Tampa Burn
Tampa Burn book cover

Tampa Burn

Hardcover – May 24, 2004

by
Price
$24.00
Format
Hardcover
Pages
384
Publisher
G. P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0399151811
Dimensions
6.25 x 1.25 x 9 inches
Weight
1.35 pounds

Description

From Publishers Weekly White churns out another title in the Doc Ford series, this one alternating between compelling action sequences and pointless digressions. At the start of the novel, Marion Ford has settled into the life of a gentleman marine biologist on Florida's Gulf coast, leaving behind his past as an assassin and spy. All this is upended when a pyromaniacal carnival freak kidnaps Ford's son, Lake. The boy's mother, Central American beauty Pilar, tries to overcome their estrangement and turns to Ford for help in rescuing the boy. Seduced by his ex-lover just long enough to be caught in a compromising situation by his current girlfriend, Dewey, Ford is distracted by the sight of Dewey's car as she storms away: "She'd sold her 'Vette and bought a new two-seater Lexus. I can never remember the model. The roadster showed impressive stability as she spun it around in the parking lot." Soon after, Ford finds himself in real trouble-and spouts more extraneous commentary. On the way to saving his son, he reflects on the fauna of Florida and Central America, skin transplants, electroshock therapy, port security and the winter residence of choice for circus people. These might have made great ingredients for another whimsical Carl Hiaasen/Elmore Leonardesque madcap novel, but White's meandering prose isn't tight enough to tie them into a convincing whole. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist *Starred Review* Now in its eleventh episode, White's Doc Ford series, starring Sanibel Island marine biologist and veteran special-ops agent Doc Ford, can always be counted on for an entertaining mix of character interplay and straight-ahead action adventure. This time the dial shifts a bit toward the character side of the scale, as Ford revisits various people and issues from his not-quite-past life as a covert operative. The catalyst for all this stock-taking is the kidnapping of the son Ford only recently learned he had and the resurfacing of Pilar, the boy's mother and the great love of Ford's life. The kidnapping plot, in which Ford, with the help of hippie pal Tomlinson, must rescue his son from a serious psycho who likes to burn people, keeps the suspense churning, but the real focus here--for longtime series followers, at least--is on what this latest crisis means to Ford's life with the people he cares about: his son, girlfriend Dewey, the troubled Pilar, and especially Tomlinson, who has his own dark past. As always in White's work, the various bodies of water that surround and intersect Florida take on the multidimensional qualities of fully developed characters, adding not only atmosphere but also context to Ford's ongoing struggle to achieve in his human relationships the sense of equilibrium he has found in the natural world. He's not there yet, but for the reader at least, that's good news: this story is a long way from over. Bill Ott Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Randy Wayne White raises the bar of the action thriller. -- The Miami Herald [Randy Wayne White's]...best sheer storytelling in years. -- Kirkus Reviews , April 15, 2004 Randy Wayne White is the author of seventeen previous Doc Ford novels and four collections of nonfiction. He lives in an old house built on an Indian mound in Pineland, Florida. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • When Balserio, a thuggish one-time dictator, out of power in his own country and consumed by a desire for revenge, kidnaps the young son of his wife, Pilar, the result of a love affair with Doc Ford, Ford must risk everything to rescue the boy from Balserio's new Florida home base. 75,000 first printing.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(630)
★★★★
25%
(263)
★★★
15%
(158)
★★
7%
(74)
★
-7%
(-75)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Tampa Burn

I am a great fan of Randy Wayne White, but this latest in the series disappoints. Too many side trips, everything gets solved in the last 10 pages, with enough cliff hangers to let you know there's another one coming. Pilar disappears as a character half way through-although she is one of the main parts to the story. EVERY other character we've ever met seems to play a bit part, Janet, Ransom, etc etc but they are not part of the story line. Not enough detail in the ending, and lots left unsaid. I hope for greater attention to telling a good tale in the next one. We love Doc and Tomlinson!
4 people found this helpful
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A strangely motivated kidnapping

Randy Wayne White's "Tampa Burn" is a rapidly paced action thriller abounding with colorful and quirky characters.

Sanibel Island marine biologist Marion "Doc" Ford was busy conducting an experiment concerning spawning tarpons when he received an unexpected visit from former love interest Pilar Fuentes. Ford who clandestinely works for a shadowy arm of the CIA as an operatine and sometimes assassin met Pilar while on assignment in the tiny Central American country of Masagua. Pilar the former wife of military dictator General Balserio, bore a son father by Ford, a result of a torrid love affair. Ford had only recently learned of the existence of his teenaged son Lake and was in the process of connecting with him. Pilar arrived at Dinkins Bay to tell Ford that their son had been kidnapped.

