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Doc Ford #23
Deep Blue
The remarkable, stellar new entry in the Doc Ford series from New York Times–bestselling author Randy Wayne White.
Half-eaten dolphins are washing ashore on Sanibel Island, and it’s a nightmare. There’s a predator out there, and whatever it is, tourists are staying away and businesses are hurting badly. Doc Ford has a theory about that, but he hopes he’s wrong. Because if he’s not, there’s a predator out there, all right, but it’s nothing like anyone supposes. It’s human, and very determined—and it’s on a collision course with everyone on the island.
Half-eaten dolphins are washing ashore on Sanibel Island, and it’s a nightmare. There’s a predator out there, and whatever it is, tourists are staying away and businesses are hurting badly. Doc Ford has a theory about that, but he hopes he’s wrong. Because if he’s not, there’s a predator out there, all right, but it’s nothing like anyone supposes. It’s human, and very determined—and it’s on a collision course with everyone on the island.
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First published March 15, 2016
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About the author
Randy Wayne White
78 books1,596 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 - 30 of 234 reviews
October 2, 2018
This was a great book. It was hard to find somebody to cheer for, however the plot was many layered and there were a lot of surprises.
It was fast paced for the most part.
I would recommend this book to all.
Enjoy and Be Blessed
It was fast paced for the most part.
I would recommend this book to all.
Enjoy and Be Blessed
March 31, 2016
Finally a throw back to the old Doc Ford. Best installment in a while. Much more suspense than the last few. Kinda left us hanging at the end, but at least you know there will be another. Not much biologist, but more assassin. Not much marina either. Hope the next one is as good.
April 2, 2018
I think maybe this is the 19th of 20 books in a series...or thereabouts. More to the point, this is my first experience reading about Doc Ford and his fellow boat owners at Dinkins Bay down Florida way. I was greatly entertained by the interactions with Tomlinson, in particular, but also the pace of unusual covert activities mixed with marine biologist persona.
Wildly imaginative powers of technological intelligence are granted to a young entrepreneur intent on forcing the Doc to kill his father for him, coinciding with a failed mission where Doc left a job unfinished.
There are sightings of great white sharks (in Florida?!), submarines, advanced drones with unbelievable capabilities, crazy people who seem to gravitate to the area and non-stop Zen quotes from Tomlinson followed up by "How high are you?" from the Doc.
I think I tried one of these books and quickly got it off my kindle - but after reading this book and not being able to put it down I'm on board.
Thanks to Col for reviewing one of these books and bringing author to my attention.
Wildly imaginative powers of technological intelligence are granted to a young entrepreneur intent on forcing the Doc to kill his father for him, coinciding with a failed mission where Doc left a job unfinished.
There are sightings of great white sharks (in Florida?!), submarines, advanced drones with unbelievable capabilities, crazy people who seem to gravitate to the area and non-stop Zen quotes from Tomlinson followed up by "How high are you?" from the Doc.
I think I tried one of these books and quickly got it off my kindle - but after reading this book and not being able to put it down I'm on board.
Thanks to Col for reviewing one of these books and bringing author to my attention.
December 23, 2016
Another good entry in White's dependable series starring marine biologist/black ops assassin Doc Ford. Setting on Sanibel Island adds interesting marine life and a large cast of familiar, involving, quirky characters. This time we see more of Ford's covert work--and the failed mission brings danger to all his friends on Sanibel. There's marine life as well: half-eaten dolphins are washing up on the beach, and keeping tourists away. The predator turns out to be worse than Ford fears. Urgent pacing, as White "ramps up the tension" and moves the story along at breakneck speed; familiar series characters; lots of adventure in this cinematic plot line and violence, with the requisite plot twists and action; "high-tech, grand scale adventure" that will remind readers of James Bond with villains and toys, but there are also sophisticated weapons and computer hacking; witty, colorful, descriptive style and very engaging writing; gritty tone, but there's humor too, along with danger and suspense. Colorful characters and action make a good series.
