Dead of Night [Mass Market Paperback]

After eleven previous Doc Ford novels, Randy Wayne White is only now being widely recognized as the talented craftsman that his long time fans have always known and appreciated.

To the newcomers, Doc Ford is the brainy marine biologist and owner of Sanibel Biological Supply, which he runs out of this "house on stilts" overlooking Dinkins Bay on Sanibel Island, Florida. On occasion however, he is also a pest exterminator in a highly secretive and covert intelligence organization of the United States Government. In this instance "pests" are of the human kind.

Trust me when I tell you to stick with this book. Dead of Night starts out a little slow and may leave you wonder what all the fuss is about. In fact the book didn't actually grab me until I was nearly 70 pages deep (67 to be exact). Groundwork having been laid, the book turns to sticky paper as the action really heats up! On the other hand there are places in this book where the urge to put it down is strong but NOT for the reasons you might think. Truth is, the storytelling in this book gets so good at times that you can't help thinking "this is fabulous, but White can't possible keep the story going at this pace so I better set it down at a good point." Don't do it! White just adds layer upon layer of interest and intrigue to his story and the deeper you go the better it gets. This time White has Doc Ford trying to out think the mastermind behind an insideous plot to devalue real estate in Florida by way of ecological disaster on a grand scale. Not only must Ford discover who is behind this new deadly form of terrorism but he must also find a way to contain the disaster before it spreads out of control.

Dead of Night is a thoroughly enjoyable read and I highly recommend it!

Eco-Terrorism seems to the current fad amongst thriller writers, and no one has done it better that Randy White. "Can't put it down" is probably one of the most over used - and subject to exaggeration - lines in a review, but this is one of just two books I read in the past few years that I finished in one day (I am a slow reader). I recall reading an early review of this book, and the writer wondered why such a skilled and articulate writer as Randy White did not have a greater following than he does - and I agree. This is the first of the Doc Ford books I have read - and believe me, the first of what will be many.

I found the plot similar to other eco-terrorism books, but the pacing of the book almost never let up. This is a fast paced ... and fast paced book. Only rarely does White slow down and let you catch your breath, and that is generally to introduce and draw out a new character. Having never read a Randy White book before, the central character - Marion Ford - was new to me. I was fascinated at how this character was introduced and how he changed as the book progressed. At first, Ford is a middle aged Marine Biologist with tendencies that many of us can relate to - rather be at home more and more as he grew older; misses his routine; and has unusual and largely unsuccessful amorous relationships. By the end of the book, this is a well trained, physically fit, government operative that can easily take of terrorists, KGB and the likes (all of which he will by books end). Great character development - and slight of hand.

No matter how good a plot or well drawn the characters may be, outstanding books are also ones that pay attention to detail. And often, are informative and educational. The expertise that White shows in his study of exotic insects and their habits is quite amazing. The amount of research that went into this book is prodigious. While I am sure that White imbues each book with a wealth of marine biological lore, this book has even more to teach about primates, insects, and ecological balance. There is simply an amazing amount of information in this book - not mention the great read.

No point in giving away the plot - suffice it to say the venue is Florida and the Bahamas; all the characters are well drawn and well developed; and the action never stops. You will walk away from this book wondering why you haven't discovered Randy White earlier.

A couple installments ago Doc Ford seemed to be drifting. I was worried. Would I lose my favorite west coast of Florida , marina, fishcamp, biologist hero? Well here's the answer. The Doc is really back and in his role as a biologist is central to the plot. A reader never gets the feeling that something is being dragged in, that events are being delayed. We all know that temptation to skip to the end. Well-- it's not here in this novel. What a great collection of baddies: Human and biological. I'll leave the humans for later, but the biologicals are nasty memories from my undergraduate days in invertebrate zoology lab. "For heaven's sake, don't cut yourself on a broken slide!" The central beastie being "Dracunculus medenensis" :a nasty nematode aka - the fiery serpent. And a few actual serpents, cobras, mambas, etc., are thrown in as well. Then there are the ex-KGBers, replete with needles and needle shooting shotguns, and other events to build a romp: a great shark rescue, an aquatic version of a car chase, and for Tomlinson a catfish attack that makes moste males wish for an electric catfish instead.

The simplicity of the land development scheme- infest Florida, drive down the land prices and then cure the infestation and surf off to wealth on the tidal wave of profit, is the sort of device which allows the other events to happen. It even motivates them. Which is more than anyone has yet figured out about pirhanas, walking catfish and hissing roaches turned loose in the wilds of this country which probably prompts the scheme. If you like the Doc, read this one.