interesting characters. Looking forward to the next one.
March 13, 2022
Doc Ford's a godfather to a young girl about to marry, but she has a problem and Doc needs to fix it. It involves blackmail, and when Ford goes to the Island to see what he can do, he finds lot more than he is looking for, and also ends up w/ a new friend, and quirky new character.
April 19, 2009
Randy Wayne White just cannot write a bad book. I have to admit I fell in love with the zany hippie/guru character, Tomlinson, from the very first and he's the character who keeps me coming back for more. I've gotten more hilarious one-liners from him than I can count. (My favorite is: "Weirdness is only weird if you fight it.") Mr. White, I demand a book with Tomlinson as the main character!!
My only tiny complaint about "Black Widow" is there wasn't enough Tomlinson in it.....thus said, I have to admit that the opening chapters with the sharks and whales were primo Tomlinson, and had me howling with laughter---but left me wanting more adventures with Doc and Tomlinson together.
In this latest installment, Doc decides that he can't take the boring life he's now leading since leaving the secret covert organization that he's been in for decades and he takes it upon himself to generate his own action and help save his goddaughter's reputation. This one has loads of non-stop action from blackmail to voodoo-practicing hermaphrodites. Who could ask for more?
My only tiny complaint about "Black Widow" is there wasn't enough Tomlinson in it.....thus said, I have to admit that the opening chapters with the sharks and whales were primo Tomlinson, and had me howling with laughter---but left me wanting more adventures with Doc and Tomlinson together.
In this latest installment, Doc decides that he can't take the boring life he's now leading since leaving the secret covert organization that he's been in for decades and he takes it upon himself to generate his own action and help save his goddaughter's reputation. This one has loads of non-stop action from blackmail to voodoo-practicing hermaphrodites. Who could ask for more?
August 6, 2009
I was initially lured by the tropical descriptions and the NPR recommendation, but soon I was trying to decide which bugged me more: the superficially empowered damsels in distress (note to White: Having your ladies say things like, "I can take care of myself, dammit" before falling into the arms of your protagonist does not an enlightened novel make); the "damn"-laden dialogue; the evil blood-drinking hermaphrodite villain (again, having your protagonist murmur sympathetic statements about how nature produces all kinds of gender anomalies does not make this character okay); or Doc Ford's habit of rattling off random facts that make him sound more like an avid Wikipedia reader than the scientist he supposedly is. All that said, the plotting is competent and much of White's subject matter is pretty interesting. He might even have extended his research beyond Wikipedia. This is a silly novel, but not entirely un-amusing.
September 30, 2013
I haven't read a Doc Ford novel in a couple of years since I have been reading new authors during that period. I had no idea how very much I missed him and his adventures until I started this one. Doc's goddaughter is being blackmailed and he gets involved. Tomlinson is very secondary in this, but Hooker is introduced and is well worth knowing. It is set in the Islands and is about revenge, psychosis, evil and greed. Does a plot get any better? The novel itself is most satisfying; the conclusion couldn't have been better. Perfect early Autumn reading and a great way to welcome oneself back to favorite authors.
March 26, 2008
I'm a big fan of Randy, and while Black Widow is a very good book, it didn't have the zing of many of the previous Doc Ford novels. I didn't feel Tomlinson was involved enough in the story line and really missed the off-the-wall views Randy expresses through the character. I still recommend it, just know that the complexity of the tale isn't as deep as some of the earlier parts of the series. BTW, I would add a half-star to a total of 3.5.
August 3, 2017
These book are mysteries starring a guy who is a marine biologist and a former CIA or NSA agent. He runs a biological supply company. People ask him to help with their problem because his history. This particular story involves a blackmail plot on a Carribean island. The series is great and this is one of the best.
February 5, 2013
The first half of this novel is incredibly long and boring and should never have made it past the editor. The story is saved by the second half which contains the relevant action and interest. 5 of 10 stars for this story that could have and should have been much better.
October 22, 2012
This was a good beach read atlhough a few too many story lines and characters to follow .
June 16, 2013
This is another one of the Doc Ford books that I could not put down...loved it
December 12, 2016
Great read.
