Twin plots of latest Doc Ford novel are far-fetched

Heartfelt finale elevates Dolan’s ‘The Good Killer’

By Bruce Desilva

Putnam, by

Thirty years have zipped by since Randy Wayne White first introduced readers to Doc Ford and his pals in “Sanibel Flats,” and from time to time the mostly solid crime fiction series seems to falter. “Salt River,” the 26th Ford novel, is one of those times.

White’s prose is better than OK, of course, and Doc’s fans will be pleased that old friends, including the protagonist’s love interest, Hannah Smith, and his aging hippie pal, Tomlinson, are part of the action. But the book’s twin plots are far-fetched, even for a Doc Ford novel, and readers who aren’t already familiar with the relationships between the characters might feel a bit lost.

In fact, one of the plots picks up the story told in “Caribbean Rim,” when Doc outmaneuvered a bunch of thugs hunting Spanish gold in waters off the Bahamas and secretly made off with a portion of it for himself.

These days, Doc, a semi-retired intelligence operative scratching out a living as a marine biologist on Florida’s Sanibel Island, is gradually selling off his find. But a dishonest former IRS agent and a thuggish Bahamian customs official get wind of it and hope to trick Doc into revealing the location of the rest of the treasure.

While that’s going on, Tomlinson, who

This cover image released by Putnam shows ‘Salt River’ by Randy Wayne White.

(AP)

once sold his semen to a for-profit sperm bank when he was strapped for cash, is beset by a bunch of full-grown biological children who have managed to track him down. And

This cover image released by The Mysterious Press shows ‘The Good Killer’ by Harry

Dolan. (AP)

Doc has reason to believe that one or two of them may be up to no good.

Meanwhile, Doc’s on-again, off-again relationship with Hannah, with whom he has fathered a child, shows his vulnerable side. Once again, she turns down his marriage proposal, and her new boyfriend has him struggling with an unfamiliar emotion. He’s jealous.

White spun off Hannah in 2012, and the four books and counting in that series have a freshness that some recent Ford novels are lacking.

The Mysterious

Press, by

Living off the grid may sound inviting keep your head down, don’t get friendly with strangers, avoid social media and never allow yourself to stand out in public. Sometimes that sounds inviting, especially when daily life and social media become overwhelming.

But the reality is that one false move can put you right back in the thick of life as author Harry Dolan shows in his highly gratifying “The Good Killer.”

Iraq vet Sean Tennant and Molly Winter have been happily living an anonymous life in a Houston suburb, following a specific set of rules to keep them incognito. Then Molly travels to Montana for a yoga retreat and Sean goes to the mall to buy shoes the same day that unstable Henry Keen, angry over being rejected by a woman, begins shooting people. Sean’s training kicks in and he shoots Henry, saving countless lives.

Sean, “the good guy with a gun,” tries to slip away unnoticed but his actions were captured by many cellphones. His actions make national news and he’s hailed a hero, attracting attention he cannot afford.

The police need to talk to Sean to clear up the case, but he is also being hunted by people from his past. Small-time hoodlum Jimmy Harper wants revenge on Sean because his brother, Cole, died five years ago when committing a robbery with Sean. Wealthy art dealer Adam Khadduri wants the valuables that the two men stole and has sent two bodyguards after Sean.

After Sean connects with Molly in Montana, the couple goes on a cross-country trek, trying to hide while picking up stolen goods that Sean has hidden in several remote spots. When Sean’s identity is discovered by law enforcement, a savvy FBI agent and a Houston detective also are on Sean and Molly’s trail.

In just five standalone novels, Dolan has garnered a reputation for intelligent plots that gently weave in action with his well-sculpted characters’ believable motives and a soupcon of humor.

“The Good Killer” expertly delves into each character’s psyche, showing the humanity in each. While Sean and Molly are the focus, Dolan makes it easy to understand how Harper and Khadduri are driven by revenge. An especially heartfelt - and unexpected - finale elevates “The Good Killer.” (AP)