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Whitewater
While searching for his parents' killers, ex-Navy SEAL captain Adam Weldon encounters a lovely undercover FBI agent, a ruthless drug cartel intent on killing him, a gambling casino for the super-rich run by a radio preacher, a host of motley river guides, and a succession of hair-raising challenges both in and out of the whitewater rapids of the Kern River.
This fascinating page turner is sure to enrich the reader's experience of any river--and of life itself. Not only is it fun and fast paced, but also, woven into its rich fabric is a celebration of nature and life-enhancing wisdom including insights into the wellsprings of human kindness and high-level wellness.
This fascinating page turner is sure to enrich the reader's experience of any river--and of life itself. Not only is it fun and fast paced, but also, woven into its rich fabric is a celebration of nature and life-enhancing wisdom including insights into the wellsprings of human kindness and high-level wellness.
274 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
William McGinnis
11 books36 followersWilliam McGinnis--Short Bio:
A California native with a Master’s in English literature, William McGinnis is the best-selling, award-winning author of the Adam Weldon Thriller Series, which includes Slay the Dragon, Cyclops Conspiracy, Gold Bay and Whitewater: A Thriller. (All of which are available in print, ebook and audiobook.)
McGinnis is one of the authors of Writer’s Success Secrets which hit #4 on the Wall Street Journal Best Seller List, #1 in Barnes and Noble, and #1 in all of its Amazon categories.
Bill’s other non-fiction books include Whitewater Rafting (long considered the bible of the sport), The Guide’s Guide Augmented: Reflections on Guiding Professional River Trips (used by river guides worldwide), Disaster on the Clearwater: Rafting Beyond the Limits, and Sailing the Greek Islands: Dancing with Cyclops.
When he’s not writing, Bill swims, builds stuff in his workshop, stares into space, listens to audiobooks, and explores new paths to adventure, friendship, and growth. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. His author’s website is WilliamMcGinnis.com.
A California native with a Master’s in English literature, William McGinnis is the best-selling, award-winning author of the Adam Weldon Thriller Series, which includes Slay the Dragon, Cyclops Conspiracy, Gold Bay and Whitewater: A Thriller. (All of which are available in print, ebook and audiobook.)
McGinnis is one of the authors of Writer’s Success Secrets which hit #4 on the Wall Street Journal Best Seller List, #1 in Barnes and Noble, and #1 in all of its Amazon categories.
Bill’s other non-fiction books include Whitewater Rafting (long considered the bible of the sport), The Guide’s Guide Augmented: Reflections on Guiding Professional River Trips (used by river guides worldwide), Disaster on the Clearwater: Rafting Beyond the Limits, and Sailing the Greek Islands: Dancing with Cyclops.
When he’s not writing, Bill swims, builds stuff in his workshop, stares into space, listens to audiobooks, and explores new paths to adventure, friendship, and growth. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. His author’s website is WilliamMcGinnis.com.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 28, 2019
Ahh, to raft downriver once again surrounded by the inexpressible beauty of the Kern River canyon! But this time, in the midst of true danger, not that of Class V rapids which possess no real malevolence, but that of cartel criminals who threaten all of McGinnis' gentle humans, including the marvelous Tripnee and Adam Weldon, the superheroes of this story. This is truly a thriller, including constant action in and out of the water, in which Adam and Tripnee perform impossible feats to guarantee their survival (including an action packed river trip on the Forks of the Kern, the most truly gorgeous canyon in all of California -- I was there in 1980 with Bill McGinnis and Jim Cassady, who, reappears in this story as a Class V guide on the river, on the first raft trip ever on that stretch -- and can attest to its wonder and magic).
Full of the violence of a cartel that must be destroyed, the story follows our heroes on the ultimate quest to cleanse the Kern community of the diabolical illegal doings of a preacher gone mad and also discover who killed Adam's parents. This is a romping ride and a fun read that will take you downriver and through the Kern canyon above and below Lake Isabella in pursuit of Adam and Tripnee's foes. It's also filled with corny humor (why would anyone name their kid Dog Dog?) which might not work in any other thriller but works here as a relief from the tension of Class V rafting and Class V gun play. I hope Bill McGinnis' intent is to keep Adam and Tripnee together in future adventures continuing to take out the evil forces in the world!