Great read. Once I started to read the book, I could not put it down. Very interesting twists and turns.
Great read. Once I started to read the book, I could not put it down. Very interesting twists and turns.
June 22, 2017
There is very little say about The doc Ford Series, its juts an awesome read as always.
September 12, 2017
Never disappoints
Always love Doc Ford novels and this one did not disappoint. The influx of new and interesting characters made this book very enjoyable.
Always love Doc Ford novels and this one did not disappoint. The influx of new and interesting characters made this book very enjoyable.
October 26, 2024
I find Doc Ford to be an enigmatic character. It is almost as if he is a split personality (like many of our heroes) in that he is mild-mannered and studious, but also a capable action hero (former spy). In this outing he goes to help his goddaughter out of a jam when she is blackmailed. He uncovers a HUGE blackmailing scheme that even envelops a U.S. Senator and in an attempt to be a realist, the name of the senator is never revealed as if the character was an actual live senator and the book was written to protect the name.
The plot thickens and the reader eventually discovers that the evil Ford is fighting isn't the one he thought and the identity of the widow, telegraphed early on, is quite different from the enemy Ford is facing.
What makes this novel just a cut above average is the historical details offered by the ambiguous character, an aged 70's former British spy who dabbles in history and archaelogy who becomes Ford's accomplice. The book never says so, but there are hints that this character is the basis for the James Bond character Ian Fleming wrote about. But, he continues to drop historical and archaelogical details that are very interesting, along with a Templar conspiracy theory that add to the book. Coupled with information about so-called Black Magic/voodoo type religion practiced on the Caribbean Island that provides the setting, the book informs while it entertains.
I enjoy the Ford thrillers, because nobody seems to take Ford seriously. His cover as a marine bioligist always provides interesting details, I especially enjoyed a description of how jellyfish operate versus their prey.
The evil supposed widow is also an interesting character and Ford's exposure of this character is one I could offer as interesting depths to this novel, but to do so would be to offer spoilers I am not willing to drop your way.
The Ford thrillers also feature an old hippy druggie/zen enthusiast, and some of his theories about life are so entertaining because on one level they are the insane drug-adled philosophies and on another offer some actual philosophical fodder.
Good books... not great, but good.
The plot thickens and the reader eventually discovers that the evil Ford is fighting isn't the one he thought and the identity of the widow, telegraphed early on, is quite different from the enemy Ford is facing.
What makes this novel just a cut above average is the historical details offered by the ambiguous character, an aged 70's former British spy who dabbles in history and archaelogy who becomes Ford's accomplice. The book never says so, but there are hints that this character is the basis for the James Bond character Ian Fleming wrote about. But, he continues to drop historical and archaelogical details that are very interesting, along with a Templar conspiracy theory that add to the book. Coupled with information about so-called Black Magic/voodoo type religion practiced on the Caribbean Island that provides the setting, the book informs while it entertains.
I enjoy the Ford thrillers, because nobody seems to take Ford seriously. His cover as a marine bioligist always provides interesting details, I especially enjoyed a description of how jellyfish operate versus their prey.
The evil supposed widow is also an interesting character and Ford's exposure of this character is one I could offer as interesting depths to this novel, but to do so would be to offer spoilers I am not willing to drop your way.
The Ford thrillers also feature an old hippy druggie/zen enthusiast, and some of his theories about life are so entertaining because on one level they are the insane drug-adled philosophies and on another offer some actual philosophical fodder.
Good books... not great, but good.
February 28, 2018
Blackmail, sex, murder, santeria, conspiracy, what more could you want?
