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| Black Widow | 
 enlarge | Author: Randy Wayne White
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $10.13
You Save: $14.82 (59%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (17 reviews)
Sales Rank: 3774
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4
ISBN: 0399154566
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780399154560
ASIN: 0399154566
Publication Date: March 18, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Revenge becomes very personal for Doc Ford, in the stunning new novel by the New York Times-bestselling author.
It was a simple exchange. Clean.
So why did things go so terribly wrong?
It went against all of Ford's instincts. When his goddaughter, Shanay, called one day, he assumed it was with details of her imminent wedding, but the news was anything but cheerful. She and her bridesmaids had thrown a pretty wild bachelorette party, it seemed, on St. Arcs, in the Windward Islands-and someone had secretly videotaped it. Now that person was threatening to blow up her future unless she came across with enough money. "But don't worry, Doc," she said. "I negotiated it down. All I need you to do is make the exchange. Please?"
Ford knew it was a mistake-a mistake to trust the extortionist, a mistake for her not to tell her fianc-but he agreed. And now one of the bridesmaids is near death. The blackmailer took the money and released the tape on the Internet anyway, and the panicked bridesmaid took an overdose of pills washed down with alcohol.
Fueled by guilt and an overpowering rage, Ford and his friend Tomlinson swear to destroy the person responsible, but she-and it is a woman-has other ideas. An agent of corruption like no one they have ever met, the black widow is just getting started. . . .
"Readers should buckle their seat belts before they crack the covers," the Detroit Free Press said of Hunter's Moon. "This one is a dark and supercharged ride." And so it is again. But nothing will prepare the reader for the twists, the adrenaline, and the sheer intensity of Black Widow.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 Doc Ford Fans, read this one. July 20, 2008
In Black Widow, Randy Wayne White has a plot worthy of his writing talents while he avoids some of quirks that have led some to wonder if the Doc has outlived his usefulness as a hero. After fifteen books, there is some build up of back story which sometimes intrudes a bit much. White restrains himself in this one and while giving us some of the best former characters, (Tomlinson at his "guru"est zanyness and Shay Money, now grown up and escaped from her Daddy's clutches); he also introduces some sure to reappear individuals: Sir James, the semi-retired Brit Psyop spook and beautiful Beryl. The premise, a blackmailing scheme based on an exotic Carribean island, batchlorette parties, date rape drugs, handsome beach bums and hidden cameras is more than plausible. These are really bad guys and White does not need to get into a lot of mumbo-jumbo. Doc himself stresses that his profession is science and not superstition. When we do get to the voodoo island, it is clear that the manipulation of belief is at work. The novel's structure: first half set at Sanabel/Captiva environs and second on the exotic island is a familiar White pattern, allowing some Dinkin's Bay parties, whale swimming/stranding and shark threats. Doc's new semi legit job - developing marine toxin potentials for homeland security- does not quite measure up to his wilder adventures, and part of the story at Dinkin's Bay and his teaming up with Sir James have the potential for a sequal novel, but are actually a bit distracting here. There is also a bit of deja vu over again in some scenes, such as a parking lot eavesdropping. White's biggest problem of the aging hero is somewhat ameliorated by the lack of headline references. Still as a poet said, "the girls are younger pinker, and more gradually out of reach." Not quite so for Doc; however, the surprise romantic turn at the end of the novel may portend a more mature character about to show up in greater detail in the next novel. In a nod in this direction, Doc can still take care of himself. but we are not faced with the four or five on one beach bar fights, and Doc admits to being a bit out of shape. If you like White, the minor flaws are outweighed by what is his best effort in the last four novels. Buy this one, get a comfortable chair in the shade, pour a cold drink and enjoy.
Doc Ford Delivers Once Again June 17, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Randy Wayne White just cannot write a bad book. I have to admit I fell in love with the zany hippie/guru character, Tomlinson, from the very first and he's the character who keeps me coming back for more. I've gotten more hilarious one-liners from him than I can count. (My favorite is: "Weirdness is only weird if you fight it.") Mr. White, I demand a book with Tomlinson as the main character!!
My only tiny complaint about "Black Widow" is there wasn't enough Tomlinson in it.....thus said, I have to admit that the opening chapters with the sharks and whales were primo Tomlinson, and had me howling with laughter---but left me wanting more adventures with Doc and Tomlinson together.
In this latest installment, Doc decides that he can't take the boring life he's now leading since leaving the secret covert organization that he's been in for decades and he takes it upon himself to generate his own action and help save his goddaughter's reputation. This one has loads of non-stop action from blackmail to voodoo-practicing hermaphrodites. Who could ask for more?
Best yet for Randy Wayne White June 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Black Widow is the best novel so far from Randy Wayne White. Addressing a crime that pulls together several recent headline cases, including an Alabama coed in Aruba, White nails this topic with gripping suspense. I read it in two days...could not put it down. Doc Ford strikes again and wins!
Steve Batson
Great Read May 18, 2008
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
This is my first Randy Wayne White book. I have heard the members of my book discussion group rave about his books even though we have never read one of his.
This book was all that was promised and then some. I was hooked on the first page. Now I will start reading the rest of his books.
This book was filled with suspense- but not overloaded with gore. It left a lot to your imagination.
It is interesting reading about the islands and it made me wonder if someone could film vacationers in that manner. It is kind of unnerving thinking you could be watched and filmed on your vacation. Hopefully if it happens to us we will have a "Doc" to rescue us.
Since I live in Florida, I enjoyed reading a Florida author. Hopefully the rest of his books will take place in Florida instead of an obscure island.
 Formulatic, simplistic, and silly May 9, 2008
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
I'm a big fan of South Florida crime novels but strangely I haven't (until now) read anything by Randy Wayne White. When Black Widow hit the library shelves I was keen to read it. Unfortunately it was a big disappointment. Not only did it lack the quirky humor that novels of this genre typically revel in, it wasn't even a decent crime novel. I found it formulaic, simplistic, and silly.
While the drugging, seducing, videotaping and blackmailing of women is, without question, a terrible thing, I can't say that I was overly concerned about the impact these videos would have on the women being blackmailed. The problem for me was that at least two of the women were unsympathetic characters. They struck me as manipulative and self absorbed. The potential that these videos would ruin their love lives and career opportunities just didn't matter enough to me. The fact that their men were even less likeable than they were made it all the more difficult to care about their plight.
White dedicates a number of pages in this novel to inform his readers about the evils of massage therapists who use their seductive fingers to lure customers into compromising sexual situations. Doc's first-person narrative takes a rather clunky detour so that he can rail against these unscrupulous masseuses. This multi-page tirade doesn't flow well with the rest of the narrative, standing out like a bad 60 Minutes expose.
But the biggest problem with Black Widow is its formulaic and silly plot. The plot is predictable, simplistic, and riddled with holes. The story zips along but generates virtually no suspense. Doc Ford is a decent enough leading man, and his hippy sidekick has some potential, but the villains in this novel are just silly.
Unless fans of the author can convince me otherwise, I don't think I'll be reading anything else by Randy Wayne White anytime soon. Based on the positive reviews posted for this novel so far on this site it appears the fans are happy with this effort and aren't likely to agree with me.
Trust me though. This one isn't worth reading. Try something by Hiassen or Hall instead.
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