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It's been many years since the unsuspecting teenage girl found an ancient gold medallion off the Florida Gulf Coast, a medallion that would bring her nightmares, rob her of sleep and, ultimately, drive her to suicide. Now, years later, the girl's mother is being terrorized-by break-ins, by phone calls and by the desecration of her daughter's grave. Someone wants the medallion. Someone is willing to pay any price. And for marine biologist Doc Ford, the search for that someone will lead him into a shadowy world of ancient ritual and modern corruption, to an evil that was born in the past but lives in the present
Carl Hiaasen
White takes us places that no other Florida mystery writer can hope to find.
Denver Post
A wild, dangerous adventure.
Boston Globe
Taut and engrossing.
Chicago Tribune
One of the most satisfying thrillers in recent memory.
Miami Herald
Thrilling and strangely moving.
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Of all the writers currently exploiting the Florida mayhem boom, only White can claim to have created a series hero, marine biologist Marion "Doc" Ford, to match Hemingway's memorable outdoorsmen and John D. MacDonald's much-missed Travis McGee. Some of the Ford books have been unfocused, but White's seventh (after 1998's The Mangrove Coast) is one of the strongest, rich with not only evocative images ("I spooked a school of redfish that angled away as a herd, pushing an acre of waking water") but also with an unusually deep cast of characters. Ford himself is in top form, quickly convincing readers that he cares as much about his real job (capturing snook for a lab working to improve the breed) as he does about solving a mystery--in this case, why the grave of a 15-year-old girl who had an uncanny ability to find things has been desecrated. Somebody is after a 400-year-old gold medallion that she unearthed, a relic of the Calusa Indians. Besides Ford's scene-stealing druggy sidekick, Tomlinson, there are some very interesting female characters: the dead girl herself, with whom Ford turns out to have a strange connection; her gutsy mother, a tough waitress working to keep her daughter's memory alive and unsullied; a young archeologist and an older local woman who take Ford's mind off his former lover. Even the obvious villains, a wealthy and politically powerful father-and-son team, are saved from being clich s by some original touches. But the real star is the seascape of Florida, something that Ford--and White--know intimately. National tour. (June) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|
Kirkus Reviews
Key Largo bartender Della Copeland is another of that seemingly inexhaustible supply of strong-yet-vulnerable females who can't survive without the help of Dr. Marion Ford. Fifteen years after her daughter Dorothy dug up a mysterious gold medallion on Marco Island and started to have even more mysterious visions before she was found hanging from a tree, Della's home has been ransacked by somebody looking for the medallion—or whatever other talismans he can lay his hands on. Is the would-be thief Ivan Bauerstock, the magnate who owns half of Marco Island? Teddy Bauerstock, the dead-eyed charmer his old man's grooming for the state senate and points north? Bauerstock contractor Frank Rossi, whose own son Tony bids fair to follow in his father's slimy footsteps? A savior-for-hire who seems to worship at the shrine of Travis McGee can't go wrong assuming everybody on the horizon is out to make trouble for the ladies, and standing ready to repel the monstrous males one by one. And that's just what Doc Ford, who'd have you believe he'd rather be supplying marine specimens to the Mote Marine Laboratory than mixing it up with the bad guys, does—with results more stimulating to the adrenal glands than the cerebral cortex. Memo to more sensitive guys: the suggestion that Dorothy may be Doc's repeatedly reincarnated astral soulmate, tragically dead less than 20 short years before they were to meet, should help you decide whether Doc's seventh adventure (The Mangrove Coast, 1998, etc.) is for you.
From the Publisher
One of the most satisfying thrillers in recent memory.”—Chicago Tribune
“This latest entry in the Doc Ford series is one of the strongest…A taut story of modern greed and violence. Plenty of great twists…make this one of the most satisfying thrillers in recent memory.”—Chicago Tribune“We can’t think of a better way to spend a summer afternoon than curled up with this book…A wild dangerous adventure…Breathless action.”—The Denver Post
“A powerful look at Florida’s heart of darkness…A rapid-fire tale that will snare readers like a treble hook…No on around today writes as well about Florida…Rough-edged and violent…One of the best in a series that is as good as anything being written today.”—The Tampa Tribune
“When it comes to Florida, White is positively lyrical…Marvelous description, good plotting, and plenty of action.”—Florida Times-Union“No one evokes life along the sultry mangrove coast of Southwest Florida as perfectly…White’s best book yet.”—Albuquerque Tribune
“White…can be counted on to produce the real goods…And although he’s subtle about the atmospherics, when White cranks up the momentum, he tosses in everything.”—The Palm Beach Post“Fast-paced…This is Key Largo meets Wild Kingdom.”—The News and Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
“White writes with an obvious knowledge and love of Florida’s west coast, an intimacy made possible only by living here, and one which helps make the book a pleasant summer escape.”—Sarasota Herald-Tribune
“Maintains an edgy sense of adventure…White’s strong sense of place and people keep us wanting to return to Florida’s west coast.”—The Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)
JUN/JUL 06 - AudioFile
Fans of mysteries, testosterone-filled tales, and descriptions of warm Florida weather will love this book, another in the author's Doc Ford series. This one finds Ford investigating an unsolved 15-year-old murder case and a powerful political family in the Florida Keys. Ron McLarty's gravelly voice sets the tone right away, and he carries the action forward with brute force and an occasional snide remark. While McLarty does not have a wide range of characters in his repertoire, he has enough to make this book memorable. He has just the right pacing but doesn't let himself get carried away. It's a compact book, but McLarty makes sure it packs a powerful punch. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