Doc Ford is quickly drawn back into action when his god daughter, Shay, is blackmailed just a few days before her wedding. Demanding big money, the blackmailers threaten to reveal videotaped sexual activities Shay and her three bridesmaids engaged in on a pre-wedding getaway trip she arranged to a private beach house on an exclusive island in the Caribbean. The girls manage to scrape together $110, 000, but the blackmailers want more, of course. Using contacts from his former profession, Doc intends to uncover the mastermind behind the blackmail operation, and retrieve or destroy any remaining copies of the incriminating tape. With help from an old contact from his previous secret profession, as well as assistance from a new acquaintance with a similar background and skills, on a similar mission. With his new friend, Doc travels to the island to scope out the blackmailer's operation and develop a plan of action. He finds the operation much more extensive and evil than he had surmised, and the biggest surprise is, the villain is not a man! It is actually run by a white woman, known locally as an "obeah witch," who grows rare orchids, and whose "spa" is a cover for the blackmail operations. This woman comes from an old, powerful, European family, and wields remarkable power over the locals! How Doc and his allies uncover the truth, and defeat the witch and her minions makes for a rollicking, nail-biting thriller, that I couldn't stop reading, as usual. There's also a teaser for the next Doc Ford thriller at the end of this book. What more could you ask for? Randy Wayne White never disappoints!
Doc Ford is quickly drawn back into action when his god daughter, Shay, is blackmailed just a few days before her wedding. Demanding big money, the blackmailers threaten to reveal videotaped sexual activities Shay and her three bridesmaids engaged in on a pre-wedding getaway trip she arranged to a private beach house on an exclusive island in the Caribbean. The girls manage to scrape together $110, 000, but the blackmailers want more, of course. Using contacts from his former profession, Doc intends to uncover the mastermind behind the blackmail operation, and retrieve or destroy any remaining copies of the incriminating tape. With help from an old contact from his previous secret profession, as well as assistance from a new acquaintance with a similar background and skills, on a similar mission. With his new friend, Doc travels to the island to scope out the blackmailer's operation and develop a plan of action. He finds the operation much more extensive and evil than he had surmised, and the biggest surprise is, the villain is not a man! It is actually run by a white woman, known locally as an "obeah witch," who grows rare orchids, and whose "spa" is a cover for the blackmail operations. This woman comes from an old, powerful, European family, and wields remarkable power over the locals! How Doc and his allies uncover the truth, and defeat the witch and her minions makes for a rollicking, nail-biting thriller, that I couldn't stop reading, as usual. There's also a teaser for the next Doc Ford thriller at the end of this book. What more could you ask for? Randy Wayne White never disappoints!
December 30, 2021
BLACK WIDOW, by Randy Wayne White, is a dark, stunning novel in the "Doc Ford" series. The novel starts out with what was supposed to be a simple exchange, so why did things go so terribly wrong? Everything went against all of Ford's instincts. When Doc's goddaughter, Shanay, calls one day, he assumes it is about details regarding her upcoming wedding. However, the news is anything but happy. Shanay and her bridesmaids threw a pretty crazy bachelorette party, it appeared, on St. Arcs, in the Windward Islands. Unbeknownst to anyone else, someone had secretly videotaped it, and now that person is threatening to ruin Shanay's future unless she can come up with enough money to make it all go away. Shanay tells Doc Ford not to worry, that she had negotiated everything down. All she needed him to do was to make the exchange. Going into it, Doc Ford knows it is a mistake to trust the extortionist and not to tell Shanay's fiance, but he agrees to help anyway. Now one of the bridesmaids is near death. The blackmailer has taken the money and released the video anyway. Panicked, Shanay overdoses on pills, followed by alcohol. Wracked with guilt and overpowered by rage, Ford and his friend, Tomlinson, promise to destroy the person responsible, but the blackmailer has other ideas, and is just getting started. We would recommend this twisted, intense novel to those who love mysteries or to those who have read other books by this author or in this series.
December 3, 2024
All Shay wants to do is get married. She loves the guy; he seems to love her; he has money; for what more could she hope?
On a last-minute thing, she and a group of her girlfriends who will also participate in the wedding decide to go to a Caribbean island to celebrate the waning days of her singlehood. They meet some hot boys with French accents, and it’s off to the beach for a night of naked nipple nipping and so much more. Little did the young women realize someone recorded their freefall into hedonistic sex, and the blackmailer would splay the data throughout the Internet if they didn’t pay a blackmailer’s demands.
Shay paid more than a hundred thousand dollars, and they came back demanding more. She didn’t have it. But she had her godfather, Doc Ford, as a resource. He agrees to visit the island to see whether he can get to the source of the blackmailing.
