Sweet Peril

Tread carefully, White’s Hannah Smith returns

“The summer before I started this novel, on a day of ninetydegree heat, two pals and I landed a Maule seaplane in a remote bay and waded ashore to explore the only chunk of high ground for many, many miles.” ―Author’s note, Seduced

How dangerous are oranges? Capt. Hannah Smith would quickly have answered “not at all,” until she was pulled into the complex and surprisingly dangerous Florida citrus industry. Seduced by Randy Wayne White (2016, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $27) is a tale of greed and deception in which one of Hannah’s childhood memories may cost her everything. Hannah Smith is a fishing guide and part-time private detective accustomed to dangerous situations. When she asks a citrus pathologist friend about trouble with her orange trees, she learns of the industry’s desperate search to prevent citrus green- ing that is endangering groves across Florida. Hannah tells her friend of an old orange tree she saw on a remote mangrove island while exploring with her grandfather as a child, and discovers that her memory may lead to the long-sought cure. The search for the tree begins and Hannah soon finds that the natural hazards―even from a giant Burmese python―are outweighed by the human ones. Others have heard of the tree and they will do anything to get to it first. Can Hannah prevail? Seduced is Randy Wayne White’s fourth story featuring Hannah Smith. A longtime Sanibel/Pine Island resident and author of the popular Doc Ford series, White uses his detailed knowledge of Southwest Florida and meticulous research to bring life to his words, transforming this story into a real experience. If this is your introduction to Hannah Smith, you will surely pursue a long-term relationship.

Doug Gallogly lives in Fort Myers with his wife, Jackie.