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| Black Widow | 
 enlarge | Author: Randy Wayne White
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $10.34
You Save: $14.61 (59%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $10.34
Avg. Customer Rating:  (20 reviews)
Sales Rank: 34753
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
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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| Customer Reviews:
 Best yet for Randy Wayne White June 15, 2008
1 out of 3 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
21 out of 24 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
6 out of 11 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.
 Entertaining Ride April 26, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
Once again Doc gets himself into the Champion role trying to help someone who only partly wants it and doesnt deserve it. These are a great series, just needed a little more Tomlinson in this one.
Black Widow April 22, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
Another great Doc Ford mystery. Randy Wayne White's biologist is evolving or de-evolving to his old habits. Fast paced and enjoyable. I have read Black Widow twice already. Sir James and Senny are cool new characters. Can't wait for the next one!
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