Rating: 
Summary: A Fun Read
Review: I gave this book three stars because it's not great "literature." It is a fun read. Whacky sexy characters, lots of action, great descriptions of the Florida Western shore line. Kind of a low rent Evanovich guy version. If you want a light, fun, get away from it all read this could be your book. I listened to the tape version. The tape is entertaining and well worth the listen while flying or creeping as the case may be down the highway.
Rating:
Summary: Not great, not bad either
Review: I guess my problem is that I really don't like the Doc Ford character. He's stuck-up and judgmental. I much prefer Tomlinson, but then I liked Meyer better than I liked Travis McGee. Doc Ford -- White -- is certainly a brain, and you can learn a heck of a lot reading these books. This is my second Doc Ford novel, I read Mangrove Coast and I think I liked it better. Don't get me wrong. I'd love to write books as good as White's, but he just doesn't rsonate with me the way Jim Hall's books about Thorn do, or even Ed McBain's Matthew Hope series. The story was OK, in fact it was very Travis McGee in the way Doc Ford sets up his bad guys and takes them out. I thought the subplot about the two spatting lovers that Doc Ford re-unites was almost superfluous, added in to make the book longer. So all in all, not great but not too bad either. I think White could have made one point a little more forcefully...we're ALL swimming in a river of sharks, the world.
Rating: 
Summary: The Work of an Aging ... Juvenile.
Review: I read a Doc Ford once about five years ago--a turgid potboiler about real and fake Aztec art, I think--and wasn't that impressed, although I acknowledge that White is capable of writing with a certain stylistic grace. That's the sole source of his two stars in this review. I labored through Shark River for, oh, two hundred pages, enduring pointless digression after pointless digression (do we really need yet another lecture--multi-page, no less--from the Doc on how interesting the slime, jellies, and little squiggly things he dredges up from the bottom of Charlotte Sound are, and the philosophical ramifications of same? Fill pages with plot movement instead, Randy). Here's my main beef: THERE'S NO STORY. Three quarters of the novel concerns itself with what appears to be the sophomoric sexual fantasizing of a middle-aged author. The entire ... book rambles and ruminates on how, when, and why Ford (read the author here) and his sicko hippie Viagra-case buddy are going to ... the beautiful Lolita-like daughter, ... the gorgeous Nubian/Bahamian middle-aged black sister, ... the gorgeous nympho neighbor, ... the Hooters twins who can't wait to help solve the aging hippy's impotence problem (yeah, that'll happen without money being paid), and ... anyone else female and gorgeous on the West Florida coast who's foolish enough to shake her ... in their direction. Here's the thing: NOTHING HAPPENS. THERE'S NO STORY. This adolescent male fantasizing goes on for the majority of the book, but has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLOT--which is virtually non-existent. Oh, yeah--at the end, Doc takes off in his flats boat, goes to a remote part of the southwest Florida coast, and kills a guy in an inexplicable CIA-Ninja ambush. WHAT? What the hell's going on? Verdict: White is able to write attractive individual sentences. Now he needs to get out of his Penthouse Forum fratboy fantasizing and develop a truly interesting and compelling STORYLINE for his novels. Good heavens--Shark River is truly awful. Read something else.
Rating: 
Summary: Doc Ford's latest adventure is great
Review: I really enjoy the Doc Ford series. The character reminds me of a combination of Doc in Steinbeck's Cannery Row and Travis McGee from John D. McDonald. I've read all the books in the series and this is the best one of all. That dosen't mean that the preceeding titles are not good, but that Randy Wayne White gets better and better as an author. I think he is a gifted writer who also has the good sense to work at it. The result is a very nice direct connection with his public. You feel at home with the characters, part of their lives, strong connections and real warmth being shared. Makes you proud to know Doc. I just hope they keep coming.
Rating: 
Summary: Just more of the same - No stars!
Review: I'm sorry, I just can't get into this guy Doc Ford. As much as I love Sanibel/Captiva and the area and as much as I am certain that Mr. White is a fine gentlemen; I find his Dr. Ford to be someone with whom I cannot develop pathos. Mr. White is a fine writer. It is my hope that he will soon turn his to attention to more productive fiction genres. It is my opinion that this form of "Florida fiction", while geographically interesting, has become overcrowded. I am pleased, of course, that our authors have recieved the notice that they do. However, I think that there are deeper issues about which our many excellent authors may write. Thriller readers will, of course, really enjoy the darn thing! Pura vida, Mr. White.
