Customer Rating:      Summary: Fast paced thriller Comment: Let me begin with a disclosure: I'm a big fan of Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford series. To be honest, some of them are better than others. _Hunter's Moon_ is one of the best. While the story is a bit far-fetched, I am willing to suspend my belief for the sake of a good story - White doesn't disappoint. For readers who are not familiar with the characters, I would recommend reading them in sequence, as there are some references to previous events that background information makes the story richer.
The book is fast paced - it takes place over the course of only a few days, which serves to heighten both the tension and the action. I was disappointed in the books drifting away from the southwest Florida setting that I know and love, but White's snappy writing and allusions to the moon (a knowing wink and nod to close readers) and other literary devices made up for it. This is as close to "literature" as one gets in a genre rife with hack authors. White can *write*. The conclusion to the book was familar - White borrowed heavily from an essay he wrote after 9/11: "An Open Letter to Those Who Hide Behind the Caskets of Innocents." Powerfu stuff magnified by the story's climax.
Fans of RWW will not be disappointed. _Hunter's Moon_ is among the best of the Doc Ford novels. For those unfamiliar with the series or the author, I recommend him - both his fiction and non-fiction are excellent.
Customer Rating:      Summary: The Weakest Link in a Strong Series Comment: I have enjoyed the Doc Ford series until this entry came along. The plot, too silly for words, concerns an ex-president in disguise, running around the Gulf of Mexico on a mission of revenge, guided by Doc and his stoner buddy Tomlinson.
If this nonsense is indicative of future episodes, I suggest White drop the series and start writing comic books.
Customer Rating:      Summary: A bit disappointed. Comment: I'm a huge RWW fan, probably read all his books and a few Randy Striker series too. I've even been to his bar a couple of times on Sanibel Island, FL while vactioning there. This book didn't grab me like his others have. I didn't care much about the ex-pres Kal Wilson. His charcter seemed very wooden to me. Also, there wasn't enough Tomlinson in there either. BTW I think I may have even seen him last month sitting in a boat behind the Waffle House on Fort Meyers Beach reading a book! ;-)
Customer Rating:      Summary: Doc Ford Rocks Comment: Was that title catchy enough? This is my first experience with the author and his almost Indiana Jones type hero, Doc Ford. It's a fun, book with plenty of action that holds the reader's attention. Of course, it has the aspects of personal tie in, the damsel in distress, the psychotic serial killer, revenge, people with a mysterious past, and good triumphing over evil. I don't agree with the praise of some critics who laud the writer's style as poetic but I also don't villify the work as some do. Read this book for what it is and don't expect the great American novel.
The climax of the book is surprising as it is not the demise of the villian that is most important but a speech given shortly after. The author uses the setting to present the highlights of Western philosophy in contrast with Middle Eastern radicalism. This almost appears to be a growing genre of fiction that uses heroism and bravery, not to promote American patriotism, but compare democratic ideals with oppressive ideologies. The book has a strong ending that ties everything together.
I'd recommend you read the book and I think I will look for another by the author as well.
Customer Rating:      Summary: Terrible Book Comment: I've read most of White's Doc Ford books and enjoyed them immensely. But lately, his books are lousy. This is no exception. The Doc Ford books used to give us a nice mixture of adventure amid the wonderful world of Marina Florida. I enjoyed the tales of the eccentric inhabitants of Captiva and Sanibel islands and the Everglades. Doc Ford was a renaissance man with a hint of a violent past. But in this crummy book, there is little of the marina culture and Doc's violent past erupts full-bloom. In this book the renaissance man becomes Rambo -- and a lousy Rambo at that. Why on earth White would take such a wonderful character as Doc Ford and turn him into a caricature is a mystery. Why White would remove him from his storied Southwest Florida and plunk him down in Panama for much of the book is beyond me. Sadly -- very sadly -- I think I have read my last Randy Wayne White book. Pity.
|