Salt River

December 23, 2019
In bestseller White’s subpar 26th Doc Ford novel (after 2018’s Caribbean Rim), Leo Alomar, a shady IRS agent, accuses Doc, a Florida marine biologist, of living above his means. Alomar has figured out that Doc has been selling gold that he retrieved from the waters off the Bahamas, old Spanish coins melted down into mooring anchors. The IRS agent promises to make any tax problems from the unreported income go away if Doc will reveal where more such treasure might lie. Meanwhile, Doc’s eccentric friend, Tomlinson, a small-time ganja merchant and Zen Buddhist, finds his past has returned to haunt him as well. Years earlier, Tomlinson was a sperm donor, and some of his adult biological children are trying to arrange a reunion, an effort that places lives in danger. Neither Doc nor Tomlinson particularly endears himself to the reader, and some of the plot elements may be too over the top even for series fans. Hopefully, White will return to form next time. Author tour. Agent, Esther Newberg, ICM.

Golden Voice narrator George Guidall welcomes listeners to Dinken's Bay and its colorful residents. In this latest in the Doc Ford series, one subplot focuses on Ford's eccentric buddy, Tomlinson, and the other on an adventure related to treasure-hunting. While listeners can enjoy this audiobook as a stand-alone, those familiar with the series will enjoy the continued development of these characters and their relationships. Guidall brings his many talents to differentiating male and female, young and old, stoned and straight. He has portrayed these characters over the course of the series and is in perfect tune with the author's pacing and intent. E.Q. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine