Each of Randy Wayne White's novels about Marion "Doc" Ford contains a science lesson that, rather than stops the plot, becomes an integral part of these action-packed tales. While readers will indeed learn something about the environment in White's novels, these tutorials reinforce Ford's background as a marine biologist who is a committed ecologist and counterbalance his secret life as a government agent.
Ford's double persona again becomes central to the story in "Chasing Midnight," the 19th novel in this series set in Sanibel Island, Fla.
Here, the ecology lesson is about sturgeons who are overfished for the caviar they can supply to connoisseurs. White's vivid descriptions about how the sturgeons are fished and their eggs harvested, as well as the dealings on the black market, are enough to make anyone want to avoid caviar. That is even if you could afford the expensive little fish eggs. But "Chasing Midnight" isn't a textbook, it is a gripping thriller with lots of gadgets, international intrigue and secret spy stuff -- all of which White fans have come to expect from the Ford novels.
Ford and his hippie best friend Tomlinson wrangle an invitation to a Russian entrepreneur's exclusive party on his yacht docked near a private island located near Sanibel Island. Ford knows the Russian is heavily involved in black market caviar. The party guests also include a group of vocal "eco-activists" and the Russian's three most powerful and wealthy rivals who have traveled from Iran, Turkey and China. His brag that a sturgeon is caged beneath the yacht piques Ford's interest.
Suspecting there may be even more illegal activities stashed underwater, Ford dives under for a close-up look. He surfaces to find the island's power out, the entire island's communications jammed and a man with a gun looking for him. Did the rivalry between the three men erupt? Or have the unfriendly activists turned terrorists and, if they did, was Tomlinson involved? Ford also wonders if he is the target because of his "shadow life" as a NSA associate.
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White keeps the action taut, even when Ford is forced to spend a long time water bound. Whether on land or in the water, Ford goes into survivor mode, becoming an island MacGyver, cobbling together tools that will help him until he can contact the outside world. If he can.
The heart of the series continues to be the Odd Couple friendship between straight and narrow Ford, and Tomlinson, "an unrepentant hipster who reeked of patchouli oil and enlightenment." Next to these characters, the supporting case gets a little lost. Just about everyone else is shown in shades of black and white with few nuances shading the other characters.
As with the other novels in this series, "Chasing Midnight" delivers a primer on Florida's beauty, history and natural resources.
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©2012 the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
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