Full of the violence of a cartel that must be destroyed, the story follows our heroes on the ultimate quest to cleanse the Kern community of the diabolical illegal doings of a preacher gone mad and also discover who killed Adam's parents. This is a romping ride and a fun read that will take you downriver and through the Kern canyon above and below Lake Isabella in pursuit of Adam and Tripnee's foes. It's also filled with corny humor (why would anyone name their kid Dog Dog?) which might not work in any other thriller but works here as a relief from the tension of Class V rafting and Class V gun play. I hope Bill McGinnis' intent is to keep Adam and Tripnee together in future adventures continuing to take out the evil forces in the world!
April 27, 2022
Whitewater: A Thriller, by William McGinnis (2012, 262pp). Admission: I really wanted to like this book. (McGinnis authored the best how-to guides about whitewater rafting and guiding, and for those I am indebted to him for life.) I do not read much fiction, so keep that in mind when reading this review. Unfortunately, the best I can say about it is that it was okay. The characters are almost cartoonish stereotypes (Kung fu fighting ex-Navy Seal and beautiful undercover FBI agent, the plot is rife with amazing coincidences, the death-defying finale is highly implausible, and the lustful boy-falls-in-love with the gorgeous girl theme is trite. As a whitewater boater I found the detailed descriptions of running rapids repetitive and boring. That said, I’ve read worse novels, including about whitewater boating. If you absolutely love good guys prevail over bad guys stories in an outdoor setting, with an added dollop of solid river running advice, you will probably enjoy this book. On the more positive side, I think this may have been McGinnis’ first attempt at fiction, so I’m guessing his later books are much improved.
July 22, 2024
White water rafting … not for the faint heart!
McGinnis captured my attention from chapter one until the end. My heart was in my throat during some of the whitewater rafting trips down the dangerous Kern River. I was mesmerized but so afraid of the outcome that I had to force myself to wade through the scary parts. The life-threatening rock-climbing escapades of Tripnee and Adam had the same effect on me. I was afraid to know the outcome, but I was hoping for the best! I guess that's why this book is a thriller!
Whitewater has a well-developed cast of characters, from drug dealers to a casino-owning preacher with questionable ties to drug dealing and smuggling. The whitewater rafting students are a strange assortment of people determined to learn how to guide people down the mighty Kern. McGinnis's description of the beautiful countryside and the attraction between Adam and Tripnee are the icing on the cake.
Reviewed by Marcia Dove, author of the Maggie McManus Mystery trilogy, Fatal Field Trip, Campus Casualty, and Wedding Woes.
McGinnis captured my attention from chapter one until the end. My heart was in my throat during some of the whitewater rafting trips down the dangerous Kern River. I was mesmerized but so afraid of the outcome that I had to force myself to wade through the scary parts. The life-threatening rock-climbing escapades of Tripnee and Adam had the same effect on me. I was afraid to know the outcome, but I was hoping for the best! I guess that's why this book is a thriller!
Whitewater has a well-developed cast of characters, from drug dealers to a casino-owning preacher with questionable ties to drug dealing and smuggling. The whitewater rafting students are a strange assortment of people determined to learn how to guide people down the mighty Kern. McGinnis's description of the beautiful countryside and the attraction between Adam and Tripnee are the icing on the cake.
Reviewed by Marcia Dove, author of the Maggie McManus Mystery trilogy, Fatal Field Trip, Campus Casualty, and Wedding Woes.
June 17, 2025
Whitewater is a fun novel, a thriller that can be a little predictable, but always entertaining. I loved the descriptions of the area around the Kern River and of riding its waves. But there's also an exciting plot involving a drug cartel and what happens when the bad guys find out that the main characters: Adam (a former navy seal) and Tripee (an undercover FBI agent) have learned too much about the cartel’s activities. There were times when I had to suspend disbelief, but that’s true with most thrillers. Overall, the book is interesting and a good summer read.
