I have been reading Randy Wayne White's books for several years and always enjoy the stories but especially the people. There has been a continuity to the area of southwestern Florida and how the people revolve around the sea but are a family. A convoluted, dysfunctional, and slightly crazy family but always willing to help other. This book was based on a story that has its basis in the history of the region and its violent past. Although this story didn't include some of Doc Ford's extracurricular activities (which I really enjoy), it moved well and had some interesting twists and turns.

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on March 21, 2017

I get a kick out of the characters in the Doc Ford novels. The secondary characters primarily exist to provide comic relief. Tomlinson, in particular, is a perfect foil to Doc Ford. Tomlinson is good-hearted but annoying, and he’s a magnet for trouble, not that Ford can’t find enough trouble on his own.

In Mangrove Lightning, Ford and Tomlinson find themselves chasing crazy people in Florida’s mangroves, the kind who capture young women and find creative ways to torture and kill them. Ford is drawn into the investigation by Tomlinson, who is concerned about the disappearance of Gracie, the niece of legendary fishing guide Tootsie Barlow. Ford thinks he should know better than to listen to Tomlinson, but it turns out (as it has in other books in the series) that Tomlinson’s tenuous connection to the world sometimes delivers insights that less addled individuals fail to perceive.

In any event, finding the creepy swamp dwellers is only the start of Doc Ford’s latest adventure. The mystery, largely driven by Tomlinson’s spiritual awareness (or drug consumption), addresses the connection between the present and a history of Chinese slavery, rum runners from Cuba, gangsters, land developers in southern Florida, and demons from Chinese mythology … unless they aren’t mythological. There are even crazy killers who kill with lightning, which is a creative twist on the crazy killer theme.

The plot is strange in a good way, the story more about Tomlinson than Doc Ford, who is off on a romp of his own, investigating a child porn ring. I didn’t have a problem with spotlighting Tomlinson since the character really shines in this story. Hannah Smith, another good character from the past, also plays a key role. The creepiness of the villains might be a bit much for sensitive readers, but the story isn’t overly graphic. Randy Wayne White allows the reader’s imagination to fill in the bloodier gaps.

Despite the novel’s tongue-in-cheek nature, Mangrove Lightning races to a powerful conclusion. The ending is very dark, much more so than the story that precedes it, and generally darker than is common in the series. It might not be a good fit for readers who want unfailingly happy endings. There is nevertheless some light in the darkness, in that this turns out to be a story about courage and endurance in the face of extreme peril … and creepiness.

RECOMMENDED

Sadly I couldn't finish the book. It was too confusing, probably because I haven't read any of the previous books in the series. I gave up at about page 100. Really sorry about that.

From Key Largo to Tallahassee, Doc Ford chases a curse....Randy Wayne White does it again..

I often jump into a series late in the game without difficulty, but recommend avoiding that with this Doc Ford thriller. Mangrove Lightning is the twenty-fourth episode in this bestselling series and I found it very hard to connect with the characters, having missed their back stories.

Though the historical back story is intriguing, I found this novel rather disconnected, though fans who have followed the series might still appreciate it.

Doc Ford and Tomlinson have seen many strange things in their years together, bumming around SW Florida and investigating all sorts of strange people and goings on but this one may take the cake.

Randu Wayne White has created the best side-kick character with Tomlinson and while I adore Doc Ford, I must say that no book is complete without his zen=speaking pot smoking lady-loving pal. I loved this book.

This is the 24th in the prolific Doc Ford series written by White. I've read a few of his other books; if this had been the first one, I probably would have never read another. Perhaps fans of his will enjoy the story, but I found it to be a bit of a jumble. There is a subplot second story that never really seems to go anywhere, just adding to the muddle. While I did enjoy some of the history of the southwest Florida area, this was not a pleasant story and a bit too misogynist and fragmented for me.

Is it possible that this is really the 24th Doc Ford mystery?? This time, Ford and his buddy Tomlinson are looking into a curse. Actually Ford doesn’t put much credence into boat captain/tour guide Tootsie Barlow’s claim of a curse that’s killing off his family. Barlow insists it’s all down to a 1925 mass murder that his family played a part in, and now, it would appear, the dead are back for vengeance. He begs Ford to Help clarify what’s happened to family members from the Keys to Tallahassee. It soon becomes clear to Ford and Tomlinson that something is amiss, as they have their own near misses. But is it really a curse or a modern psychopath with his own agenda? Ford has become like an old friend over the years, and I always look forward to another jaunt with him through the seamy underbelly of Florida