I recently discovered the books of Randy Wayne White, and have devoured three of them in the past week or so. I'll post an Amazon review here to give you a taste of what his stories are like, you might enjoy them as much as I have.

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Of all the Travis McGee wannabes who've appeared on the mystery scene since the death of John D. MacDonald, Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford, the marine biologist with an intentionally vague history of military espionage, comes closest to hitting the mark. In this seventh outing in a popular series that's never quite broken into bestsellerdom, Ford is finagled away from his beloved fish and his stilt house off Florida's Gulf Coast to investigate the grave robbing of a long-dead adolescent girl who had a remarkable gift for finding archaeological artifacts of a long-gone civilization of Calusa Indians. The centuries-old gold medallion that may have been buried with Dorothy Copeland has mysterious powers--at least, that's what a big Florida developer whose son is being groomed for high political office seems to believe. By the time Doc Ford starts investigating the incident, along with his oddly gifted friend Tomlinson (a druggie with a past as violent and mysterious as his own), more lives are at stake, including Doc's.

Ten Thousand Islands is based on a true story of multiple tragedies associated with the 1969 discovery of the medallion at the novel's center. But the complicated tale of mayhem and serial murder White weaves of it is all his own. Doc Ford is an increasingly interesting character whose love life takes up as many pages as the plot, but the community of Dinkin's Bay, with its fascinating and well-drawn minor characters, is as great a part of White's series as the denizens of Travis McGee's Fort Lauderdale marina were of MacDonald's. --Jane Adams --

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), August 23, 2001

Answers

Unk, my Dad got me started on John D’s books and I think I’ve long ago devoured all of the Travis McGee novels. I have a habit of reading 3 or 4 books at a time, going back and forth at random. Think I’ll make a trip to B&N tomorrow and add Doc Ford to the mix. Should I start with the first in the series? Now, I would like to recommend some good stuff to you:

Clive Cussler’s ‘Dirk Pitt’ novels. I suspect you may have already went through some of these great novels but just in case……

‘The Crook Factory’ by Dan Simmons. I consider Mr. Simmons to be one of the, if not THE finest living writer of fiction on the planet. In the ‘Crook Factory’ you will be transported back to 1940’s Cuba where Ernest Hemmingway and a cast of real characters hunt down Nazi spies. This story is allegedly 95% true.

Just do it!

-- So (cr@t.es), August 24, 2001.

So-crates,

I started with the book "Captiva" and went from there, more or less in order depending on what B+N had in stock.

And I have read every Clive Cussler book, Dirk Pitt is one of my favorites of the genre. And I too will be making a trip to B+N to locate The Crook Factory, thanks for the recommendation.

Somehow I missed out on Travis McGee, which is cool, because now I have a whole new series to look forward to.

Oh, and while I am on the subject, try Michael Connelly's books. Outstanding cop stories featuring his protagonist Harry Bosch. I highly recommend them.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), August 24, 2001.

Thanks for the tip. I always loved John D. Macdonald, and the Travis McGee series was generally and reliably good.

Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt -- started out good; the more recent ones have been extreme formula novels. Sort of like the Tom Clancy novels. Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising were great. Since that, it's been all pot-boiler formula novels. Plus, Tom Clancy's recent novels tend to weight more than my dog (who's not that small), which suggests the need for good editor.

Not quite as much toward the adventure side of things, but you might like Carl Hiaasen (I particularly liked "Stormy Weather") and a lot of Elmore Leonard's books.

-- E.H.Porter (just.wondering@about.it), August 24, 2001.

Yes, I enjoyed "Stormy Weather" very much too. Hiaasen has a great sense of humor, there are very few authors who can get me to actually LOL, but Carl Hiaasen is one of them. Skink is a great character, and I am always pleased when he shows up unexpectedly in one of Hiaasen's stories.

I've got his "Sick Puppy" lying around here somewhere...mebbe that will be my next read.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), August 24, 2001.

"Sick Puppy" is worth the read. Perhaps not as good as some of Hiaasen's earlier works, but well worth the purchase price. Plus, the Sick Puppy in indeed a major character in the book

-- E.H.Porter (just.wondering@about.it), August 24, 2001.

I was a Travis McGee fan but it's been a while. Was he the guy that always drank Boodles Gin?

My current favorite Florida-mystery genre writer is Elmore Leonard (well, Florida/Detroit genre).

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), August 24, 2001.

Ahhh - T McGee, Dirk Pitt, Doc Ford....If you like all of those guys as much as I do, look for Clay Harvey also - "A Flash of Red" and "A Whisper of Black". Michael Connelley, uh-huh. Robert Crais is also good. And James W. Hall for another writer who sets his stories in Florida. Good reading to you all.

-- pookie (here@there.com), August 24, 2001.

I always wanted a Miss Agnes ..she had to be the ultimate in pick- ups.Any of you read Jack Higgins ?He wrote Where Eagles Landed" which was made into a film if I remember.

-- chris (sunny@ireland.ie), August 25, 2001.

“Top ‘O’ the mornin’ to ya Chris”!

I believe you are referring to Higgins’ breakthrough best seller; “The Eagle Has Landed”. I’ve read all of Jack’s books and even though his plot formulas have become very predictable, I love the reoccurring characters.

In 1993, his novel “Thunder Point” started a run of books featuring an ex-IRA gunman named Sean Dillon, who has become Jack’s central character. Working with his old nemesis, British spymaster Brigadier Charles Ferguson, Dillon manages to save the world at least once a year. It is the wonderful cast of characters that make Higgins’ books so enjoyable to read, IMHO.

And E.H., I will agree that Cussler’s novels are somewhat cookie- cutter but he allows us to watch Dirk Pitt age with each story and what the heck……if you liked the last one you will like the next one. BTW, Cussler is much more that just a writer of fiction and I suggest a visit to www.numa.net for you Dirk Pitt fans.

Unk, having lived in the L.A. area for almost 30 years I have devoured all four of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels. Not too long ago, I finished his book “The Poet”. Not a Bosch story but possibly his best. BTW, I just finished “The Crook Factory” and I must now go back and read some Hemingway.

Just Do It!

-- So (cr@t.es), August 26, 2001.

Don’t know how I missed this Unk, but two weeks ago I finished the latest Harry Bosch novel “Angels Flight”. Hell of a read. When you go through as many books as I do, they start to blend together. Another Southern California writer that I highly recommend is T. Jefferson Parker. His latest is “Silent Joe” and this guy can lay down the words.

-- So (cr@t.es), August 26, 2001.

Some of my Boodles favorites.

-- (Travis @ A Tan and Sandy.Silence), August 26, 2001.

Thanks again So-crates! I am making notes for when I hit B+N. I too have enjoyed many of Jack Higgins' books, but I haven't read the ones you refered to, I'll add them to my list as well.

And I also agree with Pookie about James W. Hall. His books are set in the Keys, and definately describe a side of that wonderful part of the world that the tourists don't see. Also, for lighter-hearted reading set in Key West, try Laurence Shames.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), August 26, 2001.