Deep Shadow (Doc Ford Series #17) »

Randy Wayne White is the author of sixteen previous Doc Ford novels and four collections of nonfiction. He lives in an old house built on an Indian mound in Pineland, Florida.

Doc Ford wrestles more than one kind of demon, in the stunning novel from the New York Times-bestselling author. Many dangers lurk in the deep-the worst of them are human. Thirty minutes into what should have been an easy, beginner-level dive in a remote Florida lake, the rim of a cave collapses, trapping two of Doc Ford's friends. Ford himself manages to escape and quickly surfaces to find help-but that's when his troubles only begin. Two men are waiting for him on the shore, and they are not the kind of men you want to meet at any time. Murderers and ex-cons, they're intent on diving to the bottom of the very deep lake and uncovering the remains of a legendary plane wreck there, supposedly loaded with Cuban treasury gold. Ford's ex­pertise is just what they need. And if he doesn't want to help? He can die. His friends? They can die, too. In fact, they can die right now. . . . As the hours tick away, two mortal struggles unfold simulta­neously, one above and one below. Neither outcome is certain, no man is safe . . . and in the deep shadow, only death awaits.

Publishers Weekly

When approached by old friend Arlis Futch to help search for lost Cuban gold at the bottom of a Floridian lake, there's no way Doc Ford could anticipate that the easy afternoon dive with friends would turn into a struggle for life both below and above the waterline. A collapsing underwater shelf traps Ford's pal, Tomlinson, and a young troubled teen, Will Chaser, under tons of limestone. When Ford rushes to the surface he discovers more peril: two escaped murderers holding Futch hostage. As precious minutes pass, it is up to Ford to keep himself and Futch alive, outwit the deadly duo, and rescue his friends before they drown. Some listeners might find George Guidall's homespun delivery too folksy for this gritty thriller, but his enthusiasm for the material and fine character portrayals soon push any such qualms aside. A Putnam hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 4). (Apr.)