The fanatical General Balserio commissioned a maniacal pyromaniac known as Praxcedes Lourdes to abduct the boy for his own personal reasons. Lourdes known in Central America as the fabled and feared Incendiario got his kicks by setting people ablaze, incinerating them. Lourdes was actually Jimmy Gauer son of a pair of carnival sideshow performers. His father was a midget and his mom was a highly muscled Amazon like female wrestler. Lordes while performing with his dad fell on his head and had been disturbed, enamored by fire since them. Lourdes also had suffered horrible burns all over his body. His face was a patchwork quilt of both failed and successful skin grafts. He suffered from searing migraines as a result.

Ford's mission with the aid of his best friend Tomlinson was to track down the boy without involving the authorities. Tomlinson also a weird character was a burned out hippie, the heir to a huge family fortune which he had forsaken. He was now a highly regarded Zen Buddhist teacher.
3 people found this helpful
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The best Page Turner Yet!!!!!

1) I read this book almost straight through over two and a half days.

2) Yes you should read the series in order

3) Isn't it wonderful when your favorite authors get better!
2 people found this helpful
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At the top of his game

Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford series started out rather modestly about a dozen years ago. Marion "Doc" Ford is a sort of a cross between Travis McGee and Jacques Cousteau, a marine biologist with a murky past who lives in a house on stilts in the harbor of an island off of Florida's West coast. Ford is the main character and narrator of a series of novels in which he deals with various bad people, loves various women, and enjoys long, interesting conversations with his friend Tomlinson, and weird unrecycled hippy who has one of the strangest personalities in current mystery fiction. Tomlinson's into almost every new fad, knows more than he should about a lot of things no one should be involved in, and is a Buddhist monk to boot.

As the series has progressed, we've learned more and more about Doc and especially about his past. At first all we knew was that he'd worked for some murky government agency, and that he'd sort of retired. Lately, though, his adventures have led to us learning a great deal more about what he did in his youth, and how it's affected him in the years since. I won't tell you what we've learned, and I'll second other reviewers' recommendations: you really ought to read the books in sequence, it's better if it unfolds slowly.

The current book involves Ford being contacted by a former lover from Central America, and informed that the boy they'd had together has been kidnapped. The boy is now a teenager, and Ford and he have developed a long-distance relationship, so Ford is more than a bit upset. He goes on the warpath, intent on rescuing his son.

This is a great novel, interesting in its characters and setting. The author introduced at least two new characters who will presumably return in later books, and also left plot threads open for at least two sequels. This is a truly satisfying entry into the series, and I would recommend it to all Doc Ford fans. Like I said, if you haven't read one before, though start with the first.
1 people found this helpful
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Don't Start This Book If You Need To Get Up Early

This novel is not a great place to start with White, probably Sanibel Flats or Heat Islands are better doors to the series. Do not get me wrong, it is not a bad book, just very complicated. I guess you have to be a Doc Ford fan, but if you are this one will both grab you and resolve much about our hero. The plot comes bouncing from Central/South America to Dinkens Bay, across the Glades by way of the Tamiami Trail and the aptly named Alley and through the back canals surrounding Tampa Bay. There is a reprise of a Tucker Gattrell adventure and a passle of "Carnys" thrown in for good measure. We Ford fans have been on a number of adventures, some very clever, one or two throw-aways, but this one will scare you. I do not think I am giving anything away by now. We know the bad guy in this one burns people. A nasty piece of work. He is a terrorist on a different level: a personal nightmare character. And he has kidnapped Doc's son. Some of the psychology here is frightening. Both of the villian, Incendario, and those who use him. Meanwhile there is some other using going on as well. Doc's ex-love, Pilar, and her motives, until now hinted at in the series, are revealed. And we find about some other using by that user to excess-Tomlinson. Doc's government connections are also after their payback. If you like the series, you just might read cover to cover in one sitting.
1 people found this helpful
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Book

Read the book. It was good.
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The mystery of Doc Ford continues to evolve

Not a typical Sanibel Island Doc Ford story. The mystery and history of Doc Ford's past and his relationships with past loves and friends continues to evolve. Doc's acceptance of his past that he came to grips with in the "Everglades" is once again driving him to do things that others can not understand. As always Randy Wayne White provides a great story with interesting characters to compliment Doc.
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Five Stars

Great!
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Five Stars

loved it
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Good mystery

I buy Randy Wayne White novels because he is a Florida author and Florida settings are in many of his books. They make good gifts since we live in Florida. I keep a couple of them on the bedside tables in my guest rooms too. I thought this was a well written story.

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