October 2, 2018
Most of this book was more exciting than the last Doc Ford I read (#25). Unfortunately, Mr. White again exhibited the issues that plague all the later Doc Ford stories in this series: uneven pace, poor editing and a somewhat disjointed plot. To top it off, the ending was unsatisfying - nothing more than a taster for the next novel in the series. This is OK in magazine serials but lazy and uninspiring in a supposedly stand-alone novel, even if part of a series. Boo! Well, you know what they say about resting on one’s laurels.
Read
March 28, 2016Started out good but for me the dialog was awkward. I lost interest then some where in the middle I had to skip to the end.
March 19, 2020
An exciting, but often confusing tale, with no real ending. Ford is matching wits with a Bondian villain and, of course, the villain is very much overmatched. Also Pete does not translate to Pablo in Spanish. Try to, at least, get the basics correct. Recommended only to die-hard Ford fans.
June 10, 2016
Twenty-six years is a long time to keep a character going. A long time to come up with fresh ideas. A long time for any writer to hold form. Kudos to Randy White for sticking with it. I'm happy to report that the vintage Doc is back along with the Dinkins Bay crowd.
The Doc Ford series started in 1990 with Sanibel Flats and now stands at 23 episodes. The early stories that set up the characters were interesting and fun to read. Doc was a genuinely captivating leading man with a somewhat murky past. Many of the Dinkins Bay Marina characters mentioned in Deep Blue have, over the years, added charm to the series and been featured in earlier stories.
As the series progressed, Randy White's writing style changed and Doc became less personable. His primary sidekick, the brilliant pot smoking zen master former militant activist, Tomlinson, a big part of the success of the early stories, seemed to all but disappear; so did the rest of the supporting cast. Later stories were read in the hope that White would circle back to writing more like he did at the outset: feature Doc, but also continue to include the zany characters that live at Dinkins Bay.
Set in Sanibel Island, home of the marina, and Mexico, Deep Blue brought back not only most of the locals, but also prominently featured Doc's dog, a highly trained Golden Retriever who adopted Doc several books back. White's subject matter is always interesting and educational, and Deep Blue is no exception. Reflecting the changing technology of the twenty-first century, Doc with his old school special ops training and skills is pitted against a young computer genius who is engineering some pretty advanced software and playing with some very expensive cutting edge military toys.
A few new characters, some unexpected twists along with a heavy dose of Tomlinson, and Randy White was once again exciting and fun to read. Not to mention an ending that could, well, be an ending, if you catch my meaning, if you catch my drift.
The Doc Ford series started in 1990 with Sanibel Flats and now stands at 23 episodes. The early stories that set up the characters were interesting and fun to read. Doc was a genuinely captivating leading man with a somewhat murky past. Many of the Dinkins Bay Marina characters mentioned in Deep Blue have, over the years, added charm to the series and been featured in earlier stories.
As the series progressed, Randy White's writing style changed and Doc became less personable. His primary sidekick, the brilliant pot smoking zen master former militant activist, Tomlinson, a big part of the success of the early stories, seemed to all but disappear; so did the rest of the supporting cast. Later stories were read in the hope that White would circle back to writing more like he did at the outset: feature Doc, but also continue to include the zany characters that live at Dinkins Bay.
Set in Sanibel Island, home of the marina, and Mexico, Deep Blue brought back not only most of the locals, but also prominently featured Doc's dog, a highly trained Golden Retriever who adopted Doc several books back. White's subject matter is always interesting and educational, and Deep Blue is no exception. Reflecting the changing technology of the twenty-first century, Doc with his old school special ops training and skills is pitted against a young computer genius who is engineering some pretty advanced software and playing with some very expensive cutting edge military toys.
A few new characters, some unexpected twists along with a heavy dose of Tomlinson, and Randy White was once again exciting and fun to read. Not to mention an ending that could, well, be an ending, if you catch my meaning, if you catch my drift.
