Copyright 1992 by Randy Wayne White. Published by St Martin’s Press, New York.
This is a “Doc Ford” novel, set on Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Being a resident of nearby Ft Myers, the locales are very familiar. This boosts the enjoyment for me.
Part of the problem is that this isn’t really a mystery. It does start out as one – a body is discovered floating in the ocean. The death is ruled a homicide. But the whodunit is rapidly resolved – to Doc Ford, anyway – and the rest of the novel is devoted to Doc Ford tracking down proof to convince others. There isn’t a lot of drama here and no real surprises. That makes it a well-written novel with local color.
But it doesn’t make it a great novel.
But that is all.
5 out of 10.