Potluck

by Jack Rudloe

When Hard Times and Opportunity Collide on the High Seas you get a Thrilling "First"!"Potluck" is a page-turning thriller. It's also the only novel to tell the true-to-life story of the epidemic of drug smuggling that hit the Gulf Coast small towns in the 70's. It's also the only realistic depiction of the everyday life of the small-time commercial fishermen who were the bedrock of coastal culture but who are now nearly extinct. Several important firsts in this acclaimed thriller make for an exciting and educational read!Author Jack Rudloe is a independent insider on the Gulf Coast of the Florida Panhandle, the most recent great place to receive a total onslaught of Disneyfication. An effective, longterm fighter for conservation, Rudloe had set out to write the first nonfiction book about small family shrimping, a bellwether trade for the region. What he discovered instead prompted him to write his first novel.Rudloe found that as family fishing is forced into extinction due to greedy realtors, some die-hards refuse to give up their boats and shoreline property and turn instead to making the dangerous "run" to smuggle drugs in a desperate attempt to save their families. It's an astonishing case of traditional Baptist small-town people getting caught up in global crime. What resulted is this amazing tale.Top writers praised "Potluck," a book the major publishers wouldn't touch.Rudloe is the founder of Gulf Specimen, the only independent marine institute on the Gulf coast. He's a two-fisted writer whose articles have appeared in National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and many others. He has been on network morning shows many times. He is the author of six acclaimed marine naturalism books, including "The Living Dock" and "The Erotic Ocean."

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2003

Reviews

[Jeff Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a licensed boat captain for 30 years and found Jack Rudloe's characterization of Captain Preston Barfield's love for his boat and the sea spot on. Potluck's portrayal of captains eking out a living in the dying shrimp harvesting business, while desperately trying to support their families and crew members, rings true. It's easy to see why even captains with the best of integrity fall prey to the big money offered in the dope hauling business.

This book will keep the saltiest of sailors on the edge of their seats as Preston battles pirates, thieves, double-crossing dope peddlers, mechanical failures, foul weather, and unfamiliar waters to earn a huge payoff. If you like constant tension in your seafaring adventures, Potluck delivers.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read, interesting view of life as shrimpers and drug runners. Factual descriptions of the big bend coastal areas and boating life in general.

[Aldo Schipper · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was an interesting book that read kind of like a book written in a way that made it seem the author wanted it to be made into action movie.

[Chrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiction by Jack Rudloe. A good read. Did you know that Randy Wayne White's 'Doc Ford' character was inspired by Jack?