Whiskey Gulf
Clyde Ford
Vanguard Press, July 2009, $24.95
reviewed by M. Schlecht
Clyde Ford’s latest Charlie Noble mystery is ostensibly about the search for a missing couple who disappear while sailing through the notorious Whiskey Gulf during military exercises off the coast of British Columbia. The trail, or should I say wake, leads Noble to a Middle Eastern agent, one with a connection to Noble’s past as a Coast Guard intelligence officer. More so than the plot or characters, however, the real star of Whiskey Gulf is the scenery—the waters of the Pacific Northwest on the US-Canadian border.
Although sometimes a little heavy on the nautical jargon, Ford paints a realistic portrait of maritime life (he writes aboard a 30-foot trawler in Bellingham, WA after all), and readers will feel like they are boating right along with Noble as he investigates the case. Also accompanying the retired officer is a Native American salvage diver named Raven, who—stereotype alert—talks to animals and performs spiritual cleansings aboard ship with a drum and sage. The characters and plot in Whiskey Gulf are drawn a little thin, but luckily the journey is painted in glorious 3D.
More from Mystery Scene on this author
- “Always Ready” author feature in Mystery Scene #106, Fall 2008, by Ron Miller
- The Long Mile by Clyde W. Ford, reviewed by Jeff Siegel
- Deuce’s Wild by Clyde W. Ford, reviewed by Charles L. P. Silet
FALL ISSUE #106 of Mystery Scene
Thursday, September 25th, 2008Hi everyone,
We talk to some fascinating new talents in this issue starting with Marcus Sakey, whose latest, Good People, is building on the strong showing of his debut, The Blade Itself.
Tana French’s In the Woods was a favorite of Mystery Scene readers and won the Edgar for Best First Novel of 2007. Now her second, The Likeness, has critics hailing a major new talent. Cheryl Solimini chats with this former actress who has taken a flair for the dramatic from the stage to the page.
Clyde Ford launches an intriguing new boating series set in the Pacific Northwest with an ex-Coast Guard officer as hero. Ford reports that he’s working with actor Morgan Freeman on a screenplay.
John J. Lamb’s popular mysteries combine two seemingly disparate worlds—the cozy milieu of teddy bear collecting and the gritty details of police procedure. Our reporter discovers striking similarities between Lamb’s work and life.
In the midst of this historic presidential election season, Art Taylor takes a look back at mystery fiction from the tumultuous Civil Rights era of the 1950s and ’60s.
Verna Suit explores fiction set in “Mysterious Maryland” with a special focus on Baltimore, where the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention will be taking place in October.
Our own Jon L. Breen, who won an Edgar Award for Novel Verdicts: A Guide to Courtroom Fiction, puts his expertise to work in a round-up of new legal thriller fiction. Following Jon’s glowing recommendation I’ve just read Justin Peacock’s debut, A Cure for Night. Don’t miss this book!
Best wishes,
Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief (more…)
Posted in Art Taylor, Burn Notice, C.S. Challinor, Chris Grabenstein, Civil Rights Era Fiction, Clyde Ford, Commentary, Donald Harstad, Donald Westlake, Herb Jeffries, John J. Lamb, Justin Peacock, Legal Thriller, Maryland Mysteries, Richard Stark, Robert B. Parker, Tana French | No Comments »