October 15, 2019
I generally like Doc Ford novels, but this one felt a little too cluttered. Great white shark (or is it), killer whales (or is it), a jihadists who's a falied actor, drones and more drones, a submarine, a hand-held laser that has incredible power, and an evil computer genius. All of this packed into this one book, and maybe it's just a little too much. Tomlinson and some of the Dinkins Bay crew are of course featured, and Doc Ford does battle with evil in Mexico while receiving some unexpected help. But as White attempts to shoe-horn Doc Ford into this era of every-increasing stealth and dark forces, the fit is not always just right. And in this case it felt that there was just a little too much foot or not enough shoe; things just weren't comfortable.
May 18, 2016
It's been a while since I've read a Doc Ford novel and this one just made me want to read more! If I could I would have given it a 4.5 star rating. It begins with Doc in Mexico for his secret agency. And continues back at the Marina and the Gulf and Mexico again. There are the usual characters from the Marina, Tomlinson and some very sociopathic bad guys along with a new character I am sure we will meet again. All in all a great read.
April 18, 2018
Deep Blue (Doc Ford, #23) by Randy Wayne White.
Marion "Doc" Ford is a marine biologist working out of Sanibel Island, Florida. That makes up part of Doc's life, the other part is as an OPS assassin with all the training it takes to be efficient at his job.
Three people have been executed ISIS style and it was all caught on tape...and not by accident. Doc has to prevent any other people from this same fate.
This is one entertaining story with so much wrapped up inside of it the excitement kept me focused. I especially enjoyed the deep sea diving experience and the feverish anticipation of what was coming next. Doc's dog, Pete, also had an important role at least in doc's life which was an additional plus for me. Doc Ford is a character I can follow and sunny Florida is a setting I appreciate.
Marion "Doc" Ford is a marine biologist working out of Sanibel Island, Florida. That makes up part of Doc's life, the other part is as an OPS assassin with all the training it takes to be efficient at his job.
Three people have been executed ISIS style and it was all caught on tape...and not by accident. Doc has to prevent any other people from this same fate.
This is one entertaining story with so much wrapped up inside of it the excitement kept me focused. I especially enjoyed the deep sea diving experience and the feverish anticipation of what was coming next. Doc's dog, Pete, also had an important role at least in doc's life which was an additional plus for me. Doc Ford is a character I can follow and sunny Florida is a setting I appreciate.
June 28, 2016
This series has really deteriorated over the years. I've read every one and the first 10 or so were uniformly excellent. However, the last few have grown increasingly more tedious. Too much Tomlinson and not enough Ford. Tomlinson's increased role and character arc from hippie to religious leader has not served the Doc Ford stories well. This series is no longer a must read for me.
September 23, 2017
First part of the book was promising, but it fell into the same patterns as White's most recent books, which is not a compliment or a good thing. This once outstanding series has (spoiler alert!) gone to the dogs...
November 27, 2016
Either I'm getting tired of reading this series or the author is getting tired of writing it. It's become just weird.
January 31, 2024
This week has been devoted to reading a couple of Doc Ford novels that I missed along the way...I really love the Fort Meyers area, so I easily picture the settings in and around Sanibel Island...In "Deep Blue," Ford, Tomlinson, and the whole Dinkins Bay group are under attack by a psychotic tech billionaire due to a Spec Ops failure in Doc Ford's operating in his covert work...Just the usual good stuff!
April 3, 2025
After a failed mission in Mexico Doc Ford returns to the marina in Dinkins Bay. A billionaire hacker has his panties in a bunch and figures on taking revenge not only on Ford, but all the residents.
June 26, 2016
After White's last disaster with Cuba Straits, and the way his writing has consistently gone downhill, I did not think I would be giving him another chance. I am the sort of person who reads the introductory material as well as other items the author thought it important to include. Sadly, on the page with two quotes at the beginning. we see a quote from Darwin as related by Jim Cutler of Mote Marine Laboratory. Cutler is listed as a Staff Scisentist at Mote. Wondering what the heck a scisentist might be, I looked at the Mote Lab staff. There is no Cutler on staff. He misspelled the name. It is Culter. So he also messed up on scisentist. The man has grown lazy.
