Doc Ford Books In Order
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Randy Wayne White grew up in small-town Ohio and later moved to Iowa. He graduated from high school in 1968 and started his career working as a journalist for the Fort Myers News-Press. He is also trained to be a boat captain and was a light-tackle fishing guide during this time. He did this for thirteen years on Sanibel Island. In 1990, White released the first book, Sanibel Flats starring the character of Doc Ford. This is now a Doc Ford series that follows his journey through twenty-one volumes.
Marion “Doc” Ford started his career working for a small covert government agency as an agent and assassin. He was known for years as one of the best at tracking targets and eliminating them once they were found. But, while this might have been a career that he excelled at, it was also something that he was not entirely comfortable doing. He eventually quit to start a better life for himself.
Doc was always in love with the ocean and this is where he looked for his second career. He became trained as a marine biologist and set himself up to work in the quiet and uneventful community of Sanibel, Florida, focusing on doing research projects on environmental conservationism. Doc lives on a home right on the water and is known for being friendly and willing to help out others in the community. He also has a history with many different women but can’t seem to hold one down for very long. Like James Bond, there seems to be a new one around for each of his adventures.
In Sanibel Flats, Doc is approached by an old friend, Rafe Hollins to help rescue his son Jake. Jake Hollins, who is only eight years old, has been taken captive by a Central American guerrilla leader thanks to Rafe stealing priceless pre-Mayan artifacts from some foreign business partners. Rafe then turns up dead of an apparent suicide and it is up to Doc to head to Central America to use his old spy skills to get the child back safely.
The Heat Islands, starts with Doc settling back into his quiet life in Sanibel. That changes when the body of much-hated marina owner Martin Rios is found. One of Doc’s friends, a sweet and innocent woman, is arrested for the crime and Doc takes it upon himself to find the real killer. Ford is dragged into the underworld of this side of Florida and finds out that this case is related to real estate battles and a whole lot of violence.
The third book in Doc Ford series, The Man Who Invented Florida, Doc is pulled into danger by his uncle’s discovery of the fountain of youth. While his uncle is happy to sell it’s water for ten dollars a bottle, Doc must deal with people knocking on his door looking for three men who have gone missing. There is also some debate over whether his uncle really owns the land where the fountain of youth is found.
Captiva continues the story of Doc Ford with a net ban in Florida that causes the sports and commercial fishermen in the area to butt heads. At first, Doc tries to stay out of the battle, as he is close to people on both sides. But, the issues escalate to the point where there are cases of arson and murder. This sees Doc feeling compelled to get involved and with the help of his friend Tomlinson and a woman named Hannah, he is the one that acts as mediator and solves the problem.
When Ford was working for the government, there were rumors that he had some involvement in the plots against Fidel Castro. This doesn’t stop him from taking on a case in Cuba in North of Havana. This story starts with a friend of Doc’s finding his boat in Cuban waters and needing help bribing local officials to get it back. At the same time, he is visited by a woman named Dewey who insists on going with him to Cuba. Doc finds himself on the other side of an old fight and must work with his friends and a former Soviet agent to protect Castro against a new murder plot.
In The Mangrove Coast, Doc again finds a body and is drawn into a battle to help a former friend and colleague. He must locate the dead man’s ex-wife, who is also the widow of an agent that Doc used to work with and was killed in Cambodia twenty years before. Doc travels through South America looking for the ex-wife and he must find out whose side she is really on.
Shark River sees Doc trying to take a vacation from his life solving crimes and as a marine biologist by going to a resort with his friend Tomlinson. There they find a new murder plot and Doc meets a woman who claims to be his sister. Doc must protect the daughter of a billionaire politician while he finds out how all of the pieces fit together.
Ten Thousand Islands starts with the horrible crime of someone desecrating the grave of a fifteen-year-old girl who passed away and was known for being able to find strange objects. Her last discovery was a 400- year old medallion and Doc must help the deceased girl’s mother discover who is after the prize.
In the remaining Doc Ford series books, there is always the combination between Doc using his old spy abilities and his passion for the ocean and the creatures it holds. He is always willing to help out a friend in need and most stories feature some sort of love story with him and a new female character. Doc usually has Tomlinson as his sidekick. At the end of Chasing Midnight, it looked like Tomlinson might be killed but he turns out to survive at the beginning of Night Moves. In the latest book, Bone Deep, Doc helps one of his friends to locate a stolen Tribal artifact. This brings him into the world of the black market.
Book Series In Order » Characters »
Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
my husband and i met you and wendy the first time at captiva while we were watching the cubs win at the doc ford bar… he a fisherman me a teacher hope you fared well with the hurricane… know you meet lots of people we enjoy your books god bless
When is the next Doc Ford book coming out?
Hi Larry – the next one is currently untitled and has a scheduled release of August 2023 at the moment.
Looking forward to the next book!!! Probably should re read the last few books😀
Love the books about Doc Ford and also Hanna Smith