Cuba Straits by Randy Wayne White

In Cuba Straits, Doc Ford gets involved with the desperate business of an old acquaintance, General Rivera.  Cuba is not exactly wide open, but Rivera has been making money smuggling ballplayers and cultural artifacts from Cuba into the U.S.  Both activities are illegal, but in baseball-mad Cuba going to the "show" on the mainland is a highly regarded activity.  The theft of cultural and historical artifacts, perhaps not so much.

Ford's old friend, Tomlinson, naturally gets involved and ends up as a baby sitter for a very colorful Cuban baseball player.

Ford knows that Rivera has left out a lot in his account of the trouble that he's in, and he strongly suspects he should not get involved.  After Tomlison sets sails for Cuba, Ford feels he's obligated to go but he decides to turn back -- until he rescues two girls, 11 and 13, from a horrible shipwreck

It's not enough for Ford to save the girls from their piece of raft and the sharks that would like to feast on them; after he hears their story and perceives that they are in danger he feels responsible for their welfare and this development drives the rest of the plot.

Once Ford arrives in Cuba, the action  intensifies in pace and interest.  This was the point at which I became hooked and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.  It's approximately at this point that a serial killer is introduced and this serial killer reminds me a little of the serial killer in True Detective.  I believe it's a sin to waste a really good idea; you should use it over and over because if it's been good once it will be again at least one more time (and maybe more).

This book has a wonderful cover.  And this author has written a lot of books in this series, featuring marine biologist and ex-CIA guy Marion "Doc" Ford.  I believe this is the 22nd book.  (White has recently started a second series featuring Hannah Smith, expert fishing guide and amateur detective, and I'm happy to report that she makes an appearance here.)

I read a review in which the reviewer seemed to see this book as speculative fiction, a vision (or a version?) of what will happen in Cuba in the near future.  Cuba is close enough to us that I think it is of natural interest to many.  The closeness of Cuba to Key West means that Cuba's history is part of Key West's history, as well.  When I saw the Buena Vista Social Club in the theater, the audience loved it so much that they applauded at the end.

Photographs of Cuba I've seen have shown beautiful colonial architecture and wonderful cars from the 1950's with their sensual and organic shapes.

Cuba is alluring.

For all these reasons I decided to take a chance on this novel.

I've noticed that some readers are reluctant to take a chance on jumping into a series well past the beginning.  They suspect, I think, that they will have missed something important (or, perhaps, they enjoy the serial, the repeated visits with known characters).

I was prepared to have that experience, but I think White handled it well.  (Although as I write this, I find myself wondering:  if White had not told us anything about Ford relationship with his old buddy and dear friend Tomlinson, would we not have been able to infer long history and great loyalty? Perhaps - and it might have been more interesting.  I can't help noticing, however, that some readers like to have all the loose ends wrapped up and to have everything explained.)  As the novel progresses, Tomlinson and Ford act in tandem even though they are in different places and are not communicating - not only do they have a deep loyalty to each other but almost a sixth sense about the other.

What does this book have?  Boats!  Two, and one of them is called No Mas, which I think is a good name.   (No explosions, however, but I am not disappointed.)  Also, guns.  If you like guns, there are at least three here .. no, four, if you count the beretta.  Lots of cool technology on Ford's boat, like an anti-radar cover.  How cool is that?

There's a scene where Tomlinson (if I remember correctly) meets a man in a bar who feels him out and then shows him photographs of Castro taken by his father back in the fifties and sixties.  Sometime recently I saw a news report about Cuba in which I thought the reporter said that Cubans remember the fifties and sixties vividly, and that certainly is conveyed in this scene.

Doc Ford is a marine biologist and so there's quite a bit about turtles.  There's quite a lot about Florida, which was mostly lost on me as I'm not a Florida person.  But I love Carl Hiassen, and he, White and Ed McBain share a love of Florida's flora, fauna and geography which I'm sure  readers enjoy and which I respect.

For me, the pace and narrative of the book really picked up after Doc and Tomlinson arrive in Cuba.

I've just heard that the U.S. and Cuba are going to establish a ferry which will permit you to take your car to Cuba.  Where does the line form?  Do they take dogs, too?