I read the book in order to be fair. It was better than Cuba Straits, which I could not force myself to complete. The book has way more tech than usual, much less interplay between the denizens of Dinkin's Bay and Doc than usual. There is a lot less biology, and zero of his usual environmental comments. There is way too much Tomlinson, a character I do not like. The plot is very convoluted and confusing. Finally, it is ultimately unsatisfying and very brutal. I am not ready to totally give up White's books, but I do not know why I keep trying. I no longer find his characters interesting, likeable, or intriguing in any way.
I read the book in order to be fair. It was better than Cuba Straits, which I could not force myself to complete. The book has way more tech than usual, much less interplay between the denizens of Dinkin's Bay and Doc than usual. There is a lot less biology, and zero of his usual environmental comments. There is way too much Tomlinson, a character I do not like. The plot is very convoluted and confusing. Finally, it is ultimately unsatisfying and very brutal. I am not ready to totally give up White's books, but I do not know why I keep trying. I no longer find his characters interesting, likeable, or intriguing in any way.
April 21, 2017
When on Sanibel, read Sanibel. This was one of the sillier RW White outings, and they usually are when the hero is in his role as an assassin for the variety of government agencies he's employed by. But entertaining, as always, there are futuristic drones, personal submarines, and drives down Tarpon Bay Road, past Bailey's and that new rum bar across the street (product placement). On Sanibel, it makes sense reading about middle-aged and senior citizens having sexy romps, and murderous adventures. Mostly, however, I've found they sit at the tables at Bailey's, drink the free coffee and talk about how great things are with 45 in office. BTW, I finally discovered Gene's Bookstore on Sanibel. Where have I been? An amazing collection of mysteries from the US and Europe. Looks small on the outside, but is a deep cavern of literature inside.
March 17, 2016
(2 1/2). Doc Ford has really evolved. He is now a full time International spy/sleuth/agent type guy. Rarely do we stay in Dinkins Bay anymore but we manage to still have Hannah Smith and some other striking women around frequently. The bad guys in this one take us to a new level, but, as expected, Doc is up to the task. Tomlinson still is a major player in these books and he is always entertaining. Very acceptable mystery/thriller comfort food. Turn off your mind and turn the pages.
June 21, 2016
RPL Audio
Very confusing book due to the author's constantly having reference to conversations that he does not record. Attempt to add suspense just gives questions. Also jumping around to other locales. Again, trying to built suspense and just leaves the reader (listener in this case) scratching their head and going back to see what they missed. Author also assumes that reader has read 22 previous Doc Ford books. Believe me, I will not.
Very confusing book due to the author's constantly having reference to conversations that he does not record. Attempt to add suspense just gives questions. Also jumping around to other locales. Again, trying to built suspense and just leaves the reader (listener in this case) scratching their head and going back to see what they missed. Author also assumes that reader has read 22 previous Doc Ford books. Believe me, I will not.
May 27, 2018
I thought this book was just okay. It might be because it's the 23rd book in a series I just picked up so there's a lot of back story or maybe it's just an okay book. It felt like it jumped around a lot and I never really got into caring about the characters or why the main character is doing what he did. I picked the book because of the synopsis on the back cover but that was really more of a side story than the main plot. I might give this author another try but it might be a while.
November 24, 2016
Disjointed hard to follow
I have enjoyed his previous books but this book was like he put a bunch of bad stories and tried to shape into a complete book to meet some deadline....don't waste your time
I have enjoyed his previous books but this book was like he put a bunch of bad stories and tried to shape into a complete book to meet some deadline....don't waste your time
February 19, 2016
I won this book from Goodreads First Reads. This is the second book I've read by this author. I like the way it flows and look forward to reading all his books.
October 3, 2016
So tired of Doc and his super talents and encryptions that I DNF. GOODBYE Randy Wayne White.
November 11, 2016
I love the earlier Doc Ford books. Books 19>> not so much. Seemed like different writer.
Try the earlier ones if you like C.J. Box or Joseph Heywood books.
