rmichno's review
2.0
I enjoyed the Doc Ford character but unfortunately he was only in 50% or less of the book. The other characters didn't keep my interest. The book had an Elmore Leonard vibe, but the wit wasn't as sharp and the plot wasn't as interesting.
bookhawk's review
2.0
This book had some good moments and concluded in a few interesting ways but ultimately did not synthesize well at the end or even throughout the book. The first two books in the series were better and one can only presume the other books get better given the large number in the series.
shoemaker's review
3.0
I'm a sucker for these fast-paced Randy Wayne White novels, especially when I'm sitting on the beach in southwest Florida.
jpmrrtx's review
I have read all of the Dusky MacMorgan, all of the Hawker series, and several of the Doc Ford books and, until now, enjoyed them but I really, really didn't like The Man Who Invented Florida. The book dragged non-stop. The "mystery" in this book involved this disappearance of 3 men, and it is barely a side story in the book and basically solves itself. I read the first half of the book and skimmed this second half and, when i finished, i can't remember the last time I was so relieved to be done with something.
ncrabb's review
3.0
Doc Ford primarily craves isolation to run his marine biology experiments. Now and then, he tinkers with his shortwave radio and creates logs of the stations he hears. Essentially, he’s a quiet guy with the occasional need for female companionship, but he’s not interested in a permanent hookup.
When he hears from an uncle from whom he would rather not here at all, he knows someone will soon disrupt that quiet world he treasures. Perhaps the first sign of trouble came when he used his telescope and discovered a young woman about the swim naked from a boat not far from his. He only watched her once, but she found out about it, and accused him of being a pervert. (She changed her mind as the book progressed.)
Doc Ford’s uncle Tucker announces that he has found a fountain of youth. It's a spring that seems to provide healing and restorative properties in the water. One of the first to receive it is an aging native American gentleman currently at a rest home. Tucker approaches his old friend and encourages him to drink the water. At the same time, Tucker encourages his friend Joseph to avoid taking his pills. Miraculously enough, whether it is the lack of medication or the restorative properties of the water, the old gentleman begins to feel better and decides to escape from the rest home. I try not to dwell on what it says about my sense of humor when I can laugh so hard at the scene the author described in chapter two. By then, the old man had been drinking a good bit of the water, and when a comely volunteer entered his room, he developed a rather conspicuous erection. The volunteer took advantage of that. The way the author described the scene had me laughing hard and out loud. I worry about that for myself, as it probably says awful things about my sense of humor. I just couldn't help it. This whole book is the beneficiary of a memorable writing style that at least will have you smiling in a spot or two if not engaging in full-blown laughter. Yes, there is a mystery element here as well. Some men are missing, and a state investigator wants to know where they are. This book is probably a couple of hours too long, but the characters are likable and memorable. I’ll get to the next book in the series in a few months.
When he hears from an uncle from whom he would rather not here at all, he knows someone will soon disrupt that quiet world he treasures. Perhaps the first sign of trouble came when he used his telescope and discovered a young woman about the swim naked from a boat not far from his. He only watched her once, but she found out about it, and accused him of being a pervert. (She changed her mind as the book progressed.)
Doc Ford’s uncle Tucker announces that he has found a fountain of youth. It's a spring that seems to provide healing and restorative properties in the water. One of the first to receive it is an aging native American gentleman currently at a rest home. Tucker approaches his old friend and encourages him to drink the water. At the same time, Tucker encourages his friend Joseph to avoid taking his pills. Miraculously enough, whether it is the lack of medication or the restorative properties of the water, the old gentleman begins to feel better and decides to escape from the rest home. I try not to dwell on what it says about my sense of humor when I can laugh so hard at the scene the author described in chapter two. By then, the old man had been drinking a good bit of the water, and when a comely volunteer entered his room, he developed a rather conspicuous erection. The volunteer took advantage of that. The way the author described the scene had me laughing hard and out loud. I worry about that for myself, as it probably says awful things about my sense of humor. I just couldn't help it. This whole book is the beneficiary of a memorable writing style that at least will have you smiling in a spot or two if not engaging in full-blown laughter. Yes, there is a mystery element here as well. Some men are missing, and a state investigator wants to know where they are. This book is probably a couple of hours too long, but the characters are likable and memorable. I’ll get to the next book in the series in a few months.
samlambi's review
3.0
The book made me think about life issues and what some of the characters were faced with. The plot wasn't as good as some of White's other books, but it ended without the main character having grown at all. I keep looking for that in the Doc Ford novels and I've yet to see it. Maybe it's because I'm only three books into the series, but I want more depth to Ford besides an interesting past.
pammysue1957's review against another edition
4.0
Another good Doc Ford Series book. This one seemed totally different to me than his other books.
skinnypenguin's review
2.0
Didn't enjoy it as much as other books with the same characters. Prefer more centered around Doc Ford and not Tucker Gattrel. Felt it was a bit too rambling.
hazelbright's review
4.0
Some interesting history of Florida and interesting characters in this one.
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