That’s when the adventure of the book begins in earnest. You meet some interesting characters here. There’s a retired British intelligence guy, and a woman who could easily pass as a model whom the blackmailer destroyed politically.
Alas, the blackmailing is so destructive that one of the young women commits suicide. Naturally, that fuels Doc Ford’s rage and commits him to finding the solution and destroying the blackmail data. I didn’t find any slow sections of this, and staying wide awake throughout the book was not a problem.
On a last-minute thing, she and a group of her girlfriends who will also participate in the wedding decide to go to a Caribbean island to celebrate the waning days of her singlehood. They meet some hot boys with French accents, and it’s off to the beach for a night of naked nipple nipping and so much more. Little did the young women realize someone recorded their freefall into hedonistic sex, and the blackmailer would splay the data throughout the Internet if they didn’t pay a blackmailer’s demands.
Shay paid more than a hundred thousand dollars, and they came back demanding more. She didn’t have it. But she had her godfather, Doc Ford, as a resource. He agrees to visit the island to see whether he can get to the source of the blackmailing.
That’s when the adventure of the book begins in earnest. You meet some interesting characters here. There’s a retired British intelligence guy, and a woman who could easily pass as a model whom the blackmailer destroyed politically.
Alas, the blackmailing is so destructive that one of the young women commits suicide. Naturally, that fuels Doc Ford’s rage and commits him to finding the solution and destroying the blackmail data. I didn’t find any slow sections of this, and staying wide awake throughout the book was not a problem.
August 25, 2019
OMG I love these books, I have read several Doc Ford Books, since I live quite near where the books are located, I can relate to all the locations noted in the book. Doc Ford is a mystery man, living in FLA. he is a marine biologist, but it is his past the really influences these stories. Just what is his past? We can get a glimpse but will probably never know. In this book someone is blackmailing Doc's god daughter. She is planning a wedding to a very rich prominent young man. Of course his mother does not approve of her as she came from a rough background. She is very close to Doc and goes to him for help. Shay and her friends went on a girls only weekend to a small island before the wedding. Along come some Island residents, all young men of course and commence to drink, dance and engage in other fun activities. Meanwhile they are being filmed all the while and therein lies the beginning of blackmail. The young ladies pull together the money and pay.. with the promise that will be the end. Of course we all know that is not the end of it. Enter Doc he will go to the island and try I say try to peacefully negotiate an end to the blackmail. What he uncovers is a far bigger problem. Now what..... great read Go Doc
September 18, 2017
A story with multiple plots, Caribbean islands with secret orgies, blackmail, and a high priestess who is deformed.
But first, whales are beaching on Captiva, so Doc Ford and a cohort race there, jump in the water, get attacked by hammerhead sharks who then are fought off by the wales who change their minds about beaching themselves. Silly. Didn't even fit into the story line. UGH.
Then mild manner biologist, Ford, who's really a retired CIA spook, jumps a flight to the islands where he pretends to be a visitor, even though the cult knows who he is.
Of course, he meets even stranger people who all either try to kill him or have sex with him, or both. Did I mention there's a lot of sex, but it's out of place and stupid.
Also, the rich eccentric who is his ally, gets his hand ripped off by dogs but never complains?
The only reason I finished this book is because the author writes about the area of Florida where I live. It is fun to know that the places, streets, cities, restaurants he writes about are real.
But first, whales are beaching on Captiva, so Doc Ford and a cohort race there, jump in the water, get attacked by hammerhead sharks who then are fought off by the wales who change their minds about beaching themselves. Silly. Didn't even fit into the story line. UGH.
Then mild manner biologist, Ford, who's really a retired CIA spook, jumps a flight to the islands where he pretends to be a visitor, even though the cult knows who he is.
Of course, he meets even stranger people who all either try to kill him or have sex with him, or both. Did I mention there's a lot of sex, but it's out of place and stupid.
Also, the rich eccentric who is his ally, gets his hand ripped off by dogs but never complains?
The only reason I finished this book is because the author writes about the area of Florida where I live. It is fun to know that the places, streets, cities, restaurants he writes about are real.
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