thrillers

I finished the first book I've read of Randy Wayne White, Tampa Burn. A pleasant surprise, and I'm sure I'll be reading more of his stuff down the road.

Doc Ford is a marine biologist with a murky past as a government agent involved in some killings in foreign locales. He's living a quiet life around Tampa until he gets a call from Pilar Fuentes, the mother of his child and former wife of a corrupt Central American general who wants him dead. Their son has been kidnapped, and Pilar wants Ford's help. The kidnapper is a killer who is called Incindiaro, as he's fascinated by fire deaths and in fact is severly burned over most of his body. The kidnapper appears to want the kid's skin for a face transplant, and Ford isn't about to let that happen. To complicate everything, Pilar now wants nothing to do with Ford romantically, Ford's new love overhears his confession of love for Pilar and dumps him, and his sidekick Tomlinson may not be who Ford thinks he is...

Nice plot and pace, with some left-field (but reasonable) plot turns as the story comes down to the final pages. There was definitely the potential for an "everyone *doesn't* live happily ever after" ending, but it resolves without being overly sappy or abrupt. If I had read other books in the Doc Ford series first, I'd probably give this a top rating. Starting here, there's some character development that's left out (and I assume is covered in earlier books). Still, a very good read and well worth the time.

This is the eleventh novel in a series that is now being taught in more than a few college literatures classes because each book is written on fascinating, complex levels. In TAMPA BURN, you get the usual rocket-ride of a plot that makes all of Mr. White's books a page turner. The pragmatic ("I have no interest in spirituality for the same reason I don't believe in astrology or UFOs.") Dr. Ford's son is kidnapped by a truly hideous man, and Ford pursues. A wonderful beach-book-thriller then unfolds. But the increasing number of people who read this series as literature - sometimes very good literature - look for subtle interactions between characters, and multi-layered plot fabric. Along with important environmental debates, there are often a religious sub themes. In TAMPA, a villain named Praxcedes Lourdes enjoys burning men alive. In EVERGLADES, the extraordinary climactic scene takes place at a volcano named Messiah (actually exists, White tell us in the preface.) There are great themes here, and these are superb books. Maybe even great, though time will judge.

Doc Ford is usually interesting and fun to follow. This time he seems to have left his brain at home. Great bad guy, but no conclusion. Personal relationship revisions, past history revised, juvenile emotions in adults, missing the obvious- what's happening here? A narrative that is disjointed and unfocused. A son kidnapped, but Ford goes off on all kinds of secondary tangents. A frustrating, disappointing read.