Rating: 
Summary: the best yet
Review: CAPTIVA is the 4th novel in the Doc Ford series and the first which is told in the first person. We're inside the orderly but active mind of the marine biologist-amateur sleuth as he gets caught up in a battle between sport fisherman and commercial fisherman over the use of nets.
The novel begins with a very frightening scene involving a bombing at the Marina where Ford lives. The man who gets killed is the husband of Hannah Smith, who will become Ford's lover and the most compelling female figure in the series to date. Hannah is slightly idealized but still great fun, and gives the novel a lot of spark, especially in the absence of Ford's sidekick Tomlinson.
I highly recommend CAPTIVA and this entire series, starting with SANIBEL FLATS. Doc Ford is the closest thing going to McDonald's Travis McGee
Rating:
Summary: Formulaic Florida Fun & Firebombs Featuring Ford
Review: For those who miss Travis McGee,you can find him here in this
updated version, Doc Ford. Substitute the west coast of Fla
for the east, add Tomlinson (Meyer) and flatboats instead of
houseboats and you are there! 3rd outing for Doc finds him
exploring the fish netting question. He can
see both sides of the issue, but a bomb set off at his marina
pulls him into a political/environmental quagmire. Sensitive
babes are not oldstyle McGee bimbos, but independent (or trying
to be) today women. Of course, their life expectancy is very
reduced by friendship with Ford! Excellent comeuppance for
the bad guy, run to ground in Sumatra! CAPTIVA is a very
"reader friendly" novel which should travel well to the beach
where its great cover art may attract babes or dudes!!!
Leaves this reader looking forward to the next Doc Ford.
Rating:
Summary: I think John McDonald would approve
Review: Having been a John McDonald/Travis Magee fan for a long time I have always been sad at John's passing. His Travis Magee novels are always good reading. I was pleased to read a review of Mr White and his comparision to McDonald. Our hero lives in Captiva, is a retired government agent named Doc Ford who talents these days are turned to marine biology. His side kick is a "way out" cat from the 60's named Tomlinson. This story takes place in a marina in Florida where more than Doc's biology projects seem to be blowing up. In fact half the marina is now charcoal. It could turn into all out war between the netters and the sportfishermen over the netting ban, with Doc caught in the middle. Ford trys to keep a middle of the road lifestyle, but it turns personnel when somebody puts Tomlinson in the hospital near death. Doc is looking for payback - for a lot things. The book has a real good ending and leaves the reader trying to get inside of Doc's head to figure out how and why he does things. Story is a little slow in the beginning but picks up to an international ending. I look forward to reading more of Doc Ford from Randy Wayne White.
Rating:
Summary: Really liked this one.
Review: Having been disappointed in "North of Havana" and "The Man Who Invented Florida" I started "Captiva" apprehensively. It did not take long to find the Doc Ford adventure I had missed.Peopled with great quirky, colorful characters; both good and evil...a clear plot and a couple of red herrings, this one moved at a nice pace. The last one hundred pages truly went at warp speed. For me, this is Randy Wayne White at his best. As usual, Florida is a major character, as it should be. The feel for Florida is unmistakingly powerful and Doc Ford is just a great protagonist. The culture and community of those who live aboard boats is well documented. There are so many realistic touches, that it becomes easy to give credibility to the entire storyline. Pure enjoyment, satisfying resolution, interesting subplots, beautiful word pictures...a Doc Ford novel not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Really liked this one.
Review: Having been disappointed in "North of Havana" and "The Man Who Invented Florida" I started "Captiva" apprehensively. It did not take long to find the Doc Ford adventure I had missed. Peopled with great quirky, colorful characters; both good and evil...a clear plot and a couple of red herrings, this one moved at a nice pace. The last one hundred pages truly went at warp speed. For me, this is Randy Wayne White at his best. As usual, Florida is a major character, as it should be. The feel for Florida is unmistakingly powerful and Doc Ford is just a great protagonist. The culture and community of those who live aboard boats is well documented. There are so many realistic touches, that it becomes easy to give credibility to the entire storyline. Pure enjoyment, satisfying resolution, interesting subplots, beautiful word pictures...a Doc Ford novel not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Really liked this one.
Review: Having been disappointed in "North of Havana" and "The Man Who Invented Florida" I started "Captiva" apprehensively. It did not take long to find the Doc Ford adventure I had missed. Peopled with great quirky, colorful characters; both good and evil...a clear plot and a couple of red herrings, this one moved at a nice pace. The last one hundred pages truly went at warp speed. For me, this is Randy Wayne White at his best. As usual, Florida is a major character, as it should be. The feel for Florida is unmistakingly powerful and Doc Ford is just a great protagonist. The culture and community of those who live aboard boats is well documented. There are so many realistic touches, that it becomes easy to give credibility to the entire storyline. Pure enjoyment, satisfying resolution, interesting subplots, beautiful word pictures...a Doc Ford novel not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: My least favorite Doc Ford novel so far.
Review: I am struggling to stay interested in the fourth Doc Ford novel, Captiva. First, I am terribly disappointed in that the whole flavor of the book is somewhat different than the first three. It is almost as if someone else wrote it. The style is so different. Second, the first three books were written consistantly in the "third person" genre, while this one (out of the blue) is written in first person ! It is very distracting and disappointing, as I was hooked on Doc Ford after the third book. I was expecting a continuation of the same great style White portrayed in the first three books. I am not going to rush out and get number five.
Rating:
Summary: My least favorite Doc Ford novel so far.
Review: I am struggling to stay interested in the fourth Doc Ford novel, Captiva. First, I am terribly disappointed in that the whole flavor of the book is somewhat different than the first three. It is almost as if someone else wrote it. The style is so different. Second, the first three books were written consistantly in the "third person" genre, while this one (out of the blue) is written in first person ! It is very distracting and disappointing, as I was hooked on Doc Ford after the third book. I was expecting a continuation of the same great style White portrayed in the first three books. I am not going to rush out and get number five.
Rating: 
Summary: "What a Book"
Review: I have read all but a couple of Randy Wayne Whites books and think that Captiva is a great book,The best so far. I just got done reading Sanibel Flats and The Heat Islands and thought they they were very exiciting also, but Captiva left you on on the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. I really enjoy reading about Florida/Key West mysteries. I find them very satisfying.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Follow-up to White's First Three Doc Ford Adventures
Review: I have to agree with another reviewer that Captiva is also my least favorite Doc Ford novel in the series so far. The plot is interesting and the mood is still compelling, but switching to the "first person voice" just ruins it for me. I suppose the reason for doing so might have been to soften Doc Ford's character, but this method comes off clumsy at times and makes Doc seem phony. Doc didn't need any fluffing up anyway. This is a complete and terrible switch from the masterful "third-person" storytelling in the previous book, "The Man Who Invented Florida". I hope Randy returns to his earlier writing style in the next Doc Ford novel.
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