January 5, 2025
Excitement on Every Page!
This isn’t my first Adam Weldon book, but it should have been the first because it’s the introduction to Tripnee. But despite that, the storyline was strong and the perils were many as Adam & Tripnee battle the bad guys. At risk of being a spoiler, the good guys win!
This isn’t my first Adam Weldon book, but it should have been the first because it’s the introduction to Tripnee. But despite that, the storyline was strong and the perils were many as Adam & Tripnee battle the bad guys. At risk of being a spoiler, the good guys win!
September 25, 2024
Navy SEAL captain Adam Weldon refused to be eliminated amidst a conglomerate of powerful adversaries. Still, he survived and overcame not only on land but in rapidly churning water—a true, fast-paced page-turner. Me likey.
January 29, 2019
Cheesy plot line but still a fun story! Easy and entertaining read!
March 3, 2017
After reading the first few chapters on line, I knew this was going to be a fun read and I wasn't wrong. Having never been whitewater rafting or anything even close to it, it was exciting to follow our characters, Tripnee and Adam on their adventures on and around the Kern River. Although strangers, they each have their own reasons to be there: Adam, to find out who killed his parents when he was a child and Tripnee to stop the drug trade coming out of the area. Her cover has been blown and the drug dealers are intent on making sure she doesn't get out alive. Adam gets involved when he witnesses her car tumbling down a hill after being pushed off the road. Because he's a witness, now they need to get rid of him too. Two big bruisers who are especially tenacious in their pursuit of the pair, trap them in some tight spots. The methods by which the couple escapes these various predicaments take some inventive and rather McGyver-esque turns and soon they're off again to climb, dangle, raft and swim for their lives to avoid the goons who are after them and to discover the answers they need.
Through his story telling, Mr. McGinnis puts us in the rubber rafts and lets us experience the excitement and tension of crashing through churning rapids, over waterfalls with "keeper holes", dodging outcropping rocks, all the while feeling the fear of a sniper waiting to take his shot. . I could almost feel the torrents of cold water crashing over me as we ran the river. It also made me realize how much teamwork is involved in the sport and how skilled the guides have to be. The fact that the story takes place in real locations in Northern California is a plus for me as his descriptions are vivid and appealing. Makes me want to go and explore it myself. Thanks for the ride Mr. McGinnis.
Through his story telling, Mr. McGinnis puts us in the rubber rafts and lets us experience the excitement and tension of crashing through churning rapids, over waterfalls with "keeper holes", dodging outcropping rocks, all the while feeling the fear of a sniper waiting to take his shot. . I could almost feel the torrents of cold water crashing over me as we ran the river. It also made me realize how much teamwork is involved in the sport and how skilled the guides have to be. The fact that the story takes place in real locations in Northern California is a plus for me as his descriptions are vivid and appealing. Makes me want to go and explore it myself. Thanks for the ride Mr. McGinnis.
November 5, 2013
Thrilling and Chilling:
In Whitewater, McGinnis takes you on a thrilling ride down the Kern River rapids. His expert rafting knowledge and storytelling craft puts you smack-dab in the boat with a paddle in hand and water spraying in your face. Along the way you’ll meet ruthless cartel thugs that are running a thriving drug business on the river banks, and who hunt and kill people for sport. Whitewater contains wonderful scenery development and a supercharged plot. I recommend this chilling adventure with nail-biting twists and turns.
In Whitewater, McGinnis takes you on a thrilling ride down the Kern River rapids. His expert rafting knowledge and storytelling craft puts you smack-dab in the boat with a paddle in hand and water spraying in your face. Along the way you’ll meet ruthless cartel thugs that are running a thriving drug business on the river banks, and who hunt and kill people for sport. Whitewater contains wonderful scenery development and a supercharged plot. I recommend this chilling adventure with nail-biting twists and turns.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews