Chasing midnight

by Randy Wayne White

2012

Publication

G. P. Putnam's Sons, c2012.

Collection

Tags

Status

Available

Description

Sneaking an underwater look at a notorious Russian black marketeer's fancy yacht, Doc Ford emerges to discover that the marketeer's private island has been taken over by environmental extremists who threaten to kill a hostage every hour until their demands are met.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Mendoza
Having read and really enjoyed earlier Doc Ford novels I was looking forward to reading and reviewing this one. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite feel like his earlier works and just about everything I enjoyed from the beginning of this series is missing in this work.

Unlike earlier Doc Ford books
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this one doesn't really bring forward other characters and I sense little of the ambiance of the area as in the past and he seems to heading to darker days. I will still move forward and read the next.
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LibraryThing member DocWood
Let us all sing the sad refrain,
"The early books were better,
in the main!"


Early-career writers often look to be setting the world on fire one day, then fizzle out after the first book contract. White has been no exception. Compared to the first three, his last few books were disappointments.
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Chasing Midnight is pure torture.

The newest novel in the Doc Ford series opens with Doc on a dive to check out a boat belonging to a member of the Russian mafia, which dive is interrupted by an explosion on the island where the boat is docked. The occasion that brings all the players together is a weekend party for the three top black-market caviar traders in the world, a meeting in which Doc's mysterious government employers have an interest, as do a group of international eco-activists. This promising opening is marred by two flaws that are ultimately fatal to the book. First is the premise: White fails to make credible how people as ruthless as Russian gangsters would have allowed eco-activists to crash a meeting in the first place, never mind roam about freely for hours. He even fails to make a believable case for Doc and Tomlinson being there, supposedly as restaurateurs, especially after it becomes clear that the Russian's security chief is aware of Doc's shadow identity.

The second problem lies in the book's structure. Thrillers, of course, should be fast-paced, but in order to start out with a bang, White tells a good bit of the beginnings of his story in a series of flashbacks, which slows the pacing to a crawl.

Then there are multiple issues of style. When there is about to be a surprise, White spoils it with the most heavy-handed foreshadowing, telling us in advance, for example, when Doc is about to be fired upon. In this manner, White systematically eliminates every bit of excitement throughout the first two thirds of the book. Equally annoying is White's tendency either to repeat information for the reader unnecessarily or to fail to lay the groundwork for a scene and then insert information using the past perfect. This adds to the problems with pacing, as he and Tomlinson will be dashing about dealing with bad guys when suddenly the action is interrupted to insert an oh-by-the-way-I-should-have-told-you-earlier-but into the narrative. There are 'info dumps' on the caviar industry and the threat to beluga as a species that not only break up the pace (doubly so, when part of a flashback) but also, when inserted into the dialogue, are awkward to the point of unbelievability. Readers will not accept a supposedly ruthless international criminal permitting an unknown marine biologist from the back of beyond to lecture him at length about what a bad boy he's been. These issues give the book an unfinished feel, a sense that there is much polishing and tightening--and perhaps even some re-organizing--to be done before it's ready to go to press.

There is none of the careful scene-setting characteristic of the series as a whole that make the reader want to dive with Doc or go busting across the flats with him in his skiff. Nor do the characters pull readers in and make them care about an issue, as the Guatemalan immigrants did in Night Vision. The only thing Chasing Midnight got me excited to know more about was Drunken Parrot Carrot Cake. And in a book that seems to be trying to get us to care about the beleaguered beluga, that is sad indeed.
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LibraryThing member HollyBeth
I've really enjoyed the previous Doc Ford books by Randy Wayne White, but this one disappointed me. The plot and characters were sliding toward stereotype, especially the environmental extremists. I thought the caviar angle was a lot more interesting and was interested in getting to know that
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world, but once the ecoterrorists took over, the book became a bit of a political polemic. Fans of the series can skip this one.
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LibraryThing member KellyReeder
This review is written for LT Early Reviewers. Having never read this author before, I wasn't sure I would enjoy the book, but I was pleasantly pleased. From the very beginning I could not put this book down. I love Doc Ford's confidence in everything he does. I love it when I read stories and find
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out information about new subjects to me(sturgeons and caviar harvesting, and of course marine biology.) I enjoyed the chemistry between Doc Ford and Tomlinson and I am anxious to read White's books from the beginning.
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LibraryThing member FinsRandL
This review is of the uncorrected proof and, as such, may not represent the final published version.

Doc Ford is Back! And, while I wouldn't say better than ever, I would say as good as ever, which is a step up from the last couple of Randy Wayne White's efforts.

First off, I am a huge Doc Ford fan
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and have read all of White's books in the series. This latest installment is definitely an improvement over the last couple of releases and returns Ford and Tomlinson to the level of the earlier novels. Over the last couple of books, the characterization of Ford seems to have become more dark and moody since his "acceptance" of his role as a covert assassin as opposed to trying to battle his innate calling. "Chasing Midnight" however, is the first of White's novels since Ford's acceptance to embrace the duality of the role - conservationist marine biologist and government trained and sanctioned assassin. While the conflict of the two roles is very evident in the narrative, this is the first time (in my opinion) Ford has truly accepted his nature and embraced the skills, abilities, flaws, and challenges inherent in both sides of his dual personality.

"Chasing Midnight" has several outstanding characteristics we have grown to know and love in the Doc Ford novels. In addition to the quantum step in character development mentioned above, "Chasing Midnight" also uses a deft plot and succinct action scenes to move the novel along at a brisk and entertaining pace. In particular, it was refreshing to read an 'action adventure' where 90% of the novel takes place in a five hour period. White makes use of just enough flashback and background to give the reader a complete picture of the characters and their interactions to flesh out the narrative while keeping the timeline brisk and action-oriented. Additionally, there is a great mix of real marine science, Florida geography, and real-life international trade intrigue to support and enhance the story without becoming bogged down in background and rhetoric.

For long-time fans of White's, there is also enough new and substantial character development of Ford and Tomlinson to keep the franchise fresh and growing without the characters becoming stale and cliched. For example, Ford's internal struggles with Tomlinson's actions that Doc believes he has witnessed are particularly compelling.

On the downsides (and there aren't many), the novel ends rather abruptly. While the personal conflicts are resolved and - of course - Ford saves the day, the reader is left wondering about a couple of subplots including: 1. What was the reality behind the sturgeon in the boat's holds? Where they really genetically modified? Or merely a new hybrid? What happened to Umeko? With such a large portion of the action focused on her rescue, it seemed a bit unseemly for her just to disappear at the end. Did she really end up with Tomlinson?

Lastly, this reader would have appreciated a bit more of the marine science behind the sturgeon development, over-fishing, and caviar production. I found that portion of the novel intriguing and would have enjoyed a further immersion in the topic.

All-in-all, a thoroughly enjoyable read and more along the lines of the substance we have come to know and expect from Randy Wayne White and Doc Ford. Definitely the quality of story and storytelling to make us anxiously await Doc Ford's next adventure.

4 out of five stars.
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LibraryThing member Crazy_Bunny_Lady
This is the first book i've read by him & I really enjoyed reading it . It kept me interested from start to finish & as busy as the last week has been for me it didn't take me long to finish it . It is a hard book to put down & once I started reading it, I didn't want to stop until I was done. As
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soon as I pick up some books that I have on hold at the library (i'm always at the maximum book holds allowed) i'm going to put as many of his books as they have available on hold & if I have to, buy the rest.
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LibraryThing member coker74
This is my fourth book by Randy Wayne White. As with the other books in the series the action is suspenseful. Character development is always interesting and complicated, but believable. Plenty of mystery to keep you guessing too. I think anyone wanting a good mystery series should give Doc Ford a
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try.
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LibraryThing member DuffDaddy
RWW is back with another worthy entry to the Doc Ford saga. Although this book was a little convoluted in the beginning - I wasn't keeping up with his flashes back and forth between past and present early on in the story - he more than made up for it once the action started. White just keeps
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getting better with the suspense part of his novels - the pace is intense and the book hard to put down - and he never fails to entertain me with his observations of Florida and its marine life. White is obviouly fascinated with tactical technology and loves to talk about it in his books. His infatuation with the night vision monoclular seemed like a kid raving on about his favorite Christmas gift. The unit took center stage in many scenes, but overall it was just this side of distracting.

This novel took place on the fictional Vanderbilt Island. During a weekend gathering of busines people related to the caviar industry - four crooked suppliers and some various restauranteers - ecoterrorists crash the party and take hostages. Doc Ford is learns that two of the four econuts are twins with a god-complex out to kill the four dealers, free some genetically altered sturgeon and blow up a boat.
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LibraryThing member sworsnup
Exciting, suspenseful, and thrilling. I was enthralled from page one. This is the first Doc Ford story I’ve read, now I want to start from the beginning. My only want is deeper characters.
LibraryThing member mrmapcase
Just as we have come to expect from Randy Wayne White, Chasing Midnight is a pulse pounding adventure. I liked how the two stories, the past which leads up to the present, are told concurrently, it really keeps the reader guessing. All of the chaos around Doc Ford lends tension with all the
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characters, especially Tomlinson, but it gets resolved with a nice little twist at the end.
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LibraryThing member ldbell500
Chasing Midnight is the first Randy Wayne White book I’ve read. I have a lot of books to read to catch up on Doc Ford’s previous adventures. I received the book as an early reviewer for Library Things. I really enjoyed reading Chasing Midnight. Doc Ford, the main character, kept me on my toes
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wondering what he would do next. His friend, Tomlinson, was full of surprises, too. The characters were realistic and the plot is very suspenseful, full of mystery and adventure. Some of the characters had hidden agendas that were discovered at inopportune times.
Doc Ford and his friend Tomlinson were on a private island attending a reception given by a Russian black market multi millionaire. Also attending the reception were three other black market multi millionaires along with their bodyguards who are competitors of the host and an environmental group named the Third Planet Peace Force crashed the party. Doc left the party to check out the host’s yacht. While Doc Ford was underwater exploring, there’s an explosion that knocks out the lights and someone tries to shoot Doc. He hears multiple shots fired. Meanwhile there’s bedlam at the lodge where most guests are present. After the explosion the guests discover their cell phones and computers do not work. One of the guests used an electronic jammer. Can you imagine being on an island isolated without cell phone reception or internet access, people with guns and the lights are out, too? If you like adventure, mystery and suspense you should read Chasing Midnight to find out what happens before midnight.
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LibraryThing member bjmitch
This is my second thrill-ride with Randy Wayne White. The first one I read and reviewed took place in and near a Florida lake and I was holding my breath half the time while I was reading it. This one is set on a private island just south of Sanibel Island, Florida. Doc Ford is White's hero, a
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marine biologist who manages to get into all kinds of scrapes.

This time he has wangled an invitation to a big party on Vanderbilt Island. A Russian billionaire has invited his peers from around the world to this party, apparently to sell them a new breed of sturgeon which would make them even richer. Caspian Sea sturgeon are being slaughtered indiscriminately and may soon disappear, so a breed that can produce caviar without the necessity of killing the fish to get the roe is in all their best interests. The party is a bore, especially when uninvited eco-warriors, we'll call them, show up ready to cause plenty of trouble. Ford escape to do a little diving; he's curious about the Russian's huge boat.

Thus it is that Ford is safely alone in the water when there is an explosion, all communication with the island is jammed, and hostages are taken. Soon someone comes gunning for Ford which begins this mystery in which you don't know whether ecologists or mobsters are the source of the problems. Ford's pal Tomlinson is, as usual, half stoned and doesn't recognize the danger until too late so he is one of the hostages and Ford fears he might be dead.

This is such an exciting story, well crafted and a page-turner. I love a book that insists you stay with it and to heck with everything else. That's Chasing Midnight. White has written a long list of Ford novels which I must make time for, as well as nonfiction books about fish and fishing. He also writes under the pen name Randy Striker.

I highly recommend Randy Wayne White's books and this one is a great example of his stories. I won the book from LibraryThing, and it was released for sale on March 6, 2012.
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LibraryThing member readafew
Not a bad book. I think it would have made a big difference for me if I had read a couple of the previous books before reading this one. Some parts certainly seemed to expect you to already know things about the characters and having not met them before, didn't know how I was supposed to react to
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some of the information given to me.

Doc Ford has gotten himself invited to an exclusive island retreat being hosted by a wealthy caviar black marketer. Three of the other guests are just as well known for their ruthless business practices. When late in the evening the power goes out and all communications are cut off, all hell breaks loose. A couple crazies crashed the party and want to put the rapers of the natural world into early graves. Unfortunately they are willing to kill innocent people along with the guilty. Ford is trying his best to save everyone, including the special fish stowed away on a yacht.

Overall, it was a decent read and I mostly enjoyed it. They were always pushing a countdown clock but it never really felt that part was real. I think I'll try some more of these in the future but it wasn't so great I need to go find another one right away.
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LibraryThing member memasmb
I received this book from Library Thing as an Early Reviewer in exchange for a review.

Let me begin by saying Randy Wayne White is an author that I enjoying reading especially because he lives and writes about Florida.
This is the fourteenth book I have read by this author.

For the positive things
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about this narrative – Doc Ford attends a special party on an exclusive Floridian island and meets several interesting people involved in the caviar industry. I really enjoyed learning about the caviar industry and discovered many interesting details about this expensive food delicacy.

This was a strange storyline that combined this exotic food, proposed new developments in the reproduction of sturgeon and their caviar and the environmental extremists who so crazy that they are hard to believe. Throw into this the tension of explosions, a ticking timetable, unusual black marketers and so many double crosses who could keep it all straight.

Too many to follow. I look forward to Randy Wayne White next book with Doc Ford’s old compatriots.
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LibraryThing member librarian1204
I used to love these books. . I have read everyone of them over the years. But, they are not what they were. I felt like I was reading a tech manual for guerilla warfare at times. The story line jumps all over the place. And it went on and on and on.
LibraryThing member DrLed
Synopsis: Harvesting caviar is a multi-billion dollar business that is slowly going belly-up. Removing the eggs kills the fish, thereby cutting off the revenue source. doc and Tomlinson snag invitations to a caviar tasting reception given by a scientist who says he has developed a strain of
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sturgeon that can be, metaphorically, 'milked like a cow'. Great news, except it brings together vicious business men and attracts party-crashing eco-extremists. Murder and mayhem result.
Review: The entire book covers a few hours of intense action near Captiva Island and examines the motivations of people allowing obsessions to control their actions. Fast-paced and none to subtle, the book is just shy of the fatalism that typifies John D. McDonald's later novels.
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LibraryThing member jepeters333
At a reception hosted by a notorious Russian black marketeer, Doc Ford uses darkness, and his friend Tomlinson, as cover to get an underwater look at the billionaire's yacht. By the time Ford surfaces, everything has changed. Environmental extremists have taken control of the island and electronic
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jammers make communications with the outside world impossible.
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LibraryThing member tabitha6
This is the first Randy Wayne White novel I have read. I like Stuart Woods Stone Barrington and Lee Child Jack Reacher and Ford fits in there quite well. I probably would not have picked this book on my own but now I need to find the first one so that I can get the background on Doc.
LibraryThing member stang50logan
got this book through the early reviewers and would say that this book was a bit slow to grab my attention.. I was intrigued about how it started however the book just kept going back and forth from the present story then to explain the past, this happened just too much.
LibraryThing member Picathartes
This should have been titled: Ford Needlessly Gets a Bunch More People Killed Volume 17.

For whatever reason this book was all about Doc overthinking everything every millisecond of the entire book, and 85% or more of the words were related to Doc overthinking. He's figuring and surmising and
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remembering and deliberating and speculating and cogitating and pondering... and he's mostly wrong about Every. Single. Thing. I mean, he could have just stopped, looked around, figured out the quickest way to keep things from spiraling out of control, but nope, Ford just figured the best plan of action was to sit there figuring and then engineer a situation that repeatedly goes from bad to worse to much, much worse etc.

Towards the end of the book is this line (page 290 out of 315): "But it was something I couldn’t think about now." Huh? Why not? That's all you’ve been doing the entire book, thinking and mulling nonessential matters. The entire story takes place over 12 or 18 hours, and it didn't have to be horrible except it was because it all took place up inside Doc’s head.

The story is like one of those kids movies where the preteen juvenile delinquent outfoxes and runs circles around the adult. I lost track of how many times Ford got himself captured and killed solely because he was being a dumbass.
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Language

Original language

English

ISBN

9780399158315

Original publication date

2012
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