Potluck: Hard times and opportunity collide on the high seas.

by Jack Rudloe

Preston Barfield is an upstanding small-family commercial fisherman whose vanishing way of life on the Gulf Coast of Florida pressures him into accepting an offer he can't refuse. When Preston gets a panicked call from his brother-in-law Lupino that his boat is on fire, he turns his shrimp trawler offshore to the rescue, only to find Lupino's burning boat filled with smugglers and marijuana. Hard times
and desperation force his hand into adventures he never imagined.
The "Forgotten Coast" is forgotten no longer in this riveting novel of
plain folks on the edge. A major inside story of this culturally rich area
is finally told.

Potluck is a page-turning thriller about a decent captain who decides, in extremity, to take a big risk. It's the only realistic picture of small family commercial fishing on the Gulf Coast of Florida and the problems and temptations that confront it. Corrupt forces on all sides are pushing this stalwart breed of Americans into desperation or extinction. But they still do their best to feed us. If you've ever wondered what the lives are like behind the few fishing boats you still see along the coast, look no further. A rare look at the broad and surprising impacts of drug smuggling, misguided regulation and realtor greed along the coast. Author Rudloe is the pre-eminent conservationist of the Florida Gulf Coast, author of highly regarded naturalist books, and operator of the only independent (and thus frequently bureaucratically besieged) marine institute in the region.

REVIEW: "Jack Rudloe's non-fiction account of living on the Gulf Coast, The Living Dock at Panacea, is a Florida classic that ranks with Cross Creek. In Potluck, Rudloe proves he can handle fiction with the same energy and insightful style."—Randy Wayne White (Shark River, Sanibel Flats)

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?