Rating:
Summary: 007 and a half in the turtle grass
Review: I've read all of Randy Wayne's storys dealing with the escapades of Doc (Marion-Why Marion, RWW?) Ford since I got hooked on "Sanibel Flats". As a marine biologist, myself, and having spent countless days in the Keys and the Caribbean islands, I immediately felt an empathy with this randy biologist Although my own life is not quite as exciting to say the least. Having sorely missed the exploits of Travis McGee, I was very fortunate to find a more than adequate replacement in Doc Ford. "Shark River" does not have as many twists and turns and violent confrontations evidenced in such past Ford exploits as "Mangrove Coast", but it is more than satisfying for a dyed in the wool fan like me. The characters spring to life-especially Tomlinson and Doc's long lost "sister". And finally we are privy to learn about Doc's "dark side", that is, what covert activities kept him busy prior to his "retirement" collecting anemones, baby tarpon, and crabs off Sanibel Island. The story has its typical Doc Ford twists and satisfying surprise ending. As in other Doc Ford stories, I read it in one reading. Alas, I have to wait another year for "the next installment". Bravo Randy! Bravo Doc!
Rating:
Summary: White hits another Grand Slam
Review: If ever there was a fitting successor to John D. MacDonald and the Travis McGee series, it's Randy Wayne White writing about Doc. Ford. The same complex characters with just the right mix of thought provoking philosophy and crisp action sequences. White knows Florida, especially the waters off the west coast, and uses that to his extreme advantage in weaving this tale. He does his research, which means Doc. Ford comes across as a knowledgable Marine Biologist.For anyone who's read previous White novels on Ford and wanted to learm more about his mysterious background, this book unveils more of the story. And you'll find it very consistent and satisfying. As an aside, White wrote an outstanding editorial (which I believe was picked up in syndication) after the attack on America on Sep. 11. If you had any doubt about his ability as a wordsmith, read that editorial first, then get Shark River. My ONLY complaint is that the book seemed too short!! When you're enjoying a read as much as this you'd wish it would just keep going.
Rating: 
Summary: A fast, funny read
Review: In a nutshell, Shark River is a faster, easier read than some of RWW's other books, in large part because the humor factor has never been higher. Doc Ford's buddy, Tomlinson, is much easier to take when he's worrying about his manhood than when he's stirring up revolution in Cuba ("North of Havana"). And "Shark River" is MUCH better than the dark, depressing "Mangrove Coast." I would've given the book 5 stars, but it seemed as though the ending was slow to arrive and then wrapped up a little too quickly and cleanly. Nice little twist at the end in RWW's traditional "Guess Which Woman" epilogue. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Good Enough
Review: In SHARK RIVER Doc Ford is shot while instinctively coming to the rescue of a young woman who is almost kidnapped by some very bad guys from a Columbian drug cartel. When the FBI tries to pressure Ford into helping them solve the case he resists as usual fearing that some of his past deeds as a secret government operative may come back to haunt him. Ford is able to put off the FBI but not Harrington, the girl's influential father, who knows too much about Doc's past and one particular operation known as Sky Hook. Harrington is seeking revenge against a ruthless killer named Edgar Cordero. The attempted kidnapping is witnessed by a visiting Bahamian lady named Ransom who tells Ford she is the daughter of his late uncle Tucker Gatrell and a sizeable inheritance in stolen gold coins awaits both of them if they can decipher Tucker's complicated instructions. Doc's hippie friend Tomlinson assists in the hunt for the hidden treasure. I agree with some of the reviewers who have expressed disappointment in SHARK RIVER. It does not strike me as being quite on a par with THE MANGROVE COAST and NORTH OF HAVANA or some of the other entries in the Doc Ford series. It is, however, still good enough, especially if you like Florida and you are a fan of John D. MacDonald or even Ross Thomas with his tales of foreign intrigue. Randy White's Doc Ford books remind me of certain elements I used to enjoy in stories by both MacDonald and Thomas although it does seem impossible to discover truly satisfying replacements for either one of these deceased authors.
Rating:
Summary: Slow, boring, pretentious
Review: My first and certainly my last RWW novel. Phooey! Unbelievable characterizations, tedious descriptions. Alastair MacLean was just as implausible, but a much better writer.
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