Try the earlier ones if you like C.J. Box or Joseph Heywood books.
March 30, 2018
Fast-paced thriller. It didn't end, it just stopped.
May 21, 2025
Maybe I’m suffering from a nasty case of series fatigue. Maybe I’m really struggling with the commercial narrator of this book. I really don’t know, but I’m struggling to review this book, and I struggled to finish it.
It’s not without its bizarre highlights. At one point, someone resuscitates Doc Ford’s dog after it leaps into the ocean to retrieve something and becomes entangled in the thing it sought to retrieve.
White decides to show you Ford the assassin here. He draws assignments to solve sensitive problems for an enigmatic federal agency. Naturally, the veterinarian who treats the dog gets into the sex stuff with Ford’s hippy friend.
I’ll press on and finish the series. I just wish someone else had narrated this. Michael Russotto narrated the early books. He was at that time an NLS contractor, and no one read them with the magnificence he applied to those early books. I’ll bet had he narrated this, I’d have labeled it five stars or more. The narrator can really make a huge difference.
It’s not without its bizarre highlights. At one point, someone resuscitates Doc Ford’s dog after it leaps into the ocean to retrieve something and becomes entangled in the thing it sought to retrieve.
White decides to show you Ford the assassin here. He draws assignments to solve sensitive problems for an enigmatic federal agency. Naturally, the veterinarian who treats the dog gets into the sex stuff with Ford’s hippy friend.
I’ll press on and finish the series. I just wish someone else had narrated this. Michael Russotto narrated the early books. He was at that time an NLS contractor, and no one read them with the magnificence he applied to those early books. I’ll bet had he narrated this, I’d have labeled it five stars or more. The narrator can really make a huge difference.
April 19, 2017
Another entertaining adventure with Ford, Tomlinson, and the rest of the gang at Dinkins' Bay Marina.
During a mission to execute an ISIS executioner, Doc Ford becomes entangled in a web that includes a double agent, an Australian activist turned terrorist, and the Australian's son, a genius billionaire in the tech industry who could've easily fit in as a James Bond villain.
I inadvertently read this one out of order, having read the 24th in the series first. It turns out that it wasn't that vital even though there are story threads that run through the series.
During a mission to execute an ISIS executioner, Doc Ford becomes entangled in a web that includes a double agent, an Australian activist turned terrorist, and the Australian's son, a genius billionaire in the tech industry who could've easily fit in as a James Bond villain.
I inadvertently read this one out of order, having read the 24th in the series first. It turns out that it wasn't that vital even though there are story threads that run through the series.
February 24, 2018
AUTHOR White, Randy Wayne
TITLE: Deep Blue
DATE READ 02/23/2018
RATING 4/B
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Crime Fiction/2016/Putnam/7 CD's
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #23
CHARACTERS Doc Ford/Marine Biologist
TIME/PLACE: 2015/Florida
COMMENTS Doc Ford's 2nd secret profession brings things a little too close to home in Sanibel Island. He is out to make sure an American working with ISIS will no longer be available to associate with ISIS.
TITLE: Deep Blue
DATE READ 02/23/2018
RATING 4/B
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Crime Fiction/2016/Putnam/7 CD's
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #23
CHARACTERS Doc Ford/Marine Biologist
TIME/PLACE: 2015/Florida
COMMENTS Doc Ford's 2nd secret profession brings things a little too close to home in Sanibel Island. He is out to make sure an American working with ISIS will no longer be available to associate with ISIS.
March 17, 2019
Doc Ford is a marine biologist and a clandestine operator based on Sanibel Island Florida. He has a stilt house on the beach by a marina community full of a mixed bag of characters who all seem to get along despite their varied histories. When Doc gets back form a ops in Mexico he soon spots several drones flying about his house and manages to shoot down a couple of them. Besides seeing life in the marina community we follow Doc"s fights with the oner of the drones and repercussions from his operation in Mexico. It was a quick moving book and interesting with the quirky residents of the marina to keep it light.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews