‘Tomlinson’s Wake: A Doc Ford Novel’ by Randy Wayne White; Hanover Square; 336 pages; $29.99
Since he introduced marine biologist Marion “Doc” Ford in the acclaimed “Sanibel Flats” in 1990, Randy Wayne White has pretty much owned Florida’s Gulf Coast.
His novels have fused a solid look at environmental concerns with adventure and well-placed action through his now iconic Doc Ford, a scientist with a secret background as a government agent. Ford’s past as a quasi-spy — the exact agency is never named, but there are hints — has become more central to the plots in the past decade.
Related Articles
Book review: ‘All This Could Be Yours’ calls out cult of celebrity, perils of social media
‘A Blessing, Not a Burden’: Son of Holocaust survivors brings book tour to South Florida
“Tomlinson’s Wake,” White’s 28th Ford novel, finds the biologist away from his beloved Dinkin’s Bay Marina, which is still being rebuilt following a devastating hurricane (2024’s “One Deadly Eye”) and in Honduran jungles to find Tomlinson, his “Zen Buddhist hipster pal.” Tomlinson’s perception of reality has often been “gilded fantasy,” partly due to his copious use of marijuana and, more recently, from suffering a concussion after being beaten by Russian criminals.
“Tomlinson’s Wake” finds Ford’s friend even more addled as the scientist not only tries to help his sidekick but also sort through what is real and what isn’t. This isn’t the first time the pair have left their home on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and those excursions often involve danger. But “Tomlinson’s Wake” is so overstuffed that the plot and characters get lost.
(Hanover Square/Courtesy)
The two encounter a boy who may be the hereditary king of a Mayan tribe, a group of children living on their own in the jungle, child kidnappers, a shaman and a pickleball-enthusiast neurologist. Ford also becomes the object of affection of an archaeologist who is the wife of Honduras’ former leader. When Ford resists, she injects him with a zombie potion.
“Tomlinson’s Wake” does feature evocative views of the jungles of Honduras and the culture of living in those jungles.
We look forward to Ford and Tomlinson returning to the Gulf Coast, helping rebuild Dinkin’s Bay Marina.
